Chapter 2

Mia's POV:

"Oh, Mia, that is a bad thing to say when you meet someone for the first time," Mom says. "This is Liam, Luis, and Leon. Leon is the oldest of the triplets and Alpha David's first son, while Luis is the second of the triplets, and Liam is the last-born of the triplets. They are triplets, popularly called Triple L. But unfortunately, their mother, Luna Esther, died after their birth. So, they are our upcoming Alphas."

My mother smiles as she introduces the triplet bad boys to me, and I glare at them.

She turns to face the Triple L and says, "Triple L, meet my only daughter, Mia Anderson. She comes back from London last month and recently joins our White Hills Academy. I am sure you all must have seen her at the college. Please forgive my daughter's mannerisms. She does not understand what is going on here and how our pack functions."

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

"It is fine, Chairwoman. Our father gets busy with a meeting from the Dark Hills Pack Alpha, so he sends us here to join you for dinner before he finishes with his business. That way, it does not look like he is not accepting your invitation to have a family dinner with you," Leon says, his magnetic voice making me scowl as I see the way he flashes his perfect white teeth at my mother.

Leon has a radiant smile on his face, but he is a bully because I see him bullying and intimidating other students at the academy. I cross my arms around my chest, pout my pink lips, and look away from my mother to Leon's face.

Obviously, I do not like him and his brothers, and I do not care who he is or what his business is with my mother. I would not join in this so-called family dinner if my mother had not insisted.

"That is fine, Alpha Leon. Thank you for forgiving my little angel, Mia. Come on, apologize to the triplets. They are the same, and apologizing to one of them is the same as apologizing to the others. They share the same mindset, views, and love lives, and I know there is a possibility that the three of them are going to have one mate," my mother says happily, her voice sweet as she blushes.

"Mom…" My frown deepens as I hear about their "love lives."

"Mom, I am only apologizing to them out of respect for you and because you are my mother, but I do not feel a need to say sorry to these men," I say, my voice sharp, my eyes glaring at the three bullies. They appear innocent before my mother when I glance at them.

"Mia, go on and say that you are sorry, and stop talking too much," Mom scolds me, her voice tinged with pleading as she eyes me to get along with these three men.

"That is fine." I straighten my posture and drop my arms from my chest. "I am sorry, Triple L," I say, looking at Leon, who is the oldest of the triplets.

They have the same height, faces, and well-built bodies, but their smiles are different. Leon smirks, while Liam and Luis glares at me but smile when my mother looks at them.

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

"What!" I gasp, my eyes widening in shock. "Mom, tell me the truth. You are not planning to marry their father, right?" I ask my mother, knowing that I cannot tolerate living under the same roof as these three bullies.

"Mia..." Mom begins, her frown deepening as she says, "You need to get along with Triple L. I know that I have not spoken to you about my affairs, but you see that I have been single for so long since your father leaves me for London. Excuse me, Triple L. You all can have a seat. Let me have a private talk with my daughter before your father arrives."

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

"Mom, what is going on? You cannot marry those boys' father. I do not want them as my stepbrothers, and I do not approve of their father! They are pretending to be nice to you. Those boys are big-time bullies!" I cry aloud, my body trembling at the thought of living under the same roof as those three rascals.

I cannot stand them for a minute. They bully the students at the college, turn the young women into slaves, and do as they wish. In short, most of the students fear them.

When I first get to the academy a month ago, I am stunned when my best friend, Vivian Adams, a nursing student, warns me to keep off from the three Alphas. I think it is a joke until I see with my own eyes how they bully the students.

"Mia, you just get back to the White Hills Pack barely a month ago. How can you say that about Triple L? They are the nicest boys and protect our people. I understand that you might not like them because they are 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 on, and when their father and I get married," Mom says with a pleading voice, wanting me to see her reason and accept those boys to live with us.

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

"Mia," my mother's gaze drops as she says with a sad voice, "It is fine. I will talk to their father that I cannot marry him, since you do not want them as your stepbrothers."

My mother looks dejected, heartbroken, and I feel so guilty for depriving her of her happiness. My father has left her for so long and travels about as a researcher. I think my mother deserves to be happy.

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

My mother looks at my face and blinks her tears away. "It has been 16 years since your father leaves the pack. He flies away with you and only brings you back. Why does he not return with you? He sends you back alone because he does not want me. I cannot continue to wait for him, and I have already rejected him, even if he does not want to accept my rejection. But..."

My mother hesitates to finish her statement as she walks up to me and holds my hands, saying, "I love you more, Mia. You are my only child, and your happiness matters the most to me. I know that you grow away from the pack, so you might find it hard to get along with everyone here. 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 do not like them and want us to be a family, I will explain to their father. After all, you are my baby, and your happiness and getting along with the pack members are what are important to me," Mom says with a sad voice, and I feel her pain.

"It is fine, Mom. Maybe I have overreacted, but I want you to be happy and to remarry. You cannot continue to stay single. I am not sure if Dad will listen to me and return. But, I do not like those boys, and I do not know if their father is like them, but I just cannot stand them," I say, my frown deepening, and my mother smiles.

"It is fine. Let us have our dinner with them; besides, this is their first time visiting me. It will not be polite to send them away. After all, they do not approve of me as their stepmother if not for their father's proposal. So, you are not the only one with an objection." Mom smiles as she laughs and says, "Just do not insult them, as they can discipline you as our Alphas. More like our superiors here. Alright?"

She opens the kitchen door for me to return to the living room and join those three bullies for dinner.

As it is past 6 p.m. on a Friday evening, my mother does not go to work and has ordered her driver to drop me off at the Academy in the morning while she stays at home preparing for our Alpha's visit.

"Alright, Mom," I agree, walk out of the kitchen, and go to the dining room to meet the three bad boys who sit on different dining chairs, gazing at me.

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