Mute And Marked: The Feared Alphas' Mate

12: Confrontation At The Field (I)

~Rina~

The field was alive with energy, the kind of electric buzz that only came from adrenaline, competition, and anticipation. Everywhere I looked, students were stretching, talking, and preparing for what was easily the most anticipated training session of the year. This wasn’t just another day of practice—this was werewolf training, the kind that was woven into our very DNA. Shifting into our wolves, running through the forest, honing our techniques—it was what we lived for. And today, it counted for grades, which only made the atmosphere more intense.

Most students were dressed in their best workout gear, sleek and fitted, designed to move with the body and show off the muscle they’d spent months, even years, developing. For many, this was their time to shine, to show that they weren’t just here to learn, but to dominate. The field was crowded, a sea of bodies moving and shifting, preparing for what was to come. But for me, the excitement that everyone else felt was drowned out by a creeping sense of dread.

I had smelt them before I saw them.

The distinct scent of pine and cedar, with a hint of something darker, something dangerous, hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart rate spiked, and I knew, without a doubt, that they were here. Axel, Ryder, and Kade. My mates. The most powerful and feared Alphas in the school, even though they were only in their third year. And they were mine—or at least, they should have been. But the bond that connected us was more of a curse than a blessing.

I hated it. Hated how it pulled at me, how it made me want them, even when they had made it perfectly clear that they didn’t want me. They refused to reject me, refused to sever the bond, and left me trapped in this unbearable limbo. I couldn’t move on, and I couldn’t be with them. It was torture.

As I scanned the field, my eyes found them easily, standing off to the side, watching the training with an air of detached superiority. They were flanked by a group of girls who were practically draped over them, laughing and flirting, oblivious to the fact that the triplets’ attention was elsewhere. On me.

Axel’s icy blue eyes locked onto mine, hard and unyielding. Ryder’s smirk faded, his expression turning serious, almost predatory. Kade, the quietest of the three, was more difficult to read, but there was no mistaking the intensity in his gaze. They were watching me, ignoring the girls around them, ignoring everyone else. It was as if I was the only one who mattered in that moment, the only one they saw.

Syl, my wolf, stirred restlessly inside me. "They’re here," she murmured, her voice tinged with both longing and frustration. "I wish they weren’t," I signed back to her, clenching my fists to keep my hands from shaking. The mate bond pulsed between us, a reminder of what could never be. But I forced myself to focus on the training. I couldn’t afford to be distracted, not today.

The session began with a series of warm-up exercises, but these were far from ordinary. We pushed our bodies to the limit, testing our strength, speed, and endurance. For most of the students, it was exhilarating. For me, it was grueling. Not because I couldn’t keep up physically—I was strong enough, fast enough—but because communicating was a constant struggle.

While others could shout out to their partners or respond to instructions with ease, I had to rely on the small stack of paper sheets I carried with me. It was awkward, writing out quick notes or using basic signs to communicate. I felt isolated, separate from the rest, even as we all moved together through the drills.

And then, just as we were about to shift into our wolves, she approached.

Cassandra. Tall, blonde, and mean-spirited, she was everything I wasn’t. She walked towards me with a purpose, her green eyes gleaming with malice. I could see the smirk on her face even before she reached me. “Well, well, if it isn’t the mute omega,” she sneered, her voice loud enough for others to hear. “Shouldn’t you be off somewhere, scribbling in your little notebook instead of pretending you belong here?”

I froze, my grip tightening on the pen in my hand. I wanted to walk away, to escape her, but my feet wouldn’t move. The humiliation was like a physical weight pressing down on me. I tried to write a response, but my hands were shaking too much to hold the pen steady.

But Cassandra wasn’t done. She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a low, venomous whisper. “You know, I’ve heard some pretty pathetic things in my time, but approaching all of the Alphas to sleep with you and being Rejected by not one, not two, but three Alphas? That’s got to be new. I mean, even an omega should have some standards, right?”

My vision blurred with tears because these were lies, and Syl growled fiercely inside my head. "Let me out," she demanded, her anger matching mine. But I couldn’t shift, not here, not in front of everyone. I was trapped, and Cassandra knew it.

I was about to turn and run when a voice broke through the fog of shame.

“Back off, Cassandra.”

I looked up, startled, to see Callan standing beside me. He had appeared out of nowhere, his expression fierce, his body tense as if ready for a fight. I hadn’t expected anyone to stand up for me, least of all him. Callan wasn’t an Alpha, but he was strong, respected, and more importantly, kind—a rarity in this place.

Cassandra blinked, clearly thrown off by his sudden appearance. “This has nothing to do with you, Callan,” she snapped, though her voice had lost some of its venom. Callan didn’t move, didn’t even flinch. “Actually, it does,” he said evenly. “I don’t tolerate bullies, especially not ones who pick on people for things they can’t control.”

Cassandra’s face turned red with anger, and she opened her mouth to retort when everything seemed to change in an instant. The air grew heavier, the tension so thick it was almost suffocating. I felt it before I saw them—the triplets were coming. The crowd seemed to sense the shift as well, instinctively stepping back, giving them space. Axel, Ryder, and Kade moved as one, their presence dominating the field as they approached.

Cassandra faltered, her bravado crumbling as she realized who was behind her. “Guys,” she began, her voice suddenly soft and coaxing, “I was just trying to—”

But Axel silenced her with a look that could have frozen fire. “Save it, Cassandra,” he said, his tone cold and unforgiving. Ryder and Kade flanked him, their eyes locked on Callan with an intensity that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

It was then that something became horrifyingly clear. Cassandra wasn’t just flirting with the triplets—she was involved with them, all three of them. The realization hit me like a physical blow, and I had to fight to keep my expression neutral. It didn’t matter that I’d already resigned myself to their rejection; it still hurt to see them with someone else, someone who wasn’t me.

But whatever was happening between Cassandra and the triplets was quickly overshadowed by the confrontation that was about to explode.