Chapter 2

Mia's POV:

"Oh, Mia, that was a bad thing to say when you were meeting someone for the first time. This is Liam, Luis, and Leon. Leon is the oldest of the triplets and Alpha David's eldest son, while Luis is the middle one, and Liam is the youngest. They are triplets, popularly known as Triple L. Unfortunately, their mother, Luna Esther, died shortly after their birth, so they are our upcoming Alphas."

My mother smiled as she introduced the triplet bad boys to me, and I glared at them. Then, Mom turned to face Triple L and said, "Triple L, meet my only daughter, Mia Anderson. She came back from London last month and recently joined White Hills Academy. I'm sure you all must have seen her at the college. Please forgive my daughter's behavior; she doesn't understand what's going on here or how our pack functions."

I watched as my mother spoke to Leon, the first of the triplets.

"It's fine, Chairwoman. Our father got busy with a meeting from the Dark Hills Pack Alpha, so he sent us here to join you for dinner until he finishes his business. That way, it doesn't look like he's ignoring your invitation for a family dinner," Leon said, his magnetic voice making me scowl as I noticed how he flashed his perfect white teeth at my mother.

Leon had a radiant smile on his face, but he was a bully—I had seen him intimidating other students at the academy. I crossed my arms across my chest, pouted my pink lips, and looked away from my mother toward Leon's face. Obviously, I didn't like him or his brothers, and I didn't care who he was or what his business was with my mother. I wouldn't have joined this so-called family dinner if my mother hadn't insisted.

"That's fine, Alpha Leon. Thank you for forgiving my little angel, Mia. Come on, apologize to the triplets. Apologizing to one of them is the same as apologizing to the others since they share the same mindset, views, and even love lives. I know there's a possibility that the three of them will have one mate," my mother said happily, her voice sweet as she blushed.

"Mom..." My frown deepened as I heard about their "love lives."

"Mom, I'm only apologizing to them out of respect for you and because you're my mother, but I don't feel any need to say sorry to these guys," I said sharply, my eyes glaring at the three bullies. They looked innocent in front of my mother when I glanced at them.

"Mia, go ahead and say you're sorry, and stop talking so much," Mom scolded me, her voice tinged with pleading as she eyed me to get along with these three men.

"That's fine." I straightened my posture and dropped my arms from my chest. "I'm sorry, Triple L," I said, looking at Leon, who was the oldest of the triplets.

They had the same height, faces, and well-built bodies, but their smiles were different. Leon smirked, while Liam and Luis glared at me before smiling when my mother looked at them.

"It's fine, Chairwoman. We'll let it slide since Mia is going to be around and part of our families. Besides, when you and my father get married, we'll have Mia as our little sister," Leon said, his lips curling into a sinister smile as his intense yellow eyes locked with mine.

"What!" I gasped, my eyes widening in shock. "Mom, tell me the truth—you're not planning to marry their father, right?" I asked my mother, knowing I couldn't tolerate living under the same roof as these three bullies.

"Mia..." Mom began, her frown deepening as she said, "You need to get along with Triple L. I know I haven't spoken to you about my affairs, but I've been single for so long since your father left me for London. Excuse me, Triple L. You can all have a seat. Let me have a private talk with my daughter before your father arrives."

"Alright, Chairwoman," they replied, their eyes watching me as Mom hastily grabbed my left hand and dragged me away from the living room back to the kitchen.

"Mom, what's going on? You can't marry those boys' father. I don't want them as my stepbrothers, and I don't approve of their father! They're just pretending to be nice to you. Those boys are big-time bullies!" I cried aloud, my body trembling at the thought of living under the same roof as those three rascals. I couldn't stand them for a minute—they bullied students at the college, turned young women into slaves, and did as they pleased. In short, most students feared them.

When I first arrived at the college a month ago, I was stunned when my best friend, Vivian Adams, a nursing student, warned me to stay away from the three Alphas. I thought it was a joke until I saw with my own eyes how they bullied the students.

"Mia, you've only been back in the White Hills area for a month. How can you say that about Triple L? They are the nicest boys and protect our people. I understand you might not like them because they're boys, but they are our Alphas, and they won't bully you. Please, they'll take care of you as their little sister from now on, especially when their father and I get married," Mom said with a pleading voice, wanting me to see her point and accept those boys into our lives.

But I yelled, "No way, Mom! I will not accept them. They can't be my brothers, and you shouldn't marry their father. There are other men out there, but not these boys' father."

"Mia," my mother's gaze dropped as she said sadly, "It's fine. I'll talk to their father and explain that I can't marry him, since you don't want them as your stepbrothers." My mother looked dejected and heartbroken, and I felt guilty for depriving her of her happiness. My father had left her so long ago and traveled as a researcher; I thought she deserved to be happy.

Her face turned red with unshed tears and disappointment, so I calmed down and asked her, "Mom, do you love their father? What about Dad? What if I call Dad to return?"

My mother looked at me and blinked her tears away. "It's been 16 years since your father left the pack. He flew away with you and only brought you back. Why didn't he return with you? He sent you back alone because he doesn't want me. I can't keep waiting for him—I already rejected him, even if he didn't accept it. But..." my mother hesitated to finish her statement as she walked up to me and held my hands, saying, "I love you more, Mia. You're my only child, and your happiness matters most to me. I know you grew up away from the pack, so you might find it hard to get along with everyone here. But I want you to know that Triple L aren't as bad as you think, and their father is a kind man too."

"But if you don't like them and don't want us to be a family, I'll explain to their father. After all, you're my baby, and your happiness and fitting in with the pack are what matter most to me," Mom said sadly, and I felt her pain.

"It's fine, Mom. Maybe I overreacted, but I want you to be happy and remarry. You can't stay single forever—I'm not sure if Dad will listen and return. But I don't like those boys, and I don't know if their father is like them; I just can't stand them," I said, my frown deepening, and my mother smiled.

"It's fine. Let's have dinner with them; besides, this is their first time visiting me. It wouldn't be polite to send them away. After all, they didn't approve of me as their stepmother except for their father's proposal, so you're not the only one with objections," Mom said with a smile as she laughed. "Just don't insult them, as they can discipline you as our Alphas—more like our superiors here. Alright?"

She opened the kitchen door for me to return to the living room and join those three bullies for dinner. As it was past 6 p.m. on a Friday evening, my mother hadn't gone to work and had ordered her driver to drop me off at the academy in the morning while she stayed home preparing for our Alpha's visit.

"Alright, Mom," I agreed, walked out of the kitchen, and went to the dining room to meet the three bad boys who sat on different dining chairs, gazing at me intensely. Surprisingly, they had already taken their seats around the dining table and were waiting for Mom and me to serve them dinner.