0009

Alora’s POV:

Retiring to my room, I sat down on the edge of my bed, my mind replaying every moment of the day. 

Each scene unraveled itself, refusing to give me peace. From the unsettling morning when I found them sprawled across my bed, to the breakfast incident where Kade’s leg brushed against mine under the table, every detail felt vivid and intrusive.

My thoughts were a tangled mess. 

What was even happening to me? Why did I let them get away with such behavior? Why didn’t I stand my ground? By allowing it, I had inadvertently given them permission to keep toying with me. Did they think it was okay to mess with me just because of who they were? 

Frustration bubbled within me as I began pacing the room, trying to figure out what to do. My wolf stirred uneasily, as conflicted as I was. Just as I was about to scream into the void in sheer exasperation, a gentle knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called, and the door creaked open to reveal Betty. She stepped into the room, balancing a tray with a cup of tea. Her presence was a small comfort amidst my stormy thoughts.

“I brought you tea,” she said with a kind smile, placing the tray on the table. I nodded silently, sitting back down on the bed as she studied me.

“You look troubled,” she observed, concern evident in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

I hesitated, debating whether to confide in her. Betty was the only person I trusted, the only one who had stood by me during the darkest moments of my life. Still, my lips wavered. This wasn’t an easy thing to admit.

“Alora?” she called again, urging me gently.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to spill the truth. “I have a problem,” I began, my voice barely above a whisper.

“What problem?” she asked, moving closer, her full attention now on me.

“It’s the triplets,” I said, locking eyes with her. The words felt heavy on my tongue. “They’re… they’re my mates.”

Betty’s eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle a gasp.

“I know,” I murmured, trying to steady myself. “It’s as shocking as it sounds. If this had happened six years ago, I might’ve been happy. But now... now I’m married to their father. The very idea of feeling any kind of joy about this fills me with unbearable guilt. It’s tormenting, Betty. Being in the same space with them, it’s suffocating.”

Betty’s expression softened. “Alora, I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you, but there’s only one solution—you have to reject them.”

“I already did,” I replied quickly, though my voice carried the weight of defeat.

Her brows furrowed. “But?”

“But they didn’t accept it,” I said, the frustration in my voice unmistakable. “They just ignored me like I didn’t even say it.”

“They have to accept it,” she said firmly.

“I wish it were that simple,” I sighed. “But it feels like they’re hellbent on frustrating me. I don’t know how much more of this I can take, Betty. Rejecting them seemed like the easiest way out, but they’re not making it easy for me. It’s messing with my head. What am I supposed to do?”

Betty let out a sigh, her face thoughtful. “This is really complicated,” she admitted. “But you can’t let them keep acting like this. You need to confront them. You have to talk to them and make them understand the position they’re putting you in. If you don’t address this now, it could spiral into something worse, something that could threaten your position as Luna.”

Her words struck a chord. She was right. I couldn’t let this situation fester any longer. My wolf, however, was less convinced, growling softly in the back of my mind as if to protest.

“Are you okay?” Betty asked, her hands resting on my shoulders. Her gaze was warm, filled with genuine concern.

“Honestly? No,” I admitted. “When they turned eighteen, everyone said they didn’t have a mate. But I was right there, living under the same roof as them. Why am I suddenly their mate now? Did they know all along and choose to ignore it? And if they did, then why didn’t they claim me back then? Was it because I was just a slave? And now, after all this time, why won’t they accept my rejection? None of it makes sense.”

Betty’s eyes softened further, and she gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “That’s all the more reason to push for their acceptance of the rejection. You can’t keep living like this, Alora. You deserve peace. Go to them and settle this once and for all.”

I nodded, though my chest felt hollow. Her encouragement gave me a sliver of resolve.

“They’re at the training field right now,” she said. “All three of them. You should go and talk to them now.”

“Thanks, Betty,” I said, mustering a faint smile before heading out of the room.

As I neared the training field, the sight of them stopped me in my tracks. Just as Betty had said, all three of them were there, their backs turned to me. 

Kade, the most roguish of the three, stood shirtless, his muscular frame glistening with sweat under the midday sun. His dark hair clung to his forehead as he sparred with Thorne, their movements undeniably graceful. 

Thorne, equally shirtless, exuded an aura of quiet intensity. His every punch and parry radiated power, his sharp jawline tense with concentration. His eyes never left Kade as they circled each other in a deadly dance of skill and strength.

Keziah, on the other hand, was off to the side, his lean but toned body clad in a black tank top and sweatpants. He seemed lost in his own world, lifting weights with ease, his biceps flexing with each repetition.

The sight of them made my heart clench. They were infuriatingly attractive, each in their own way. It was impossible not to remember the first time I’d seen them, the memory surfacing unbidden.

I had just been brought into the household as a slave. I was carrying a basket of oranges when I stumbled and fell, the fruit scattering across the ground. Little Keziah had been the first to help me pick them up, his small hands gathering the oranges with quiet determination. 

Thorne had lifted the basket for me, his young face solemn but kind. And Kade… Kade had held up a single orange, his bright eyes sparkling with mischief as he smiled at me, a smile so charming it had made my heart skip a beat.

It had been an insignificant moment to anyone else, but to me, it was everything. They were the first to show me kindness in a world that had otherwise been cruel. I admired them from that day on, even as they grew and stopped noticing me.

Keziah turned suddenly, his gaze locking onto mine. My heart leapt into my throat as his brothers followed suit, their collective stares making my skin prickle. Thorne crossed his arms over his chest, his stance guarded yet curious.

“What brings you here, stepmother?” Thorne asked.

“Do you miss us already?” Kade added, flashing his signature teasing grin.

“Stepmother?” Keziah scoffed, his eyes raking over me with a mix of irritation and amusement. “That title should be taken from her, especially after the way she begged us last night to touch her.”

Kade and Thorne burst into laughter as heat flooded my cheeks. My fists clenched at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as their laughter rang in my ears.

“Enough!” I yelled, my voice cutting through the air like a whip. Their laughter died abruptly, and silence settled over us. I opened my eyes, meeting their curious gazes.

“Enough of these games,” I said firmly, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

“What do you want from me?” I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of frustration and desperation. “Why won’t you accept my rejection? What’s the reason behind this?”