Accidentally Mated To Four Alphas-Chapter 262: _ To The Hearing

The first light of dawn slips through the edges of the curtains, painting Heidi’s room in pale gold. Her body aches, but not in the way she feared. She had thought she’d wake up to the kind of soreness that comes after passion, which is usually heavy and sluggish, but this is different — she feels alive. Every muscle hums with energy, like the Moon Goddess herself gave her a reward for the bond she accepted last night.

The bond she accepted?

Heidi can’t believe her own thoughts. Does that mean she’s accepted those three beautifully sweet jerks as her mate? She almost giggles at herself and the realization of how fast things have changed when her wolf answers for her.

"Of course, you’ve accepted them. There was no defiance in last night’s activities... or do you need me to spell it out for you?"

She blinks at the sunlight pooling on the floor, still wrapped in the sheets, when voices break the silence. She hears soft and urgent murmurs. Her heart thumps. She sits up slowly, pulling the covers around her still naked body.

Darien and the twins are in the corner, whispering, leaning over a scattered collection of papers and notes. Their heads are close, their faces intense with the kind of intensity that makes her stomach flip even without realizing it. Their hands move in silent choreography, sketching invisible lines in the air as they talk. They don’t notice her at first.

"Do you think she’ll..." Grayson is speaking in low tones.

"She’ll survive," Morgan interrupts, leaning back on the arm of the chair, crossing his long legs. His gaze doesn’t lift, but the sharpness in his tone is enough. "As long as we stick to the plan, no one touches her."

Darien’s commanding voice, cuts in: "We can’t rely on assumptions. Every angle matters. She’s counting on us."

Heidi swallows hard. Her pulse races, but isn’t it beautiful that it isn’t even from fear of the looming unknown, but because they’re here for her. Four Alpha heirs, the only people in the pack who’ve ever treated her like more than a pawn, are plotting strategies to save her from a system that would happily crush her. She’s never felt so seen.

Her sudden movement catches their attention. The room freezes. Darien’s head snaps toward her, his brows knitting into concern, and Morgan is the first to rise, crossing the distance in two strides. Grayson lags slightly behind, like he’s calculating his approach.

"Heidi," Darien says softly, but there’s worry protectiveness in his voice. "Are you awake? How are you feeling?"

She smiles, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Great. Really," she beams. She is great — powerful, bonded, ready. At least, that’s what she tells herself.

Darien tilts his head, eyes boring questioningly into her. "Nervous about today?"

"A little," she admits, and Morgan steps closer, brushing her hair back from her shoulder.

"It’s understandable, but with me by your side, no one can hurt you," He tells her.

Grayson gives his twin a sharp warning look. But Darien just smirks the kind of smirk that makes everything around him feel ordered. "Morgan’s right," he says. "With all of us, you’re untouchable. You’ll answer wisely, stay calm. The pack isn’t prepared for you." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Her chest warms at the words. These four men, even as one is currently absent... these heirs — had become her anchors, her guardians. Her pulse slows slightly. She wants to reach out, touch their hands, let them know she trusts them implicitly, but she keeps her hands folded in her lap, feeling the electricity of their collective presence.

Darien steps closer, lowering his voice. "Before we move, I’ll hold you," he murmurs. "I want you to follow our lead today. We’ll guide you. Don’t let the prosecutor get in your head."

Heidi’s lips twitch. "I’ll try," she whispers.

"You won’t need to try," Morgan adds, leaning casually against the desk, arms crossed. "Just remember — you’re ours now. They can’t touch you."

Grayson crouches slightly, meeting her gaze. "The hearing starts in two hours. You should take an hour to get ready. We leave no later than then."

Darien presses a hand lightly to her cheek. "And don’t forget — stay calm, stay smart, stay with me. Every answer counts." His voice dips lower, his breath brushing her temple. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," she whispers. His nearness makes her knees feel unsteady, her heartbeat skipping.

After a few more quick, strategic lectures from the heirs — layered with that teasing, dark charm that always leaves her flustered, Heidi finally rises. She stretches, expecting the post-sex soreness to pull her down like lead. But the opposite happens: she feels light, agile, like the Moon Goddess herself has gifted her with vigor.

.

The bath is warm when she steps into it... almost too warm, steam curling around her skin. She leans back, letting the water carry away her tension, letting her mind wander. Memories of the night before flicker through her thoughts — the tangled sheets, the heat, the way the three of them moved around her, with her, claiming pieces of her body with whispered ownership. Her lips twitch in a private smile at the recollection, the blush heating her cheeks.

But the quiet intimacy fades as reality intrudes. Sierra. The trial. The Pack Council. The unfairness of it all. She swallows hard, feeling the weight in her chest. They’ll judge me without mercy. They’ll twist the truth.

Still, the four heirs’ presence is a lifeline. Darien’s hands guiding her, Morgan’s loud confidence, Grayson’s quiet calculations, together, they form a shield stronger than any pack law. She’s terrified, yes, but for the first time in a long while, she also feels a spark of hope.

She steps out of the bath, wrapping herself in a towel, and dries her hair quickly. When she enters the room again, Darien has borrowed an outfit from Daphne’s closet for her. Her reflection in the mirror makes her breathing pause after adorning herself in the dress of a girl who probably hates her more than anyone in the pack.

This is who they believe in, she says to her reflection. Her pulse quickens from the surge of quiet power coursing through her.

Dressed and hair brushed, she meets the heirs in the hallway. They are all poised with hard and protective expressions. Darien steps closer first, letting her feel the heat of him. "Stay with me," he murmurs, his lips brushing her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

She hates the fact that she still has the guts to feel sensation when she’s an hour away from getting eaten alive in a pack full of wolves.

Morgan stands on the other side, arm brushing hers in silent reassurance. Grayson flanks them slightly behind, ready to move. Heidi feels the pulse of their combined presence like electricity, grounding her, readying her for the storm ahead.

They move as one toward the front door, the morning sunlight spilling over them. The mansion feels unusually silent, the walls holding their collective tension. Just as they reach the threshold, a voice cuts through the dawn.

"Darien?"

Heidi freezes upon hearing the feminine voice and looks up to meet the gaze of Luna Ines, Darien’s mother.

Darien stiffens before slightly and grudgingly bows his head. "Mother. You’re up early."

Luna’s eyes flick to Heidi, sizing her up. She tilts her head, one eyebrow raised. "And you must be... the infamous Moon Blessed girl I’ve heard so much about." Her tone sounds light, but anyone with a sharp instinct can hear the subtle warning behind it.

Heidi straightens, chest puffing up slightly despite the butterflies. "Yes, ma’am. Good morning, ma’am."

Luna’s smile is enigmatic. "Darien speaks highly of you. Quite highly." She glances at the heirs, then back to Heidi. "I suppose I’ll be seeing just how true his words are today even though you won’t make it out of that courtroom victorious."

What-

Heidi gulps.

The Luna sends a malicious gaze towards her son, hard as she finishes, "Not when I’m personally making sure of it."

"Mother..." Darien moves to shield Heidi, but the woman just walks away, leaving a maniacal laughter behind her.

Heidi knows it’ll be hard for the Lunas to accept her, and no mother would want her son associated with a girl considered ’cursed’ when there are tens of other highly eligible females from a noble family in the pack.

However, proceeding to say she’s going to ensure her failure is way too extreme, even for a mother. Not when her son has kept a sleepless night, trying to ensure the opposite.

Am I causing a rift between mother and son? She can’t help but internally wonder.

She hates this. God, she does.

Her stomach twists in anticipation. The hearing looms, and the Pack Council is merciless. However, on the bright side, for the first time in months, she’s not entirely alone. She has the heirs. She has the bond even when the scary but influential mother of one of them is out to get her.

Darien’s hand brushes hers briefly as if to apologize on his mother’s behalf. "Stay close to us and follow our lead. It doesn’t matter what anyone says. We’ve got this," he murmurs, low enough for only her to hear.

Heidi swallows, nodding. She feels the heat of their protection, the weight of their combined presence, and for the first time in a long while, she steps toward the unknown with confidence.

The mansion doors open fully, the sunlight striking the floors like a spotlight on the start of a duel. The Pack Council awaits. The trial awaits.

Heidi inhales sharply. She is ready.