Three marks, one mate

Twenty three

Alpha Brandon POV

The moment I stepped into my study, the weight of everything waiting for me settled heavily on my shoulders.

This room had always been my place of control, of order… but today, it felt different.

Kyle was already there, standing near my desk, his posture straight but his expression looked worrisome.

“Kyle, you’re back,” I said as I walked toward my seat, lowering myself into it with a quiet exhale.

“Yes, my Alpha,” he replied. “The peace treaty has been signed.”

For a brief moment, relief flickered through me, at least something had gone right.

But it didn’t last long.

“Alpha,” he continued, his tone shifting, growing more serious, “the warriors told me what happened at the training ground. How did they get in?”

My jaw tightened slightly.

That question had been running through my mind ever since the attack.

And the answer…

It didn’t sit well with me. “I believe one of my elders is behind it,” I said slowly. “Elder Maeve, especially.”

Saying her name out loud made something dark stir within me.

Kyle’s expression hardened, and he nodded slightly. “She’s actually the reason I came to see you.”

That caught my attention fully. “How so?” I asked, leaning forward slightly.

“She’s been acting strangely this past month,” he explained. “I didn’t think much of it at first, but now… it’s starting to make sense.”

A cold feeling settled in my chest. “How strange?” I pressed.

Kyle hesitated briefly, as though choosing his words carefully.

“She came to me after our meeting with the other pack,” he said. “She didn’t want me to sign the peace treaty.”

My brows furrowed. “What?”

“She begged me to create chaos instead,” he added, his voice lowering. “She wanted conflict.”

For a moment, I simply stared at him.

The words didn’t make sense or maybe they did and I just didn’t want them to.

“Why?” I asked, my voice quieter now, but far more dangerous. “What does she gain from this?”

Because this wasn’t just defiance, this was betrayal.

Kyle didn’t hesitate this time. “She wants to take over the pack,” he said. “From what I can see, she’s trying to make you look incompetent like you’re not fit to lead.”

A sharp anger flared in my chest.

Not for myself but for my pack.

For the people who trusted me to protect them and she was risking all for her own wicked and selfish ambition.

And for Desiree, my mate.

“Her daughter challenged my mate for the Luna position,” I muttered, more to myself than to him.

That alone should have been a warning, I should have seen it sooner.

“You need to act, Alpha,” Kyle urged. “We can’t let her continue like this. If she turns the other elders against you…”

He didn’t need to finish.

I already understood the consequences. “I will handle her,” I said firmly, my voice leaving no room for doubt.

I leaned back slightly, forcing myself to shift focus. “How was the treaty?”

Kyle’s expression softened almost immediately, a smile breaking through the tension. “Alpha Liam was more than willing to sign,” he said. “There were no complications.”

That was good, we needed allies now more than ever.

“And…” he hesitated slightly, his smile growing wider, “I found my mate.”

That caught me off guard.

Then, unexpectedly, I found myself smiling. “Now that is good news,” I said genuinely. “Did she come back with you?”

“She’s Alpha Liam’s daughter,” he explained. “It wasn’t easy convincing him, but… I managed.”

A quiet chuckle left me. “I can imagine,” I said. “I’m happy for you.”

For a moment, the tension in the room eased.

“I’ll bring her to breakfast,” he added. “I’d like you to meet her.”

“I look forward to it,” I replied.

Then his expression shifted again, curiosity replacing excitement.

“So… our Luna,” he said. “I heard she won the challenge.”

Pride filled my chest instantly.

A deep, unwavering pride that I didn’t bother to hide.

“I never doubted her,” I said. “They wanted her to go through thirty-one days of challenges just to prove herself.”

Even now, the thought angered me. “To me,” I added, my voice darkening slightly.

Kyle frowned. “That’s absurd. Are they questioning the Moon Goddess herself?”

“If this continues,” I said coldly, “I will banish Maeve and her daughter.”

Kyle nodded slowly. “I’m starving, Alpha. And I can’t wait to meet her.”

A faint smile touched my lips. “Breakfast should be ready,” I said, standing. “Let’s go.”

We walked out together, but my thoughts were already elsewhere.

The moment I woke up and she wasn’t beside me, the empty space she left behind.

It shouldn’t have bothered me this much but it did because my wolf felt it too.

The absence, the distance and it didn’t like it.

Not at all.

The moment we entered the dining room, my eyes instinctively searched for her but she wasn’t there.

A small, sharp irritation settled in my chest. “Where is Desiree?” I asked, my voice more tense than I intended.

Grayson didn’t even look concerned. “She’s with Avery. Probably talking.”

My frown deepened. “Avery?” I repeated, my gaze shifting to Zachary. “Who is Avery, and why is she with my mate?”

Zachary sighed lightly. “She’s my sister, Alpha. And Desiree is fine.”

I knew that, of course she was fine.

But that didn’t stop the restless feeling building inside me.

I hadn’t seen her since morning, hadn't touched her, hadn't felt her close.

And for some reason… that didn’t sit right with me.

Without thinking further, I gestured to a nearby maid. “Go and inform your Luna that her presence is required for breakfast.”

“Yes, Alpha,” she said, bowing before leaving quickly.

Grayson smirked. “Are you jealous of his sister?”

I shot him a look. “I’m concerned she hasn’t eaten,” I replied flatly.

Zachary laughed softly, clearly not convinced.

I ignored them.

Because the truth was, I did miss her more than I expected.

Sitting down, I tried to push the feeling aside as Kyle introduced the woman beside him.

“Alpha, this is my mate, Daphne.”

I studied her briefly, she carried herself with quiet grace, her features resembling Alpha Liam enough to confirm Kyle’s words.

“Welcome to our pack, Daphne,” I said.

“Thank you, Alpha,” she replied with a warm smile.

Then, soft and familiar laughter echoed in my ear, coming closer and closer, my head turned immediately toward the entrance.

And there she was, Desiree walking hand in hand with Avery, her face lit with a smile that made something in my chest ease instantly.

Relief washed over me.

“We’re sorry for being late,” she said, her voice light as she took a seat beside Avery.

My expression shifted into a slight frown. “Desiree,” I said, gesturing to the seat beside me, “your seat is here.”

She looked at me… then pouted slightly. “I want to sit beside Avery.”

That single expression made it incredibly difficult to argue.

Still, I didn’t like it.

Not one bit.

“She just got here and she’s already stealing our mate,” I muttered under my breath toward Zachary.

“I said the same thing,” Grayson added.