CHAPTER 3

AVA'S POV

I had heard of second chance mates. The odds of an alpha falling in love with an omega and marrying her were way higher than the chances of finding a second chance mate. In fact, the chances of the moon goddess herself getting married to a wolf were still better than ever finding a second chance mate.

It was a miracle, something that only happened maybe once in a thousand years—well, for our pack, at least. And yet, somehow, I had a second chance mate. Not just one. Three.

I sat there on the floor, staring up at them, wondering what god had woken up one day and decided to spend thousands of years crafting the most beautiful work of art I had ever seen. They all stood around 6'4". The one on the left had the most stunning green eyes, with rich brown hair styled just enough to make me want to run my fingers through it. His chiseled face looked like something out of a painting, each feature perfectly set.

The one on the right... I wanted to say he was the typical handsome blonde with striking blue eyes, but there was nothing typical about him. He looked like he’d walked straight out of a fantasy novel, a prince about to save the princess from the dragon. He was so breathtaking that my heart raced just from looking at him.

Then there was the one in the middle. His piercing silver eyes and jet-black hair seemed to blend with the night, falling slightly across his face. Probably not the best time to be thinking this, but the sexual tension radiating from him was intoxicating. There was something so incredibly sexy about him, an intensity that drew me in.

Who exactly were these men?

"She's over there, get her!" someone yelled from behind me. I glanced back, feeling fear in my gut, and immediately sprang to my feet, ready to run. But before I could, the blonde one grabbed my wrist, locking eyes with me in a way that felt like it lasted forever, as if he was studying something about me. What the hell. I struggled against his grip, but he was too strong.

Eventually, he let me go, and I bolted from the mansion, running as fast as I could. I didn’t look back. I wasn’t even sure why I kept running since no one seemed to be chasing me anymore, but I didn’t stop.

I flagged down a taxi as soon as I spotted one and jumped inside, trying to steady my  heart. I was breathless, constantly glancing behind me out of fear that someone might have followed me, even though, in reality, I was alone.

Who were those guys, and how on earth did I have a second chance mate? Questions filled my mind, but I had no answers, and it only made my confusion feel heavier.

The driver pulled up in front of my house, and I prepared myself for whatever might happen when I stepped inside. Luckily, no one was around—my stepmother and her daughter must have been asleep. I had gone out and risked my life to make money while they slept soundly.

I tiptoed to my room, shut the door quietly, and twisted the lock. Exhausted, I sank into bed with a heavy sigh.

Who were those men? I wondered, still trying to make sense of it. "Are they really my mates? Are you sure?" I asked my wolf again, needing reassurance. But her answer was the same. They really were. The feeling I had with them was the same one I had felt with Zach. But how? How could I be mated to all three of them?

Sleep was not an option that night as my mind kept spinning with thoughts of them, but eventually, exhaustion won. The next morning, I woke before anyone else, got ready, and made my way to school.

Whatever was going to happen today, I thought I was prepared… or maybe not.

I knew confronting Vanessa was a bad idea, and I was going to pay for it. For some reason, she didn’t show up in class. I settled into my usual spot at the back and waited, feeling a little more relaxed as the minutes ticked by. Maybe Vanessa wouldn’t come to school today, and any punishment for my actions the night before would be postponed until tomorrow.

But I was wrong.

Very wrong.

Out of nowhere, I felt someone grab my hair, yanking me roughly from my seat. I struggled to break free, but they dragged me down the hall toward the auditorium. When they finally threw me to the ground, pain shot through me as my knees scraped against the hard floor.

I slowly lifted my head and was shocked to see that more than half the student body was gathered there. To my left, Vanessa stood smiling down at me. What had I done to deserve this? I pushed myself up, wincing as I limped slightly from the pain.

“I don’t want any trouble, Vanessa,” I said, trying to back away from her. But she grabbed my ponytail, yanking me back to the ground with a hard thud.

I glared up at her as she said, “I gave you the opportunity to perform a show. I paid a huge amount for you to do it privately at a VIP club, just me and a few friends as witnesses. You ran away.” She paused, looking at me with disdain. “I thought maybe you wanted a bigger audience. So, I managed to gather all our classmates and invite someone like you to my party at my house, all for the small price of you doing your job. And you had the audacity to hit me?” Anger radiated from her as she pushed her hair back. “Now, with over half the students here, you’re going to finish the show for them.”

I got to my feet and said, “I’ll refund all your money. Excuse me…”

“I called your stepmother, and she told me the money has already been used. She told me to do whatever I wanted with you. Tell me, Ava, how exactly will you pay me back?” 

At that moment, I clenched my fists, anger rushing through my veins. “Give me a few days. I will pay you back.”

"I decline. You have to work for the money now! So strip, in front of everyone," she said with a smirk. I gulped, clenching my fists as I replied, 

"I will not..." I didn’t know where I found the courage to stand up to someone like Vanessa. She looked at me in disbelief. 

"It seems you have forgotten your place, Ava, but I don't mind reminding you. In here, you are nobody," she said. "Have you forgotten who I am? Who my father is? I am the princess of this pack." She scoffed again. "Have you forgotten I have enough power and influence to make you rot in the dungeon indefinitely? I could make you a rogue or perhaps..." She paused, an evil glint in her eyes, then added, "or maybe, kill you."

Her words were so sadistic and sinister that I knew she meant every one of them. I swallowed hard as she added, "Get to stripping, Ava. Don’t provoke me." With that, she stepped away, settling into a chair right in front of me. Everyone pulled out their phones, whispering and laughing, as if my pain were some kind of joke.

What made this so entertaining? Was it because Vanessa was the only daughter of the alpha, and everyone wanted to be on her good side? Or were they truly this cruel? Maybe they were afraid—afraid of being in my position—so they laughed with her, hoping it would spare them.

I didn’t want to look weak, but I couldn’t stop the tears that slipped down my cheeks. I wiped them away with the back of my hand, sniffing back the emotion as I reluctantly removed my jacket, revealing the tank top underneath.

I threw my jacket to the ground and reached for the hem of my shirt, my hands shaking as I looked down in shame. “Come on, Ava, this is your job. Don’t be shy,” Evelyn said, while everyone giggled. 

I bit down on my bottom lip, grabbing the hem of my shirt and slowly lifting it, revealing my stomach and eventually my bra. I tossed it aside, fighting to keep myself from breaking down. I kept my eyes glued to the ground, too scared and ashamed to look up.

Just as I was about to reach for the strap of my bra to pull it down like they wanted, I felt a strange, masculine hand grip mine. 

What was that? The touch felt so warm, so comforting, so familiar. I lifted my head to see who had stopped me from humiliating myself further, and I was met with a pair of blue eyes staring directly at me. My breath caught in my throat. 

Before I could process what was happening, another guy quickly removed his black leather jacket and wrapped it around me. It was the one with silver eyes, and he looked at me with concern. I heard gasps from the crowd, their confusion obvious. My wolf stirred uncontrollably, and suddenly it hit me—these were the men from last night. My mates.

Seeing them in the daylight, I still couldn’t believe they were real. No one could look like this.

"Iris, Zayne? What’s going on? Why the hell are you helping her?" Vanessa shouted as she sprang to her feet, shock written all over her face. But they didn’t respond.

So their names were Iris and Zayne. But who were they, and how did Vanessa know them?

"What are you doing with her? How do you know my brothers?" Vanessa asked, shooting a glare at me.

Brothers? What did she mean by that?

Before I could speak, the one with brown hair suddenly appeared and said, "It would be nice if you stopped bothering her from now on, little sister. You've had your fun. That’s enough." It was the first time I had heard one of them speak, and it might have been the sexiest voice ever.

"What do you mean?" Vanessa asked, clearly confused. "Why do you care, and why should I stop?"

"We don’t want you bothering her anymore because..." The one with brown hair trailed off before finishing, "Because she is our mate…”