Fated and Claimed by Four Alphas

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~Spring's POV~

As I stepped into the hallway, the soft shuffle of feet, the murmuring of voices, and the distant clatter of trays being pulled from the cafeteria filled the air, but that wasn't what drew my attention.

It was them.

Four powerful, familiar scents swirled around me, catching my senses before my eyes even landed on their owners.

My mates.

Storm was the first to appear, tall, shoulders squared as if he were ready to fight whoever dared cross me.

Kael stood beside him, hands tucked into his pockets with that ever-calm expression masking the underlying intensity in his gaze.

Jace, wild-eyed and grinning, looked like he was barely holding back the urge to snatch me into a spin.

And Tyrion, with his sharp uniform suit and sharper eyes, had that silent ferocity that could either destroy empires… or protect a girl like she was made of starlight.

"Spring," Storm said first, stepping forward. "How did it go?"

Before I could answer, Jace leaned in. "Did you melt their brains or just their grading system?"

Kael added with a smirk, his hand tucked into his pockets. "Or did they faint in academic despair?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but someone else beat me to it.

"Oh, Storm! There you are!"

The sugary-sweet voice cut across the hallway like nails on glass, and just like that, the mood shifted.

"Serissa."

She swept into the scene like she owned the world. Her uniform was perfectly tailored, makeup flawless, and that fake smile plastered in place like a trophy she refused to let go of.

Without even acknowledging the rest of us, she slid her arm through Storm's like she belonged there.

"Seriously?" she cooed, clinging to him. "What are you doing standing around with a—" her eyes flicked to me with thinly veiled contempt, "—cheater?"

Serissa's words were like a slap, and I have to admit that my smile didn't falter but something sharp coiled beneath my skin.

Storm's expression darkened immediately, and without hesitation, he yanked his arm free from hers like her touch burned. "Don't. Ever."

Serissa blinked. "Storm—"

He took a step back from her. "Don't ever speak about Spring like that again."

Her brows rose, feigning innocence. "I was just saying what everyone's thinking—"

"You were lying. As usual," Storm snapped, voice hard and cold.

People in the hallway began to slow, their attention snapping towards us as they watched. Serissa glanced around, visibly uncomfortable now.

"I'm warning you, Serissa," Storm continued. "If you insult her again, if you spread one more lie, or try to use my name like you own it—I will make sure your world crumbles."

She paled slightly. "I'm your fiancée—"

"No," Storm cut in sharply, in a low, lethal voice. "You're not. There is no 'we.' There never was. I refuse to be engaged to anyone but my mate. And that mate is Spring Kaine. Got it?"

The hallway fell deathly silent. Every student nearby was hanging on his words like they'd just witnessed a royal proclamation.

Serissa's lips parted, probably to offer some weak protest, but before she could even raise her hand to try again, Storm had already stepped back—away from her reach, away from her lies.

Serissa's gaze flicked to the others, searching for a lifeline, some backup. Her eyes landed on Tyrion.

Bad move.

Because Tyrion didn't hesitate, he stepped forward and slipped his hand into mine, threading our fingers together with a firm, protective grip.

"My world revolves around only her," he said quietly, his voice dangerous in its calm. "So please, Serissa—stop trying to be desperate. It's beneath you."

That stung. I could see it in the way her jaw clenched.

"I…" she stammered. "This isn't over."

"Actually," Kael said smoothly, stepping between her and the rest of us, "it is. You just haven't realized it yet."

Serissa scoffed and turned on her heel, storming down the hallway with her hair swaying like she thought it still made her royal.

The moment she was gone, I blinked at all four of them—Storm, Kael, Jace, and Tyrion—each of them now focused solely on me.

Storm stepped closer and cupped my cheek. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I've never felt more okay."

"Good," Jace grinned. "Because I've already drafted five different captions for the group chat once you told us your score."

"Caption?" I echoed.

"Yup. Spring Kaine: Wrecker of Exams, Breaker of Bias, Heartthrob of the Senior Class."

Tyrion leaned in, brushing his lips against my temple. "We're proud of you."

Kael smirked. "Let them watch. Let them whisper. Because now they'll be whispering the truth."

I could only stand there, smiling like an idiot as warmth wrapped around me fiercely; it made me feel invincible.

Serissa tried to knock me down.

But she just reminded the world of exactly who I was.

And who was standing with me?

"Spring Kaine, second top student. And mated to the most dangerously devoted boys in the school."

Jade chuckled internally. She was having a field day with what happened.

"Just wait, we'll reclaim all Spring has lost for her."

"Starting with her brothers?"

I almost choked out when Jade said that. Did she… Sigh.

I barely had time to process Jade's words when the hallway finally began to breathe again—students shuffling awkwardly back to their business, pretending they hadn't just witnessed Serissa's royal downfall in surround sound.

But I wasn't paying attention to them. I was still reeling.

"I think Eryx is greatly into you. Scratch that Solstice. Eryx loves you," Jade whispered in my mind like she was sipping tea in the clouds.

I rolled my eyes internally."Yes, as a brother."

There was a pause.

"No, you can't kid yourself. You know he loves you a whole lot more than that. He's in love with you just like Storm is, if not more."

That nearly made me trip over my own thoughts.

Luckily—or unluckily, depending on how you looked at it—the school bell rang just then, loud and sharp, snapping everyone's attention.

"Lunch is over," Kael murmured, flicking a glance at the time.