Mute And Marked: The Feared Alphas' Mate

17: Burden

~Rina~

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the moonlight filtering through the thin curtains of my room. The light stretched across the floor like an unwanted guest, staying far too long in places it didn’t belong. Just like the thoughts in my head.

Amelia’s voice droned on, her excitement bubbling up like an overflowing pot, unable to contain itself. She paced back and forth in front of my bed, hands gesturing wildly as if trying to illustrate the chaos of the Dark Blue Moon with her entire body.

“You know, Rina, I thought I was going to lose my wolf that night. I felt it, you know?” she said, her eyes wide, as though reliving the terror. “I mean, the whole sky turned blue. Like, really blue. And then… then it was like something just snapped, and I could feel Luna slipping away. I thought I was done for.”

I kept my gaze fixed on the window, nodding slightly to acknowledge her words. I didn’t bother signing a response. Amelia was still learning sign language, struggling with the basics. Besides, what would I even say? That the real reason she still had her wolf was because of me? That it was my scream, my power, that had stopped the Dark Blue Moon from wiping out everyone’s wolves?

I couldn’t say that.

No one knew. No one but them.

The triplet Alphas.

Axel, Ryder, Kade. My second-chance mates. The ones who hated me, who refused to accept me. And yet, when the moon had unleashed its fury, we had been tied together,whether we wanted it or not.

Amelia flopped down on the bed next to me, sighing loudly. “And then, bam! Everything went back to normal, just like that. But for a second, I really thought… I thought it was over.” She ran a hand through her hair, her voice softer now, almost vulnerable. “I just… I don’t know how we survived it.”

I bit my lip, turning my head away slightly. She had no idea. None of them did. It seemed as though the triplets would not say anything, and I wasn’t about to break my silence. It wasn’t just because I couldn’t speak, it was because this secret, this burden, was mine alone to carry.

There was a knock at the door, and Amelia’s head shot up, eyes curious. “Come in!” she called, her voice suddenly brighter.

The door creaked open, and there stood Callan. His tall figure filled the doorway, his brown eyes soft as they landed on me.

“Hey, Rina,” he said, his voice warm and genuine, though his gaze flickered with concern as it settled on me. “I just wanted to check in, see how you’re doing.”

Amelia’s posture stiffened immediately, her smile faltering for a second before she plastered it back on. “Oh, hey, Callan. Rina’s been… quiet, as usual.” She chuckled awkwardly, but I didn’t miss the edge to her tone.

I didn’t move, didn’t respond. Callan stepped closer, his eyes scanning my arm. His brows furrowed.

“What happened to your wrist?” he asked, his voice dropping as he reached out, fingers brushing against the bare skin of my wrist. I flinched slightly at the contact, instinctively pulling my arm back. Too late.

His fingers had found the spot where the bruise had been, where the blue light had seared through me on the mountain. Except now, there was nothing. No mark, no bruise.

“Rina,” Callan said, his voice full of shock, his eyes searching my face. “It’s gone. There was a bruise here before, I saw it.”

I pulled my wrist away, tucking it against my side as I shook my head. I didn’t want to explain. I couldn’t explain. Not to him. Not to anyone. I had healed faster than I should have. Again.

“Gone?” Amelia echoed, her voice was slightly strained. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. She was sitting up straighter now, her gaze flicking between Callan and me. Jealousy etched itself into the lines of her face, her smile disappearing entirely as she watched the way he looked at me.

“Yeah, it was here,” Callan insisted, still staring at my wrist, his brow furrowed in confusion. “I swear, I saw it when we got back from the mountain.”

I sighed silently, giving him a small shake of my head. It was the best I could do to deflect his curiosity. But his eyes didn’t leave mine, lingering longer than they should have.

Amelia cleared her throat, standing abruptly from the bed, her hands on her hips. “Well, I guess Rina’s just full of surprises,” she said, her voice tight. She moved closer, stepping between Callan and me, effectively breaking the line of sight. “Anyway, I was just telling Rina how grateful I am that we all survived the Dark Blue Moon. Right, Rina?”

I didn’t respond, just watched as Amelia’s fake smile grew wider, her shoulders tense. Callan stepped back, but his eyes stayed on me, his concern deepening. “If you need anything, Rina,” he said softly, “just… let me know, alright?”

I nodded once, though I could feel Amelia’s gaze burning into me like fire. She was jealous. I didn’t need to be a mind reader to figure that out.

When Callan finally left, Amelia spun around to face me, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “He likes you, you know that?” she said, her voice was low, the fake smile gone. “Everyone can see it. But I don’t get it. You barely even talk to him.”

I didn’t respond. What could I say? The truth was, I couldn’t afford to let anyone get close to me, not Callan, not anyone. Not when the triplet Alphas were my mates. Not when the weight of what I had done during the Dark Blue Moon was pressing down on me.

Amelia huffed and threw her hands up. “You’re impossible, Rina. I don’t even know why I try talking to you sometimes.” She stormed out, leaving me alone in the room.

I let out a long breath, the tension in my chest loosening slightly. I hadn’t asked for any of this, the curse of silence, the mate bond with three Alphas who wanted nothing to do with me, the burden of saving everyone during the Dark Blue Moon.

But it was mine to carry. And I would carry it alone.