Chapter 7

BRIE’S POV

I stared at them in shock. My mouth was dry. My chest rose and fell too quickly.

Mate.

The word still echoed in my head. I couldn’t believe it. Was I dreaming?

I blinked, once, twice, but the vision before me didn’t blur. Three men stood in front of me. they were tall, gorgeous and broad-shouldered. Each of them had a dominant aura that pressed down on my chest. Their presence was raw power—wild, magnetic, impossible to ignore.

They looked nearly identical, yet not the same. They were definitely triplets.

And they had just called me—me—their mate.

My knees wobbled as I tried to stand. The strength I had borrowed from them only moments ago was already slipping away. My legs trembled, and I nearly crumpled again when one of them—the one with piercing green eyes—stepped forward quickly. His hand was half-raised to catch me.

“No,” I rasped. I lifted my palm in warning before he could touch me. My pride, my dignity, wouldn’t allow it. “Don’t.”

He froze. His hand hung in the air, as if respecting the line I drew.

I forced myself upright. My breathing was shallow. My mind screamed questions, too many for me to hold in. My voice cracked as I demanded, “What did you just call me? Mate? What makes you think… how is that even possible?”

The word felt foreign.  I already had a mate. Alex. Or… I had. The bond still felt like a chain around my throat. I could still feel it twisting, bruising, even if my heart was already shattered.

“How can I possibly have three mates at the same time?” I whispered in disbelief.

The one with darker eyes answered first. His voice was deep. “We don’t know.”

The second, the green-eyed one who had nearly caught me, stepped forward. There was something softer in his tone. “But we’ve always felt you. For years. As if a part of us was… missing. We dreamed of you. And when we saw you today, when we touched you… we knew.”

The third brother smirked a bit. He looked playful even in this serious moment. “It’s fate, sweetheart. And fate doesn’t make mistakes.”

My stomach twisted. Fate.

I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms. My voice rose as I speak “Do not speak to me about fate! My so-called fate already betrayed me. I had a mate, and he destroyed me. Do you hear me? He destroyed me!”

My sword was in my hand before I realized I had drawn it. I raised it high.

“Don’t call me your mate again,” I warned. “Or I swear, I’ll cut you down where you stand.”

The triplets didn’t flinch. Not one of them stepped back. Instead, they looked at me as if I was something they been waiting for all their lives, as if my threats meant nothing.

Part of me considered lunging, to test the edge of my blade against their skin. But I wasn’t foolish. I could sense their strength. They had Alpha auras in them. Taking on one Alpha was hard enough. Taking on three? Impossible. It didn’t matter how strong I was.

So I turned away. I shoved the ache in my chest down where it couldn’t choke me.

“Stay out of my way,” I said as I started to move.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the cocky one asked.

“As far away from you as possible.”

“You won’t last a day out here alone,” the quietest brother said calmly “This isn’t your land. Every mile is filled with enemies who won’t hesitate to kill you.”

“I’ve fought alone before,” I spat back, still walking.

Heavy footsteps followed me.

“Don’t,” I hissed. I spun just as the green-eyed one reached for me. My sword flashed through the air, aimed at his shoulder.

Steel met flesh except it didn’t. His hand shot up, impossibly fast, and he blocked my strike with his forearm as if it were nothing.

My eyes widened. He didn’t even wince.

“Careful,” he said softly with a smile “You might hurt yourself swinging that around.”

I could feel the fury in my veins. I attacked again, slashing, thrusting, twisting with every ounce of skill left in me. He dodged with ease. Sometimes , the blade graze his skin but never breaking a sweat.

“You call that a strike?” he teased. “I’ve seen pups bite harder.”

“Shut up!” I snarled, driving the blade low toward his leg.

He sidestepped. His movements were fluid like he wasn’t fighting me but simply… playing. And gods help me, part of me felt the same.

His green eyes locked on mine, sharp and unreadable, but the flicker of challenge in them was undeniable. My pulse raced—not from fear, but from the thrill. It had been so long since I’d faced someone who might actually push me.

I again, aiming a strike toward his side, but he blocked fast. His forearm collided  with mine. The impact rattled through my bones, and he grinned as if my strength amused him. In one smooth motion, he twisted my wrist, trying to flip me to the ground, but I used the momentum to spin out of his grip, and landed light on my feet.

Before I could turn, his arm hooked around my waist. He pulled me against his chest. The contact burned. My breath hitched. His lips were near my ear when he whispered “You’re quick.”

I slammed my elbow back into his ribs, forcing him to release me. “You talk too much.”

He laughed. I attacked him again but he easily countered me each time. Every time he touched me, sparks ran under my skin. Every time I slipped past his defenses, his grin widened, as if I was giving him something he’d been starving for.

At last, I feinted left and drove my palm toward his chest. He caught my wrist midair, twisting me so fast my back slammed into his torso again. This time, he didn’t let go. His other hand pinned my arm above my head, trapping me. His breath was hot against my temple.

“Yield?” he asked

I glared up at him. My body was caged in his strength, but it wasn’t defeat I felt. It was fire.

“Never,” I whispered.

I kicked him from behind. He released me. I tried hitting him with my sword but he caught my hand quickly mid air. I looked at him in shock. With one smooth pull, he spun me into him.

My back hit his chest. His other hand slid to my waist, holding me firmly in place. The sudden contact sent a violent shiver racing through me.

“Let go of me!” I gasped. My body betrayed me by leaning into his warmth even as I shoved at him.

He dipped his head low “Why? Afraid of how right this feels?”

I twisted. My sword was still clutched in my hand, but my wolf was howling inside me. Not with anger. With longing. With need.

My heart pounded as I looked up at him. My face was inches from his. His green eyes blazed with intensity, pulling me in, and for a single, dangerous moment I forgot to breathe.

I had never felt this with Alex. Never. Not even close.

My chest ached with the betrayal of my own body, the betrayal of my wolf.

“No…” I whispered, shoving hard against him, finally breaking free. I stumbled back.

His smirk softened, but he didn’t press forward again. He just stood there, watching me like I was something precious.

I swallowed hard. “Don’t touch me again. Don’t stop me again. Or next time, I won’t hesitate.”

The three of them exchanged a look. Then, they stepped back.

I turned and walked away. But then the pain hit.

It started as a sharp twist in my chest, then spread like fire through my veins. My vision blurred, my knees buckled, and I hit the ground with a cry.

It was pain from the corrupted bond with Alex. His claws still dug deep inside me, poisoning everything I was.

“No… not now,” I groaned, clutching my chest. The agony was worse than ever before. It felt like something was tearing me apart from the inside. My body convulsed as the bond tightened .

I could hear Alex’s voice in my head.

“You thought you could just leave me, Brie?” Alex’s cruel laugh echoed in my skull. “I won’t allow that. You are mine.”

Tears stung my eyes as the pain overwhelmed me. My body arched, my breath caught—then everything went black.