Fated Mate to the Triplet Alpha-Chapter 31: The Alpha’s Challenge

Elara’s heart pounded as she faced Alpha Marcus Blackwood across the huge stone table. The pack house’s grand meeting room was filled with tense silence. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, highlighting the cruel smile on the Alpha’s face. "You’re quite the surprise, little omega," Alpha Marcus said, circling her like a hunter. "Three mate bonds in one night. My three boys, no less." Elara stood tall despite her shaking knees. After fleeing the cave and the terrifying vision, she’d been brought straight to the pack house. No sign of Kael, Ronan, or Darian anywhere. "Where are they?" she asked. Alpha Marcus laughed, the sound as cold as ice. "Worried about my kids already? How touching." Behind him, Beta Rivers and his daughter Celeste watched with narrowed eyes. Celeste’s perfect face was twisted with hate. "That should have been me," Celeste hissed. "I was raised to be Luna!" "Silence!" Alpha Marcus snapped. The room fell quiet quickly. Even Celeste knew better than to question the Alpha’s command. Marcus returned his attention to Elara. "An omega as Luna. The moon goddess must have a sense of fun." He sniffed the air around her. "Though you don’t smell quite like an omega should."

Elara’s blood ran cold. If he found her secret... The doors burst open. Kael, Ronan, and Darian marched in, their faces grim. Elara’s heart leapt at the sight of them, though none met her eyes. "Father," Kael greeted coldly. "You summoned us?" "Indeed," Marcus responded, returning to his throne-like chair. "We have a situation that requires... resolution." Ronan’s eyes finally found Elara’s. Unlike his brothers, he didn’t hide his interest. His look was warm, almost protective. It gave Elara a strange flutter in her chest. "The omega is my mate," Ronan stated suddenly. "I claim her." "No," Kael stepped forward. "She’s unfit to be Luna. I reject the bond." Darian said nothing, his cunning eyes moving between his brothers and Elara. His silence was more unnerving than his brothers’ bold comments. Alpha Marcus laughed again. "Three sons, three claims—or rejections." He looked at Elara like she was a prize to be won. "The moon has caused quite the problem. But I see a chance." He stood, power radiating from him. "Tomorrow starts the Alpha Trials. A competition to decide which of my sons is truly worthy to lead this pack after me." Gasps filled the room. The Alpha Trials hadn’t been held in generations. "The winner," Marcus added, "will have first claim on the omega. His choice about the mate bond will be final." "This is ridiculous," Ronan growled. "The mate bond isn’t a game." "Afraid you’ll lose, brother?" Kael taunted. Darian finally spoke, his voice soft but dangerous. "And if we refuse to participate?" Alpha Marcus’s smile disappeared. "Then you lose your right to succession. And the omega’s fate will be mine to decide." Elara’s stomach dropped. The way he looked at her made her skin crawl. "You can’t do this," she protested. "I’m not a prize to be won!" Marcus was in front of her instantly, moving with supernatural speed.

His hand gripped her chin painfully. "You are whatever I say you are," he whispered. "Remember your place, omega." A low growl rumbled from Ronan’s chest. Even Kael looked worried by his father’s handling of Elara. "The trials begin at dawn," Marcus stated, releasing Elara. "Three tests to prove strength, strategy, and loyalty to the pack." As the meeting disbanded, Luna Evelyn, the triplets’ mother, arrived at Elara’s side. Her face was kind but worried. "Come, child. You’ll stay in the east wing until the trials are complete." As Evelyn led her away, Elara caught sight of Tobias Grey watching from the darkness. The mysterious rogue nodded slightly, a silent warning that chilled Elara to the bone: Danger is closer than you think. That night, unable to sleep, Elara paced her luxury prison. The east wing was beautiful, but the locked doors made it clear she was a captive, not a guest.

A soft tap at her balcony window made her jump. Ronan’s face appeared, his eyes glowing amber in the darkness. She quickly let him in. "What are you doing here?" she whispered. "Making sure you’re safe," he replied, his gaze sweeping the room. "My father is planning something. Something beyond these stupid trials." "Why do you care?" Elara asked. "You barely know me." Ronan stepped closer, his warmth magnetic. "The mate bond doesn’t lie. When I look at you, I feel..." He struggled for words. "Complete." Elara’s heart raced. No one had ever looked at her that way before. "Your brothers don’t feel the same," she pointed out. "Kael is stubborn. And Darian..." Ronan frowned. "Darian keeps his feelings hidden. Always has." A noise in the hallway made them both freeze. Ronan moved to the balcony. "I’ll win tomorrow," he promised. "And when I do, you won’t be anyone’s prize. You’ll be my equal." After he left, Elara touched her chest where the mate bond pulsed pleasantly. One brother wanted her. One refused her. And one...she still couldn’t read Darian at all. Dawn broke with the sound of howls. From her window, Elara watched wolves gathering in the huge clearing below. In the middle stood Alpha Marcus with his three sons. A knock at her door showed Luna Evelyn, her face pale with worry. "It’s time," she said. "Alpha Marcus demands your presence." Down in the clearing, Elara felt hundreds of eyes on her as she was led to a raised stage. Alpha Marcus grinned at the crowd.

"Today, one of my sons will prove himself worthy to lead!" he announced. "The first test is strength!" Three massive wolves were brought forward in chains—rogue alphas caught at the border. Their eyes were wild with rage. "Each of my sons will face one of these rogues," Marcus declared. "Victory comes only when your opponent submits or dies." Horror filled Elara as the triplets shifted into their wolf forms. Kael’s wolf was black as night, Ronan’s a rich russet brown, and Darian’s a sleek silver-gray. They were beautiful, but the rogues were larger, desperate. "Begin!" Marcus shouted. The battles were brutal. Kael fought with precision, Ronan with wild fury, and Darian with calculating patience. Blood stained the ground as teeth tore flesh and claws ripped skin. Elara couldn’t watch, yet couldn’t look away.

These violent battles would decide her fate. When it ended, all three brothers stood victorious—though wounded. The rogues had been defeated but not killed, showing mercy that seemed to disappoint Alpha Marcus. "The second test will begin at noon," Marcus announced. "Strategy—a hunt like no other." As the triplets were led away to heal, Celeste approached Elara, her smile venomous. "Enjoying the show, omega? Don’t get used to it." She leaned closer. "I know your secret. The one even you don’t remember." Elara’s blood froze. "What are you talking about?" "Ask yourself why an omega would be mate to three alpha sons," Celeste whispered. "The answer might surprise you." Before Elara could respond, Luna Evelyn pulled her away. "Be careful around that one," Evelyn warned. "Celeste has been plotting since you arrived." "What did she mean about my secret?" Elara asked. Evelyn’s face paled.

"There are things you should know. About your parents, about why you were hidden." "Hidden?" "Not here," Evelyn glanced around nervously. "Tonight, when everyone is focused on the trials, meet me in the old nursery in the west wing." As Evelyn hurried away, Elara noticed Darian watching from the shadows. Unlike his brothers, his wounds were already healing. His eyes met hers, intense and unreadable. Something passed between them—not quite the pull she felt with Ronan, but something deeper, more mysterious. Then he turned and walked away without a word. Later, as Elara was escorted back to her room, she passed Alpha Marcus speaking quietly with a hooded figure. She caught only a fragment of their conversation: "When the third trial begins tomorrow, make sure she’s there to witness it. The prophecy requires her blood to be spilled willingly." Elara’s heart nearly stopped. Blood spilled willingly? The prophecy? She hurried past before they could notice her, mind racing. Tonight, she would meet Luna Evelyn and learn the truth. But one thing was already clear—the Alpha Trials weren’t about choosing the next pack leader. They were about her. And something much darker than a mate bond was at stake.