Chapter 3

**Mia's POV**

I narrowed my eyes at the three of them as they watched me approach.

Their eyes tracked my movements as I walked toward the dining table.

Silence hung in the air as I sat next to Liam. The youngest of the triplets, he hummed, watching me like a hawk.

Uncomfortable because Liam smelled like coffee, I rose from the chair and sat far away from them.

They kept their eyes on me, but I didn't comment or ask them anything. Soon, the kitchen door unlocked, and my mother walked out, smiling at them.

"I'll serve dinner now. My maid isn't around because I gave her time off to welcome her daughter's new baby. I'll be right back," Mom said as she came out of the kitchen to see if we were getting along.

"It's okay, Chairwoman. Let's eat. My dad will be here soon, or we can wait for him," Luis chimed in. The second triplet spoke in a deep voice that made my thighs clench, and my mother smiled. "Alright."

Unlike Leon's voice, Luis's voice sounded sharp, deeper, and magnetic. It made me uncomfortable; his face held no smile, and his eyes appeared calculating and sinister.

"Let me get dinner ready. You all can chat with Mia to teach her more about our pack. I'll be back," Mom said, her voice sweet as her lips curled into a smile.

Her eyes darted toward me, signaling me to get along, just before she strolled back into the kitchen and left me with the three bad boys.

"Mia, what a beautiful name for a beautiful bunny," Liam spoke first, his voice laced with teasing as I glared at him.

"I know you three are bullies, but my mother will never marry your father. So you'd better get that into your damn skulls," I replied harshly, but I didn't care.

I had thought about it, and I simply couldn't live with them.

"Hmm." Leon rose to his feet and walked over to my chair. I tensed in my seat as he leaned next to my neck and asked in a deep, husky voice, "How about..." He began, whispering into my right ear as his hot breath fanned my skin, "...how about I tell you that we want to marry you instead of your mother?"

"What?" I leaped out of my chair, my cheeks flushing as I stared at Leon. He was the oldest of the triplets. He had to be joking, right?

I stared into Leon's face, then backed away from the dining table to look at the other two boys. Their expressions remained so neutral that I couldn't tell if they were annoyed or thinking the exact same thing as Leon.

"Stay away from me, you asshole!" I yelled at Leon, glaring at him. I couldn't believe he was proposing to me.

Plenty of young women at the academy were ready to serve these ruthless men, but not me.

I wanted to advocate for women and teach them to stand up for their rights. They shouldn't be subjected to slavery or forced to worship men for their dicks.

Leon smiled and returned to his seat. "I'm just kidding, haha," he laughed handsomely, raising his hands in surrender. But my brows furrowed in suspicion.

My heart beat erratically, and I warned him in a stern, shaky voice, "Don't come close to me again!"

Luis and Liam remained quiet as they watched me, but I felt their gaze burning into me.

My legs quivered, and my entire body still felt hot from Leon's previous closeness.

Just as I wanted to escape the dining room, my mother stepped out of the kitchen carrying a dinner tray.

She looked at us in surprise, seeing me standing, and asked, "Mia, is something wrong?"

Leon had already sat back down, and before I could utter a word, the doorbell rang. My mother rushed ahead to the dining table to set the large white tray of food down.

"Mia, hurry up and check who's at the door. I'm sure Alpha David Oscar has arrived."

Seeing my mother's happy face, I frowned and glared at the three boys who were staring at me. I forced my feet to move and pulled open the living room door.

To my shock, an older version of Liam, Luis, and Leon stood at the door, smiling at me.

"Hi. You must be Mia, right?" he asked, smiling as I made way for him to enter the living room. He wore a sharp black suit and looked breathtakingly handsome.

"Good evening, sir. Yes, I am," I replied, smiling back as he walked in. He was a middle-aged man, but he seemed far more polite and humble than his three sons.

"It's nice to meet you, Mia. You look as beautiful as your mother," he praised me, making me blush.

"Thank you, sir," I replied.

Mom walked into the living room to welcome him.

"Welcome, babe," Mom said, hugging Alpha David.

I stole a quick glance at the Triple L to check their reaction to my mother hugging their father.

Except for Leon, Luis and Liam frowned, making it clear they didn't approve of my mother as their stepmother. But when they caught me smirking at them, they smiled for the first time, making my heart flutter.

"Come on, Mia. Let's take our seats while I serve the meal," Mom said, her voice sweet as she gestured for us to sit while she set the table.

Leon sat across from me, while his father and my mother sat next to each other.

Luis and Liam sat to my right, filling the six-chair dining table. This was the first time the dining room had been full; before tonight, it was always just me and my mother.

Mom served a delicious meal of fried rice and chicken before retrieving drinks and sitting back down next to Alpha David.

"How do you like the meal, Triple L?" Mom asked when Leon took the first bite.

Luis and Liam remained quiet, holding their spoons.

Luis sat between me and Liam, directly across from his father, while my mother sat across from Liam.

Under the table, Leon brushed his leg against mine. I glared at him and yanked my leg back under my chair.

Leon smiled and said, "It's delicious, Ma."

"How about the two of you? You haven't tasted the food yet," Mom asked, her voice filled with concern as her eyes darted to Luis and Liam sitting next to me.

"You seem to care more about the boys than me, babe," Alpha David said in a sweet voice, looking at my mother's face lovingly.

Mom blushed and replied, "I know you won't give me an honest critique; you always speak highly of me. I personally prepared this meal, and I want to see if your sons like it."

Mom shifted her gaze to Luis, who sat next to me.

Luis carried the same coffee scent as his brothers. He dipped his spoon into the rice and took a bite, as did Liam. I watched their faces closely.

"It's nice, Chairwoman," Luis replied, causing his father to scowl.

"Luis, haven't I warned the three of you to call Lucy 'Mom'? She will be your new stepmother, and it's only respectful to call her Mom," Alpha David snapped, his voice thunderous. I stared at him in shock.

Mom quickly placed her hand over Alpha David's to calm him down. "It's okay, babe. I'm not upset that they call me Chairwoman. That's who I am at the academy."

Alpha David scowled and looked at my mother's face, his voice softening. "I want you to be my wife. I know the three of them are stubborn. I could send them away, but I want to marry you. It's been twenty-two years since Esther left me. Don't you think I've waited long enough and deserve to be happy?"

Mom smiled sadly and replied, "You've tried. But our children are a part of us. If they don't approve of us, we can't force it."

"Mm." Alpha David's fist clenched around his spoon.

Mom whispered into his ear softly, "We will still be friends and give them time to adjust."

"No. They are rebellious boys, and I won't give them more time. Don't worry about them. Once they find their mates, they'll leave us be. I've already made up my mind for us to live together, Lucy. I love you very much, and I want you by my side as my Luna," Alpha David said, taking my mother's hands in his.

I glanced at Leon's face to check his reaction to his father's statement. Leon frowned and looked back at me.

Once our gazes locked, I smirked, and his eyes narrowed.

Looking at his father and my mother holding hands, Leon smirked and said, "Dad, we approve of you and Lady Lucy getting married."

"What!" I gasped alongside Liam and Luis.