Three marks, one mate

31

Desiree POV

The words lingered in the air like a death sentence.

The Rogue King.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs, each beat louder than the last, as if my body already recognized what my mind was still trying to process. The pull I had tried so hard to ignore flared to life instantly, stronger than before, wrapping around me like an invisible thread that tightened with every passing second.

Brandon moved first.

The shift in him was immediate and terrifying, his entire demeanor hardening into that of a true Alpha preparing for war. His eyes darkened, his jaw tightening as his aura filled the room, thick and commanding, leaving no room for argument.

“Sound the alarm,” he ordered sharply, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

The warrior didn’t hesitate this time. “Yes, Alpha,” he said quickly before rushing out of the room, his earlier fear now replaced with urgency.

Zachary cursed under his breath, already moving toward the weapons rack by the wall, his movements swift and precise as he grabbed what he needed. “He has a death wish,” he muttered, his voice laced with fury.

Grayson let out a low, dangerous laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Or he’s more arrogant than we thought,” he added, his eyes glowing faintly as his wolf pushed closer to the surface.

I stood there, frozen.

“Desiree.” Brandon’s voice pulled me back, and I looked up to find all three of them staring at me now, their expressions a mixture of concern, tension, and something else they were trying to suppress.

“You stay here,” he said firmly.

“No.”

The word left my lips before I could stop it.

All three of them stiffened. “Must you always defy us especially in a time like this”

“I am not hiding while you go out there to face him,” I continued, my voice steadier now despite the storm inside me. “He came for me.”

“And that is exactly why you are not stepping out there,” Zachary snapped immediately, his protective instincts flaring. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

“I know enough,” I shot back, my heart racing. “He didn’t hurt me before, and he won’t now.”

“That is not a risk we are willing to take,” Grayson said, his tone leaving no room for argument as he stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, his gaze intense. “You are ours.”

The possessiveness in his voice sent a shiver down my spine, but it didn’t stop me.

“Then trust me,” I said softly, my eyes moving between the three of them. “Trust that I know what I’m doing.”

Brandon’s gaze lingered on me the longest, searching, weighing something internally, and for a moment, I thought he would refuse completely.

But then, he exhaled slowly.

“You don’t leave our side,” he said finally, his voice firm, controlled, but filled with warning. “Not even for a second.”

Relief washed over me, though it was quickly replaced by anxiety.

Because now, I was actually going to face him.

We moved together, stepping out of the room and into the pack house, where the atmosphere had already shifted into chaos. Warriors rushed past us, taking positions, their expressions tense and alert as the alarm echoed through the territory.

By the time we reached the pack border, a crowd had already begun to form at a distance, kept back by the warriors who stood on guard, their bodies rigid, ready for anything.

And then, I saw him.

His presence was overwhelming, dark and commanding, his posture relaxed yet powerful, as though he stood not in enemy territory, but in a place that already belonged to him. His eyes lifted the moment we appeared, locking onto mine instantly, and the world around me seemed to fade.

A slow smirk curved his lips as he took a step forward, completely disregarding the warriors who immediately tensed at his movement.

“Careful,” one of them warned, his voice shaking slightly despite his attempt to remain firm.

Elias didn’t even look at him.

His gaze never left mine.

“I didn’t come here to fight,” he said calmly, his voice smooth, controlled, yet carrying easily across the space between us.

“Then you came to the wrong place,” Brandon replied coldly, stepping slightly in front of me, his aura clashing violently against Elias’, dominance meeting.

For a moment, neither of them spoke nor backed down.

Elias’ smirk faded slightly, his expression shifting into something more serious as his eyes softened just barely when they settled on me again.

“I came for her,” he said.

The words landed heavily, sending a ripple through everyone gathered at the border, and I felt it again, that pull tightening in my chest, demanding attention I refused to give.

“Leave her out of this,” Grayson warned, his voice low and dangerous as he stepped forward, placing himself more firmly between us. “You are trespassing.”

Elias only smirked, the expression calm, almost amused, as though none of this concerned him. “Relax,” he said lightly. “You can see that I came alone.”

The audacity in his tone made my stomach twist.

Brandon’s patience snapped. “That is your mistake,” he snarled, his aura flaring violently as power rolled off him in waves, pressing down on everyone around us. “Because you either leave now… or die trying to come near her.”

But Elias did not move, did not retreat. Instead, his gaze shifted back to me, unwavering, certain, as though the decision had already been made in his mind.

“She is my mate as well,” he said, his voice steady, carrying clearly across the space between us. “You cannot keep her away from me.”

A collective gasp spread through the crowd behind us, whispers breaking out instantly, some filled with disbelief, others with envy, and a few with judgment that burned against my skin.

“I do not accept our bond,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging within me.

Zachary reacted instantly, stepping in front of me again, shielding me with his body as though he could block Elias out completely. “You heard her,” he snapped, his voice sharp with finality. “She does not want you.”

For the first time, Elias looked… surprised.

“May I remind you,” he said slowly, his gaze returning to me, searching, disbelieving, “that is not how the mate bond works?”

Something in me rose then, something fierce, something determined, something that refused to be claimed, and before I could stop myself, I stepped forward, pushing past Zachary’s protective hold.

“Desiree—” he started, but I didn’t stop.

I moved until I stood between them.

Between my mates…And him.

The air shifted instantly, thick with tension, with disbelief, with something far more dangerous as all eyes fell on me.

I faced Elias fully, my heart racing, my wolf restless beneath my skin, she doesn't want him too, something about him creeps her out.

My voice trembled at first, but I forced it steady, forced it stronger.

“Then I will say it in a way you understand,” I said, lifting my chin despite the pain already beginning to build inside me. “I, Desiree, Luna of this pack… reject you, Elias, the Rogue King.”

The moment the words left my lips, pain exploded through me.

It tore through my chest like something was being ripped apart from the inside, forcing a gasp from my lips as my knees nearly buckled beneath me. My vision blurred for a second, my wolf howling in protest, the bond resisting, fighting, refusing to break so easily.

Elias on the other hand, his expression had changed completely, the calm gone, replaced with something raw, something shaken as his hand moved to his chest instinctively, as though he felt it too.

“I do not accept your rejection,” he said, his voice strained, but firm, his eyes burning into mine with something far more intense than before.

Grayson stepped forward immediately, his anger reigniting at full force. “She has already rejected you!” he shouted. “So leave!”

Brandon moved just as quickly, pulling me back before I could even realize I was swaying, his arms wrapping around me as he positioned me safely behind them again.

“I am proud of you,” he whispered against my ear, his voice low, filled with something that made my wolf rejoice in my head.

“Mark my words,” he said slowly, his voice dropping into something colder, more dangerous, sending a chill down my spine. “I will make you mine… and only mine.”

My breath caught.

“And your powers…” he added, his gaze flickering with something that made fear coil tightly in my chest, “…will be mine as well.”

Before anyone could react he moved, disappearing into the woods like a shadow swallowed by the night.

“After him!” Zachary barked immediately, stepping forward, but Brandon’s voice stopped him just as quickly.