The Choice Is Yours

Elise's POV

“ Interesting, little girl…”

He was the monstrous Alpha Princefeared by all. His name struck fear into every pack and his faint smile had crushed so many Alphas. He approached me and our eyes met.

“ Prince Damon…” I breathe out, barely to anyone but my pathetic self.

Even though I was shrouded in embarrassment, I couldn't help swallowing at that face every second or less.

“You…” Damon began, ignoring my weak call out as a slight grin crept into his face. It sent a wave of anxiety through me.

I quickly turned my gaze away, silently wishing he would mistake me for someone else. He shouldn't remember someone he had a nightstand with, right?

Alas!

Then the one whom Alpha Kingston said was the second blurted, “The girl we rescued yesterday from those men at the club. What a small world it is.”

My heart sank. They remembered me, every detail intact.

“What’s your name?” Damon inquired, his authoritative tone making me feel incredibly small under his piercing stare.

I hesitated at first, but my uncle nudged me to respond, fear etched on his face. Anger bubbled within me as I bit my lip, pained to see my Uncle in such distress.

“ My name is Elise. I want to express my gratitude for your timely intervention yesterday,” I quickly blurt out, avoiding his gaze.

“ Elise…how interesting…” he states, obviously teasingly.

“ Prince Damon-”

“ I can't actually seem to feel your gratitude, little girl,” He cut me off.

“ I am not a little girl!”

“ Oh, really? Mind telling me who you are?” He chuckled. He wasn't taking me seriously.

Biting my lips that I swore it was going to bleed, I stated,“ I…I…”

I raised my head and stared at those three men. They seemed to enjoy my frustration as their faces were filled with excitement. I was still battling with the words at the tip of my mouth when Damon drew me to himself.

I remained still, not out of fear, but because of the waves and tingling sensation I felt when our skin made contact.

I could tell he felt it too, as he couldn't tear his gaze away from me. It was as if he was battling the urge to pull me close and unleash his fury in front of everyone.

What was happening? This was the same feeling I had yesterday when they rescued me; seeing him felt like reuniting with a long-lost part of my soul.

Then his deep voice resounded in my ears. “ You owe me respect, and you will give it to me, whether you want to or not!”

I let out a humourless laugh, attempting to free my hand from his strong grip, but the more I struggled, the tighter he held on.

Pushing him away, I screamed in anger. “Get your hands off me, Perv-"

I stopped, my wolf howling in my head at the same time I felt the three men's eyes light up. Something wasn't right. I took a step back, my hands shaking nonstop as I continued staring at the men. I wasn't just having that feeling with Damon alone. Instead, I was feeling more.

More than one.

Then the words I dreaded. The words I had thought I wouldn't hear again after Anderson's betrayal.

“You are our mate, Elise...”

Was the moon goddess kidding me?

Everything around me began to whirl, and I nearly collapsed when those words reached my ears. Those words last night weren't an illusion.

Why would the moon goddess choose to inflict this punishment upon me? Does she truly despise me? Was handing me over to a murderous Alpha Prince as a mate not enough?

I had to have thrice the danger as mates!

It can't be happening. I can't be mated to either of them. I refuse to accept this bond from either of them!

I won’t deny the chemistry I felt, but I knew I couldn't handle the expectations that would come with being mated to them in the future. Managing one man was challenging enough, let alone three.

"I can't..." I started to say but one of them interrupted me.

"Before you make a decision, we need to renegotiate the terms of our arrangement.”

“What are you getting at?” I inquired, my curiosity piqued. I clenched my fist; it felt like these three men were attempting to manipulate everything.

“ We came here to negotiate, and we see this as a chance to safeguard the Crescent Moon pack. We don’t want you to find yourself trapped in the turmoil, forced to choose between us and the safety of your pack. Do you agree?”

Why does my life always take such unexpected turns? I had just begun to recover from Anderson's rejection, and now I was on the brink of facing another, this time with a devil.

And his brothers.

Their eyes were glued to mine, and I could feel my irritation boiling over. I knew I had to reject them right away before things spiralled out of control.

With every step they took, I backed away, but Damon's next words froze me in place, my eyes widening in disbelief.

“ Don’t even think about rejecting us, little girl. You are ours.”

My heart pounded. There was no way this could work. This was the man who had ruined my life. They all ruined my life.

I craved revenge; they needed to pay for everything they had done to me.

"Step back, I refuse this connection! I will never…"

I was about to continue when Damon grabbed my neck with his eyes blazing with fire. I could hear the screams and groans of everyone around us as his aura became murderous.

It wasn't just the fierce-looking Damon; the other two bare their fangs at my people. The killing intent made the pack members shiver in fear.

I can't believe I was mated to three demons.

With a dangerous smirk, he breathed out authoritatively." You refuse? Elise, you can't escape from us; you belong to us, and you must accept it or watch your people die before your eyes."

This was madness.

I never imagined I would find myself in such a precarious situation. He was threatening me with my people.

He was disregarding my words, too focused on claiming me, and I was resolute in resisting his demands, no matter how hard he threatened.

"I can't..." I shook my head.

The triplets stood before Alpha Kingston, grinning smugly, and I had to restrain myself from wiping those smirks off their faces.

“We’ll trade Elise for the pack’s safety. Let her come with us as our mate, and we’ll never bother your pack again,” the one with golden hair declared, smiling faintly.

“Not a chance! Uncle, please don’t listen to them! This is nothing but a scheme! You three ruffians! I am not your mate, and I will never accept you!”

“Are you truly unable to grasp what we’re saying, or are you just pretending? If you reject us, it will lead to war, and you know you can’t handle us in a fight. If you’re wise, you’ll know what choice to make.”

This had to be a joke!

Just then, I heard the cries of the warriors as the air was filled with painful growls. I tore my eyes from him and saw that we had been surrounded by fierce-looking warriors.

And my other mates were on the verge of slashing the warrior's throat any minute.

“ Elise-” Alpha Kingston's weak voice cried out, a dagger placed on his throat.

Damon’s voice rent the air, “ The choice is yours, little girl.”

With tears pouring out, I took a glance at the man who had been an Uncle figure all these years. I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Thrice the danger.