Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers - Chapter 244

Chapter 244: Get out!
*~Leon’s POV~*

“Oh my God, Leon, where have you been all this while? I’ve been looking for you!”

Sophia’s voice cut through the hallway before I even had the strength to turn around. She tapped my shoulder, her smile forced but bright.

“You can’t just leave me like that,” she said, her tone dripping with frustration and charm all at once. “Do you know how long I’ve been aching for my husband? They finally found, well, whatever. I just hope everything’s over now. Aurora is back, the babies are safe, and…” she took a step closer, lowering her voice, “…I just hope we can continue our honeymoon together. I’ve missed you, Leon. I yearn for you.”

She reached for my hand, but I stepped back. Her fingers brushed air.

I didn’t even know what to say. How could I tell her that everything about us was a lie—that this so-called bond between us was manufactured? That the demons had toyed with our lives like puppets?

But now wasn’t the time to explode. Not yet.

Think, Leon.

I needed to talk to someone first—to Caspian, maybe. Cayden was out of the question. He’d probably punch my head through a wall before I got through a sentence.

So I went to Caspian’s room.

The moment I opened the door, smoke hit my nose. Caspian was there, sitting lazily with Cyrius across from him, both of them nursing glasses of wine and puffing cigarettes like old war generals.

“Oh, Leon!” Cyrius greeted with a grin, tossing me a cigarette and sliding a lighter across the table.

I caught both awkwardly. My fingers trembled as I lit the end and took a puff. The smoke hit my throat wrong, and I coughed immediately.

Cyrius laughed, turning to Caspian. “Not the time for him to start smoking, huh?”

Caspian chuckled. “Maybe not—but he’s here for something. What brings you, Leon?”

I hesitated, glancing between them. For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I should speak freely—not with Cyrius there.

They must’ve seen it on my face, because Caspian said, “Relax. Cyrius can keep his mouth shut.”

Cyrius smirked. “I promise not to rip your head off, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

They both motioned for me to sit. I did, sinking into the chair, the cigarette still burning in my hand.

“It’s about my mate bond,” I said finally. “With Sophia.”

Cyrius raised a brow. “Ah, yes. I’ve heard about that. You and Aurora had… something going on before, didn’t you? And then the moment your mate bond appeared, you left her.” He swirled his wine lazily. “That’s good and bad, I’d say. You probably shattered the poor witch’s heart—but you didn’t reject your mate. Which, I suppose, makes you… honorable.”

His tone made it sound like anything but a compliment.

I clenched my jaw. “It happened,” I muttered. “I didn’t plan for it.”

Caspian leaned forward. “So what about it?”

I grabbed the bottle of beer sitting on the table and took a long gulp. The bitterness stung my tongue, burning my throat as I swallowed.

“Um… so, about the demons,” I began, clearing my throat.

“Yeah,” Caspian said immediately, setting his glass down. “Actually, I was planning to have you and Aurora come in and speak with the council about them. We’ve been meaning to hear everything you two know. But if that’s what you’re here for, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I already told the council to come by then.”

Cyrius leaned back in his chair, smirking. “Aw, come on, Caspian. Don’t you want some spoilers? Let the man talk.” He turned toward me eagerly. “Go ahead, Leon.”

I inhaled sharply. “The one who came for Aurora—Darius—”

“Yeah, that bastard,” Caspian muttered, his tone tightening.

“He’s the one who tampered with my mate bond,” I said flatly. “He created it. Between me and Sophia.”

For a long moment, silence filled the room.

Caspian’s eyes widened. His entire face froze. Cyrius’s mouth fell open mid-swig, his drink forgotten.

“What?” Caspian finally breathed.

I nodded slowly. “Yeah. The bond—it’s fake.”

Cyrius blinked, then grinned like he’d just been told the juiciest gossip in the realm. “Wait. So you left Aurora for Sophia… whose mate bond was forged by a demon?” He whistled. “Oh, gods. Things in your life just got interesting.”

He leaned back, laughing under his breath and raising his bottle.

“This isn’t the time to joke, Cyrius,” Caspian snapped.

“Oh, come on,” Cyrius said, smirking. “I’ve been gone for months and come back to this? Forged mate bonds, demons, heartbroken witches? You can’t expect me not to enjoy the show.”

Caspian ignored him and turned back to me. “Leon, what exactly are you saying?”

I clenched my fists. “I’m saying Sophia isn’t my mate. The demons made her one. I don’t know how, but Darius said it himself. He sparked something between us. A fake connection.”

Caspian’s expression darkened. “And you… mated her?”

Cyrius groaned. “Oh, that’s rich. You did, didn’t you? Then, my friend, it’s a little too late. Once the bond is sealed like that, it’s permanent. Whether real or fake—your soul doesn’t care. It’s done.”

“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “There has to be a way. I can’t live like this. I can’t pretend to love someone who was never mine to begin with.”

“So what?” Cyrius snorted. “You’re just going to dump her? That’ll go over well. ‘Hey, Sophia, sorry, turns out my soul link was demon-manufactured. My bad.'”

“Cyrius.” Caspian’s voice was a warning growl.

“What?” Cyrius lifted his hands in mock surrender. “You’re acting like I’m wrong.”

“Maybe you should leave,” Caspian said sharply.

Cyrius grinned. “Fine. I was heading out anyway. I’ll miss the council meeting tomorrow—what a shame. Too bad I won’t be around for the fireworks.”

He stood and stretched lazily. “I’m leaving for France. Gotta say goodbye to Hazel… in a very sweet way.”

Caspian gave him a glare sharp enough to cut stone, but Cyrius only chuckled, shot me a wink, and strolled out.

The room fell silent again.

Caspian exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. “Please tell me this is all a lie.”

I met his gaze. “You can ask Aurora yourself. She knows it’s true.”

He nodded grimly. “So what do you want us to do now?”

“I want you to find a way to cut off the mate bond between me and Sophia,” I said. “If it’s fake, it can be broken, right?”

Caspian’s expression softened, almost regretful. “I’m sorry, Leon. I don’t know much about that kind of sorcery. But once a bond is sealed through mating… I think it’s impossible to break.”

I looked away, bitterness burning in my chest. “I always knew something about that bond felt wrong.”

Caspian’s voice turned cold. “Then you should’ve rejected her before sealing it.”

“But I can’t reject her,” I said, my voice trembling. “It’s impossible for me to just throw away my mate.”

Caspian’s gaze hardened. “You made your choice back then, Leon. Now you need to live with it.”

“No,” I snapped. “I can’t keep deceiving her. It’s all a lie. The mate bond—it’s fake. I doubt I’ll ever fall in love with her. The only reason I accepted Sophia was because I thought… I hoped I’d eventually grow to love her. But now that I know the truth, that bond means nothing. Those feelings—they were never real.”

I looked up at him, my chest tightening. “Those feelings belong to Aurora.”

Caspian froze. His jaw flexed—and then, without warning, he slapped me.

The sting cracked across my face. I stumbled, hand flying to my cheek, only for another slap to follow, harder this time. Blood spilled from my lips, metallic and hot.

“Then you should have rejected her!” Caspian roared. “You’re playing with two women’s hearts, Leon! Two women’s emotions and you talk to me about love?”

“Caspian—”

“Don’t you have any damn empathy in you?” he barked, his eyes blazing. “You knew you never loved Sophia. You knew the bond didn’t feel right. And still, you went ahead and marked her! You married her because you convinced yourself love would magically appear later.”

He stepped closer, his voice low and furious. “Are you stupid?”

I couldn’t look at him. My throat burned, my guilt pressing down like iron.

“You’ll live with your actions,” Caspian said sharply. “And I’ll never allow you to break that bond. You made your bed, Leon—you’ll lie in it.”

“Please,” I whispered. “You’re the Alpha. You and Azazel, you both can do something. Help me. Get me out.”

He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “In order to break a mate bond..fake or not…both mates must agree to it. Both. You and Sophia must testify before the council that you want the bond severed. But since you’ve already marked her…”

He paused, eyes darkening. “If she refuses, you’re trapped. You’ll remain in that marriage. And I’ll make sure you do your duty, consummate it, become a father. Maybe then, the love you claim you don’t have will finally wake up.”

“Caspian”

“Enough!” he snapped. “Now leave my room.”

I froze where I stood, hands trembling at my sides.

“Please..”

“Leave my damn room, Leon!” he thundered, pointing to the door. “Get out of my sight.”