Rhea

No.

No.

No.

This wasn’t fucking happening.

The corridor outside the principal’s office felt colder than the morning air had any right to be. Sunlight streamed through the tall, rune-etched windows, the glass glowing faintly with protective wards that shimmered like trapped starlight. Normally, the view of the sprawling Silver Ridge courtyard—ivory towers, enchanted lampposts burning pale blue fire, students in pressed outfits dressed to the moons—would’ve been breathtaking. But right now? Every brick, every rune, every breath felt like a cage closing around me.

Rory and Seth flanked me, both posted up like my personal shadows. Rory leaned against the wall, arms crossed loosely, but his sharp eyes never left me. Seth lounged on the bench, tossing an apple between his hands like he didn’t have a care in the land—but his wolf was humming under his skin, restless, possessive.

A few feet away, Callum and Jaxon murmured, their broad shoulders angled toward each other. Callum stood ramrod straight, adjusting the cuffs of his suit jacket with that same maddening composure that made me want to scream. Jaxon paced slow, deliberate, his steel-grey gaze flicking my way every few seconds like he couldn’t help himself.

Callum’s words from earlier slammed into me again. My pulse spiked, anger tightening every muscle in my body. They were serious. They were going to tell everyone—like my future wasn’t my own to decide.

Fuck. That.

“Callum.” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. Rage tasted better than fear.

I was done playing the Alpha title game to piss them off. Fuck that and fuck them.

His head snapped up immediately, grey eyes locking onto mine with an unshakable intensity that made the air itself feel heavier. He moved toward me with a steady, deliberate stride, every step exuding dominance, sending my annoyance sky-high.

“Yes, little Luna?” His tone was calm. Too calm. Like he already knew nothing I said would change a damn thing.

“You can’t do this,” I said, forcing my voice steady.

One brow arched. “Do what?”

“This whole… mate and Luna announcement thing!” I threw my hands up, the wards on the walls pulsing faintly as if feeding on my frustration. “You can’t just drop something like that on me without asking!”

The atmosphere shifted, the air thickening under the weight of his Alpha aura. A ripple of power rolled off him, brushing my skin like static.

“I wasn’t asking,” Callum said flatly.

My glare sharpened. “Well, I’m not agreeing.”

“You don’t have to,” Jaxon cut in, stepping forward. His presence wrapped around me like chains, eyes dark, obsessive. “You’re ours, sunshine. Whether you like it or not , that doesn’t change.”

“That’s not how this works!” My voice cracked, too loud, bouncing off the vaulted ceiling.

Jaxon scoffed. “It is when you’re the mate of the Alphas.” His lip curled, daring me to argue.

“I haven’t even felt the bond yet!” My throat was raw, my chest burning. “You can’t expect me to—”

“You will.” Callum’s voice cut through mine like a blade, calm but laced with steel. “And when you do, you’ll realize no one else can have you. Not now. Not ever.”

Heat shot through me at his sheer certainty, and I hated the way my body reacted—betraying me, betraying the fury I was clinging to. My stomach tightened, my breath caught.

Not now, body. Seriously. Get it together.

“I need time,” I managed. “To process.”

“You’ve had enough time,” Jaxon growled, closing the last of the distance between us. His wolf pressed against my skin, suffocating, intoxicating. “We’ve waited years for you. We’re done waiting, sunshine.”

Instinct made me step back, but Jaxon followed, his hand snapping around my wrist. The contact sent a jolt racing through my veins, my pulse hammering as his thumb dragged slow, deliberate circles against my skin.

“You can fight it all you want,” he murmured, his voice a dark caress. “But you’re mine. Ours. No one else will touch you, look at you, or even think about you without consequences.”

My breath stuttered. “Jaxon, stop.”

But he didn’t. His mouth tilted, and his thumb pressed harder against my pulse point. “I won’t stop, Rhea. Not until you understand how deep this runs.”

Callum’s voice cut in, low and lethal, filling the space like a storm rolling in. “You’re ours, little Luna. We’ll protect you, cherish you, and yes—claim you. No one else gets to have you. And if you think you can fight that?” His lips twitched, eyes gleaming. “You’re wrong.”

My knees weakened, heat pooling where I didn’t want it, my body reacting despite my brain screaming no.

“You don’t have to want it,” Callum added, like he could read my thoughts. His voice was a promise and a threat. “It’s already yours.”

“Princess, just give up,” Rory chimed in, his grin smug as he tipped his head against the wall. “You’re not gonna win this one.”

“Stay out of it, Rory,” I snapped, glaring.

He chuckled. “Can’t. This is too entertaining.”

Desperate for something—anything—I turned back to Callum. “You said you’d listen to me. How is this listening?”

“We are listening,” he said smoothly. “That’s why we’ve agreed to compromise.”

My eyes narrowed. “Compromise?”

“The Luna ceremony will wait until after your birthday.” His tone was final, absolute. “But the announcement? That happens today.”

The blood drained from my face. “What?”

Jaxon leaned in close, his breath hot against my ear, voice a dark whisper only I could hear. “You’re ours, and everyone needs to know it. If anyone so much as looks at you the wrong way, they’ll answer to us.”

A shiver slid down my spine, equal parts fury and unwanted thrill.

“Fine,” I bit out. “Do whatever you want.”

Callum’s gaze softened—barely—and for a moment, I thought I saw something gentler buried under all that dominance. “It’s not about what we want, little Luna. It’s about what’s best for you.”

My laugh was sharp, bitter. “And you think this is best for me?”

“Yes.” His answer was simple. Unshakable.

Jaxon’s fingers brushed a strand of silver hair from my face, his lips curling at my shiver. “You’ll see soon enough, sunshine.”

And before I could tear into them again, Lila’s furious voice rang out, cutting through the charged air—

“Enough!”

Lila’s POV

My voice cracked through the courtyard like a whip, sharp enough to silence the buzz of gossiping students. Heads turned. Conversations died. But I didn’t give a damn about them.

All I saw were my brothers—towering, possessive, stupidly smug Alphas—closing in on Rhea like she was some prize they’d dragged home from a hunt.

And Rhea? She looked wrecked. Pale, tense, her fists clenched so tight her knuckles blanched. She was holding herself together by threads, and those overgrown idiots couldn’t even see it.

I stormed across the flagstones, shoes slapping against the rune-lit courtyard, my hair flying behind me like a damn banner. I shoved myself between Rhea and Callum before I could think better of it, stabbing a finger into his chest.

“Really, Callum? This is how you’re handling it?” My voice was sharp enough to cut glass. “Do you even realize how overwhelming this is for her?”

Callum’s eyes darkened instantly, his wolf pressing against my skin in warning. “Lila,” he said, calm but edged like a blade.

“Don’t Lila me.” I planted my feet, refusing to budge. “You don’t get to bulldoze your way through her life because you're all alphas. She deserves a say.”

Behind me, I felt Rhea flinch, her breath hitching. That alone made me snap harder.

My gaze snapped to Jaxon. He stood too close to her, fingers trailing her wrist like he owned the right to touch her.

“And you,” I bit out, my eyes narrowing. “Back. The. Hell. Up.”

Jaxon’s lips curved into that dark little smirk that always made me want to slap it off his face. “Relax, little sister. I’m just getting her used to—”

“To what?” I cut in, voice sharp. “Being treated like a possession? She’s not your new toy, Jaxon.”

His smirk faltered—just a fraction—but Rory jumped in before he could reply, leaning casually against the fountain like this was all some grand joke.

“Careful, sis,” he drawled, his tone full of mock amusement. “You’re starting to sound like her.”

I snapped my head toward him. “And what’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” Seth said with an easy chuckle, raising his hands like he was making peace. He strolled closer, his movements lazy but his eyes sharp. “Just means we’re in for twice the attitude. Noted.”

“Protective doesn’t even begin to cover it,” I shot back, my tone cutting.

Callum exhaled slowly, raking a hand through his hair. For a heartbeat, I caught it—hesitation flickering across his controlled mask. Good. At least one of them was hearing me.

“Fine,” he muttered finally. “But only because you asked.”

It wasn’t much. But it was something.

I turned back to Rhea. She stood stiffly, her silver hair gleaming like spun starlight in the morning sun, her shoulders hunched as if bracing for impact.

“You okay?” I asked softly.

She nodded, but the way her throat bobbed, the way her fingers trembled, told me the truth.

No, she wasn’t.

And if my brothers didn’t get their shit together, they were going to break her before this even began.

Rhea’s POV

I barely had time to breathe after Lila stepped in before Bree, Evan, and Finn approached. Their steps were careful, their expressions a mix of curiosity and unease.

They stopped a few feet away, bowing their heads slightly, as though the sheer dominance rolling off the quads demanded it.

“Alphas,” Bree said, her voice steady but respectful. “It’s an honour.”

Honour my ass.

The brothers gave curt nods, but their Alpha aura pressed over the space like a weighted blanket, making my friends shift uncomfortably.

“Rhee,” Bree’s voice softened, urgent. “Can we talk?”

I glanced at Callum, who gave me a single nod—permission without words—before I was pulled into a quick huddle.

“What the hell is going on?” Bree hissed.

“They’re my mates,” I said flatly.

The reaction was instantaneous.

“What?!” they all hissed at once.

“But you’re not even eighteen!” Finn blurted until Lila jabbed him in the ribs.

“Doesn’t matter,” Evan muttered, his tone thoughtful. “She’s days away from her wolf. If their wolves recognized her, it’s real.”

My temples throbbed. “Can we not do this right now?”

Bree looked like she wanted to push, but Lila’s sharp glare shut her down. “Give her a break,” she ordered.

“Rough morning,” I muttered under my breath.

That’s when I saw them.

Nora and Ethan.

Standing across the courtyard, with the sunlight glinting off their glowing mate marks like some cruel reminder. My chest clenched, my throat closing as memories clawed their way back. Ethan. My almost. My never.

The quads caught my shift instantly. Their bodies stiffened, eyes snapping to where mine lingered. The air tightened, charged, like a storm seconds from breaking.

Shit.

Before the tension could ignite, Lila threw out a quip, her voice sharp enough to break the moment. I barely heard it.

Callum’s low voice drew me back, deep and steady. He stepped in, close enough that his scent wrapped around me—cedar, smoke, iron.

“We’ll be here after class,” he murmured, brushing his lips against my forehead.

Jaxon was next, his mouth grazing my temple, his tone dripping with possession. “Be good for us, sunshine.”

My pulse raced.

Then Callum’s hand slid down, firm on my waist, fingers squeezing in a silent command. “If anyone approaches, you tell them the truth—that you’re ours. That you’re their future Luna.”

Heat flared in my cheeks. Every eye in the courtyard felt glued to me.

Before I could push him off, Jaxon’s fingers tugged the tie from my hair, silver waves spilling free around my shoulders. He smirked, brushing one strand forward, his voice dark.

“Leave it down, sunshine. Better they see your beauty than we start dragging horny pups into the dungeon.”

My breath caught, a furious blush painting my face. “Yes,” I whispered before I could stop myself.

The smug looks they exchanged made me want to scream.

“Princess, you’re blushing again,” Rory teased, laughter in his voice.

“Shut up,” I snapped.

“They’re already jealous,” Seth added with a grin. “Haven’t you noticed the death stares?”

Groaning, I turned away, desperate for space.

Fated mates. Future Luna. The dream every she-wolf was raised to want.

And yet all I could think was—

What if they leave? What if they cheat? What if I’m just another conquest?

The Caine brothers were known for breaking hearts, not keeping them.

And I wasn’t sure mine could survive being broken again.