MATED TO THREE, BELONG TO ONE

EMMA “You are mine.” The wolf growled as he tackled me to the ground, and the two other wolves behind him howled. He bared his teeth and was about to bite down my neck when I heard my alarm sound from beside me and I quickly woke up. My body was drenched with sweat but it was nothing I was not used to. I have been having these kinds of dreams since I was 12 years old and seven years later, they still happen every night. I shook it off and headed to the bathroom. I did my usual routine before I picked up the flowers on my side drawer and the new trending game that I had bought for Alex, my boyfriend. It was his birthday, and he was the best boyfriend ever, so I worked double shifts so I would be able to afford all of this for him. I got out of my Uber and drove down to his house. Once I reached it, I went to his door to knock but something stopped me in my tracks. There were women’s shoes outside the door. Whose shoes were those? Maybe his sister had visited him. I tried to put the bad feeling I had about this to the back of my mind. I opened the door to get in, and almost immediately, I was met with sounds that made my heart break into a million pieces. “Yes, Alex. Harder!” I heard the unmistakable voice of my best friend, Clara. “f**k, Clara. I chose the wrong best friend.” Alex moaned. “Yes, you did. Which is why you are going to dump her tonight.” I could not believe that my best friend that I had trusted and loved for the past ten years would betray me like this. I felt hot tears stinging my eyes but I did not want to shed them. They were not worth my tears. I turned around to leave, and I accidentally dropped down the game and it fell to the ground with a thud. I closed my eyes sharply. I was busted. “Who is there?” Alex’s voice boomed from the door. I almost bolted out so they would not see me, but I decided that I needed to face them. I needed them to tell me to my face that they had been doing all of this behind me while I treated them like my whole world. Alex came out of the room with his towel hung low and his hair all tousled up. I felt grossed out because I was usually the one to have his hair like this, but apparently, I was not the only one. “s**t. Emma, what are you doing here?” He asked, trying to close the door behind him but Clara was too stupid to hide in there. She came out, and her eyes widened when she saw me standing by the door. The pain in my chest resounded all over me, but I did not let that show on my face. “Didn’t expect to see me?” I smiled at them. “I swear this has never happened before. I promise,” Alex quickly swung into the apology mode. He was a fool to think I was ever going to look at him with respect ever again. “It was just a mistake. I was about to send her out. She seduced me.” “Do not lie, Alex.” Clara deadpanned. I turned to look at her and there was no regret on her features whatsoever. In fact, she looked glad that I had caught them. “Clara, can you get back in?” Alex scowled. “No, you tell her the truth about everything. About how we f****d every single day since we came back from your little trip last year, and how I have everything to give you that she can’t. Tell her how she does not deserve you because she is a dumb, damaged and unlovable bitch.” Before I could think about what I could tell her, my body acted impulsively, and I bolted toward her and hit her until she hit the wall behind her and fell to the ground. The raw anger in me was like fuel because suddenly I wanted to shred her into pieces. I wanted to kill her because of how she had always pretended to be my friend but decided to stab me in the back anyway. “You are dead to me. Both of you.” I spat before I turned around. Both the flowers and the game had fallen to the ground, and the game had probably broken but I did not care. “Please, wait.” Alex yelled. I wanted that to be the last time I ever heard his voice. The last time I heard both of their voices because I was afraid of what I would do when I saw them again. I have always had an unexplainable anger in me that grew throughout the years. I always managed to suppress them because I steered away from things that would make me angry. But this was even worse than just being angry. I felt hurt, betrayed, and alone. The two people that I called my family were the ones who stabbed me in the back. Am I really that unlovable? Once I stepped out of the house, I could not stop the tears. I cried so hard that I could feel the pain so deep in my chest. I ran into the woods that were right by Alex’s house. I always thought his house was creepy because of the secluded area. I ran so fast and hard until I felt my legs giving up on me. Once I was deep in the doors and my normal thoughts had been restored, I stopped. I tipped against a branch and fell to the ground. “f**k!” I cursed out as I looked down at my palms. I had grazed them on the ground. It was nothing that would not heal on its own, which was why I ignored it and got up to my feet. I needed to get back to the city now because it was beginning to get dark and I did not even notice. I dusted my clothes with the part of my palms that was unhurt before I turned back. I was in the middle of nowhere. Great. I hoped I would not get lost as I started to track my footsteps but to no avail. I cursed out again as I paused to catch my breath but just then, I heard two voices behind me. I froze for a second before I turned around to see the company I had, and I almost choked. Three beautiful set of triplets stood right in front of me, with rich brown hair and sharp green eyes. They stood tall, way taller than me. Their faces were perfectly sculptured. If not that one of them had a scar on his right eyebrow and the other one of them looked more well built than his brothers, I would say that I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. “I could swear I just smelt my mate.” One of them spoke, his voice in a slow rich drawl. There was a hint of accent to his tone that made my cheeks heat. “What?” I raised a brow. “You are our mate. Holy shit.” One of them stepped forward, his eyes widened. “What the hell is a mate?” I could not help but ask. Maybe I should turn around and start bolting back to the city because they did not seem normal to me. They looked too scary, and also too perfect. The humans I come across every day definitely do not look like this. “Are you kidding me?” The one with widened eyes changed his expression, his scarred eyebrow raising in question. He came close to me but I took a step back. “Come on, Xaden. Do not scare our little mate.” The one that was still behind spoke. “Uhm, I think I have to leave.” I circled my hands around my chest as goosebumps raised on my skin. I had a prickling sensation all around me and I was not sure if it was a good feeling. “No.” The one with a scar rushed right in front of me. His speed terrified me. “Who are you?” I yelled as I stumbled back once again, almost falling into the ground. “I said you are my mate,” his lips pursed as he looked over at his brothers. “Our mate, actually. For some f****d up reason. Quit acting dumb so we can be on our way.” I have never been stunned by silence this way. Did they escape from a mental asylum? Was something wrong with them mentally? I knew there was a mental illness where someone becomes delusional and says things like this… but I could not quite remember the name. “Maybe she has no idea what we are talking about,” one of them spoke. The normal one. “Tell me, do you know what werewolves are?” He asked me. “They are mythical creatures.” I blurted out without thinking. There was a beat of silence before they all started to laugh, making me even more confused. “Honey, this might be a shocker to you but werewolves do exist. I am one, Evan is one and so is Killian. You are too.” Xaden spoke— the one with the scar. “I am not a werewolf.” I glared at him. There must be something seriously wrong with them. I swallowed as I started to look around for the nearest road I could use to run away. “You are. If your parents did not tell you that then they must be hiding it from you, or your mother has a lot of explaining to do.” “Do not speak about my mother.” I scowled. I did not like to talk about her. It was still a sore subject to me ever since she died right beside me on the highway when I was only five. I picked on the necklace on my neck which was the last item I had of her. “Geez, sorry. Anyways, we should be leaving. I do not quite like traveling in the night.” Xaden spoke. “I do not know what you guys are on, but you have to leave me out of this. I need to leave now. Werewolves do not f*****g exist and if you think they do then check in with your psychiatrist first thing when the sun rises tomorrow.” I said, trying to throw them off before I ran. “Really? Then explain this.” One of the others— Killian or Evan smirked before I saw his bones break, his face morphing into a beast. His fangs were sharp and strong and his bones readjusted and broke until he shifted. Something was familiar with him, but I did not wait to think. I took that as my cue as I sprinted back in the opposite direction, closing my eyes as my heart banged in my ribcage. I thought I had finally escaped until I tripped, almost hitting my face but I was saved by a harsh tug of my shirt from behind. I turned around and I saw them once again, and ice chilled down my spine. They came straight from my dreams. The three white wolves right in front of me, looked like they were about to have a feast. One of them came forward, and the last thing I saw with his mouth opening, large fangs projecting out before my consciousness drifted away abruptly.