All Chapters of Marked, Tamed, Owned by the Triplet Alphas: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

ZuriThe music at the masquerade ball had shifted into something slow and haunting by the time Lira came out from one of the inner halls, walking beside Kain.Even from a distance, I could sense her nerves. Kain tried to take her hand, but she pulled away. Everyone else probably thought it was nothing. I knew better.When Kain's hand brushed her lower back, I could feel bile rise in my throat. As much as I hated it, if I were in her place, I would have flaunted that bond to the world.Why hide what was supposed to be divine?Unless it wasn’t real.Unless she was faking it.Then Jax appeared. He came up behind her with a small dish, holding something to her lips. She hesitated, then opened her mouth. He fed her. When he stepped aside, Riven passed by and his hand brushed her hip.Selena let out a low whistle. “What’s this? A family hobby? Are they running a train on her now?”Astoria laughed quietly. “Triplet fetish, maybe?”My jaw tightened. “It’s not a fetish,” I said before I could

LiraI slid to the floor, my back hitting the door I’d just slammed hard enough to rattle the walls.“You’re enjoying this.”Jax’s voice kept echoing, burning hotter than the fire in my chest. He wasn’t wrong. That was the worst part. Somewhere between surviving and pretending, I’d grown too comfortable. I’d stopped fighting the madness and let it swallow me whole.Tears burned down my face as I pressed my palms over it and let out a shaky breath. I hated myself for crying, for wanting them like an addiction.After what Jax said, I couldn’t go to Kain. The thought of letting any of them touch me tonight made my skin crawl.Kain’s voice came with the knock. “Lira, are you all right?”His fading footsteps filled the silence I’d made by not answering. I couldn’t trust what would come out of my mouth, so I stayed still and let him walk away after several attempts to talk to me.My mark stared back at me from the mirror, faint in the low light, almost harmless. I wiped my eyes and stood, t

LiraThe next few days passed quietly. The Alphas were buried in preparations for the ball; I stayed in my room.Angie’s laughter drifted down the corridor once in a while, followed by the sound of her feet pattering away. But when I caught a glimpse of her, her skin still had the rashes from the allergy.I didn’t trust Zuri, not after what happened with the doll. And I couldn’t shake the thought that she might be feeding the child something to make her worse, to make me look like a curse in this house. The idea made my skin crawl.I told Tova what I’d noticed.Her brows pinched together. “Lira, I know Zuri’s not a monster, but she wouldn’t harm her own niece.”“She already used her once,” I said. “What’s to stop her from doing it again?”Tova sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. “You’re thinking too much. Besides, Angie’s grandmother, Ophelia, will be here soon. Maybe that’ll keep Zuri occupied.”My chest tightened. “You knew her?”Tova hesitated, then shrugged. “Not well. She’s… o

LiraI woke with a heartache that wouldn’t fade. This was day two of the fast, and it still baffled me that my body hadn’t adjusted.Every nerve in me screamed to burst out of the room and run to my mates. The emptiness was unbearable and worse than the loneliness I’d known in the wild while running from my fate. Hunger clawed at my stomach. My tongue felt heavy and dry. The fast forbade food and water, and the dizziness came in waves. Hunger was no stranger to me; I’d lived with it most of my life. Maybe that was the point—to remind me that desire had always been my undoing. Yet it wasn’t food I craved. It was them. Their scent still clung to my memory. My skin remembered what my mind tried to forget.Since locking myself in this room, I couldn’t turn without seeing them. Shadows of the brothers brushed the edges of my vision. I fought the urge to give in. If they ever learned who I really was, this pain would seem merciful. I clung to that thought as if it could keep me sane.My th

Lira Tova slipped away to grab some food, leaving me alone in the crowd. I didn’t need to turn around as Kain's scent hit me first. It wrapped around me like a chain. Then his arms slid around my waist, pulling me back against his chest.“Well, well,” he murmured close to my ear. “Jax seems to have dominated you like he always wanted. I was starting to think he’d throw a fit if he didn’t.”I forced a laugh, but it came out weak. “You’re making that up.”His breath grazed my neck. “I’m not. He’s got that thing where if he can’t own something, he’d rather break it.” “The festival turned out nice,” I said to change the subject. “Everyone’s having a good time.”Kain chuckled “You think I give a damn about lanterns and speeches?” His voice dropped lower, almost a growl. “What I want is you in my bed tonight. That’s what would make my night.”Heat shot up my throat. He leaned in closer, his lips brushing my ear. “Your scent, your face, that dress—I’ve been thinking about them all night.”