Chapter 002

MIA'S POV:

"Oh, Mia. That's a bad thing to say when you're meeting someone for the first time. This is Liam, Luis, and Leon Oscar. Leon is the oldest of the triplets and Alpha David's firstborn son, while Luis is the second, and Liam is the last born. They're popularly called Triple L. Unfortunately, their mother, Luna Esther, died after their birth. They are our upcoming Alphas," Mom said, smiling and introducing the triplet bad boys to me. However, I glared at them.

Mom turned to face the 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 mannerisms. She doesn't understand what's going on here or how our pack functions."

I watched my mother speaking to the first of the triplets, Leon Oscar.

"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, before he rounds up his business. That way, it doesn't look like he's rejecting your invitation to have a family dinner with you," Leon said, his magnetic voice making me scowl as I saw the way he flashed his perfect white teeth at my mother.

Leon had a radiant smile on his handsome dark face, but he's a bully because I've seen him bullying and intimidating other students at the Academy.

Crossing my arms around my chest, I pouted and looked away from Leon to my mother's face. Obviously, I don't like him or his brothers, and I don't care who he is or what his business is 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 Triple L. They're all the same, and apologizing to one of them is the same as apologizing to the others. They share the same mindset, views, love lives, and I know there's a possibility that the three of them will have one mate," Mom said, her voice sweet as she blushed.

My frown deepened as I heard "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 the need to say sorry to these men," I replied, my voice sharp, my eyes glaring at the three bullies.

They appeared innocent before my mother when I glanced at them.

"Mia, go on and say you're sorry and stop talking too 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, well-built bodies, but their smiles were different.

Leon smirked, while Liam and Luis glared at me, but smiled 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 smile, 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 stammered, knowing that I cannot tolerate these three bullies.

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

Mom hastily grabbed my left hand and dragged me away from the living room, leading me back to the kitchen.

"Mom, what's going on? You cannot marry those boys' father. I don't want them as my stepbrothers, and I don't approve of their father! They're 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 can't stand them for a minute. They bully the students at the college, turn the young women into slaves, and make them do their wishes.

In short, most of the students fear them. When I first got to the academy a month ago, I felt stunned when my best friend, Vivian Adams, warned me to keep off from the three Alphas. I thought it was a joke, until I saw with my own eyes how they bullied the students.

"Mia, you just got back to the White Hills Pack barely a month ago. How can you say that about Triple L? They're the nicest boys and protect our pack. I understand that you might not like them because they're boys, but they are our Alphas and they cannot possibly bully you. Please, they will take care of you as their little sister from now onwards when their father and I get married," Mom said with a pleading voice, wanting me to see her reason and accept those boys to live with us. But I yelled.

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

"Mia," Mom's gaze dropped as she said, "It's fine. I'll talk to their father that I cannot marry him, since you don't want them as your stepbrothers."

Mom looked utterly dejected, heartbroken, and I felt so guilty depriving her of her happiness. My father had left her for long and traveled about as a researcher. I thought my mother deserved to be happy.

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

My mother looked at my face and blinked her tears away.

"It's been sixteen years since your father left the pack. He flew away with you and only brought you back. Why didn't he return? He sent you back because he doesn't want me. I cannot continue to wait for him, and I've already rejected him, even if he didn't want to accept my rejection. But…"

Mom hesitated to finish her statement as she walked up to me and said, "I love you more, Mia. You're my only child, and your happiness matters the most to me. I know that you grew up away from the pack, so you might find it hard to get along. But I want you to know that the Triple L are not 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 getting along with the pack matter is what's important to me," Mom spoke with a sad voice, and I felt her pain.

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

"It's fine. Let's have our dinner with them. Besides, this is their first time visiting me. It wouldn't be polite to send them away. After all, they wouldn't approve of me as their new stepmother if not for their father's proposal. So you're not the only one with an objection." Mom laughed and said, "Just don't insult them, as they can discipline you as our Alphas—more like our superior 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 six on a Friday evening.

My mother didn't go to work and had ordered her driver to drop me off at the academy, while she stayed home preparing for our Alpha's visit.

"Alright, Mom," I agreed, walking out of the kitchen to the dining room to meet the three bad boys who sat on the dining chairs.

Surprisingly, they had already taken their seats around the dining table, waiting for me and Mom to serve them dinner.