Bloodbound to the Witch Heir: Claimed By Four

Atlas’ POV

*****

What witch wouldn’t be confused out of their minds if they found out they’re mated to a Lupine? A hybrid nonetheless. And even crazier is this girl having three other mates.

He still remembered how his magic reacted when the mate bond activated. How his sense of smell suddenly heightened when it came to HER.

Control flew out the window. Suddenly, for the first time in his twenty-two years, he felt so much need, so much desire for a woman he barely even knew.

And for a self-proclaimed scholar like himself, it scared him more than it intrigued him...

... Until the Dean summoned him after the Vein beast attack on Miss Benedicta’s memorial.

"You must stay close to Celeste Bloodoak as much as possible," Thorne made the order firm. Unavoidable. "Report anything strange to me. Luther Hale will be joining you in this mission... Please, don’t fail me."

Mentally, Atlas made an oath. He’d use this directive as an opportunity to get closer to Celeste. To dissect the true workings of the bond... And either find a way to break it. Or adapt to it.

.

.

It failed. Within the first two minutes of getting close to Celeste, Atlas couldn’t help himself. She was just so... Mundane. Simple. Surprising for an Alpha king’s daughter.

Each word they exchanged, each accidental touch in that library crumbled any ideas to destroy the bond.

He wanted her. And sooner or later, the bond would make that unavoidable.

"Celeste, wait!" Luther yelled out when their mate left after Lysandra almost struck her.

But Celeste didn’t look back, walking past the librarian who glared at the three of them. Atlas barely noticed the man, eyes glued on Celeste’s retreating form.

On her lush black hair and the silver streaks highlighted by the sunlight streaming past the windows. On the gentle way her hips swayed.

"Ethereal..." He smiled, rubbing the hand he’d used to hold her earlier.

"Let go, Luther!" Lysandra’s screech broke his trance, making him slowly glance back at her. And the untrained Alpha. "What has gotten into you? Are you really going to let her spell on you—"

"Shh!" Mr Sullivan, the librarian, finally got to them, his expression stern. "What’s the meaning of this?" His voice was hushed. "This is a library for Pete’s sake. Do I have to put up a neon light screaming ’keep quiet’?"

Atlas could barely concentrate on anything the man said. His mind was hammered with one desire he couldn’t ignore.

Follow Celeste...

"You three are some of our academy’s best students," Mr Sullivan went on with his scolding. "I don’t want to have to give you a ban for the rest of the semester—"

Raising his right hand, Atlas wiggled his fingers in front of the man. A human hunter. Smooth sailing if he used the right spell. "Forget I was ever here," he whispered, the words echoing in the air like they were uttered by a thousand ghosts. "Your focus is on Luther and Lysandra."

"Hey!" Luther barked, grabbing Atlas’ shoulder from behind. "What do you think you’re doing? That’s—"

Atlas didn’t wait, smirking when he saw his spell taking effect on the man. With a wave of his other hand, he telekinetically moved multiple books off their shelves, littering them across the floor.

He then brushed past Mr Sullivan, snapping him out of the forceful trance and revelling in the chaos that ensued.

"H–How?" The librarian stuttered with disbelief. "You two! I wouldn’t stand for this unruly behaviour."

"M–Mr Smith—" Lysandra tried explaining.

"It’s Mr Sullivan." The man sounded unimpressed. "Clean up this mess now."

"It’s that witch!" Luther snarled, all while Atlas walked away freely.

That should give him a perfect head start...

.

.

When he got to the archway leading out of the library... He froze. The late afternoon sun still shone above, calm on his melanin and giving way to a cool dusk. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

But just a few meters away from the steps leading into the library was something that made his fists clench.

Celeste. And Azrael.

Glued to each other like the rest of the world didn’t exist. In a kiss that Atlas almost had in the library if Luther hadn’t interrupted.

Thinking fast, he placed an invisibility spell on himself. Too curious to see how this goes.

And oh, he saw.

The way Azrael’s hands clamped around her waist. Claiming. Possessive. And the way Celeste deepened the kiss like a woman starved for decades.

Atlas didn’t know how long he could keep on standing there while another man touched a woman he’s already seen as his. At the tip of his fingertips, magic gathered, raw and sizzling.

But barely ten seconds in—

"We shouldn’t have done that," Azrael withdrew like he was burnt by coal, hands leaving Celeste’s waist.

Instantly, Atlas squeezed his fists, preventing himself from doing something drastic. Looks like fate already had this taken care of for him.

"W–What?" Celeste blinked with confusion, lips parting and closing repeatedly. "A–Azrael... We’re mates. And I thought all this time I’ve felt something that you feel too..." She placed a hand on his chest. Almost desperate. "Was I wrong? Don’t you... Don’t you want me too?"

Seeing her like this. Seeing her give up so much vulnerability to someone else made Atlas sick to his stomach.

He was trained all his life to take. Not to share. Especially not his woman.

"That’s just it, little miss." Azrael took a step back, adjusting his sunglasses. "I want you. In ways I’ve never wanted anyone. And giving in to my desires... To my wants..."

From this angle, Atlas noticed something that made him squint. Azrael’s teeth tightened, as if he was trying to hold something back. He sealed his mouth tightly with his lips, taking more steps away from Celeste.

"... It’ll be catastrophic for us both," Azrael muttered finally. "Good day."

Celeste was about to say something, but a gush of wind whooshed past, disheveling her hair and making Atlas cover his eyes for a couple of seconds.

When he opened them again—Azrael was gone.

Atlas was left stunned. ’Was that... Teleportation? Or some magically enhanced movement?’

Whatever it was, it wasn’t something Atlas had a name for.

Meanwhile, Celeste stood there. Silent. Arms beside her with a defeated expression. And the feeling of shame and loneliness pulsing through the bond until Atlas felt it as his own.

He wanted to swoop in then. Tell her he’d never be afraid of what their closeness would awaken—

—but he held himself back.

’I’ll give her time.’ he thought to himself, fingers rubbing his rings. ’She needs to figure out for herself what she wants. And how she wants it.’

As she let out a sigh, adjusting her clothes and walking away—he stuck to the shadows.

’Celeste Bloodoak. You’re just about to discover how patient I can be...’ he smiled. ’But be careful. Even I can’t ignore these feelings forever.’

He stepped deeper into the shadows, already deciding how much longer he’d allow Azrael to hesitate. Or the other two.