Accidentally Mated To Four Alphas-Chapter 278: _ Painful Goodbyes

Darien stretches. "How long have you been awake?"

Isolde glances at Nash, then winces. "Um."

Nash rubs the back of his neck. "About an hour?"

He stares at them. "You’ve been awake for an hour and didn’t wake the rest of us?"

"We thought—" Isolde starts.

"...that you deserved sleep," Nash finishes.

"Okay," Darien mutters, rubbing his temples. "As heartwarming as... whatever that was is..." he gestures vaguely at Nash and Isolde, "...we need to wake everyone up. We have two hours left before we are officially exiled."

Isolde sobers immediately. Nash straightens too

The bungalow looks exactly like it feels—like the aftermath of a battle fought with alcohol and denial. Bodies are sprawled everywhere. Morgan is face-down on the rug, one arm flung dramatically over his head. Grayson is half on the couch, half on the floor, boots still on. Heidi is curled tight against the armchair, Grayson’s discarded jacket draped over her like a shield.

Darien steps over empty bottles and regret, nudging Morgan with his foot. "Rise and suffer."

Morgan groans. "If this is a prank, I swear..."

"Two hours," Darien points out.

Morgan sits up immediately, hair wild, eyes sharp. "Ah."

The mood changes and ripples through the room like a silent signal. Everyone knows. Everyone feels it. The laughter from last night has burned off, leaving behind the raw truth underneath.

Daphne sits up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "Is it time?"

Darien nods. Her face crumples.

The next hour is quiet in the worst way. No music. No jokes. Just the sound of movement—bags being zipped, water running, people trying to memorize each other’s faces like they won’t get another chance.

When Daphne finally breaks, it’s sudden and devastating.

She’s standing near the doorway, clutching her arms around herself, shoulders shaking. "I don’t want you to go," she sobs. "This is stupid. This is so stupid."

Darien crosses the room in three strides and pulls her into his chest. Grayson joins them immediately, wrapping her up from the other side. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Heidi recoiling, still silently blaming herself for all of this.

He makes a mental note to have a conversation with her later, reminding her that her fate was in fact, their fault. If only she were fated to men with a more stable family, this wouldn’t be happening.

But for now. "Hey," Darien murmurs into his sister’s hair. "Hey. Look at me."

She pulls back just enough to glare at him through tears. "You’re leaving me with him."

Grayson chuckles wetly. "Valid concern."

Darien smiles softly. "You’ll come visit."

She hiccups. "He’ll never allow it."

"Someday," Darien says firmly. "You’ll come with your mate. You’ll see where we are. And you’ll complain about how ugly our furniture is."

She laughs through tears. "You better still be alive."

Grayson presses his forehead to hers. "We’ll be obnoxiously alive."

Eventually, they have to move. They walk to the mansion together. The estate looks the same. That’s the cruelest part. Sunlight filters through the trees. Birds are singing. The world hasn’t ended. It just moved on without them.

The guards stop them at the door. "You’re not permitted entry," one says stiffly.

Darien laughs. "I live here."

"Not anymore."

Darien hasn’t stepped inside the bloody house since the court. He hadn’t wanted to. But they need things—documents, clothes, whatever scraps of life they can carry into exile. Why on earth can’t they go in?

Darien blinks. "Excuse me?"

"The Alpha’s orders."

Morgan laughs sharply. "Oh, of course it is."

Darien steps forward, ready to fight his way in . "Move."

The guards hesitate, eyes starting to dart around. Just as Darien begins to elongate his claws, a voice breaks through the standoff.

"Grayson. Morgan."

Darien turns to find Luna Rayne standing just inside the doorway.

She looks smaller than he remembers. Her eyes are red-rimmed, her face blotchy like she’s been crying for hours. The moment she sees her sons, she rushes forward, arms wrapping around them desperately.

"Please," she sobs. "Please don’t do this."

Morgan stiffens, then sighs, hugging her back. "Mom..."

"This is madness," she cries. "You’ll die out there."

"You were a rogue once," Grayson says gently. "You survived."

"That’s exactly why I don’t want this for you!" she snaps. "I know what it costs."

Grayson cups her face. "We have to."

"Please," she vigorously shakes her head. "You don’t understand what you’re doing. You’ll die. Life outside the pack is... it’s brutal."

Morgan exhales, long and steady and pats his mother on the back. "Mom," he says quietly, "you’ve been a rogue. We’re not reckless, and we’re not afraid."

Rayne shakes the twins, weeping openly now. "That’s exactly why I don’t want this for you! You should be afraid. I’ve got a bad feeling. I won’t let my sons throw themselves into that nightmare again."

"We have to. This isn’t rebellion—it’s necessary. We need to do this first." His voice carries an authority that makes Darien’s chest tighten. There’s no room for negotiation here. It isn’t about defiance; it’s about honor, loyalty, and love twisted together into a knot so tight it threatens to choke them all.

Rayne’s breath hitches. She glances between them, desperation clinging to every word. "If your father takes back the banishment, will you come back?"

Morgan nods without hesitation. "Then we’ll come back."

Darien wishes his own mother could have offered the same, the simple blessing he craves. But Ines has never been like Rayne. She’s measured, rigid, immovable. She would never bend. Not for love, not for family. The thought stings, like a cut left to fester.

Rayne wipes at her face with a trembling hand. "Maids! Go pack their things—everything they need. Bring it outside." Her voice cracks on the last word, but there’s resolve behind it.

Even if her heart aches, she is giving them this.

Darien exhales, tension rattling in his ribs. He glances at his brothers, at their mother, at the pile of luggage slowly gathering in the hall. This is real. It is happening. And they have to be ready.

He turns back to Rayne. "Could you... get Amias?" His voice is doubtful, almost pleading. "He should be here."