Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers - Chapter 220

Chapter 220: Forced bond
*~Leon’s POV~*

I have never had a mate before. Every feeling I’ve ever had for someone should disappear, right?

That’s what I keep asking myself — the same question over and over since I found out Sophia is my mate.

But no matter how hard I try to convince myself, it still feels wrong.

I love Aurora. No — love is an understatement. What I feel for her goes beyond that.

But I have to let her go. I have someone I’m mated to now. Someone fate chose.

Every time I try to justify it, I think about Cayden. He was in love with Natasha — completely obsessed. But when Hazel came into the picture, when that human girl turned out to be his mate, he forgot Natasha like she never existed

. Even though he shared Hazel with his brothers, he’s still head over heels for her. He can’t even look at Natasha the same way again.

I don’t want that for Aurora. She doesn’t deserve that kind of pain — the slow death of being forgotten.

She’s my Aurora. She deserves more than to be thrown away because of some cosmic pull I can’t control.

But I know the truth. Sooner or later, the mate bond between me and Sophia will twist everything inside me. My heart will betray me. So I have to let her go before that happens.

Sophia clung to my arm as her sisters stood in front of me.

“Oh, Leon, thank you for standing up for our sister,” Natasha said sweetly.

I smiled. “Yeah. She’s my mate.”

I looked into Sophia’s eyes. They weren’t as warm as Aurora’s — not even close. But I told myself that soon enough, I’d fall in love with them too.

“Oh, isn’t he so cute,” Lillian teased. “I can’t wait for next year when I get my mate. I hope he’s as hot as Leon.”

I chuckled faintly. “I’m just glad you’re not prisoners anymore. The council was right — your father was the criminal, not you girls.”

“Yes,” Natasha murmured, brushing her hair back. “But I still miss him… And that geeky Hazel became an Alpha? What did I miss?” She laughed, throwing her head back. “Last time I saw her, she was just a weak little human. Now she’s both a witch and a werewolf?”

Lillian scoffed. “I always knew there was nothing normal about that girl. Remember when we cut her hair and it grew back overnight? I knew it!”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Ugh, please. Don’t even say her name. You’ll stain it with your mouth.”

I clenched my jaw. “I know you hate her, and I don’t want to meddle in your family stuff — but she’s my Alpha. And Hazel’s been nothing but kind. I don’t know what happened between you all, but she doesn’t deserve the hatred.”

Sophia touched my hand. “Leon, you don’t know what that girl did to us. Everyone thinks Hazel’s this sweet, pure Alpha, but she’s the devil.”

I frowned. “Really? She doesn’t seem like that to me. She’s actually very—” I stopped myself, exhaling. “Forget it. I said I wouldn’t get between you and your sisters.”

I breathed out sharply, trying to steady myself before walking away.

“Where are you going, Leon?”

Aurora’s voice came from behind me, soft yet powerful enough to make my chest tighten.

I turned to her. “You want to follow me?”

“Yes,” she said immediately, getting up and slipping her hand into mine.

As we walked together, I couldn’t stop thinking — if I want to fall in love with Sophia quickly, I have to stop being around Aurora. I need to clear her out of my mind. Out of my heart.

We stepped outside the High House. The night air was cool and heavy. I shoved my hands into my pockets, and my fingers brushed against something hard — the oak ring. The same ring I once carved with Aurora when we went hunting. The same ring I vowed to use when proposing to her.

Now, I would use it for Sophia.

My wolf growled deep inside me, uneasy and furious, but I ignored him. He should accept her. He has to. Sophia is his mate — his to love, right?

And Aurora… she needs to hate me.

If she sees me with Sophia — sees me use the ring — maybe she’ll finally let me go. Maybe she’ll stop loving me. Maybe that will set her free.

Yes. That’s what I told myself. That’s the right thing to do.

I turned to Sophia. Then I dropped to one knee.

A sudden gust of wind hit me. The hair on my arms stood. My heart began pounding violently.

Aurora.

She was nearby — I could feel her. That warm pull in my chest, that strange calm in the air. She was watching. Of course she was. This was our place.

Perfect. Let her see. Let her witness this.

I pulled the ring out. Sophia gasped.

“Oh my God, Leon! No way!”

I forced a smile. “Please, Sophia. Marry me.”

She shrieked, pacing in shock before holding out her hand.

“Yes! Yes, Leon! I’ll marry you!”

I slid the oak ring onto her finger.

And then I heard it — a single heartbeat, rapid, breaking. Aurora’s.

It slammed in my ears like thunder…My chest twisted, tearing apart from the inside.

Sophia wrapped her arms around me, giggling. I inhaled her scent — it wasn’t like Aurora’s. It didn’t have that warm, sunlit sweetness. It didn’t smell like herbs and magic and home.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, biting my lip until I tasted blood.

Sophia broke away, her face glowing.

“Oh my God, Leon! We have to announce this to the entire park. Now! We’re getting married!”

“We need to calm down. Not everybody has to know immediately,” I said softly.

“What are you saying? This is huge! We have to tell everyone right now—this instant!” Sophia threw her hands in the air, beaming.

I sighed. “Okay. Fine.”

We were walking toward the main hall when we bumped straight into Hazel.

Her eyes locked on me first. “What’s going on here?”

Sophia’s lips curved into a smirk. “Oh! Isn’t this the wicked witch of the West?” she chuckled.

Hazel ignored her completely. She was holding Heather in her arms, her knuckles white and her jaw tight. Then she looked at me—just me—and her voice was low but steady.

“Leon. I want to speak to you. Now.”

Sophia stepped forward, feigning shock. “You want to speak to my husband?”

Hazel froze. Her head turned slowly. “Husband?”

“Oh yes.” Sophia lifted her hand, flashing the oak ring directly in Hazel’s face. The moonlight glinted off it—our ring. Hazel’s eyes widened, the pain in them stabbing straight through me.

A voice screamed inside my head, but I swallowed hard.

“Yes,” I forced out. “I love her. She’s my mate.”

I wrapped my arm around Sophia’s waist and pulled her close, even as my wolf whimpered deep inside me.

“We’re getting married,” I said, meeting Hazel’s broken stare, “and on our wedding day… I’ll be mating with her.”