Prologue

Riley was running. Barefoot except for her worn socks, wearing only a thin pyjama and an oversized sweater, she sprinted through the biting cold of early December. The cold biting her skin, the wind cutting like ice, but all these are the facts she least worried about. Her desperate need to escape was far greater than the discomfort the weather could bring. This was the second time she had fled her home. The first time had ended in a tragedy one can't even imagine experiencing in one life. As the memories of it still haunted her every breath, Riley didn't want the history to repeat, but stopping now wasn't an option either.

Behind her, the three people she desperately tried to avoid were following closely. Being extremely dominant Alphas, their abilities are far from Riley's imagination. So her attempt to escape was futile—she knew that very well—but she wasn't ready to give up her only chance. She didn't want to face any of them, the ones who had made her feel like the happiest person in the world, only to push her into the deepest and darkest despair. Riley knew that they were chasing her to make amends, to apologize, to fix what they had broken. But is it possible for the heart to be fixed again after shattering into a million pieces? No matter what they're willing to do now.

They could go to hell with their so-called love! People often say if you have more people to love you, it is a blessing, but in Riley's life, it was nothing but. The more people loved her, the more heartache it caused. More love meant more pain, more drama, and more betrayal. All she wants now is distance from those three—each of them different, but when it comes to Riley, all are equally dumb and heartless.

They didn't understand her, and they would never. Despite their differences in characters, they share the same maddening, obsessive need to pursue her, but none of them is capable of seeing how deeply they have hurt her.

Riley could hear their voices, but not from very far. Their footsteps were reducing the gap between them quickly. Riley had no energy left to take even a step further. Her feet were wounded, and she was unable to carry her weight anymore. But she kept running just because she had a vital need to escape. However, luck was never on her side, and today was no different.

She stepped on a small pit, which made her worn-out feet give up and make her fall down. Her ankle got sprained, and the pain was unbearable. Being exhausted mentally and physically, tears began to roll down involuntarily. Why is destiny so unfair to her every single time? Hasn't she already suffered more than a person can even imagine?

Riley tried to get up, as she had no time to waste. However, with her injured leg, it was impossible. She had no choice but to crawl on the icy ground covered with wet grass, small bushes and whatnot. She managed to crawl to a considerably big bush and hide behind it. She could hide from their eyes if the Moon Goddess sympathized with her this time. As she had no physical or mental strength left to move forward, Riley had to let destiny do its thing.

After just a few moments, destiny really did what it was supposed to. Riley was pulled into a pair of strong arms from behind, and she was effortlessly lifted onto the lap of the handsome, masculine man kneeling on the ground.

It was Eash... Eash Cunningham. One of the three Dominate Alphas who was following her, and he has the softest heart of the three. Still, he also left unbearably painful marks on Riley's soul.

"You are hurt!" Eash's voice was filled with concern. He caressed Riley's face gently and paused at her bruised lips.

"Please don't run away from us like this, love... I can't stand seeing you getting hurt like this..." his voice broke as he murmured.

Riley didn't know from where she should laugh at these words, which felt so genuine. What is this pain compared to the pain you all caused me? She wanted to ask but was too exhausted to utter a word.

Right then, the other two Alphas also reached them. Eash must have used his mind link to let them know as soon as he found her.

Standing in front of her, the two Alphas who looked so devastated were staring at her.

"You are freezing. Why did you wear so little even if you wanted to escape from us?" it was Leo Vandenberg, the mature and more sensible of the three. He quickly removed his winter jacket and wrapped it around Riley, who was in Eash's arms.

His gesture made Eash frown. "My body heat is enough to keep her warm."

"Stop talking nonsense. Let's take her home and have a doctor see her injured ankle." the most mysterious one of the three, Ezra, Ezra Cunningham, the twin brother of Eash, said as he gently examined Riley's now swollen ankle with a painful expression.

"Let me carry her," Ezra said, trying to put his arms around Riley, only to get his brother to yell at him.

"I found her first, So I will carry her."

"You idiots, stop yelling at each other and get her home quickly. " as usual, Leo couldn't stand the brothers' childish drama.

Finally, Riley was back on her comfortable large bed in her cosy room, clean, fresh and warm. Her injuries were also carefully taken care of.

"Love... We have discussed this many times. Why are you still trying to escape from us, knowing we will somehow find you?" Eash asked, looking at Riley with so much sadness in his eyes.

"Haven't I told you the reason many times, too? I don't want to do anything with any of you." Riley knew telling these words was futile, but she still said them.

"But you can't leave us like that...." Ezra said frustratedly.

"Why can't I after you made me suffer so much?"

"Because you are our mate!!!" all three Alphas said simultaneously.

Riley laughed as she didn't want to comment on what they said. Mate! Such a sacred, respectable word. Once, Riley gave so much value to this word. Not just Riley, but the two wolves live inside her, too!

But didn't these three men make that word the most detestable word in the world?

"We know we all made mistakes. But as you can see, we genuinely try to correct our mistakes and give you what you truly deserve. We can't see you getting hurt anymore, babe... Please give us a chance to make everything correct!" Leo, the man who leads the entire city and dominates the whole country's business world, was begging in front of her. But neither his action nor his words could move Riley's heart. Her heart is already broken beyond repair...

"You can hurt us as much as you need; you can ask us to do anything. You can make us give up anything or sacrifice anything. But please don't ask us to let you leave us. We have endured the pain of you leaving us once. We can't go through the same again. " Eash was begging her now.

"You don't have to let us touch you, and you don't even have to talk with us. But please stay here where we can see you, feel your smell, and know you are safe and comfortable. " It was Ezra's turn now.

"I died because of you! Haven't you all had enough of showing your so-called love and care!!!" Riley couldn't hold her anger anymore.

Eash: "You died, but you are here!"

Ezra: "You gave us a chance to make everything right..."

Leo: "We are going to use this chance to prove ourselves. So you can't leave us!"