Page 7 of Marked by Alphas 2: Claimed (The Blood Moon Chronicle #2)

“Then,” Derek growled, his voice dropping to that dangerous register that made my toes curl, “we show you exactly what it means to be claimed by three alphas.”

Caleb’s teeth grazed my pulse point, making me shiver. “No more holding back.”

“No more control,” Marcus added, his voice like silk over steel as his fingers traced the edge of my collar.

Right. Okay. Healing. Training. Wolf awakening. I could do this. Just had to survive their “careful” attention until then.

Though given the way Derek was still kneeling between my legs, looking at me like I was his next meal, and Caleb was determined to mark every inch of my neck while Marcus’ touch burned through my clothes… survival might be the wrong word choice.

“Enough!” Maria’s voice cracked through the room like a whip. “Dios mío! Can you animals not leave him alone? He’s still healing!”

The brothers tensed but didn’t immediately move. Derek’s grip on my thighs tightened briefly before he rose to his feet, though he stayed close enough that his leg pressed against my knee.

“Dr. White is here,” Maria continued, hands on her hips as she glared at the three alphas. “And she needs to examine him properly, not piece him together through the gaps between you three octopuses.”

“We’re not—” Caleb started to protest.

“Octopuses?” I couldn’t help adding. “Wouldn’t it be octopi?”

“Actually,” Anna chimed in from the doorway, where she stood with an elegant woman in her late fifties, “it’s octopodes, but that’s not really the point right now.”

Dr. Kate White carried herself with the kind of confidence that came from regularly dealing with supernatural creatures. Her si lver-streaked dark hair was pulled back in a neat bun, and her green eyes missed nothing as she surveyed the scene.

“Gentlemen,” she said dryly, “perhaps we could give my patient some breathing room? Unless you’d like to explain to the council why your mate expired from lack of oxygen between makeout sessions?”

The brothers reluctantly created space, though they didn’t go far. Marcus and Caleb moved to opposite ends of the couch while Derek took up a position by the window, all three watching like particularly attractive guard dogs.

Dr. White paused before starting the physical examination. “Would you prefer privacy for this part? The brothers can wait outside.”

I glanced at the three alphas, who had taken up strategic positions around the room like overprotective sentries. On one hand, privacy sounded nice. On the other… “They probably know more about what I am than I do,” I admitted. “And they’ll just hover outside the door anyway, right?”

“Like worried wolves,” Maria said from her position by the door.

“We’re staying,” Derek stated, though his eyes flickered to me for confirmation.

I sighed. “They can stay. But,” I added as the brothers relaxed slightly, “if anyone growls when you check my bruises, they’re out.”

Dr. White’s examination was thorough, if surreal.

Height, weight, blood pressure—all standard stuff, until she started checking things like “aura clarity” and “moonlight sensitivity.” She took detailed notes about every bruise and scratch from last night’s fight, though most were already healing at a rate that made her hum with interest.

“Accelerated healing,” she said, typing one-handed while examining a particularly nasty bruise on my ribs that was alread y turning yellow. “Consistent with quarter-wolf genetics, enhanced by First Pack bloodline. Notable increase in healing speed post-initial shift trigger…”

“What exactly do you know about quarter-wolves?” I asked, curious to hear a medical perspective after the brothers’ explanation earlier. “The guys mentioned it’s not actually a dilution of power, but…”

“They’re right,” she said. “Most packs misunderstand quarter-wolves. They think less wolf blood means less power, but that’s not how supernatural genetics work.

Especially not with First Pack bloodlines.

” She sat back, studying me with clinical interest. “The combination of human adaptability and wolf power can create unique abilities. Your readings are particularly fascinating.”

“Fascinating how?” Marcus stepped closer, ignoring Maria’s warning look.

“His healing rate is closer to a full shifter’s, especially since the partial shift trigger last night.

And these energy readings…” She showed Marcus her tablet, pointing to something that looked like a very complicated heat map.

“See these patterns? They’re not typical for any wolf bloodline I’ve documented.

The way his human and wolf energies are interacting…

” She frowned at her tablet. “It’s unlike anything I’ve seen.

Quarter-wolves typically show distinct separation between their human and wolf sides, but yours are perfectly intertwined, creating entirely new energy patterns. ”

“Like the First Pack?” Marcus suggested, though something in his tone suggested he wasn’t entirely convinced either.

“Similar, but…” She held up the crystal pendant again. “May I? I want to check something.”

I nodded, watching as she held it near my chest. The crystal immediately lit up with swirling colors—mostly silver and blue, but with threads of gold that seemed to pulse like heartbeats.

What immediately caught my attention was a flash of something else —a flicker of red-gold, like flames beneath ice, there and gone so quickly I might have imagined it.

Dr. White’s eyebrows shot up. “Did you see?—”

“No,” Marcus cut in smoothly, though his eyes had narrowed. “Just the usual readings, correct?”

She glanced at him, then back at me. “Right. Of course. Just… unusual First Pack markers.”

I looked between them, certain I was missing something. “So what does this mean for the whole ‘learning to be a proper supernatural being’ thing?”

“It means,” she said carefully, making more notes, “that we should expect the unexpected. Your quarter-wolf status combined with First Pack blood already makes you unique, but these readings suggest there might be even more to your heritage than we understand.”

“More?” I couldn’t help the edge of panic in my voice. “Isn’t being werewolf royalty or whatever complicated enough?”

“Think of it as being genetically gifted,” she suggested, though her eyes kept darting to her readings. “Your mixed heritage isn’t a weakness—it’s an advantage. You can adapt in ways pure wolves can’t. Access different types of power. The trick will be learning how to control it.”

“Before it controls me?” I asked dryly.

“Before it overwhelms you,” she corrected. “These energy levels… they’re building. Like a dam about to break. You’ll need to learn control quickly, especially with your mates’ influence accelerating the process.”

Derek shifted by the window. “What do you mean, accelerating?”

Dr. White gestured at my healing bruises. “His body is already adapting to match your energy levels. The presence of three alpha mates is literally rewiring his supernatural DNA. It’s fascinating, really. I’ve never seen anything quite like?—”

A growl rumbled through the room—Derek again, appare ntly not appreciating me being referred to like a science experiment.

“What did I say about growling?” I reminded them, though watching Derek get protective over a mere mention of scientific observation did funny things to my stomach.

“Out,” Maria ordered, brandishing her wooden spoon at Derek. “All of you. Let the doctor finish her examination in peace.”

The brothers reluctantly retreated, though they didn’t go far. I could hear them in the hallway, their murmured conversation too low to make out but tense enough to raise the hair on my neck.

“They’re rather intense,” Dr. White observed dryly, checking my reflexes.

“You have no idea.” I sighed. “Though apparently that’s normal for… what did you call it? Pre-claiming physical optimization?”

“Ah, yes.” She smiled slightly. “The technical term for ‘your mates are driving themselves crazy trying not to claim you before you’re ready.’ Though in your case…” She glanced at her readings again. “The energy exchange is unusually strong. Almost as if…”

“As if what?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. Just medical speculation. But Kai?” Her green eyes met mine, a serious look in hers. “Whatever you are—whatever combination of bloodlines and magic made you—it’s something special. Something rare. Be careful who you trust with that information.”

By the end of the exam, I had a medical file thick enough to kill a small animal and more questions than answers. The brothers returned, hovering closer than ever, and I caught them exchanging loaded looks when they thought I wasn’t watching.

Great. More supernatural secrets. Because being a quarter-wolf with some fancy First Pack upgrade wasn’t complicated enough , now I apparently had mysterious energy readings that made doctors nervous and alphas twitchy.

At least the brothers’ weird hot-and-cold behavior made more sense now. Though watching Derek nearly wolf out when Dr. White pressed too hard on one of my bruises suggested “sense” might be a relative term.

“Back to resting,” Maria ordered, already herding me like a particularly determined sheepdog. “You need it after all that poking and prodding.”

“I’m fine?—”

“Tea and snacks,” she declared. “Jorge stress-baked those little meat pastries you like while eavesdropping on your examination.”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping!” Jorge’s voice carried from the kitchen. “I was… strategically monitoring the situation!”

The dogs, who had been maintaining their ‘dignified guard’ routine, immediately perked up at the word ‘meat.’ Even Shadow, usually the most stoic of my furry security detail, couldn’t maintain his aloof facade.

“No begging,” I warned them as Maria returned with a laden tray. “You literally just ate. I watched Jorge sneak you extras.”

Scout hit me with puppy eyes that could probably end wars, while Storm attempted to look both professional and starving—a feat only a supernatural guard dog could pull off. Shadow held out for approximately three seconds before joining what I could only describe as synchronized begging.

“Dios mío!” Maria said, already pulling out the special dog treats Jorge made just for them. “They’re worse than Miguel during his growing phase.”

I settled into my usual spot on the leather couch, amused by how quickly the manor had become familiar. The dogs arranged themselves around me like furry satellites, their eyes tracking every movement of the pastries.

“About the cottage,” Marcus began carefully, and something in his tone made me look up. He had that expression—the one that meant he was trying to figure out how to say something without triggering my fight-or-flight response.

“What about it?” I asked, though I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

“The location is… problematic,” he said diplomatically.

Caleb nodded from his perch on the armrest. “It’s too exposed. The wards aren’t as strong there.”

“The what now?”

“Protective magic,” Derek explained, his tactical gear-clad form somehow making the antique chair he occupied look like a throne. “The manor’s better defended.”

“Are you trying to tell me my cottage is in a supernatural dead zone?” I raised an eyebrow. “Because I distinctly remember some very alive wolves finding it just fine last night.”

“That’s exactly the problem,” Marcus said softly. “You’re too vulnerable there. Here, we can protect you properly.”

“Here, meaning…?”

“Stay with us.” Caleb’s voice was gentle but eager. “Not just for now—permanently.”

I blinked. “Move in? Here?”

“You practically live here already,” Derek pointed out, and okay, he had a point. Between the regular dinners and occasional overnight stays, I probably spent more time at the manor than my cottage.

“But my stuff?—”

“We’ll get it.” Caleb was already standing. “Essential items first, then we can arrange for the rest.”

“I should help—” I started to rise, but three concerned looks stopped me.

“You’re still healing,” Marcus reminded me gently. “Let us handle this.”

“I’ll stay,” Caleb offered, but Derek grabbed his arm .

“You’re better with electronics,” he said. “Help me shut everything down properly.”

“I’ll keep our mate company,” Marcus stated, and something in his voice made heat pool in my stomach.

The dogs rearranged themselves as Derek and Caleb left—Storm and Scout following their alphas while Shadow maintained his position as my personal furry guardian.