MY TRIPLET ALPHA BULLIES WANT ME NOW.

CHAPTER 6

MIRABEL POV.

Either I’m starting to get lucky, or I have officially lost my mind. There’s no in-between. The monster brothers were acting so out of character that it was borderline creepy. Nice. Too nice. Like, suspiciously nice. Not only were they driving me to school this morning, but they had also handed me a gift—a freaking album from my favorite artist.

Not just any album, though. A limited edition K-pop album, complete with signed merch. If you were a die-hard fan like me, you’d understand the sheer euphoria of holding something that rare. I could not decide if I was supposed to squeal or faint. It was perfect.

But it was also unsettling because these triplet Alphas had tried to kill me not too long ago.

WAIT.

I’m sure you are wondering how the hell we got here. How did we go from me barely surviving their wrath to sitting in their car, clutching the holy grail of fandom gifts?

Let me rewind. Trust me, you are going to want the full story on this one.

I was woken up this morning by my mom singing “Happy Birthday” while dragging me out of bed. Her voice sounded like a dying whale, but hey, it’s the thought that counts.

“Happy birthday, Mira,” she said, pulling me into a tight hug.

“Thanks, Mom,” I replied groggily.

“You’re officially an adult now,” she said, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “My baby’s not a little girl anymore. Children grow up so fast.”

I nodded, unsure how to respond to her sudden wave of nostalgia. After a moment, her expression turned serious.

“Mirabel,” she began. “We have done everything we could to keep suspicions away, but now it’s time to face reality. You are a hybrid, Mira. And with that comes… challenges.”

“What do you mean?”

She sighed, sat on my bed, and motioned for me to sit beside her.

“When a hybrid comes of age, their wolf and witch sides fight for dominance. It’s a volatile time. You will experience heightened emotions—anger, fear, and even power surges. And in extreme cases, there’s something we call blood rage.”

“Blood rage?” I half-screamed.

Her words sent my head spinning. I felt nauseous like I was about to empty my stomach all over the floor.

“No, no, no,” I stammered, shaking my head frantically. “Oh my God, I’m going to be a monster.”

“Mira, look at me.” She said, holding my shoulders. “You are not a monster. I know you, and I know you won’t let this control you. These challenges will only happen during the transition period. You will be fine once you find a balance between your wolf and witch sides.”

“How do you know that?” I whined.

She smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “Because I’m your mom, Mirabel. I know you. From the moment I held you in my arms, I knew you were special. You have so much good in you—more than you realize.”

Her words comforted me a little, but my chest still felt tight.

“So,” she said, clapping her hands to break the tension, “enough worrying. It’s your birthday, and we are going to make it a good one. Go take a bath and get ready for school. When you return, I have the best birthday surprise for you.”

I gave her a small, shaky smile and nodded.

“That’s my girl.” She winked. “And don’t forget your pills!” she called out as I shuffled to the bathroom.

“Got it, ma’am!”

Those pills had been my lifeline since I turned fifteen, suppressing my wolf and witch sides so I wouldn’t shift too early or give myself away. They had done their job well—at least, until the triplets nearly drowned me. Now, I wasn’t just taking them to stop an early transformation; I was taking them to stop myself from becoming the exact reason hybrids were outlawed in the first place.

***********

The walk to school was supposed to be uneventful—just me, my thoughts, and the usual depressing realization that school exists. But then I noticed a car following me. The street was practically deserted, so the fact that this car kept following me was more than a little unsettling. My heart started racing as I picked up my pace, but the car just matched my speed.

I was about to break into a full sprint like I was being chased in a horror movie when the tinted window rolled down.

“Hey, birthday girl! Need a ride to school?” Owen, one of the triplets, called out, grinning like he owned the world.

“Screw off,” I snapped before I could stop myself.

“Ooooh, feisty today, are we?” Owen teased, his stupid smirk growing wider. “I think I like this side of you, cupcake. It’s sexy.”

“Yeah? Well, I think I like the side of you that shuts up. Oh wait, that doesn’t exist.” I rolled my eyes and kept walking, determined to ignore him and his ridiculous pet names. It was my birthday today, and I wouldn’t let them ruin it for me.

“Come on, cupcake,” Owen pleaded, leaning out the window. “We are not going to leave you alone unless you hop in. Save us all the trouble.”

I stopped again and gave him a flat stare. “Do I look like I’m auditioning for a kidnapping? No thanks. Drive off before I report you for being weird in public.”

His laugh echoed down the street as the car kept trailing me. “Weird? Nah, we are just… dedicated.”

I groaned. Clearly, I wasn’t getting rid of these clowns anytime soon.

They finally pulled the car directly in front of me, blocking my way. Noah, who was behind the wheel while the other two idiots lounged in the back, leaned over. “Mirabel, please,” he said gently. “I know we haven’t been… kind to you. But I swear we are not going to hurt you.”

“Speak for yourself,” Damian said with an evil grin that made my stomach drop. “I could change my mind.”

Noah shot him a warning look. “Don’t worry, he won’t. I won’t let him. I promise,” he assured.

I was about to tell him where to shove his promises, but then he looked at me with those stupid blue eyes. They were so sincere, so mesmerizing, so ugh. My wolf stirred, purring in delight.

And damn it, my treacherous wolf ate it up. She practically forced my legs to move, and before I knew it, I was sliding into the passenger seat. Right next to Noah.

Don’t get it twisted—I’m not some gullible fool. If it were just me, there’s no way I’d be here. But my wolf? Oh, she’s a sucker for those stupid sexy eyes and that smooth, too-sweet voice. Not me, though. Definitely not.

Anyway, fast forward to the present, and here we are: me, stuck in the car with these lunatics, all because they bribed me with my very first limited-edition K-pop album and merch. When I asked how they knew my favorite artist, Damian rolled his eyes and muttered something about me plastering their faces all over my locker.

I bolted out of that car as soon as we got to school. Sure, they’d handed me the best birthday gift ever—weirdly Damian’s idea—but I wasn’t about to stick around. Who knew how long it’d take for their fuse to blow and the bullying to start again? Experience had taught me one thing: their kindness always came with strings, and I was not about to get tangled in them.

I was halfway down the hallway, practically sprinting, when Damian’s voice boomed behind me.

“Mirabel!”

Every head in the hallway snapped toward me. My stomach dropped. Of course. Just because it’s my birthday doesn’t mean Damian would take a day off from tormenting me.

He stalked toward me, and I froze like a deer caught in headlights. My confidence, which had been holding up in the car, crumbled the moment Noah wasn’t around to balance out Damian’s unpredictable wrath.

“Please, not today,” I muttered under my breath.

Damian stopped in front of me, and I swallowed hard, bracing for whatever fresh hell he was about to unleash.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Relax,” he said, his grin softening into something almost… normal? “I just wanted to give you these.” He reached out and placed my knitted gloves into my hands, his touch unexpectedly gentle. “Wouldn’t want you getting cold. I heard there’s going to be a heavy snowstorm later.”

I blinked at him, “That’s it?”

Damian’s smirk returned. “What were you expecting, Snowball?”

“Uh—” Before I could come up with a coherent response, his hand ruffled my hair like I was some kid he was babysitting. “See you in class, Snowball. Happy birthday. Oh, and Merry Christmas in advance.”

And just like that, he walked off, leaving me standing there in stunned silence.

The entire hallway, however, wasn’t so silent. The stares burned into me like lasers filled with shock and jealousy. If looks could kill, I’d already be six feet under.

What the hell was going on? This had to be part of some long, sick game. Damian being nice to me never ended well. I clutched my gloves like they might explode.

He was up to something—he had to be.