MY TRIPLET ALPHA BULLIES WANT ME NOW.

CHAPTER 13

MIRABEL POV.

After what went down at school today, I was seriously rethinking my mom’s brilliant idea of me working at the packhouse. Susan had asked me to stop by after school to discuss the arrangements, but after today’s drama, the last thing I wanted was to be anywhere near the triplets. For all I knew, Damian might come home early and would punish me for daring to exist in his world, and that would completely ruin my chances of working here.

I sighed before knocking on the door. It swung open, revealing a middle-aged woman in a tailored outfit with a sweet smile.

“Good afternoon. I’m here for the interview,” I said, plastering on my sweet smile.

“Oh, you must be Mirabel—Julian’s daughter,” she said, her smile widening. “I’m Susan. Come on in.”

I wiped my sweaty palms on my trousers before stepping inside. The packhouse was beautiful, like something out of a magazine. It had both the modern and old-world charm and made my little house look like a shabby shoebox.

Susan led me to the staff quarters, where she gestured for me to sit before taking a seat across from me.

“Tea or coffee?” she offered.

“No, I’m fine,” I said, clutching my bag like it might save me from this anxiety I was starting to feel

“Well,” she began. “The Luna was supposed to handle this today, but she’s unwell so that I will be taking over. Normally, I don’t let anyone work in the Alpha’s home without thorough vetting. I take the Alpha’s well being very seriously. But I’m making an exception for you because Julian was a good employee, and I’m hoping you will be the same.”

Translation: Don’t screw this up, kid.

Susan took me on a tour of the packhouse while telling me the do’s and don’ts of the place and especially where I should stay clear away from, which is Luna’s room and the triplet's rooms, and a mysterious room in the far corner of the house, and I was more than happy to comply. When the tour was over, Susan turned to me.

“The Luna doesn’t like the current ornaments on the Christmas tree and wants them changed. Since you are the youngest staff member, I think you are the perfect fit for the job,” she announced.

“When do I start?” I asked.

“Now. The Luna will be coming downstairs soon, and I want that tree to look perfect when she does. I will have Diego bring you a ladder,” she said, already turning to leave.

I nodded and followed her instructions. Honestly, decorating the tree didn’t sound too bad. As a kid, I’d always wanted a Christmas tree of my own, but we could never afford one. This was a chance to live out a little piece of that dream.

Before leaving, Susan paused at the door and turned back to me. “Any questions?”

I hesitated. “If you don’t mind me asking… what’s wrong with the Luna? Is her illness serious?”

Susan’s face darkened. “I do mind. We don’t discuss Luna or her sons here. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said quickly, my curiosity retreating under her glare.

“And another thing,” she added sharply. “I do not tolerate gossip. If I catch you engaging in any, you are out. Is that clear?”

I nodded. “Yes”

Once she was gone, I dragged the ornament boxes to the living room, which was way heavier than I expected.

**************

I stepped back to admire my masterpiece. The Christmas tree sparkled like something from a Hallmark movie, and I was almost proud enough to forget how my arms felt like noodles from all the decorating. Almost.

Just one last thing—the star. The pièce de résistance.

I grabbed the star, climbed up the ladder, and carefully reached for the top of the tree. Stretch, stretch… just a bit further. I was so focused on placing it perfectly that I didn’t notice the ladder wobbling until it was too late.

“Ahhh!” I screamed as gravity betrayed me. I braced myself for impact, but instead of hitting the floor, I landed on something firm—or, rather, someone.

For one miraculous second, I thought maybe it was Santa himself who had come to reward me for being such a good girl. Then I looked up and saw him.

“Noah?!” I blurted.

“Mirabel?!” he shouted back, just as confused.

Before either of us could process what was happening, he lost his grip and—well, thud. Down I went.

“Oh my God!” Noah crouched down, looking like he was about to call an ambulance. “Are you okay?!”

“Would you stop yelling?” I groaned, sitting up and brushing imaginary dust off myself. “I’m fine. I just fell. It’s not like you dropped me off a cliff.”

“Okay, but you fell,” he argued, his brows knitting together. “You are, like, alive and everything, right? No broken bones? No trauma?”

“Noah, I’m fine,” I said, exasperated. “But what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be off terrorizing people or something?”

He frowned. “I live here?”

“Yeah, no kidding. But it’s the middle of the day. Why are you back so early?”

“I forgot something,” he said, still watching me like I might collapse any second. “Now what are you doing here?”

I hesitated, knowing this was about to take an awkward turn. “I work here.”

“You work here?” he repeated.

“Yes. I literally just started.”

“Wow,” he said, crossing his arms with a smug little grin. “So we will be seeing a lot more of each other, huh?”

I shot him a glare. “Not if I quit first.”

Before Noah could respond, the unmistakable sound of laughter and footsteps echoed down the hall. My stomach dropped.

“They’re coming,” I whispered, eyes widening.

“Who?” he asked, confused.

“Your brothers. And their goon squad.”

Noah tilted his head, unimpressed. “And why are you freaking out? You’re allowed to be here.”

“No, you don’t get it. It’s my first day, and I’m already crashing into one of you. I cannot—will not—let the others see me like this.”

“Mirabel, that makes no—”

I grabbed his arm, cutting him off. “Move!”

I dragged him down the hallway, spotting the tiniest room I’d ever seen—a storage closet, maybe?—and shoved him inside before squeezing in after him.

“This is ridiculous,” Noah muttered as I quietly shut the door behind us.

“Shut up!” I whispered back.

The room was so small that we were practically plastered against each other, his chest brushing against mine with every breath. My nose bumped his collarbone, and I had to angle my face to avoid a full-on collision.

“Really?” he said, his breath tickling my ear. “Out of all the places to hide?”

“Would you rather get caught by your brothers and explain why you’re in a closet with the new hire?” I shot back.

He opened his mouth, then closed it, clearly out of arguments.

For a moment, the only sound was the faint echo of footsteps outside and the awkward shuffle of our breathing. Then I realized how close we were—too close.

His hand brushed against my hip as he shifted, and I could feel the heat radiating off him in the cramped space. I looked up, and he was already staring down at me, his eyes unreadable.

“Comfortable?” he asked, his voice lower than usual.

My breathing hitched as the scent of him—woodsy and sharp, like pine and smoke—filled the air. I tried to shift, but the room was so small there was nowhere to go. His hand brushed against my hip again, and a jolt of electricity shot through me, so intense it made me gasp softly.

“Noah…” I whispered, unsure if it was meant to be a protest or a plea.

His head dipped lower, and I froze, my breath hitching as his lips hovered near mine. Not touching, not yet. But close enough that I could feel the heat of them, close enough that my entire body went taut with anticipation.

My wolf practically howled with approval, her presence loud and insistent in my mind. She wanted this. She wanted him.

And for one heart-stopping moment, I realized…I might, too.