Fated and Claimed by Four Alphas

**************

~Spring's POV~

Kaius groaned. "No—"

"Yes," Eryx and I said together.

Kaius looked heavenward. "Fine. She was having pancakes in the kitchen with her mother. I didn't know it was her mom. She introduced me by saying, 'He's the one I told you about. The flexible one."

My face flushed with secondhand embarrassment. Rhys actually fell sideways off the couch in the room where he had sat down earlier, laughing.

Eryx whistled. "That's a good one."

I couldn't breathe. "The… flexible one?"

Kaius shrugged helplessly. "Look, I was eighteen and dumb. Also, apparently flexible."

"You are a disaster," I said, half-laughing, half-horrified. "And you never told anyone this?"

He wagged a finger. "That's because you were too little back then to judge me with those big, innocent eyes. I've been trying to preserve my dignity."

"Too late," I coughed out between giggles. "Way too late."

Kaius folded his arms and leaned back. "Well, at least I wasn't locked out in my boxers in the rain like Rhys."

"Hey!" Rhys shouted from the floor. "Mine had emotional trauma. Yours was pornographic chaos."

"The one with your Anatomy tutor? You sure as hell gotta tell that story.," Kaius quipped.

"Someday, but we've had too many embarrassing tales told today," Rhys quickly stated before Eryx or I could turn the tide against him.

"And yet," Eryx cut in, smirking, "Spring's the one with four guys and a dare-kissing track record."

I groaned and hid my face behind a pillow. "Can we go back to talking about Kaius's cougar, please?"

"Technically, she wasn't a cougar," Kaius mumbled. "She was just... very goal-oriented."

The room fell into another round of laughter, soft and unfiltered, and even I couldn't stop myself from joining in.

Until Rhys pointed at me next. "Your turn."

"Me?" I blinked. "I told you already. I haven't… y'know…"

The room fell silent again, like a spell had been cast. Then, simultaneously, all three of them said, "Good."

Kaius reached over and ruffled my hair again. "You're not allowed until you're fifty."

Eryx nodded solemnly. "Or married. Whichever comes last."

Rhys sipped his drink like a wise sage. "Preferably after your PhD and intergalactic peace is achieved."

I rolled my eyes as my cheeks warmed, but I couldn't fight the grin spreading across my face.

For all their overprotective antics and ridiculous commentary, it was moments like these that made it so hard to picture life without them.

I glanced at my phone and smiled. Right now, I didn't want messages. Or calls. Or even thoughts of the upcoming assessment.

Just this, them and their chaotic, protective, sometimes embarrassing, but always loving energy.

Silence stretched between us again.

"You still shouldn't talk about it with Chloe," Kaius added dryly, sipping from his mug. "That girl's got a louder mouth than a town crier on market day."

I chuckled and leaned into them both. "Noted. I would learn not to discuss my personal matters on a call again. Lesson learned."

Kaius grinned. "Well, you can tell that to us."

"You guys would tease the life out of me," I reminded him.

"Oh, but we won't bite," Eryx chipped in.

"Alright," Rhys clapped once, a gleam in his eyes. "So, who's ready to drag Kaius into therapy next?"

"Ha! You wish," Kaius muttered.

Eryx stood up, stretching. "I'll go make tea. We'll need it for this intervention."

"You guys go ahead. I gotta study."

They all paused by the door, exchanged glances, and then muttered softly, "Goodnight, Spring."

"Goodnight," I whispered, watching them go with a full heart.

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Scene Transition: The Next Morning, at School

The academy halls buzzed with pre-test energy. Students clustered around lockers, scribbling last-minute notes, whispering formulas like prayer chants, and looking generally like they were all two seconds from mental collapse.

I moved through the crowd in silence, holding my books to my chest, letting the anxious energy wash over me without letting it in.

In my past life, things like school, tests and the like never truly bothered me, but I was slightly nervous as this was my first significant chance to show the school Spring wasn't an airhead.

And when I do, I will investigate the issues that made her leave all three schools and expose the culprits.

While my mind was going through the things I had read and discussing them with Jade, it was then that I heard it.

"Did you hear?" a girl whispered near the water fountain. "Lilith Astor is gone."

"What?" I stopped walking.

"She withdrew. Just like that. Packed up. Left."

"You've got to be kidding me. Student Council's Vice…"

"Shh… Have you forgotten we have a new Student Council V.P.?

I frowned. Lilith… gone?

"Apparently, something happened. Something big."

Before I could mentally ask more or even process what that meant, a familiar voice cut through the hallway.

"Spring!"

"Housepet," someone called sharply, and I followed the second voice to see one of the girls who stood opposite from me.

They were in their senior year.

Madelyn rolled her eyes but said nothing as she followed behind Eva, like a puppy. It was no brainer that she belonged to Eva for this duration. As such no one could bully her when her owner was around.

Eva, on the other hand, slid up beside me. "Hey, Eva."

"Spring," Madelyn noted, but didn't say much.

I sighed. "Madelyn."

She looked me up and down like she was inspecting a fruit in a market. I scoffed at her. Even in her status, she just couldn't stop her condescending attitude.

I guess because not everyone was Lilith Astor, she felt she had a chance to do something, but…

I was no Lilith Astor, I was Spring, Solstice Kaine, I could and was worse.

"I guess you have no idea to what lengths your mates would go to protect you," Madelyn enunciated, her eyes glancing around as if that was all it took to get out information.

I stared, heart skipping.

Madelyn's smile sharpened. "I was there. Lilith got what she deserved. She's lucky they didn't rip her apart for touching you. And I am lucky that she decided to be the next big enemy; thus, I got spared."

"W-what do you mean?" Eva managed to ask while avoiding Madelyn's eyes.

"That they were ready to kill Lilith for daring to bet their sacred bond with Spring." She eyed me, then smiled. "Lucky bitch."