Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 202

Kaiden pov

The room is heavy with silence, the kind that fills every corner and creeps into your lungs until it feels like you can’t breathe anymore. My father stands across from me, his back to the fireplace, his hands clasped behind him like some wise Elder. But he’s not wise. He’s desperate.

“This is the only way, Kaiden.” His voice is steady, but I can hear the cracks beneath it. I can hear the fear he is so desperately trying to mask behind the words that roll from his tongue almost effortlessly. “The Council won’t question the bond once it’s sealed. If you mark her, it’s over. No one can challenge it. Not even that fucking family, no matter how much power they hold.”

Ashley. That is her name, not some stupid Ash like those assholes keep calling her. She’s a woman, my woman, like it or not, and her name is Ashley.

Her name rings in my mind like a challenge. My father thinks this will solve everything, that I can brand her as mine and silence the chaos brewing in the pack, nearing us with the impending arrival of the Council. But he doesn’t understand what this means. He doesn’t understand me at all.

Marking Ashley isn’t just an act of dominance or a way to escape the trouble; it’s a war I’m not sure I can win. She’s not like the others. She’s fire—untamed, uncontrollable—and every time I get close, I end up burned.

“And what if she fights back?” I say, the words cold. I have to be. Emotions are weaknesses, and I can’t afford any more of those. “What if she runs again? You saw what happened last time.”

My father’s gaze hardens, his jaw tightening as if the question itself is offensive. “Then you make her stay. She’s your mate, Kaiden. She belongs to you. The Council doesn’t need to know how it happened, only that it did. You’ll do whatever it takes to secure your claim.”

I clench my fists, the thought of Ashley’s defiance already crawling under my skin. “She’s not going to make this easy.”

Last time I tried to do this the nice way, starting with marriage and promising the mark later, she took the first chance to escape. How is this time going to be any way different?

“She doesn’t have to,” my father says sharply, turning toward me. “You’re stronger than she is. Faster. You don’t need her permission, Kaiden. You take what’s yours.”

The words hit me harder than they should. Maybe because they echo the darkest part of me, the part that doesn’t care about consent or consequences. The part that wants to win no matter the cost.

But then there’s the other side of me, the side that hates this. That hates her for making me feel this way. For making me want her. Not just her body or her bond, but the fire in her eyes. The fight in her spirit. The Ashley I rejected, the Ashley who’s haunted me ever since.

“And if Gio finds out?” I ask, pushing back against my father’s plan, if only to stall it. “You know he’ll come for her. He’s already turned half the pack against us. Whatever the connection between them is, I saw it first hand in that run-down school. He’s on her side. You already chose me over him, but if you choose a forceful marking over your friendship, I doubt he’ll forgive you.”

The mention of Gio is enough to sour my father’s expression. He lets out a sharp breath, shaking his head. “Gio is no longer your concern. He’s in the cells where he belongs. He doesn’t have the power to stop you.”

I don’t argue, but my mind is already spinning. Gio might be out of sight, but he’s not out of the game. The pack listens to him in ways they never listen to me, and if he ever gets out...

“Kaiden.” My father’s voice snaps me back to the moment. “Are you listening?”

I nod slowly, even though my thoughts are miles away. “I’m listening.”

“Good.” He steps closer, his tone dropping to something almost sinister. “Because this isn’t just about the girl. This is about your future. About the pack. Once you’ve marked her, the Council will have no choice but to recognize you as her true mate. They’ll see you as a leader, someone who’s willing to make hard decisions for the good of the pack.”

For the good of the pack. The words taste like shit in my mouth. Nothing about this feels good. Nothing about this feels right. But my father doesn’t care about right. He cares about power. About control. And he’s convinced that marking Ashley is the answer to all of our problems.

I glance toward the window, the moonlight cutting through the dark. Ashley is in the hospital,  waiting, fighting, plotting, probably hating me with every fiber of her being.

“Do it before the Council arrives,” my father continues, his voice low but firm. “Before they have a chance to question your authority. Once the bond is sealed, there’s no turning back.”

No turning back... Now, I feel the full weight of what he’s asking. This isn’t just about marking Ashley. It’s about breaking her. About turning her into something she’s not. And if I do this, if I follow through with his plan, there will be no going back - not for her, not for me.

“Kaiden,” my father repeats, his tone sharp with impatience. “Do you understand?”

I nod, the motion feels automatic, my mind stuck a thousand miles away. “I understand. I really do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have my worries.”

He arches an eyebrow at me and steps closer, face stern as if he’s about to scold me like some child that has defied his authority over me.

“In that case, how about we send someone down to the cells and ask our old friend Gio to join us, hmm? I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to share his opinion, which for the record, I believe will be way more positive than you assume.”