Wanting Her Back (Her Alpha Triplet Mates)

6:WeightOfGuilt

Asher's POV

It was strange to be back in this part of the city, and even stranger to walk into a meeting and see her there. Willow. The same girl we had grown up with, only... not the same. The moment I saw her, I was hit with a wave of surprise. She was no longer the chubby, quiet girl from our pack, always keeping to herself as if hiding in the shadow of others. She had transformed into someone different, confident, striking, and undeniably womanly. Her once-soft chubby features had sharpened into something fierce, something... beautiful.

I caught the flicker of shock that passed over her face the moment her eyes landed on us, me, Aiden, and Axel. I could tell she wasn’t expecting us, just as we hadn’t expected to see her. For a second, it looked like she was ready to bolt like she couldn’t bear to be in the same room as us.

The room grew tense as she stood up abruptly, her movements jerky and defensive, making her intentions clear. She was about to leave.

“Willow,” Axel spoke first, his voice even but firm as he, Aiden, and I moved to block her path. “This is a meeting. We’re here to discuss business. Let’s just get through it.”

She hesitated, her eyes narrowing at Axel before flickering to me. I could see the turmoil in her gaze, memories flooding back, old wounds resurfacing. I couldn’t blame her for that. We had hurt her, all of us, though it hadn’t been intentional. Back then, rejecting the mating bond with her had seemed like the only logical choice. She was too young, too quiet and there was no way she could have withstood the preying wrath of her father. We thought we were protecting her... protecting ourselves. But clearly, she didn’t see it that way. And looking at it now, we also had not done a good job of telling her off.

“Fine,” she finally said, her voice cool, like she’d mastered the art of indifference. But I could see past it. I knew better. She was angry. “Let’s get it over with.”

We returned to our seats, tension filling the air as we settled in for the presentation. But it was obvious to everyone in the room that Willow wasn’t going to present. Her partner, Ruby, took over, speaking confidently about the business, the potential for growth, and the opportunities our partnership could bring. Willow sat stiffly next to her, her lips pressed into a tight line, her hands clenched in her lap.

Axel, being Axel, couldn’t help but break the ice or try to. Halfway through the presentation, he leaned forward and asked, “How have you been, Willow?”

Her reaction was immediate. She snapped her head toward him, her eyes flashing with anger. “I’m not here to discuss my personal life, Axel,” she shot back. “Let’s stick to business. I’m not interested in catching up. I also don't think this is the right time to bring personal business into the official and professional meeting I believe that we are all having.”

Axel blinked, taken aback by the sharpness in her tone. I had to admit, it stung a little. The Willow we used to know never would have spoken like that, but then again, maybe we didn’t really know her at all. Never did or we had just been too caught in protecting her that we never really got to know who she was.

I cleared my throat, bringing the conversation back on track. “Axel, focus,” I said, casting him a warning look before turning to Willow. “Triple A is interested in partnering with your company. We can provide all the support you need to expand.”

Her jaw clenched, and she squared her shoulders, meeting my gaze with defiance. “I don’t need handouts from you,” she said coldly. “I’ll work for every penny you invest. Don’t think for a second that I’ll let you treat me like some charity case.”

I held her gaze, my voice steady. “We expect you to do your job. This is business, Willow, nothing more.”

She nodded curtly, her expression unreadable. “Then we’re done here.” She stood up, her movements swift and decisive, and without another word, she strode out of the room.

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving the three of us in stunned silence.

“Well, that was... something,” Aiden muttered, breaking the awkward quiet.

Axel leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “She’s pissed. Can’t say I blame her.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Willow had changed, no doubt about it. But her anger, that was familiar. We had caused that, and we would have to deal with the consequences. Still, seeing her like this, strong and determined, it was hard not to feel some level of admiration for how far she’d come. But admiration wasn’t going to fix the mess we had made.

I turned to Ruby, who was still sitting at the head of the table, her eyes carefully observing us. “Ruby, can I ask you something?”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly wary but still professional. “What is it?” she asked.

“Where does Willow live?”

Her lips pressed together into a thin line. “I’m sorry, but I can’t disclose that information. Willow’s private life is her own, and I won’t violate that. It's also wrong of you to put me in such a position knowing the relationship I share with Miss. Willow.”

Axel leaned forward, his usual charm in full force. “Come on, Ruby. Whatever you want, just name it. We’re willing to make it worth your while.”

Her eyes flashed with irritation, and she stood up, gathering her things. “Don’t insult me, Alpha Axel. I’m not for sale.” With that, she turned and left, leaving us no closer to finding Willow than we were before.

Axel let out a frustrated sigh, slumping back in his chair. “Well, that went great.” He had always been the impatient one.

I rubbed my temple, feeling the beginnings of a headache forming. “We need to take this slow,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “Willow’s still angry, and we can’t just rush in and try to fix things. That’s not how this is going to work.”

Aiden, who had been silent for most of the meeting, finally spoke up. “She looks different,” he said quietly, almost to himself. “She’s changed.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Axel grumbled.

I shot him a look. “We all noticed, Axel. But what’s important right now is that we handle this carefully. We rejected the bond with her. It’s no surprise she doesn’t want anything to do with us. But we need to find a way to make things right.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Axel asked, his voice laced with skepticism. “She barely wants to be in the same room as us.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. “We start by keeping an eye on her. If she’s still angry, there’s no telling what she might do. And we need to be ready for whatever that is.”

Axel nodded slowly, his expression serious for once. “I can set someone up to watch her. Just to make sure she’s not up to anything that would harm her.”

“That’s a start,” I said. “But we also need to come up with a plan to get close to her. We all know we've missed our mate and have been looking for her. Willow’s not going to forgive us overnight, and we need to be prepared for that.”

Aiden shifted in his seat, his brow furrowed in thought. “What kind of plan?”

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “We need to approach her carefully. Show her that we’ve changed too. That we regret what happened. But it has to be sincere. She won’t accept anything less.”

“Easier said than done,” Axel muttered, but I could see the wheels turning in his head.

Aiden nodded in agreement. “If we’re going to make this work, we have to be patient.”

I stood up, pacing the length of the room, trying to piece together the best way to approach this. “She deserves an apology. A real one. But we also need to give her time to cool off. In the meantime, we keep tabs on her and make sure she’s safe. And we figure out how to earn her forgiveness.”

Axel stood too, stretching his arms. “Alright, Asher. You’re the one with the plan. What’s next?”

I turned to face him, my mind racing with possibilities. “We wait. We watch. And we prove to Willow that we’re not the same people who hurt her all those years ago.”

The three of us stood there in silence, the weight of the task ahead of us settling over the room like a heavy fog. We had made a mess of things with Willow, and now it was up to us to clean it up. But one thing was certain, this wasn’t going to be easy.

But then again, nothing worth fighting forever was.