Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 138

Kael's POV

The morning air was sharp when I stepped out onto the training ground, the kind of cold that clung to your skin and tried to force you awake even if you were still half-asleep. I wasn’t. My body was already buzzing, restless, carrying leftover energy from last night. Energy I needed to burn off before it drove me insane.

The ground was still damp with dew, the grass slick under my boots. The faint smell of steel, sweat, and oil lingered in the air from the racks of weapons lined neatly to one side. I rolled my shoulders as I walked further in, rotating my neck until it cracked. My muscles were tight, stiff, and my thoughts even worse. Training was the only way I knew to loosen both.

I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be here this early, but when I stepped into the open clearing of the ground, there he was—Atlas.

He was already working up a sweat, shirt tossed carelessly on the edge of the wooden post, his body gleaming faintly under the pale stretch of sunlight. He was practicing footwork, fast and precise, moving in tight circles as if he were in the middle of an invisible fight. His fists snapped out with brutal accuracy, his hair sticking to his forehead from the effort.

Atlas always looked like he was born for this—the fight, the grit, the rhythm of it. He spotted me almost immediately, a grin breaking across his face, wide and mischievous like he’d been waiting for me.

“Well, well,” he called, his voice carrying easily over the open space. “Look who finally decided to crawl out of bed.”

I smirked, grabbing a wooden staff from the rack and spinning it lazily in my hand. “Crawl out of bed? Please. I’ve been awake longer than you. Thought I’d give you a head start before I came to wipe the floor with you.”

Atlas chuckled, lowering his fists, still catching his breath. His eyes, though, glinted with curiosity as he leaned slightly against the post. “Forget wiping the floor with me. What I really want to hear is how your night went.”

I raised an eyebrow, twirling the staff once more before planting it firmly into the dirt. “My night?”

He gave me that look—the kind that was too damn knowing. “Yeah. Don’t play dumb, Kael. Lisa. You were with her, weren’t you?”

A slow grin spread across my lips. Of course he would ask. Of course he wouldn’t waste time. That was Atlas—never one for subtlety.

“Oh,” I drawled, stretching my arms out before gripping the staff again. “You mean how our dear Lisa couldn’t even tell the difference between me and Enzo?”

Atlas barked out a laugh immediately, shaking his head like he already knew where this was going. “No way. Don’t tell me—she really didn’t?”

“She really didn’t,” I said, laughing too, the memory flashing in my head. “You should have seen her face, Atlas. Pathetic. The girl’s supposed to be sharp, careful—at least that’s what she wants everyone to believe. But last night? She didn’t have a damn clue. Wrapped up in me, thinking I was him the whole time. Every sound, every word, every touch… and not once did she hesitate.”

Atlas slapped his knee, doubling over in laughter. “You’re lying.”

“I swear on your sorry hide, I’m not,” I said, pushing him lightly with the staff as he bent down. “She’s so blinded, so desperate for Enzo, she couldn’t even see the difference. Called me his name like she meant it, like she believed it with her entire soul.”

Atlas straightened, wiping his face with his forearm, still chuckling. “Unbelievable. Lisa—little miss smart, little miss cautious—completely fooled.”

“Completely fooled,” I echoed, a wicked grin tugging at my mouth. “And the best part? She thought it was real. Every damn second of it. If I told her right now it was me the whole time, her precious little world would crumble.”

He whistled low, shaking his head. “And here I thought she had some sense.”

“Apparently not.” I shrugged, leaning on the staff. “Apparently she’s stupid. So stupid she can’t even tell one brother from another. Same voice, same touch, same rhythm—she couldn’t tell. And she’s supposed to be with him? Laughable.”

Atlas grinned, but his eyes gleamed with that same mischief. “So… how was it, then?”

I shot him a look, smirking wider. “Oh, now you want details?”

“Of course I want details. Don’t be selfish.”

I chuckled, spinning the staff again, letting the memory unfurl in my mind. “It was easy. Too easy. She melted the moment I touched her. Said his name like it was mine, begged like it was him holding her. And the whole time, I just kept thinking—how the hell does she not know? How can she not feel the difference?”

Atlas cracked up again, his laughter filling the training ground. “She’s blind. Or just that desperate.”

“Probably both,” I muttered, shaking my head. “I almost felt sorry for her. Almost. But then I remembered how funny it was.”

He jabbed me in the chest with his finger, grinning wide. “You’re cruel, Kael.”

I smirked. “Takes one to know one.”

He laughed again, then gestured toward the center of the ground. “Come on. Enough talking. Spar with me. Let’s see if you can still move after your ‘busy’ night.”

I snorted, tossing the staff aside and stepping into the circle. “Please. You’ll be flat on your back in two minutes.”

Atlas grinned, bouncing lightly on his feet, fists raised. “We’ll see about that.”

We circled each other, the playful tension sparking immediately. His grin was sharp, mine sharper, both of us itching for the clash. I lunged first, testing his defense, and he blocked effortlessly, countering with a jab that skimmed my ribs. I laughed, stepping back.

“That all you’ve got?”

“Just warming up,” he shot back, charging forward again.

The spar quickly turned into a rhythm of strikes and blocks, each of us laughing, taunting, pushing harder. Every hit was a contest, every dodge a dare. Sweat slicked our skin, muscles straining, but neither of us gave an inch.

Between blows, Atlas found the breath to laugh. “So, she really called you Enzo the whole time?”

I ducked under his swing, slamming my fist lightly into his stomach before retreating. “Every damn time. Sweet little voice, whispering his name. If only she knew.”

Atlas wheezed from the hit, but he was grinning. “Gods, Kael, you’re never letting this go, are you?”

“Not a chance,” I said, smirking as I circled him again. “This is the best thing that’s happened all week. I’m going to remind her of it one day—just to see her face when she realizes.”

He lunged at me, and I blocked, both of us straining against each other, grins locked in place. “You’re twisted,” he muttered, still laughing.

“And you love it,” I shot back.

We broke apart again, breathing hard, still grinning like idiots. The morning air was alive with the sound of our laughter, our strikes, the ground scuffing beneath our boots.

It wasn’t just training anymore—it was release. Every taunt about Lisa made Atlas laugh harder, and every laugh made me push harder, until we were both caught up in the wild rhythm of it.

And through it all, I couldn’t stop thinking about her face. Her voice. Her absolute blindness.

Stupid girl.

And yet, so damn entertaining.