All Chapters of Marked, Tamed, Owned by the Triplet Alphas: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

LiraJax walked up to me with that wide grin like he owned the sun. The feel of his mouth at my throat was intensely distracting. His fingers slid down my spine.“You okay?” he asked mid-kiss.“What do you mean?” I asked, because lying is easier when you sound bored.“Word got to me that Zuri was making a fuss. She’s saying you rubbed something on Angie.”“I used a healing serum. Lord Riven gave it to me. It closed the cut in five minutes. End of story.”His hand paused on my back. He let out a snort.“If anyone makes you uncomfortable, you tell me. If anyone lays a hand on you, I will—”“You will do what?” I said with a grin.“I will not only get you pregnant,” he said, like it was a plan item on a grocery list, “but I will remodel you. I will make your body reject anyone else. I will make sure you only want me, and only I can make you feel like a living thing.”My first instinct was to laugh. My second instinct was to admit to myself that the thought of being wanted like that by him

LiraRiven’s presence filled the room before I was even fully awake. The scent of warm cedar always gave him away, threading through the air, then settling in my lungs. It was the kind of smell that made me want to trap it in a glass bottle and spray it with every breath I took, just to feel it again.Kain and Jax had their own intoxicating scents, but the bond followed a strange, undeniable order. When I was with one of them, my heart didn’t split or wander; it stayed where it was supposed to. There was no guilt clawing at me, no reminder that I was entangled with three brothers. It just felt natural.Maybe if the triple bond hadn’t cursed me, I’d let myself enjoy it. I’d stop pretending I wasn’t tempted to drown in it.“It’s creepy you were standing there watching me.”His smile was faint, almost guilty.“Can’t help it.”“And what is so interesting about me?” I said, sitting up with a smile.He knelt before me. I hesitated and reached up to touch his hair. A sigh escaped his lips as

Lira The meeting had begun, and though anyone looking at me sitting a little apart from everyone else might have thought I was lonely or withdrawn.They had no idea that my eyes swept the room, searching for exit points.I rested my hands lightly in my lap, watching the alphas stand one by one and head to the center of the room.A raised bowl sat on the table. Each dropped a coin into it, then stepped back without a word. Jax dropped his, lingered for a moment, then turned back toward the group. Before he sat, his eyes met mine, and he winked. I managed a small smile and looked away, feeling like a devil for what I was about to do.I watched each alpha’s gestures and expressions as the meeting began. From how serious it seemed, the first round might take a few hours. When they spoke of enemies among them, I almost laughed at the irony.There was only one female alpha among them. I truly admired her and wished I could be like that. No hiding, no lies, just free. Jax was intelligent,

LiraThe ground turned rough beneath my paws, slick with mud and tangled roots. I pushed harder, ignoring the burn in my lungs. The last traces of the settlement disappeared behind me.I had gone miles, maybe more—enough that the lights were gone and the world turned wild again. Stones cut into my pads, but I didn’t stop. The amethyst horizon beckoned ahead, painting the storm-soaked sky. Our reflection in the rain-swept pond, white fur streaked with mud and blood, still moved.I ran until the wild grass gave way to cracked clay and the ground turned pale and dry. The air smelled different here. I reached a barren stretch where nothing moved. It was safer to shift now, before full dawn. The change left my skin cold and raw.I crouched, closing my eyes for a second that nearly slipped into sleep, then forced myself to stand. My stomach knotted with hunger. I yawned, stretched until my bones popped, and scanned the empty horizon for anything I could eat.The heaviness in my chest grew.

LiraI slipped out of the shrub as the sky began to pale.My legs cramped from the night, but I forced them to move. The path opened up to a graveled road where a line of trucks rolled past on the far side, carrying either plywood or stacks of grain.A truck with plywood slowed near me and pulled over to the shoulder. The driver climbed down and walked away from the cab. He had a mohawk hairstyle and tattoos on his forearms. He pissed and then struck his cigarette, leaning against his bonnet and smoking away.This was my chance. I crouched low and moved on hands and knees, slipping between the stacked sheets. The plywood scraped my shoulders. I winced and tucked myself flat, pulling my hood up and pressing my cheek against the cool board. The driver climbed back in minutes later, slammed the door, and the rumble of the engine crawled through the boards and into my rib cage. Road noise filled my ears. I kept my face hidden. The truck’s heat rose through the boards. My hand found the br