The Triplets’ Bookworm

CH 17 - AMBER

AMBER POV

The gym was alive with music and laughter, a sea of students swaying under the twinkling canopy of fairy lights. The theme, thanks to my stubborn cousin, had been executed flawlessly, and yet the charm of it all failed to soothe the tight knot in my stomach. I stood near the punch table, clutching a plastic cup in my hand like it was a lifeline, the sickly sweet smell of artificial fruit wafting up to me. I’d taken exactly two sips before deciding it was better to hold onto than drink.

Vic, of course, was in her element. She was on the dance floor, her silver dress swirling as Malcolm twirled her around. They made a striking pair, spinning and laughing under the faux starlit canopy overhead. Her laughter carried over the music, light and carefree, and for a moment, I envied her ability to lose herself in the rhythm.

Across the gym, Rett and Robert were surrounded by a gaggle of cheerleaders, their matching grins unmistakable even from a distance. The girls clung to them, giggling at everything they said, and my brothers seemed more than happy to bask in the attention.

I, on the other hand, was perfectly content in my little corner. The last thing I wanted was to draw attention to myself. I sipped my punch, wrong move again, the sugary liquid doing nothing to ease the unease swirling in my gut, enhancing it even! Something about tonight felt off.

It wasn’t just the anxiety of being surrounded by people or the fear of running into someone who might have something to say about me.

No, this was deeper. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen. It was the kind of quiet that wasn’t really quiet, the kind that comes just before thunder splits the sky. My wolf, who rarely made her presence known, stirred uneasily in the back of my mind.

*You’re overthinking it,* I told myself for the hundredth time. But even as I tried to dismiss the feeling, my grip on the cup tightened.

I glanced around the room, scanning the crowd. Most people were either dancing or gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing. Everything seemed normal, yet it was not.

Maybe tonight would pass without incident, and I’d leave with nothing more than sore feet and a sugar high.

But deep down, I knew better.

I clutched the cup of punch in my hand, my fingers trembling slightly as I took a sip, trying to focus on anything but the gnawing tension in my chest.

Then I saw him.

Christian stood across the room, his arm draped possessively around the redhead—Angelique, if I remembered her name correctly. Vic told me she was the cousin of a guy from the football team, here just for the upcoming Christmas holidays.

Knowing the asshole was practically glued to an almost unknown she-wolf hurt more than it should.

*Stupid silly me.*

She looked up at him with a saccharine smile, her long, glossy hair cascading over her shoulder like she was posing for a magazine cover. But his eyes weren’t on her.

They were on me.

My stomach twisted as our gazes met. Christian’s smirk widened, an infuriating expression I had seen only twice—he hid it well. His arrogant demeanor made my skin crawl, but I couldn’t look away.

It was like he was daring me to react, waiting for me to break under the weight of his attention.

*Good luck with that.*

“Enjoying the punch?” a voice drawled, cutting through my thoughts like a knife.

I froze, my heart sinking as I recognized the voice. Slowly, I turned, and there he was—Alan.

“Alpha,” I said, my voice tighter than I intended. “What do you want?”

His smirk widened, and I could see the glint of amusement in his eyes. “Just saying hi,” he said, his tone casual but laced with mockery. “You look… different tonight. The golden dress suits you.”

That must be a joke. It had to be.

I bit back the urge to snap at him, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered. “Thanks,” I said flatly, taking a step back.

I didn’t know what his plan was, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to wait for it to unfold.

Christian’s gaze was still locked with mine.

*Jerk.*

His date didn’t seem to notice, her attention on the dance floor. “Come on, babe,” she cooed, tugging on his arm. “Let’s dance.”

*babe*—I wanted to snort, but it would not end well.

“In a minute,” he said, his gaze still fixed on me.

My grip tightened on the cup as I met his stare, refusing to back down. The last thing I wanted was to let him see how much he got under my skin, but his presence alone was enough to set my nerves on edge.

My chest tightened, and when they started dancing, I looked away, only for my gaze to land on something worse.

Alek.

He wasn’t even trying to hide his glare. His green eyes were locked onto Christian like a predator sizing up prey, his posture tense, coiled, ready to strike.

*Oh no. Oh no. Oh no no no no no.*

This wasn’t going to end well.

Chaos was written all over Alek’s face, and I couldn’t be there to witness all of it happen. Not after all the effort Vic put into this night.

Setting my cup down, I slipped out of the gym as inconspicuously as possible. My heels clicked against the polished hallway floor as I rushed toward the nearest bathroom, my heart pounding in my chest.

Once inside, I headed straight for one of the stalls, closing the door behind me and leaning against it. My breathing was uneven, and I forced myself to inhale deeply, counting to four before exhaling.

*Inhale. One, two, three, four.

Exhale. One, two, three, four.*

Why was I even here?

I was fine before this. Perfectly fine.

Sure, being a nerd hadn’t been the most exciting life, but at least it was predictable. No one had paid me much attention back then—not unless they were one of the savage assholes who saw me as an easy target.

But this?

Now I was caught in the crossfire of a situation I didn’t even understand. Why did Christian have to charm me with his stupid smirk and cryptic comments? Why couldn’t I have seen through him from the start?

And then there were the triplets.

Why had they stepped in the other day? Was it just their Alpha instinct to meddle, or was it something more?

My mind whirled with questions, each one adding to the growing knot of frustration in my chest.

Why couldn’t they all just leave me alone?

My hand curled into a fist against the stall door as the weight of it all threatened to crush me.

I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t want it.

All I’d ever wanted was a quiet life—a world where I could lose myself in books and avoid the chaos that seemed to follow the others. But now… now everything was a tangled mess, and I was stuck in the middle of it.

Gradually, my heart began to slow, but the tightness in my chest remained.

The bathroom door creaked open, and the sound of giggling broke the silence. I stiffened, holding my breath as two pairs of heels clicked against the tiled floor.

“Did you see Rose tonight?” one voice said—Daisy, I realized, recognizing her sugary tone.

“Of course,” the other voice replied, unmistakably Violet’s. “She looks stunning. I mean, it’s no wonder Alan’s been spending so much time with her lately.”

My heart sank.

“She’s practically a shoo-in to be his mate,” Daisy continued. “I mean, can you imagine? Rose as Luna? She’d be perfect.”

Pain lanced through me, sharp and unexpected, like a knife to the chest. My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I leaned against the stall door, willing the ache to go away.

I didn’t understand why it hurt so much. Why should I care if Rose ended up with Alan? It wasn’t as if I had any claim to him. But the thought of her standing beside him, of her being the one he chose, twisted something deep inside me.

“I know,” Violet said, her voice dripping with excitement. “It’s only a matter of time before they make it official. And when they do, we’ll be right there, part of her court. Can you imagine? The perks, the influence… It’s going to be amazing.”

Daisy giggled. “And you know Rose will make sure we’re taken care of. She’s not going to forget about us once she’s Luna.”

The door to the bathroom creaked again as they left, their voices fading into the distance.

I remained in the stall, frozen, the echo of their words reverberating in my mind. *Rose as Luna. Rose as Alan’s mate.*

The tightness in my chest returned, heavier this time, and I pressed a hand to my sternum, trying to will it away. But no amount of deep breathing could stop the ache that had settled there.

*Why does this hurt so much?*