The Triplets’ Bookworm

CH 16 -Aaron

AARON POV

As we left the suite, my thoughts drifted back to Amber. I hoped she’d be okay. I know with all the stupid stuff we pulled in the last couple of years she will not feel comfortable this evening, plus the redhead… My heart clenched replaying the look that passed in her eyes when I covered her with whipped cream, but i didn’t have any other choice, Daisy was looking toward us from the Windows, if I didn’t react in that way, Rose would know. Jennifer would suspect, and her life would be a bigger living hell.

We’ll protect her until her 18th birthday, then she’ll be able to defend herself from the Harpies…

^Tonight we’ll be there watching and if Christian even thought about trying something... he wouldn’t know what hit him.* Alan mindlinked me.

I didn’t need to be told twice.

The limousine purred quietly as it glided through the streets, its plush leather seats and dim interior lighting doing little to ease my growing irritation. Rose, Violet, and Daisy were chattering non-stop, their high-pitched voices filling the confined space with a mixture of gossip, laughter, and shameless flirting.

“Aaron, you’re so quiet tonight,” Daisy purred, leaning closer to me. Her hand brushed against my arm, the contact making Night growl low in my mind. I shifted slightly, pretending to adjust my jacket, but she didn’t take the hint. My skin crawled at each touch, inappropriate touch i might add.

“You’ll dance with me first, right?” she continued, her tone syrupy sweet.

“Don’t count on it,” Alek muttered under his breath, earning a sharp glare from her.

Violet and Rose weren’t any better. Violet was practically glued to Alek’s side, running her fingers along his lapel and giggling at every word he said, even when he wasn’t trying to be funny. Rose, as always, had her sights set on Alan, though he maintained his usual calm indifference, lightly deflecting her advances with polite but firm responses.

I just wanted that to stop.

I just wanted to stop pretending I didn’t notice Alan was hiding something, To stop pretending i didn’t know Alek’s unhinged behaviour was related to darkness…

I just wanted to live a boring life, find my mate, cuddle in front of the fire place and all the sappy things… but i wasn’t allowed to that. We were not allowed to be happy, we were damn alphas.

A blessjng and a course.

The air in the limousine felt suffocating, the overly sweet floral perfume of the three she-wolves mixing into a cloying haze. Night was pacing restlessly, growling softly every time one of them leaned in too close or touched us without invitation.

*Remind me again why we agreed to this?* he grumbled.

*I’m still trying to figure that out myself,* I replied silently, my jaw clenching.

As the limousine pulled up to the school, I was the first to step out, welcoming the cold night air like a breath of fresh sanity. The wind carried the crisp scent of snow, clean and invigorating, washing away the suffocating floral cloud that had clung to us. I took a deep breath, letting the icy air clear my head, before stepping aside to let the others out.

I loved snow. I loved ice. We all three did. It was in our veins, in our DNA, we started skating on the frozen lake when we were just toddlers, mom loved it, it was our thing…

“Brr, it’s freezing!” Daisy complained as she wrapped her arm around mine, clinging to me like I was her personal heater. Her shrieking voice pulled me out of my safe place, and I resisted the urge to shake her off, focusing instead on the imposing school gymnasium before us.

The building had been transformed for the night, twinkling fairy lights draped over the entrance and glowing paper lanterns lining the pathway. The theme, *Under the Stars*, was obvious from the decorations—a canopy of lights stretched across the ceiling, mimicking a starry night sky. Inside, the gym was unrecognizable, with tables and chairs set up around the perimeter and a large dance floor in the center. A DJ booth stood at one end of the room, and the punch table, thankfully, was tucked away in a corner far from the chaos of the crowd.

The moment we stepped inside, the warmth of the room enveloped us, a stark contrast to the biting cold outside. Night growled softly, his unease matching my own as we moved through the throng of students. I barely registered Daisy’s hand slipping through my arm, her voice chattering on about something I didn’t care to hear. My focus was elsewhere, my senses tuned to something more important.

And then I saw her.

She stood near the punch table, her delicate smile lighting up the space as she laughed at something her cousin Vic had said. My little nerd.

My breath caught, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. The music, the chatter, the laughter—it all faded into the background. All I could see was her, the golden shimmer of her dress catching the light as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with an unguarded joy that I hadn’t seen in a long time, and just like every time I saw her, it was like being hit by a tidal wave.

Night froze, his usual restlessness silenced as we stared at her. *gorgeous,* he murmured, the word filled with awe.

My heart clenched. I didn’t deserve her. None did. But that didn’t stop the possessive growl rising in my chest at the thought of anyone else looking at her the way I was now.

“Earth to Aaron?” Daisy’s voice cut through the haze, pulling me back to the present.

I blinked, forcing myself to look away from Amber, though the image of her smile was burned into my mind. “What?”

She pouted, her grip on my arm tightening. “You’re spacing out again. You haven’t even told me how beautiful I look tonight.”

I stared at her, barely processing her words. She could have been dressed in diamonds, and it wouldn’t have made a difference. Not when Amber was standing just a few feet away, glowing like the sun.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, stepping away from her slightly. “Go get a drink or something.”

Daisy looked offended, but I didn’t care. My attention was already drifting back to Amber, who was now scanning the room with a soft, curious expression. When her gaze briefly landed on me, my heart skipped a beat.

She didn’t linger, though, her attention returning to Vic as they laughed together. But that one fleeting moment was enough to stir something deep within me.

*you better told that noisy girl to stop touching us. I swear if you’re thinking to kiss or , the goddess help me, f**k her I’ll…* Night growled, his voice low and commanding.

*i won’t,* I promised silently, my fists clenching at my sides. Daisy was the least of my concerns, my mind was focused on someone else, like always.

Whatever happened tonight, one thing was certain: no one would touch her. Not Christian, not Wyatt, not anyone. Not while I was here.