CHAPTER 5

AVA’S POV.

“I’m not going, leave me alone,” I grumbled, pulling the duvet over my head.

“Please, I can’t go to the ball alone,” Lisa begged, yanking the duvet off me.

“No matter how much you try, I am not budging. That is your punishment for ignoring my call. You have no idea how humiliating it was when people assumed I was trying to seduce Kris. That girl nearly killed me,” I complained.

“I’m sorry, Ava,” Lisa pouted, blinking innocently. “I was a little sick that day.”

“You are not allowed to be sick,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

“I promise It won’t happen again,” she assured, tucking my hair behind my ears. “Besides, who knows? Maybe you’ll meet your mate tonight.”

I snorted loudly. “Lisa, humans don’t get mated to wolves. You know that.”

“It has happened before,” she argued.

“Like once in a hundred years,” I muttered. “And even then, most wolves hate the idea of being tied to humans.”

Lisa frowned at my words.

I sighed and sat upright on the bed. “Look, I may have grown up in the pack, but I’m not really one of them. I’m just the adopted daughter of a poor omega woman. That already makes people look down on me enough. Adding the human part only makes it worse.”

“You shouldn’t talk about yourself like that,” Lisa said softly.

“But it’s true,” I shrugged. “So no, I’m not fantasizing about some magical mate bond that’s never going to happen.”

Lisa crossed her arms stubbornly. “Well, too bad because you’re still coming with me. I refuse to walk into that ballroom alone.”

I groaned dramatically.

“And,” she added with a mischievous grin, “think of it as an opportunity to experience more werewolf culture.”

“That sounds terrifying rather than exciting.”

Lisa burst out laughing.

“The mating ball only happens once every year during the red moon. You can’t miss it.”

I rolled my eyes again.

The mating ball was one of the biggest traditions in werewolf culture. Wolves aged eighteen and above gathered under the rare red full moon in hopes of meeting the soulmate chosen for them by the Moon Goddess.

Most people considered it romantic.

Personally, I considered it a disaster waiting to happen.

Humans were not even supposed to attend events like this, much less find mates there. The few stories I had heard about human-wolf pairings usually ended badly, with rejection, humiliation, or whispers from the rest of the pack.

So while every girl dreamed of finding her mate tonight, I was secretly praying the Moon Goddess ignored my existence completely.

“I didn’t even prepare an outfit for this,” I whined.

“Don’t worry. I came overly prepared,” Lisa grinned proudly. “Now come on. It’s makeover time.”

*}•••{ *~*}•••{*

THIRD PERSON POV.

The mating ball was already crowded by the time Lisa and Ava arrived. The grand ballroom glowed beneath golden chandeliers while wolves from powerful families mingled elegantly across the room. Laughter, music, and expensive perfume filled the air.

Lisa, being the social butterfly she naturally was, instantly disappeared into the crowd.

Ava, however, looked uncomfortable the second she stepped inside.

She kept tugging at the tight black dress hugging her body, clearly unused to clothing that showed off her curves. Normally, she preferred oversized clothes that allowed her to blend into the background unnoticed.

Being noticed tonight made her nervous.

Very nervous.

She quietly slipped toward the bar and took another shot of alcohol.

Maybe if she drank enough, she would survive the night without embarrassing herself.

“I don’t think drinking that much is a good idea, miss.”

A familiar husky voice sounded behind her.

Ava froze.

The second she turned around, the sweetest and most intoxicating scent she had ever perceived filled her senses completely. Standing before her was Kris.

His eyes widened and then he muttered.

“Mate.”

Her heart beat fast as she stared at him, he was always gorgeous but today he looked ten times better, and for a moment, she found herself lost in his piercing blue eyes. Suddenly, a frown creased her brow as she caught a different scent beside his. It was then that the other two triplets walked in, and their eyes darkened .

“You have got to be kidding me,” Dante muttered.

The air around them instantly became tense.

Three mates?

That alone was rare.

But a human being mated to the Alpha triplets?

Impossible.

Dante grabbed Ava’s wrist roughly and dragged her away from the crowded ballroom until they reached an empty hallway.

“What the hell is going on?” Dante demanded, releasing her hand.

“How are you mated to all three of us?” he snapped in frustration. “And why the hell is our mate human?”

Ava glared at him angrily while rubbing her sore wrist.

“I’m not the Moon Goddess,” she shot back. “It’s not like I asked for this either. Trust me, you disgust me.”

“You are so much luckier than I am. You look like an absolute loser,” Dante scoffed.

Ava rolled her eyes.

Collin stepped forward with obvious amusement dancing in his eyes.

“I strongly disagree with Dante,” he said while openly admiring her. “I think our little human mate looks gorgeous tonight.”

“Stop being a pervert,” Kris muttered.

Dante groaned loudly, dragging a frustrated hand through his hair.

“What are we supposed to do with her?”

“I can think of several things,” Collin smirked.

“Collin,” Kris warned.

“What?” he laughed. “I’m trying to lighten the mood.”

Ava folded her arms tightly across her chest.

“Look, we all know how this usually ends,” she said quietly. “So let’s just get the rejection over with now.”

Collin’s playful smile faded slightly. Kris frowned.

Dante spoke first. “I’m not rejecting you.”

Ava blinked at him in surprise.

Of all three brothers, he was the last person she expected to say that.

“Why?” she asked cautiously.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Dante smirked cruelly. “I still don’t like you. But rejecting you would be too easy.”

A cold feeling settled in Ava’s stomach.

“What does that mean?”

Dante stepped closer, lowering his voice.

“It means I’d rather keep the bond and make your life miserable instead.”

Ava swallowed hard.

“I’m not rejecting her either,” Kris suddenly declared, his eyes never leaving hers.

Collin grinned. “Well, if nobody else is rejecting our pretty little mate, then I guess I won’t either.”

He casually wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Don’t worry,” he teased. “If Dante doesn’t want you, I’ll gladly keep you for myself.”

The second those words left his mouth, both of his brothers growled.

“You won’t dare.”

Collin immediately raised his hands innocently. “Relax. I was joking.”

Ava stared at the three of them in disbelief before finally speaking through clenched teeth.

“I reject you three as my mates”