chapter 02

Sunlight burned my skin when I woke up, piercing through the gaps in the trees without warning. Warm arms held me firmly—a tangle of bodies exhaling an almost unbearable heat. I felt a heavy weight between my legs and across my stomach, a pressure that reminded me just how trapped I was. I opened my eyes slowly, squinting against the brightness, and then I saw them: my mates. All three of them, sleeping with serene expressions that didn't match the chaos in my chest. They were clinging to me as if their lives depended on it... on me.

Memories of the previous night flooded my mind the moment I noticed the purple marks scattered across my body. My shoulders, my thighs, my breasts... all branded by their possession. A shiver ran down my spine and panic seized me, stealing my breath.

What will people think of me if they see me with three men? My God, I can't... I shouldn't... Damn it! Shame burned hotter than the sun. I knew how gossip traveled in the pack; I would be at the center of every malicious whisper.

I disentangled myself from them carefully, inch by inch, holding my breath every time one of them murmured in his sleep. I feared a heavy arm would pull me back into that heat. I grabbed my dress, which lay discarded on the dry leaves, and threw it on quickly, feeling the fabric graze my sensitive skin. I looked at them one last time: so perfect, so dangerous to my sanity: and hurried away, leaving them—and the forest—behind. My heart felt like it would leap out of my chest with every branch that snapped under my feet.

This can't be happening. God! No...

I ran as fast as I could, completely ignoring the pack call in my blood and heading straight for my own house. I needed walls, locked doors. My mother and father were in the living room, along with my twin brothers, Kenan and Kade. Identical twins, they looked at me with a confusion that quickly turned to shock.

"Oh, my God," my mother gasped, dropping a dish towel. She rushed to me, grabbing my arms and turning me just enough to see the marks now visible on my neck, where the collar of my dress had failed to hide them. Her horrified eyes met mine. "What happened to you?"

My father’s silence was heavier than her cry.

"Did someone touch you without your consent?" His voice was like restrained thunder.

I was silently grateful I had washed up quickly in the river earlier. The freezing water had rinsed away the sweat and the scent of the triplets, leaving only the smell of brush and running water. No tracks, no evidence.

"No!" I said quickly, my voice cracking. "All of this..." I gestured vaguely at myself, trying to hide my neck with my hands. "This mess... I didn't... I'm sorry!" I sighed, feeling tears sting my eyes. "I wanted it. I wanted it so much... but now I feel like it might have been a mistake. A giant mistake."

"Had you been drinking?" Kenan asked, stepping forward and gripping my arms with extra force.

"No!" I frowned at him, irritated that he thought I would only do that if I were out of my mind. "No, Kenan. It was completely consensual, for the Goddess's sake," I growled.

He backed off, his eyes analyzing me with a mix of disbelief and concern. I shrank under his inquisitive gaze. The judgment from my own family hurt more than I expected.

"I need to take a shower," I murmured, lowering my eyes and pulling away before the questions became too difficult to answer.

Before going upstairs, I passed through the kitchen. My movements were robotic, my brain working a mile a minute planning an escape. I pretended to grab something to eat, but it was a lie. My fingers brushed the pepper shaker on the table. I took it and hid it between my breasts, feeling the cold plastic against my warm skin, before rushing to my room. I closed the door behind me and turned the key, pressing my back against the wood as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to control the trembling in my hands.

I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower, scrubbing my skin until it was red, determined not to waste time. Every second counted. When I finished, I put on black leggings, a tank top, a baggy hoodie to hide my body, and my most worn-out running shoes. I tied my fire-red hair into a tight ponytail and pulled my old travel backpack from under the bed, knocking the dust off with a slap.

I stepped into my closet, frantically selecting clothes. What do I need to start a new life? I grabbed socks, underwear, two extra pairs of pants. I tried to stay focused, but then it hit me: the scent.

They were close. The aroma of forest, spices, and Alpha power began to seep through the cracks of the window. It grew stronger and more intoxicating with every passing second, making my inner wolf howl in protest against my flight.

I grabbed the pepper container with trembling hands and sprinkled the contents all over my body, over my clothes, and in my backpack. The sharp smell stung my nose, but it was necessary to mask my trail. As soon as I heard their voices downstairs: deep, authoritative, and laden with urgency: I slung the backpack over my shoulder and went to the window. I took one last look around my room, the place where I grew up, and jumped. The impact on the grass vibrated through my ankles, but I didn't stop. My steps were fast and steady.

My heart hammered in my chest, panic crawling like ice through my veins. Fortunately, my house faced the dense forest. I ran without looking back, feeling branches cut my face, until I reached the edge of the pack boundary. I took a quick look around, half-expecting to see one of the three emerging from the trees, and finally crossed over, feeling the smell of the air change drastically: the air of freedom had a metallic taste.

I was outside pack territory. Now what? Swallowing hard, I kept walking, my legs burning, following my GPS toward the nearest town beyond the pack limits.

***

Two years later...

Fear still stirred within me, a constant presence in the back of my mind. Just one day after leaving, I had fled the first city all over again, thinking I saw one of their faces on every street corner. Now, two years later, I was in a relatively large city, staying at the house of a friend no one knew existed.

I had met Elly online years ago and never imagined I would one day ask her for shelter. I told her everything, every sordid and confusing detail, grateful that Elly was also a wolf. Her pack was small and provided me with a discreet home; because it was so far from everything, no one knew anything about my past.

Rumors circulated through forums and among traveling wolves about the Alpha Triplets' missing mate. People were always shocked to learn it was just one woman for three men. I could feel their judgment in the subtext of conversations, even though Elly assured me there was nothing wrong with it—that our ancestors had stories of multiple bonds.

But not here, not in this time where everyone sought the "perfect pair." I had never met anyone with more than one mate, and the weight of that uniqueness made me want to vanish. Even now, the thought of returning felt like it would be my ruin, an abyss from which I would never emerge. I decided I would live my life quietly, working and sleeping, trying not to think about them—or at least pretending not to—and praying they would find peace, or end up in the arms of some other wolf who knew how to handle what they were.

I hoped they would have mercy on the woman who abandoned them, even though I felt I didn't deserve the very air I breathed. I hoped they wouldn't make me suffer the pain of knowing they were with someone else, even though I was the one who had caused the distance.

Even without being marked, the bond was a stretched rope. We could still feel the sting of betrayal after meeting each other, and our bond was even deeper because we had been together—all three at once. Their touch still felt etched into my skin.

I could still close my eyes and feel the sensation of being filled by each of them, the way their energies clicked into mine. The devotion in their eyes... the pure love they radiated while I slept. Swallowing hard, I forced those thoughts away, burying them in the darkest place of my mind.

"Kylie..." Elly called, entering the room and snapping me out of my trance. I turned to face her, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "Can we swap shifts tomorrow? I have a date," she murmured, excitement shining on her face.

"Of course, E!" I hugged her, happy that she had something light in her life.

"Thank you, thank you! You’re the best, Ky!" She kissed my cheek with a loud pop, making me laugh for the first time all day. "What should we make for dinner? I’m starving."

"Pasta," I said, jumping off the couch with an energy I didn't know I had.

"With cheese?"

"With lots of cheese!" I smiled, raising an eyebrow at her.

She giggled as she opened the cupboard, grabbing the pots. For a moment, in the warm kitchen smelling of tomato sauce, I almost managed to forget I was a fugitive. Almost.