CHAPTER 3: DRUGGED?

SELENA'S POV

The triplet Alphas stopped in front of me, their three shadows towering over me. The air thickened, and even the wind seemed to stop, waiting for their permission to move. 

Even if no one had told me who they were, I would have known. Their presence was too heavy, like the air itself bent around them. My knees wanted to buckle. My wolf wanted to drop and bare her neck, but I forced myself to stand.

“Name,” the first one said, clipped and emotionless. A voice trained to be obeyed. 

I swallowed. “Selena.”

“Age.” The second Alpha asked, smoother, but the sharpness in his gaze made it obvious it was no less than a command. 

“Twenty,” I whispered.

The third Alpha didn’t speak right away. He only stared as his golden eyes glowed faintly, piercing me like he could see through everything I was. My heart hammered in my chest, and my wolf whimpered inside me, screaming the word again and again. Mates. Mates. Ours. Ours.

I wanted to deny it. To shut her up. How could three Alphas possibly be my mates? That was impossible. Ridiculous. Dangerous even.

“Transform.”

The word snapped from the first Alpha.

The word wasn't loud, but it struck through me like lightning. My wolf shivered, and my body moved before my mind caught up. 

The yard was dead silent. I could feel the trainers, the guards, even the other girls behind me. Their breaths were held, their bodies stiff. Everyone was waiting.

I didn’t dare say no.

So I closed my eyes, forced my body to obey, and let the shift roll through me. Bones cracked. Skin burned, and my wolf surged forward, taking shape, white fur spilling out in a rush.

Gasps filled the air around me. 

"So beautiful!"

When I opened my eyes again, the world looked different. Sharper and brighter. The three Alphas stood before me, their scents flooding my senses, overly intoxicating.

My wolf dropped instantly, ears flat and wagging her tail, as if she were some dog. She whined, pulling against me, desperate to go to them. Desperate to be touched.

I fought to keep her still, refusing to let her humiliate us in front of everyone.

The third Alpha finally moved. He crouched to meet my height, his same golden eyes locked on mine. His gaze was intense, like his eyes left marks on my skin... invisible, but scorching. For a second, I thought he might say it, might claim me right there in front of everyone.

But instead, he only said, “Enough. Shift back.”

Oh.

I shifted back, shaky, pulling what was left of my tattered clothes around me. None of them offered a word. Not about the bond. Not about the power that had crackled in the air the moment my wolf had recognized them. Nothing.

They simply turned away and dismissed me. Like I was nothing. But the air still carried their scent... sharp, addictive, and my heart refused to calm. 

I stood there, my skin burning, my chest aching. Confused. Hurt. But I knew better than to speak.

So I bowed my head and left.

***

Walking back through the training halls, I felt heavy stares on me. Every eye followed me. Not because of who I was, but because the Alphas had looked at me. Their gazes alone were enough to change a person's life. 

Some looked at me with envy, others with fear, as if I were already dangerous just because the bond had chosen me, even if they clearly refused to acknowledge it. Whispers chased me down the corridor, low voices hissing about “the breeder who caught the Alphas’ eyes.”

I kept my head down, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze. My wolf whined in the back of my mind, still restless, still reaching for them, but I shoved her down.

When I reached my room, Selene was sitting on the bed, her face red, tears spilling down her cheeks.

I didn't even know when she'd come inside.

“Selene?” I rushed to her side. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

She shook her head quickly, looking so pitiful. “It’s not that. It’s…” She hiccuped, clutching her chest. “It’s him. My trainer. I think…I think he’s going to leave me.”

Her lips trembled, her eyes filling with fresh tears. “I’m too weak, I know it. I don’t make him happy. What if he leaves me for someone else?”

I frowned, confused. I didn’t even know she had a trainer boyfriend. But seeing her break down like that, I couldn’t bring myself to question it.

“Selene,” I whispered, pulling her into my arms. “You’re overthinking. If he cares about you, he won’t leave.”

She shook her head against my shoulder. “No, you don't understand…he asked me to meet him tonight. He said he wanted to talk. I…I can’t. I don’t have the strength. Please, Lena. Please go instead. Just…just listen to what he has to say. Please.”

Her voice was desperate, weak, pleading.

I hesitated. It all felt strange. Wrong. But looking at her pale face, her trembling hands, I couldn’t say no. I’d promised myself I would always protect her, and that included from potential heartbreak.

“Alright, I’ll go. Don’t cry, okay?”

Relief washed over her face. She nodded quickly, wiping her eyes. “Thank you. You’re really the best, Lena. Anyway, you just came back from being whipped. Take some water to calm down first.” she said, handing me a cup of water from beside the bed.

My throat was indeed burning dry from the pain and shift from earlier, so I picked it up and drank without thinking. The cool liquid slid down my throat, calming me for a moment.

I quickly stood and left before she could cry again.

***

The night air outside was cold, but my body wasn’t. If anything, I was too warm. My skin prickled. My throat itched, and my chest felt tight.

I leaned against the tree where Selene had said the trainer would meet her, trying to catch my breath.

But the more I waited, the worse it got.

My skin burned. My head spun. Heat coiled low in my stomach, spreading fast. I pressed my hands against my body, desperate to cool down, but it only grew worse.

My lips parted, gasping. I didn’t understand it. What was happening to me?

More than the discomfort, I felt terrible heat welling up in my stomach... dark and primal. 

I heard footsteps from behind me and quickly turned.

A man in a trainer uniform appeared, grinning when he saw me, his eyes gleaming with something ugly.

“Well, well,” he drawled, walking closer. “Didn’t expect you to actually show up.”

I tried to steady myself, but my knees wobbled. My throat also felt so dry that I couldn’t speak.

He laughed, dragging in a long breath. "How nice. Even from here, I can already smell you.”

I froze, heart banging. 

No. No. This wasn't right.

My throat was too dry to scream, my body too weak to fight.

My blood felt like fire, making me shake, making my skin itch. I staggered back, but he followed, licking his lips.

“I’m going to fuck you right here under this tree. Make you scream until your precious wolf bends for me,” he whispered, voice heavy with filth. His hand grabbed my arm, his fingers digging in hard.

Panic shot through me. I twisted, trying to run, but my legs felt clumsy. I made it only two steps before he yanked me back, slamming me against the trunk. Bark scraped my back, but the burn inside was worse.

“Where are you running to, pretty little slut?” he hissed in my ear. “I’ll ruin you before those Alphas ever get a taste.”

I struggled, shoving at his chest, but my arms were weak.

The trainer grinned, pressing closer, his breath overly sour. “That’s it. Be a good girl and spread your legs. I’ll make you forget those big bad Alphas. You’ll only remember me inside you.”

I shook my head, heart hammering, fear choking me. My mind screamed no, but my body wouldn’t listen.

His hands loomed closer while my gaze turned hazier. My mind___, hot and needy, formed three vivid pictures, and my lips slowly parted, a single word slipping through, "Mates..."