Chapter Five

~Didi~

“Didi, I need to speak to you. Now.” Jay’s fingers wrapped around my wrist, warm and urgent, pulling me toward him and away from the staring crowd.

But before I could blink… “Not so fast.” Another hand…bigger, stronger, closed around Jay’s wrist, stopping him cold. I looked up and my breath vanished. Luca. Those dark blue eyes were blazing, glowing like a storm waking up. And for the first time tonight, true fear crawled up my spine.

They couldn’t fight, not because of me, they couldn’t. I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to look at the circle the crowd was forming around us, refusing to witness the disaster about to unfold.

Then Luca growled…low, dangerous, final.

“No one touches what’s mine. Let go!” My eyes snapped open just in time to see Jay’s face turn crimson with rage… or embarrassment. I wasn’t sure. My palms were sweating. My heartbeat was breakdancing in my chest, I should say something.

Anything…but my mouth suddenly felt like I swallowed the Sahara Desert.

“You…” He didn’t finish. Because the doors to the grand hall slammed open so hard the walls shook.

Every head snapped toward the entrance.

Linda gasped dramatically of course!

“Who the hell….” But even she lost her voice.

Standing there, framed by the golden ballroom light, were the two figures I prayed I wouldn’t have to see yet. The other Supreme Alphas, Luca's brothers …Loe and Luke.

Identical. Terrifying. Gorgeous. Radiating so much dominance the air felt heavy. My wolf whimpered. Mate!! I internally screamed.

“This can’t be happening right now,” I whispered. “Moon, do something!” You want me to tackle the Supreme Alphas? Your mate! My wolf snapped. Be serious.

Before I could respond, warmth brushed against my skin…too close, too suddenly.

Luca his lips grazed the edge of my ear, sending a bolt of heat all the way down my spine.

“I can feel you panicking,” he murmured, voice velvet and fire. “And I love it when you blush.”

He grinned down at me…cocky, dangerous, beautiful and I was embarrassingly stuck staring into those deep, hypnotic blue eyes.

“I… I….” But my thoughts shattered when a familiar sharp voice cut through the tension like a knife.

“What is going on here?!” Linda’s voice split the air like glass shattering. Arms folded with her chin raised, eyes burning holes through everyone. Of course! She just had to ruin oxygen for the rest of us.

“Wait…don’t tell me the entire party stopped because of my fat sister?” She threw the words at me like daggers, her glare dripping with disdain thick enough to choke someone.

A ripple moved through the crowd. My wolf growled loudly, I mentally slapped her quietly before she got us killed.

“And don’t think this means anything,” Linda added sharply. “Don’t feel too good about yourself.” Then she turned sweet smile, sugary voice straight toward Jay and the three Supreme Alphas now standing beside me… all three wearing expressions that were absolutely not appropriate for the current chaos.

Smirking…Grinning. Watching me like I was dessert. My wolf practically somersaulted, I hated her. And I didn’t forget, couldn’t forget…that Luca’s hand was still on mine, thumb stroking slow circles that were absolutely illegal. Heat pulsed from that single touch, curling under my skin, making every nerve focus on him.

He knew exactly what he was doing and he was enjoying the hell out of it. I could tell from the half smirk tugging at the corner of his sinful mouth.

“Oh, Goddess,” I whispered. “Why is this night still happening? Why am I still alive?” Especially when the mate bond confusion with Jay was still twisting in my head like barbed wire.

“Is this our mate?” Luke’s voice cut through the tension deep, curious, amused. His gaze dragged over me slowly, lazily, like he was reading secrets written on my skin. My entire body reacted…flaring up, heating, tightening.

It was embarrassing, it was involuntary. It was… delicious.

“Can you stop staring?” I snapped, finding my voice for the first time in minutes.

A lie. The second the words left my mouth, my wolf hissed at me...liar, liar, burning desire. I wanted more, more of their eyes.

More of their attention, more of that impossible pull. “Maybe some self control would be better,” I added, because pretending I still had dignity was all I had left. Then another voice lighter, excited, way too close behind me.

“Can I touch you?” Leo. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Moon Goddess! Why are the Supreme Alpha trying to give me a heart attack tonight?

This was not the plan. I muttered to myself. This :was never the plan. This was… minefield territory.

“You’re looking so beautiful,” Leo said, stepping close enough that I felt his warmth at my back.

“Your ears… they turned red. Cute.” His grin was boyish. Dangerous, completely disarming.

It was the first time I’d ever seen them…any of them smile like that. The first time their walls dropped. And every single smile was directed at me.

My wolf purred, I nearly fainted. And Linda? Linda looked like she was choking on invisible poison….good.

“Since there is nothing else now… get out of our way.” Luca’s voice rolled out deep and calm, but dangerous enough to slice steel. He didn’t even look at Linda, his eyes were locked on Jay, dismissing him like an insect.

He took one step toward the door but Linda snapped forward, heels clicking aggressively as she blocked our path like a badly decorated statue.

“Not so fast.” Her smile stretched too wide, too desperate. “The night is still young. Why don’t you stay and enjoy the party a little longer?”

She reached out toward Luca. My heart stopped,

my wolf snarled so loudly my bones vibrated.

Before her hand even got close, Luca caught her wrist mid air.

Effortlessly….Firmly. Coldly. The sound she made was a tiny gasp shock mixed with fear and it was beautiful. Heat tightened in my chest, sharp and ugly. Was she trying to touch my mate?

My mate? My wolf snapped, Kill!

“No,” Luke murmured from beside me, leaning close like he could feel the murderous impulse rolling off me. His voice brushed my ear like a warning made of velvet. “Don’t worry… you don’t have to kill her now. That’s not important.”

I bit my lip hard, trying to calm the fire roaring through me.

When I looked up, Luke was watching me amused, knowing, wicked like he enjoyed every second of my reaction.

And then Luca spoke. “I don’t think my mate will like that.” His voice dropped lower, colder, a threat wrapped in silk. He flicked Linda’s wrist away like it disgusted him. “Now,” he growled, “Get out of my way.” The room went dead silent.

Linda’s face lost all color.

Her eyes widened, her mouth trembled like she’d just discovered she wasn’t the main character after all. And to my absolute shock… I smiled. A slow, dangerous smile I didn’t even recognize on my own face.

Because for the first time in my life, Linda wasn’t towering over me. She wasn’t winning, she wasn’t mocking. She was terrified and I loved it.

“Continue the party,” Leo ordered behind us, voice booming with Alpha command. The crowd obeyed instantly, music restarting, whispers exploding everywhere but every single person stepped aside, creating a path like we were royalty walking through peasants.

Then Luca tightened his grip on my hand

strong, warm, claiming and pulled me toward the door. The triplets fell into formation around me like shadows made of muscle, danger, and destiny.

The crowd parted, the air thickened and my wolf trembled. And all I could think was….I wasn’t leaving the ballroom with one mate.

I was walking out with three possessive, terrifying, breathtaking mates. And they were all mine.