The Triplet Alpha Kings’ Plaything

Chapter 2: Sometimes, Love Can’t Save Everything.

Zora’s POV

“Let’s elope together, Zora please.” Ethan suggested and I could see the worry written all over his face, one which my heart mirrored.

“We can’t. I can’t leave and even if I did agree to elope with you, where would we run go? Are we going to become rogues?” I asked while slowly tugging my hand from his warm grip.

All my life, I’ve always loved Ethan platonically and I never imagined our friendship blossoming into a romantic relationship as beautiful as what we currently have but I was glad it did.

Ethan was from a prestigious family. He was an alpha and even though we’ve been friends since we were just little kids, we’ve only been secretly dating for two years.

Ethan always wished he could protect me, help me get out of the shackles of my mother and sister but there was only little that he could do since we couldn’t even be seen publicly together.

He’s done enough for me, he’s tried his best for me and asking more of him would just be selfish of me. Just like we’ve been doing for two years, I snuck out of the house tonight again to see Ethan.

It was an outrageous idea and I just couldn’t help but think about the multiple ways that eloping with Ethan could go wrong.

What if we get caught? Things would even become worse than it already is right now.

“I can’t lose you, I don’t want to. We can leave tonight and no one will ever know where we are.” He added, his voice jolting me out of my thoughts as he took my hands once again.

His expression was dark and there were wrinkles on his forehead that I knew were from the way he was worrying about me.

I love Ethan even more than I loved myself but the idea of getting in the way of the moon god was something I’d never thought about.

“It’s the moon gods’ sacrifice, I’ve been chosen and there’s no going back,” I protested and he let out a frustrated groan that made me realise that he was already tired of trying to persuade me but won’t give up

“So what?” He asked frustratedly, springing to his feet as he ran his fingers through his hair while pacing around, “So what, Zora? Are you going to stay behind and let them take you?” He added, his voice breaking as he spoke.

I hate seeing Ethan like this, as sweet of him as it is to worry about me. I hate seeing him feel like he had an obligation to protect me.

“So.. so, you’re just going to let them do goddess knows what to you? What then will become of me? What will happen of me if you die? How do you expect me to carry on with the rest of my life if something horrible happens to you?”

All his words thawed at my heart as they rolled out of his tongue and I had no idea that I was already crying until I started feeling the salt like taste of my tears behind my throat.

I opened my mouth to speak but whatever I had to say got stuck in my throat as I stared at him, feeling at a loss of what to say.

His hair was ruffled and I couldn’t help but wonder if his broad shoulders ever got tired of the burden he carried, a burden that’s not even his to begin with.

“Ethan…” I called, my voice fading and I could feel the cold air creeping under my skin.

“I’m just worried about you. I’m scared, scared of what might become of us if we get caught.” I added, touching his face softly and Ethan grasped my wrist, moving my palm to his mouth so he could kiss it, making my heart swell with love

“Do you think I care about what might become of me?” He asked and I let out a heavy sigh, “I don’t, I care about you and I love you so much that staying one more night in this pack is sickening to me, it’s something I don’t want to do.” He finished.

He had a look of hope and reassurance and in that moment, I felt safe and confident that if I’m with him, then nothing could ever go wrong.

A part of me was still scared and thought this was a bad idea but how could I say No to Ethan especially when he’s looking at me like that?

“Okay—” I let out, my lips quivering and the sickening feeling of doing something as unbelievable as eloping with my lover grew deeper.

“Okay?” He asked and I nodded, blinking reassuringly and Ethan’s lips formed into a wide, relieved smile.

“Thank you, thank you! I love you so much.” He was almost shouting and I had to put my palm on his mouth to stop him from screaming any louder while giggling into his shoulder, suddenly feeling a little bit lighter.

“Let’s meet down here tomorrow night when everyone is asleep and we can leave together before dawn.” He suggested and I agreed with him.

“But what if something bad happens?” I asked, squeezing his hand hard, something I do whenever I’m nervous or think I was making a bad decision.

“We have each other, what can possibly go wrong?” He asked and I wanted to respond with ‘a lot’, but swallowed the words down.

“I have to leave now, mother might look for me when she notices I’m not home.” I told him after a while and he agreed to let me go.

Not like she was really going to look for me but I couldn’t risk staying out here for long.

On my way back to the house I couldn’t stop thinking about Ethan. A huge part of me was really happy that I’d finally get to spend the entire lifetime with the man I loved the most, away from this pack.

While a tiny little part of me thought about the consequences of getting in the moon god’s way and my stomach tightened again from nerves.

******

The day went by quickly and while I worked, I only thought about Ethan, knowing that he must be packed and ready to leave by now.

The sunny afternoon grew into a dark night and as usual, I left the house to find Ethan under the tree like we’d talked about yesterday.

I could tell that he was excited to see me and after hugging me, we both decided to leave. While making our way out of the pack I couldn’t shake the horrible feeling of something bad about to happen.

Shaking the thoughts off and blaming it on being paranoid, Ethan and I were about to get to the other side of the pack when we got surrounded by warrior wolves.

We didn’t need a soothsayer to tell us that they were all from our pack. Fear washed through me as they circled in on us while Ethan pushed me to stand behind him so he could scare them off.

Charging towards them, Ethan didn’t make it past the first warrior and a loud wail left my lip as I watched him drop dead in front of me.

Everywhere suddenly became silent as I stared at his dead body on the floor and it felt as though I’d lost the ability to cry because no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t drop a tear.

My world suddenly drained out of all its colours as I watched Ethan in his own pool of blood, air brushed the back of my neck and the tip of my ear like the touch of cold fingers and then it dawned on me again.

The love of my life is dead!

Unable to stop my sob, I tasted my own tears and couldn’t even fight back when they dragged me out of the woods.

It was morning already and I was paraded with news about how Alpha Ethan had been killed for trying to get in the way of the moon god had spread around the pack like wild fire.

My world felt empty and I couldn’t get the image of Ethan dropping dead out of my head. We had lots of plans, he promised that we were going to love each other and we’ll be alright but now he’s nowhere to be found.

Finally shedding the tears I’d been holding back because I was in denial, I clutched my chest and perspired so hard as I wailed loudly.

I was completely devastated and knowing that I’ll never get to see Ethan again made me pray for my death to come quickly so I’ll be out of my agony.

I wanted it all to end, the pain was unbearable and my loss was so big that I didn’t think I was going to get through the night with it.

I’d never be able to forgive myself for his death, or live life without getting to see him again, so it’s best I die anyway.

It was soon time for the sacrifice and as I was about to get escorted to the sacrificial ground I saw Lily and a big part of me thought she was here to beg for my forgiveness.

If I wasn’t tied up right now, I’d have definitely attacked her.

“The sacrificial lamb is about to be dead!” She mocked and my stomach turned in realisation that she wasn’t here to ask for my forgiveness, and was instead here to laugh at my misery.

“Here’s how your pathetic life is going to end even amidst the supposedly prophecy, which I believe was a bluff all along. Too bad you won’t even be alive for that stupid prophecy to attempt to come to pass.” She snickered and I stared at her, blinking in shock and confusion because I had no idea of what she was talking about.

What prophecy about me? What is she talking about?

“No one ever loved you so you could die for all anyone cares. No one will miss you.” She continued gleefully and I felt my heart crack at the thought of Ethan.

Lily said a lot of things to me and every word she spoke was as if someone was twisting a sharp dagger out of my chest.

“Your absence is a really good thing for me because now I have a better chance of securing a handsome and powerful Alpha for myself without worrying about you trying to steal my thunder!” She shot.

I’ve never tried to steal Lily’s thunder and despite the way she treats me, I’d never wanted anything bad for her because she was still my sister no matter what.

But what did she mean about the prophecy?