The Triplets And Their Mysterious Mate

Birthday Boy

Dean POV

I gazed into the crowd, my eyes following the path the girl had taken. Damn, she was absolutely stunning. She had me entranced, lost in a daze. "Mate," Grey my dragon's voice echoed in my mind, like a lovesick fool. Her fragrance was barely detectable, but he was certain it was her. She was our mate, that ethereal beauty was meant for us.

I could not get her out of my mind. Her hair cascaded down her petite frame, the color of rich chestnuts. She couldn't have been much taller than five feet, making her over a foot shorter than me, yet she was undeniably the most attractive girl in the entire club. Her piercing blue eyes resembled the vast ocean. It felt as if my body was moving on autopilot as I slowly distanced myself from the bar.

"What's gotten into you?" Cade, my brother, teased.

"You're walking like a robot." Tate, my other brother, joined in the laughter. If only they had caught her scent, but then again, I only did when I caught her.

"Our mate," I muttered, scanning the club.

"Wait, you caught her scent?" Tate's expression turned serious.

"The girl I was talking to, it's her. I'm sure of it," I confirmed.

"Really? She had no scent to me," Cade questioned, as the crowd from the dance floor moved closer to the bar, causing me to let out a sigh.

Unlike my brothers, who seemed unfazed by the attention, I despised it. The blaring music assaulted my ears as I muttered, "She must be masking it, but it was faint, unmistakably her."

"Tate, handle the crowd. Dean, question the bartender about her. I'll scour the club for her." Cade, always the leader, gave the order.

As Tate and Cade swiftly went their separate ways, I waved down the bartender, desperate for answers. The mingling scents of alcohol and sweat filled the air. The bartender, wiping down the counter, smirked and remarked, "Ah, so you're the one causing all the hype tonight. What can I get you?"

Ignoring his attempt at casual conversation, I cut to the chase. "The girl I was conversing with earlier, do you know who she is and where I can find her?" I inquired, my voice laced with urgency.

Amused, the bartender let out a hearty laugh. "Calista, huh? Yeah, I know where you can find her. But let me give you a piece of advice, my friend. She's not worth the trouble," he warned, his breath tinged with the scent of stale cigarettes.

"Why's that?" I probed, eager to uncover the truth.

Leaning in, the bartender divulged his observations. "She's been frequenting this place for the past four weeks. I've seen countless men, werewolves, and even vampires try to win her over, but she plays with them like toys. She knows she's attractive, and she enjoys the game. The only one who managed to leave with her hasn't been seen in this club since. I think she scared him off," he chuckled, his words filled with a mix of amusement and caution.

"Sounds like she is simply not interested in being hit on, don't blame her," I said, feeling the weight of familiarity in those words. As a result of our status, my brothers and I often found ourselves in this situation. Yet, it seemed to affect me more than them. Now that we were officially twenty-one, still without a marked mate, the she-wolves would cling to us at times. It was pathetic, really. We were only interested in our fated mate, but we became a spectacle due to our unique hybrid heritage. Even if we weren't princes, we would still be the talk of the town. My father, a tribred Dire wolf, Vampire, and Phoenix, and my mother, a hybrid Dragon and Fae, made my brothers and me an assortment of too many things, in my opinion. But we were best known as dragon wolves. Funny enough, my brothers didn't have dragons; they were more like enhanced wolves, a cross between dragon and wolf. On the other hand, I was the odd one amongst us, as I inherited my mother's ice power, and had a dragon.

"No, I think she simply enjoys f*****g with people. The girl seems to attract trouble," the bartender replied to me, his words laced with a hint of amusement.

"Do you know where she lives or where I might find her?" I asked, my patience waning.

He laughed again, clearly entertained by my persistence. "You really are going to try with her, huh?" he chuckled. I growled, my impatience boiling over.

"You have an entire club of girls drooling over you, yet you..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "But hey, I warned you. If you want to find her, won't be hard. She lives in the damn club, more like crashing in it. Seems like she's one to skip towns fast. Otherwise, she can be found at the local pub, the only joint one can get food out in this town. Seems like she took a temp job," he said, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Thanks," I muttered, scanning the crowded club for my brothers. As I made my way through the crowd, a she-wolf approached, asking me to dance. I ignored her, not even in the mood to respond.

My brothers caught up to me. "You're right, I caught her scent," Tate said to me, his eyes lighting up. "But wouldn't she sense us?" he said with a hint of worry.

"If she is masking her scent, she may have a reason," Cade warned. "Typically, one does not do that unless in trouble. And remember, not all creatures sense a bond. She may have no idea she has a mate, let alone the three of us," he cautioned.

"Well, according to those who have seen her around, she turns every guy down," Cade said.

"Good. She's ours," Tate said, as I kept an eye on the crowd.

"Let's stay a little longer. It's clear the crowd here tonight is for us, so we might as well help this place get some business. I doubt it sees this much in such a small town. And then, we'll head to our hotel," Cade suggested.

I grumbled, "We will find her, but it is our birthday after all, so live a little," Tate chimed in to me.

"You two have fun. I'm getting some fresh air," I responded.

"Seriously, you're like an old man sometimes," Tate chuckled.

This really just wasn't my crowd, and I was honestly a little pissed I let our mate slip away without getting to know her a little more. I walked outside, the rain pouring down against the ground. I stayed up against the building, avoiding getting soaked. I pulled a pack of cigarettes from my pocket, lighting one. As I took a drag, I relaxed a little. Bad habit, I know. I'm the only one who smokes in my family, but I'm pretty sure I'm the one most on edge all the time as well.

"So you smoke, didn't peg ya for a smoker in the club," Calista's voice greeted me, catching me off guard. She walked up to me, her clothes drenched from the rain.

"Standing around like that, you're gonna get sick," I simply said as she moved closer, her scent hitting me again. It was still very faint, but there was no mistaking it. Yet, she showed no sign that she recognized me.

"Shouldn't smoke, it will make you sick," she responded to me, snatching the cigarette from my hand and putting it to her lips. I shook my head.

"So why aren't you in with your crowd of girls?" she laughed.

"Did I seem like someone who would have any interest in that earlier when we talked?" I asked her.

"No, but people have many layers, so I can't just simply assume you're not interested," she responded as she handed me the cigarette back.

"Happy birthday. What is it they call you three? Oh yeah, Dragon Wolf, right? I mean, you're all the talk tonight, so hopefully, it's a good one," she said to me.

"It is now," I said before stopping myself, the words hanging in the air.

"You going back in?" she asked me, her voice filled with curiosity.

"No, I'm good," I replied.

"You really are different. Won't your brothers miss you? Heard you three were like inseparable," she asked, causing a soft chuckle to escape my lips.

"Sounds like you heard all the good rumors. You must actually secretly like us, like all the others," I joked with her, a playful grin on my face.

"Don't flatter yourself. Hard not to hear," she responded, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"They're fine. They like a good party and clubs," I reassured her.

"Fair. What is it you like to drink?" she then asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

"Beer, whisky, really anything," I responded, the words flowing effortlessly. And then she ran off, her figure disappearing.

"Follow her," Grey insisted in my mind, but I resisted the urge. She went into the club. I should give my brothers a chance to sense her and talk to her as well. But to my surprise, not even five minutes later, she emerged from the club, holding a bucket filled with several beers.

"Come with me," she said, her voice filled with invitation. I followed, curiosity piqued. She pointed to two chairs and a table under some coverage outside. "Can't let you drink alone on your birthday now, can I, stranger?" she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Looks like the rumors about you may be wrong," I remarked, my eyes locked on her. Her eyes lit up, a smile playing on her lips.

"Wow, I'm popular enough for rumors," she laughed, shaking her head. "What, let me guess? Words spread about how I eat men for breakfast?" She smirked, her confidence shining through. "I'm no b***h. I just don't like men coming onto me. You may be the first one that just wanted to talk and was telling the truth. And for that, I'll repay your kindness by celebrating your birthday with you," she said, placing the beer down and handing me one.

"May you have many more happy years to come, I think that's what people say," she laughed, clinking her beer bottle against mine. My eyes were glued to her. I hardly knew her, yet I was already crazy for her and her personality. She didn't give a s**t, and I liked that. Her shirt clung to her body, accentuating her perfect curves. I tried my best to keep my eyes off of her, not wanting her to notice my lingering gaze.

"I love weather like this," she said, a smile playing on her lips as she extended her hand, allowing the raindrops to dance on her skin.

"Is that why you're soaked?" I teased, raising an eyebrow.

"A little water won't hurt anyone."she responded.

I chuckled, retorting, "Well, a wet shirt might."

She met my gaze, her eyes scanning me. "Are you that worried I'll get sick?" she inquired.

"Just saying, if you need one, I'll run to my car and grab a dry t-shirt," I offered.

Her laughter filled the air, and she playfully warned me, "But you'll be soaked from running to the car." I nodded in agreement, acknowledging her point.

Unexpectedly, she caught me off guard, swiftly removing her shirt and tossing it aside. Underneath, she wore a bikini, causing me to shake my head in disbelief. "What did you think? I was giving you a show, birthday boy?" she smirked. "We're by the ocean. I'm sure half the girls here have bikinis on under their outfits," she reasoned.

"Good point," I admitted, though I couldn't help but appreciate her perfection on display.

"Your eyes like to wander, don't they, Dragon Wolf?" she teased, bringing my attention back to her gaze.

"Don't worry, I don't mind. I'm used to it," she nonchalantly stated, taking a sip of her beer.

"Calista, that's your name, correct?" I asked her.

"That it is," she confirmed. Just then, Tate called my name from around the corner.

"Looks like your brothers are out looking for you," she remarked, rising from her seat as Tate and Cade appeared. "Looks like you're not alone anymore," she added, stepping out into the rain. "Bye, birthday boy," she said, but before she could run far, Tate grabbed hold of her.

"Hands off," she snapped at him, her voice dripping with warning. "Look, I'll give you a pass since it's your birthday, but touch me again, and we're going to have major issues," she firmly asserted, causing Tate to release her. "Good, you listen," she said, before disappearing into the night. Tate made a move to chase after her, but Cade stopped him, eliciting a growl from Tate.

"Are you really going to let our mate run off in a storm?" he argued, throwing a punch at Cade.

"Now that you grabbed her, yes. We can't force her. Give her time, like I'm sure Dean just did," Cade sighed.

"More like he kept her to himself. He could have linked us," Tate grumbled in frustration. "I didn't want her to leave," I confessed, my gaze fixated on the dark expanse ahead.

Tate slumped down at the table, the chair creaking under his weight. He looked clearly upset, his brows furrowed and his shoulders slouched. "You two aren't going to calm down until she returns, are you?" Cade sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. He didn't even wait for a response before continuing, his voice tinged with concern. "Stay here in case she comes back, otherwise, I'll bring her back. But if I do, Tate, don't go pushing anything. Are we clear?"

Tate grumbled his agreement, his voice filled with annoyance. I couldn't help but feel on edge too. Something about her seemed off, and it worried me. Out of the three of us, Cade was the best option at finding her. He had a level head and a calm demeanor. But I had a feeling that Calista would be a challenge. I just hoped that in the end, she could accept us, all three of us.