Chapter 120: Mated To Not Just One, But Four?

Adeline’s POV~

I’d rather let the agony tear me apart from the inside out than ever surrender my trust to someone who will use it to break me.

"No, I don’t have a ma—"

My voice was abruptly cut off by a heavy, booming roar that shattered through the bedroom doorway.

"Yes, she does!"

All three of our heads, Gwen’s, the ancient witch’s, and mine, snapped toward the dark frame of the entrance. Every single drop of blood drained from my face, leaving me completely ice-cold. But as my blurred vision focused on the looming figures stepping through the shadows, my sheer terror twisted into a suffocating, terrifying confusion.

All four of them walked in.

Raven. Zyran. Blake. Keiran.

They moved like four lethal apex predators closing in on a cornered, defenceless prey.

Keiran stepped forward first, his towering frame casting a massive shadow across the bed. His dark, piercing gaze locked straight onto mine with a raw intensity that choked the air right out of my lungs.

"She is our mate," Keiran said, his voice flat, absolute, and echoing with pure, undeniable authority. "She has been ours from the very beginning, whether she wants to admit it or not."

Our mate?

My mind reeled, spiraling into total darkness. What did that even mean? His and Raven’s? Have they confirmed it just because my body had violently thrown up their blood back then?

No... no, this can’t be happening. There has to be another reason. My stomach threw up Keiran’s and Raven’s blood like it was deadly poison. How can I be his? How can I be any of theirs?

The second I realized all four pairs of dark, dangerous eyes were zeroed in on me, panic seized my throat. I couldn’t breathe. I looked away instantly, darting my eyes toward the Dowager Luna, expecting her to explode in rage.

’Scream at them, Gwen. Tell them they are insane. Tell them a scentless rogue doesn’t belong anywhere near royal blood.’

I expected her to slam her fists down, to scream in utter disgust. If anyone else was in her position, they would never allow a royal grandson, let alone all four royal princes, to claim a filthy, wolfless rogue as a mate.

Instead, Gwen gave a slow, approving nod, a soft, knowing smile curling her lips as she looked at the four Lycan Princes.

"I knew it," Gwen whispered softly, her eyes shining with something that looked terrifyingly like relief. "The ancient bond never lies."

Her reaction shocked me to my absolute core. My chest heaved as a sudden, terrifying thought sparked in the back of my mind.

Wait... How does Raven know I spat out his blood that night? Keiran watched my body violently throw up his blood... But Raven’s... Do they all know? Are they playing with me?

The ancient witch bowed her head deeply toward the four Lycan princes. Her knees were shaking, her hands trembling against her robes as she looked between the four kings and me.

"Lord Keiran...?" the witch whispered, her voice trembling with sheer disbelief. "Are you truly saying that Adeline... is your mate? The mate of the Four Thrones?"

Blake took a heavy, deliberate step forward, his handsome face carved from solid ice.

"She isn’t just Keiran’s mate," Blake corrected smoothly, his voice dropping into a deep, possessive growl. "She is bound to all four of us. The ancient bloodline has chosen her. All four thrones share her bond, and all four thrones will claim her."

"This is impossible..." the witch let out a sharp gasp, her eyes wide as she stared at me like I was a ghost raised from the dead. "A female bound to all four royal lines... it hasn’t happened in..."

As for me? I froze entirely.

My lungs shrank down to nothing. It felt like my soul had literally been ripped out of my body and thrown into a pitch-black abyss.

Mated to not just one... but all four of them?

"No," I whispered, shaking my head violently against the pillows. "No. No, no, no! Stop saying that!"

"Adeline—" Zyran started, his voice rough and dark from the back of the room, his eyes burning.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" I screamed, forcing the huge, painful lump down my completely dry throat as I managed to choke out the words. "No... no! You are all lying! There is no possible way in hell I am mated to any of you! Look at me! I am a wolfless rogue! I am nothing!"

Dowager Luna Gwen stepped closer to the side of my bed, reaching out to gently touch my shoulder. Her voice dropped into something infuriatingly calm, like a mother trying to soothe a frightened child.

"Take a deep breath, sweetie..." Gwen murmured gently. "I know it is terrifying. I know your mind is screaming right now. But you know it too, don’t you? Stop fighting the truth, Adeline. I know you can feel the heavy, ancient pull deep inside your very bones."

"No, I don’t!" I snapped back instantly, my voice cracking in pure panic as hot tears of frustration burned my eyes. "I don’t feel a single damn thing! You are all making this up to mess with my head! I feel nothing for them! I feel nothing—!"

"Liar."

Raven’s voice sliced through my panic. He didn’t yell. He didn’t raise his voice. His tone was dangerously low, a soft, lethal purr that sent a violent, icy shiver straight down my spine.

He took slow, deliberate strides across the room until his towering, muscular frame was standing right beside my bed.

"Look at me, Adeline," Raven commanded softly.

I forced my chin up, desperately trying to keep my breathing steady while my heart hammered like a trapped bird against my ribs.

Don’t show him you’re scared. Don’t let him see you break. He wants you to submit. Don’t give him the satisfaction.

Raven stared down at me, a dark, dangerous fire burning deep inside his jet-black eyes.

"It is time you stop lying to yourself, Adeline," Raven whispered, leaning down slowly until his face was only inches from mine, his warm, dangerous breath brushing against my trembling lips.

"It is time you start accepting the truth. You can deny the bond all you want... but I know your body rejected my blood that night."

The entire room went dead silent.

The air vanished from my lungs. The world stopped spinning.

He knows?

The very first thought that crashed through my panicked mind was pure, unadulterated horror.

Is he trying to trick me? Is he twisting this just to scare me into telling the truth? Is this a trap?

My mind scrambled wildly, searching for any way out of this nightmare.

Because the only living souls who knew about that secret were me and Sierra! I knew for a fact that I never told him! There is no universe where Sierra would ever betray me... I trust her! She would never tell him... right?

...But as I stared up into Raven’s dark, all-knowing eyes, a tiny, fractured piece of my heart whispered a terrifying, poisonous doubt.

What if she did?

I turned my gaze away from Raven. I looked desperately toward Dowager Luna Gwen.

She met my eyes with a look of heavy, genuine concern, a look that felt far too warm, far too motherly for a woman of her terrifying standing.

"I know it feels impossible, sweetie," Gwen spoke softly. "I know your mind is screaming, and I know you are terrified. But you are their mate. Adeline... please, don’t fight it anymore. Your life is far too important. Right now, we don’t have any other option left. You need to stabilise before we find a way to remove this pain-binding curse that tears your soul apart from the inside out."

I hesitated, my lips parting, but no words came out.

What am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to agree to this when my whole life has been built on hiding from monsters like them?

I couldn’t bring myself to agree, and I couldn’t bring myself to lie again.

To my absolute relief, Gwen didn’t push me for an answer. She seemed to understand the suffocating terror clawing at my throat.

The old witch stepped forward, her ancient eyes fixing on me with grave seriousness.

"Yes, child. It is the only path we have left," the witch said, her raspy voice echoing.

"If the four royal heirs are truly your fated mates, then there is no shame in accepting what the Moon Goddess has given you. The intimacy and physical closeness of your true mates are the only things strong enough to anchor your broken system right now. The dark magic is powerful. You can’t handle it or it’s consequences."

The old woman paused, her expression tightening into a dark, grim warning.

"And you must take extra care of your body moving forward," she continued, looking between me and the four princes.

"Furthermore... we must figure out how to remove the curse that has been suppressing your wolf. And we must ensure that the one who bounded their wolf to yours don’t hurt themselves. Otherwise, every single cut, every single wound they take will continue to tear straight through Adeline’s body."

As those words left the ancient witch’s mouth, all four sets of dark, predatory eyes snapped straight back toward me.

They are looking at me like I’m already theirs.

Raven’s voice cut across the quiet room.

"Leave us alone with her for a moment."