Three marks, one mate

Two

Desiree POV

The Grand Hall, which moments ago had been filled with the hushed awe of my mating to Brandon, now erupted into a cacophony of gasps, whispers, and angry growls. It was like a dam had burst. I could feel the shock waves radiating from the Elders, their faces pale and bewildered.

Brandon, his golden eyes blazing with a fury I’d never seen directed at anyone but an enemy, lunged. Not at me, but at Grayson. A primal roar tore from his throat, his wolf fully surfacing, teeth bared. "You lie! You dare to claim what is mine?!"

Grayson met him, shoulder to shoulder, his own wolf simmering just beneath his skin, a dark, dangerous counterpoint to Brandon's golden rage. "The bond chooses, Brandon, not you! And it chose me too!"

Their wolves were practically snarling at each other, a raw, untamed energy crackling between them. I felt the impact of their confrontation deep within me, a jarring clash of the bonds that made my vision swim. My wolf was torn, wanting to soothe Brandon, wanting to stand with Grayson, wanting to understand what the hell was happening.

"Desiree!" Zachary's voice cut through the escalating chaos again, closer this time. He was pushing through the stunned crowd, his eyes wide, fixed on me with a desperate intensity. "Are you alright?"

His concern, so genuine, so Zachary, was almost too much. The third pull, softer than the others, yet just as insistent, tugged at my heart.

My legs, already weak from the shock of Brandon’s mark and the subsequent revelations, finally gave out. The world tilted, the faces of the pack members blurring into a kaleidoscope of fear and confusion.

I felt myself falling, but before I hit the cold stone floor, two pairs of strong arms caught me. Brandon’s, possessive and firm, and Grayson’s, equally firm, but with a strange, almost gentle restraint. They held me suspended between them, their scents, pine and wild earth, mixing with Zachary’s comforting warmth as he reached for my hand.

"Get away from her!" Brandon snarled at Grayson, his grip tightening on my waist.

"She's mine as much as yours!" Grayson retorted, his eyes locked on mine, a silent battle raging between them over my very body.

"She's confused!" Zachary cried, his voice cracking, trying to pull my hand towards him. "You're scaring her!"

My head throbbed. The three distinct pulls, each demanding, each undeniable, threatened to rip me apart. My wolf was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions – loyalty, desire, confusion, and a terrifying, exhilarating sense of belonging to all three.

"Silence!" A booming voice, filled with ancient authority, cut through the din. Elder Maeve, her face etched with a mixture of shock and grim determination, stepped forward, her staff thudding against the floor. "This is not how a Mate Selection Ceremony ends! This is an abomination!"

But even as she spoke, her eyes, usually so wise and steady, darted between Brandon, Grayson, and then to Zachary, who was still desperately trying to reach me. And then, to my neck, where Brandon's fresh mark pulsed, and then to my eyes, where the truth of the three bonds must have been screaming.

"Take her to the healing chambers," Elder Maeve commanded, her voice trembling slightly. "And the three of you… you will come with me. Now."

Brandon growled, resisting, a low, dangerous sound that vibrated through my chest. His grip on me tightened, possessive and fierce, as if he could physically shield me from the impossible truth that had just been laid bare. But Elder Maeve’s command was absolute, her voice, though trembling, carried the weight of generations. Even an Alpha couldn't defy it, not when the very fabric of pack law was unraveling before everyone's eyes.

Grayson, surprisingly, was the first to release me. He stepped back, a reluctant sigh escaping his lips, his dark eyes never leaving mine. There was a strange mix of defiance and something almost… tender in his gaze. He knew. He felt it. And he wasn't backing down.

Brandon, after a moment of fierce internal struggle, his jaw clenched so tight I could hear his teeth grind, finally let go too. But not before pressing a possessive, almost desperate kiss to my forehead, his scent clinging to me like a second skin. It was a silent promise, a warning to the others. Mine.

Zachary, however, didn't let go. As the pack warriors, looking utterly bewildered, moved to escort me, he clung to my hand. His fingers were warm, trembling slightly, his thumb stroking my knuckles in a gesture that was both comforting and heartbreaking. "Desiree," he whispered, his voice raw with emotion, his eyes pleading. "Please. Just… tell me you feel it too."

My vision was still blurry, my mind a chaotic mess of wolves and bonds and impossible truths. The pulls were still there, three distinct currents warring within me. Brandon’s fierce claim, Grayson’s dangerous allure, Zachary’s desperate tenderness. But as I looked into Zachary's desperate eyes, I felt that third, undeniable pull, a gentle but firm anchor in the storm. My wolf, despite the chaos, gave a soft, certain whimper.

Mate.

And then, the world went black.

**

The first thing I registered was the scent of herbs. Not the sweet, earthy smell of the forest, but the sharp, clean aroma of medicinal plants. My eyelids felt heavy, glued shut, and my head throbbed with a dull ache. I tried to move, but my limbs felt like lead.

"She's stirring." A soft voice, familiar. Lena.

I forced my eyes open, blinking against the dim light. I was lying on a cot in the healing chambers, the familiar stone walls and shelves of dried herbs surrounding me. Lena was sitting beside me, her face pale with worry, but relief flooded her features when she saw my eyes open.

"Des! Oh, thank the Goddess, you're awake." She reached out, her hand cool against my forehead. "You gave us quite a scare."

"What… what happened?" My voice was raspy, barely a whisper. The last thing I remembered was Zachary's face, his plea, and then… nothing.

Lena's expression clouded. "The ceremony… it was chaos. After you… well, after you collapsed, Elder Maeve had you brought here. And she took Brandon, Grayson, and Zachary to the council chambers. They've been in there for hours."

Hours? My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments. Brandon’s mark. Grayson’s declaration. Zachary’s plea. The three distinct pulls. It wasn't a dream. It was real.

I reached up, my fingers tentatively touching the tender skin on my neck where Brandon had marked me. It still throbbed, a constant reminder of his claim.

"Lena," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I… I felt it. All three of them."

Lena's eyes widened, confirming my worst fears. She didn't try to deny it, didn't try to tell me I was imagining things. She just looked at me with profound sadness, a silent understanding.

"It's… it's impossible, isn't it?" I asked, my voice cracking. "A wolf can only have one mate. Everyone knows that."

Lena sighed, running a hand through her hair. "That's what we've always been taught”

“How come I had three, what game is the moon goddess playing” I mentally screamed out.

“Just take it easy, everything will be sorted out” she assured me.

This was why I said she would make a great Luna, she knows the right word to say “Did you find your mate, is it the same guy?” Curiosity made me ask.

Her cheeks reddened as she nodded softly “It was instant but then, I saw you collapse”

“I am sorry” I am the reason she wasn't with her mate right now.

“You are my best friend Des, of course, I will worry for you” she held my hand in hers.

We were discussing when the three entered the room, my wolf rejoicing at the sight of them, Lena hurriedly excused herself and went away.

“Do you feel the pull towards them too?” Brandon was the first to speak. “Are they your mate?”

I nodded my head as I was too embarrassed to speak.

“We need to mark her too to seal our mate bond” Grayson was beside me.

“The trial is tomorrow, shouldn't we wait till after that” Brandon said stalling.

“No trial is going to separate me from my mate, more reason I need to mark her today”

Zachary, always sensitive “we don't even know if she is okay, I mean she is confused too”

“I want it too” I was shocked at my outburst. My wolf had been uncomfortable at the thought of losing any of her mates, she wants to be with all three.

Immediately, Grayson and Zachary's hands were all over me, they placed kisses on my neck, and the next moment their teeth sunk into my neck, instead of crying out, I moaned out.