Fated and Claimed by Four Alphas

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

~Spring's POV~

Rhys' jaw dropped. Kaius stood like he was about to commit a murder.

"Eryx," I breathed in a whisper.

Then Eryx laughed. Sadly, it wasn't a polite chuckle—a full-blown, head-tilted, carefree laugh.

"You should've seen your face!"

I scrambled off his lap as my face burned in embarrassment. "You are insufferable!"

"I'm memorable," he corrected with a wink, reaching for another bite of chicken like nothing had happened.

Rhys was still blinking. Kaius looked like he needed prayer.

I grabbed my bag. "I'm going to school. And when I get back, you three better not be here."

"Aw, but we were going to braid each other's hair and talk about boys," Eryx called after me.

I slammed the door behind me with more force than necessary.

And even then… I couldn't stop smiling even if my heart had no idea why.

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

Arriving at school, thankfully, none of my brothers insisted on dropping me off this morning.

A small miracle. After everything that had happened yesterday—from Eryx's mischievous behavior to Rhys teasing us at the breakfast table—I needed some quiet time to collect my thoughts, especially today.

Because today… was the second day and the day of my assessment test. The real one. The one that would either confirm the rumors about me or finally silence them.

I hadn't slept much. Between the weight of my studies, the buzzing thoughts of my mates, and the memory of Eryx's lips brushing mine—which I still hadn't processed—I felt like I was running on the fragile edge of reality.

Still, I was here.

My heart thudded wildly in my chest as I walked through the halls, each step echoing louder than the last in my ears.

I didn't need extra stares or whispers today, but of course, the universe wasn't about to do me any favors.

I barely stepped into my classroom when I saw the bright red notice pinned to the front board.

Spring Kaine, report to Principal Yelena's office immediately.

Signed: Professor Elyra.

There was a pause—like the whole room exhaled at once—and then the low murmur of students began.

Some glanced at me in curiosity, others with those same suspicious stares I was already too familiar with.

I didn't even let them get to me. Definitely not today when everything I'd worked toward hinged on what came next.

I sighed, picked up my bag, and left the class without a word.

On my way down the corridor, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Automatically, I pulled it out to check—and paused.

I'd been added to a group chat.

At first, I was about to mute it, assuming it was another student group gossip thread, but then I saw the name:

S.K's Insanely Handsome Mates.

A soft laugh escaped me.

I tapped the notification, and sure enough, it was exactly what it sounded like. A private group Storm had created with Jace, Kael, Tyrion and himself—just to wish me good luck on today's test.

Kael: Remember you're a genius. Make them eat their doubts.

Jace: You've got this. They're lucky to breathe the same air as you.

Tyrion: I'll bring food after school. Win first. Then I spoil you.

Storm: You know I love and believe in you. Win and show them who's boss.

Spring has joined the chat

I smiled, cheeks warming slightly. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard before I settled on a simple heart emoji. It felt right.

Then I tucked the phone back into my pocket and picked up my pace toward the principal's office.

Upon arrival, Professor Elyra was already waiting by the entrance, clipboard in hand and her usual calm expression firmly in place. She gave me a short nod and held the door open.

"Come in, Miss Kaine."

I stepped in and greeted her and the Principal.

Principal Yelena's sharp eyes met mine intensely, but her voice was composed. "Good morning, Miss Kaine. Are you ready for your test?"

I nodded once. "Yes, ma'am. I am."

"Very well. Follow me."

She rose and moved to the door that led further down the corridor, her heels clicking rhythmically against the polished tile floor.

I followed a step behind, and Professor Elyra walked behind me, muttering instructions to another student who passed us.

We didn't stop at any of the classrooms or even the administration wing.

No.

Instead, we walked straight to a section of the school I'd never entered before.

Finally, Principal Yelena stopped in front of a heavy wooden door with a golden plaque.

Staff Meeting Room.

I blinked.

She pushed it open and walked in. I followed behind her while my lovely heart kept pounding faster.

As the lights flickered on, I was ushered into a very large room—too large for a simple student assessment.

The interior was sleek, all polished wood and sophisticated steel.

Several executive chairs encircled a round table that curved into a U-shape. It looked more like a board meeting for a Fortune 500 company than a school exam.

Then I saw them.

Ten professors—five women and five men—already seated in their places with folders in front of them.

Their gazes were unreadable, their expressions varying between stern, bored, and mildly curious. Professor Elyra took her seat as well, while Principal Yelena remained standing at the center.

They were all here to watch me?

My fingers twitched slightly, but I forced myself to move to the indicated seat at the center of the U-curve.

Principal Yelena cleared her throat and addressed the room. "Today's independent assessment is being conducted under full supervision to ensure academic integrity and transparency. Miss Kaine will be given a limited time and no external assistance. Any irregularities, and her scores will be rendered invalid."

Of course. They still didn't believe me.

One of the professors—a tall, sharp-eyed woman in a navy trousers suit—stepped forward and laid the papers on the table in front of me.

Answer sheet. Question paper. Scan-coded ID tag.

Then came the supplies.

A bottle of water. A school-approved pen, pencil, and eraser.

Another professor walked over with a silver stopwatch. He glanced at me once, then clicked the timer.

"Time starts… now."

I glanced down.

One hundred and fifty questions.

Eighty from general studies—sciences, social science, magic class, economics, geography…

The rest from advanced maths, English comprehension, and… werewolf history.

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop a smile.

"They really wanted to trip me up."

But they'd miscalculated something.

I'd studied not just to prove myself, but because I loved learning. Storm had spent the night highlighting patterns, and I'd gone over the topics again in the early hours.

Now, it was just me, the paper, and the silent gaze of twelve people waiting for me to fail.

I clicked open the pen, took a breath… and began to write.

"Let's show them who Spring Kaine really is."

I blocked out the murmurs, the subtle tapping of fingers against tabletops, and the underlying tension that simmered in the room like it wanted to suffocate me.

The questions blurred at first. However, it wasn't from difficulty but from the sheer pressure of twelve eyes dissecting my every breath.

But I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of watching me crack.

The pen felt steady in my hand. The first few questions were straightforward, definition-based, and mostly focused on general knowledge and current affairs.

Then came the trickier ones. Ethics in werewolf governance. Quadratic models layered with magic-based variables. A comprehension piece comparing two legislative texts from Alpha territories.

I gritted my teeth and leaned in.

I wrote.

I thought. I reasoned. I flipped pages, filled columns. Time flowed oddly—slow at first, then in speeding stretches as I sank deeper into the test.

Somewhere in the middle, I took a sip of water, barely noticing that my hand trembled slightly as I put the bottle down.

And at exactly eighty minutes in, my last answer hit the page. I let the pen rest, staring at the filled booklet. Every single page had my handwriting. Every line was an answer I believed in.

No erasures or hesitation.

One hundred and fifty questions.

And I had done them all.

I scanned through one last time. Then, I reached for the edge of the booklet and closed it.

Twelve pairs of eyes instantly shifted as I stood.

"I'm finished."

You could hear a pin drop.

A professor near the edge of the table leaned forward, brows raised. "You're done? Already?"

"Yes," I said calmly, picking up my bottle and slipping it into my bag, which I had kept at the chair beside me where they could all see.

A male professor at the far end muttered under his breath, not low enough. "Typical. Overconfidence or cluelessness—can't decide which."

Another woman—stern with glasses perched on her nose—cleared her throat sharply. "Please confirm that you answered all 150 questions."

"I did," I replied. "If you want to double-check, you're welcome to."

I handed the booklet across the table without flinching.

Professor Elyra stood to receive it and quickly began flipping through the pages.

Her fingers hesitated briefly around the midpoint, but she didn't say a word. She just kept turning while maintaining a blank expression.

When she finished, she nodded once and handed it off to another professor who moved aside with it, presumably for early grading or processing.

Principal Yelena didn't speak right away. Her sharp gaze studied me, lips pursed as if debating whether to scold me or praise me.

Finally, she gave a single nod. "You may return to class. Your results will be processed during lunch. You'll be called back for evaluation before the last period."