Mated to the Beta, Wanted by the Alpha

Chapter 6

-IRIS-

Tristan’s eyes bounced between us.

"Your… mate? Since when?" His voice was dark and velvety, and I had to suppress a shiver.

"I met her an hour ago at the party." Mark’s dark gaze warmed as he looked at me. "Meet Iris O’Hara, my beautiful mate."

The corners of Mark’s eyes crinkled with pride, his lips curving with a soft grin. I found myself smiling back.

It felt… nice. To have someone openly proud to claim me. Mark looked at me like I was something rare, and for a moment I let myself sink into that warmth, that uncomplicated appreciation.

He turned to Tristan. "This is Alpha Knox, Iris. The most incredible leader I’ve ever met. It’s an honor to serve him as his beta."

My head turned to Tristan.

His expression was unreadable, his posture rigid despite the relaxed stance he tried to hold. His steel eyes flicked to where Mark’s hands rested on my waist, and a sharp tic pulsed in his jaw.

"Nice to meet you, Alpha Knox," I said, my voice thinner than I wanted as I extended my hand.

Should I tell him we’d met before?

I hated hiding things. But telling your brand‑new mate that you once shared your first kiss with his alpha wasn’t exactly the best introduction.

And it had been ten years ago. A lifetime. He probably didn’t remember.

Look at him. He looked like the Moon Goddess had carved him herself—perfect, unreal, devastating. A man like that had probably kissed dozens of women since that night on the cliffs. I was nothing more than an afterthought.

Even if he’d called me "pretty girl."

He likely said that to everyone.

His stormy gaze roamed over me like a caress. Big, calloused hands touched mine.

And a jolt of electricity shot through me like a lightning strike.

I yanked my hand back, staring at my palm, breath catching. Did Tristan feel that, too?

But when I looked up, his expression was stoic.

"Pleased to meet you, too, Iris O’Hara." His voice was steady, almost detached, though a faint tremor ran through the fingers he stretched at his side. "Iris…" He tasted the name slowly, like he was testing it. "You have such a beautiful name."

"Thank you. It has Greek origins. It means rainbow."

I loved my name. It was one of the few things I got from my mother. It meant color, vibrancy, a bridge between worlds. I liked to think it was also connected to my white hair; white is after all every color blended together.

"It suits you. I couldn’t picture anything else for you."

What did you picture for me?

Did you think of me at all during these years?

Did you go to the cliffs the next day?

Did you look for me at all?

My mind spun with questions I couldn’t voice.

His eyes changed color, brightening subtly, as if moonlight flickered inside them. His nostrils flared, a low rumble emanated from his chest.

"Iris… his wolf sensed me!" Chiara whispered in my head, her voice trembling with excitement.

"What? How? What did he say?" I shot back.

No one in my pack had ever sensed my wolf before. When Chiara awakened at eighteen, I told my family I had a wolf, but I couldn’t shift, and no one could hear her or feel her presence. They mocked me, said I was lying, pretending, desperate for attention.

Eventually, I stopped trying. What was the point?

I let them believe I was just an omega without a wolf.

I don't really know if I can't shift. I have always been too terrified to find out if my body could manage. My mom, after all, couldn't handle giving birth to a werewolf and died. I was bigger than she was, but I was still scared to have the same faith as she had.

"I have no idea how!" Chiara said, breathless with excitement. "But he asked my name, and I told him."

"Isn’t she the sweetest little thing, Knox?" Mark said, brushing my hair back and pulling me firmly into the present—into his arms.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, blooming into full crimson. I had forgotten my mate was right beside me and had been practically swooning over his alpha.

I felt awful.

"You don’t have to be embarrassed, my little mate," Mark said, completely misreading the source of my blush. "You’ll have to get used to me complimenting you, because there’s a lot more of that coming. You’re gorgeous." He tilted his head and nuzzled the top of my hair.

"Thank you, Mark," I whispered, biting my lip.

That was it. I needed to focus on my mate bond, the sacred gift the Moon Goddess had given me. No more drifting toward a teenage memory that should have stayed buried in the past.

After all, Tristan and I had exchanged only a handful of words before we kissed. It had probably been nothing more than teenage hormones. At that age, kids fall in love every fifteen minutes.

Nothing like a mate bond.

"She’s a teacher, Knox. Isn’t this perfect? Annika could really use help with the pups at the pack school. A lot of kids are enrolling right now, and as soon as we go back, she can start working," Mark said, already mapping out my future without even glancing at me.

A small knot tightened in my stomach. I knew mates were supposed to build a life together, but shouldn’t he at least talk to me first? He was the beta, and I was just a teacher, but that didn’t mean my career didn’t matter. It didn’t mean I didn’t matter.

He should respect my choices. Respect me.

We’d have to talk later. We barely had time at the party to learn anything real about each other. But I was committed to this bond. We’d spend time together, figuring out how the rest of our lives would look.

Chiara let out a low rumble. "The rest of your life, Iris?"

Yes! A mate bond is for life. It’s not something fleeting like a crush. It’s sacred, a gift from the Goddess.

"We have to discuss this later, Mark. I have some responsibilities here," I said, keeping my voice firm. I might be small for a werewolf, but I had a spine. Even if I couldn’t fight.

"But you sure can drain other people’s strength, even if momentarily," Chiara huffed.

A twig snapped under a foot in front of us, and I turned to see Tristan watching our interaction. His eyes were still glowing, and something told me his wolf was right at the surface.

He watched me intensely, but also… differently. Like he could read my thoughts. Which was impossible. Right?

"Teaching is an amazing profession. You have access to our kids’ minds when they are still pure," Tristan said, his voice low.

"Exactly." I smiled, wide and genuine, grateful that someone finally understood the beauty of what I did.

Tristan blinked. Twice.

My gaze flicked between him and Mark, and I hated that I was comparing them. Mark was handsome, strong, and charming.

But Tristan… dear Goddess. Tristan was something else entirely. If Mark was a nice car—a BMW—Tristan was a jet.

Another wave of guilt washed over me. I shouldn’t be comparing them. Mark was my mate. Period.

"We’ll have time to talk… and do other stuff, princess," Mark teased with a wicked smile before pressing a kiss to my temple.

His soft mouth brought gentle tingles to my skin, and I sighed with contentment.

His arm slid around my waist, and I leaned into him without even noticing. I tilted my head up, studying those almond‑shaped eyes with curiosity. What would his kiss be like? Soft and sweet… or hard and demanding?

Tristan cleared his throat. "I’ll go back to the woods. There are still some infected rogues to deal with."

He didn’t wait for a response. He shifted back into his wolf and vanished between the trees.

Mark released my waist, then squeezed my hand before letting go. "Go to the packhouse. I’ll meet you later."

He shifted as well, disappearing after his alpha.

And I stood there for a few minutes, trying—and failing—to ignore how torn I felt.