Avenging The Triplet Alphas

Chapter 11

Arielle’s POV

My mouth hung in shock as I stared at Ethan as he told me about his past. I had suspicions that he had been through a rough patch earlier in his life.

I could often see the sadness deep in his eyes when he thought no one was looking but I didn’t know he had been through so much more than I had thought.

He lost his parents and he was betrayed by an uncle who he had loved with his heart and a woman who was supposed to be his mate for all of eternity.

I didn’t know how he came out of all of this with his kindness intact, it didn’t make any sense to me if I were in his shoes, I would’ve built walls reaching for the sky to prevent anyone from ever coming close but he had welcomed me with open arms and treated me like one of his wolves for months, providing me with everything I ever needed, making sure I or my unborn pup never lacked anything.

I didn’t know many people who would do that for a stranger but I had doubted his true intentions for me because of my bad past.

Silly me.

“I’m sorry, Ethan. I had no idea you’ve been through hell and back.”

He stared at me, his eyes glassy, and for the first time, I saw the real Ethan, a broken man with a desire to do good for the rest of his life.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. You’ve had your fair share of problems from where you come from, it has made you skeptical and doubtful of any form of long-lasting happiness. It puts you on the edge, you mentally prepare yourself for the day it would end.”

“Yes,” I whispered. The memories of my bullied past flicker before my eyes.

“What happened to you, Arielle?” Ethan asked. “I’ve never bothered to ask about your life but since we’re stripping off our guards and laying it bare before each other, I might just as well satisfy my curiosity.”

I gave him a small smile as I shuddered, taking the time to compose myself before I dived back into the ugly side of my life.

Ethan remained silent, offering me comfort with his silence.

“Life in the Silver pack wasn’t what many expected it would be, especially if you weren’t born to a high-ranking wolf or your family didn’t command rest, you would easily be picked on and ridiculed for the rest of your life.”

“Why were you bullied in high school, did you ever know why?” Ethan asked me softly, his intense gaze piercing my soul, trying to figure out my deepest thoughts.

“Is there any reason why kids get bullied in school?” I laughed bitterly. “They love the thrill that comes with seeing weaker wolves cower before them, I guess. I never bothered to ask.” I shrugged.

“But I didn’t mind, you know? I could live with the bullying rather than trying to fight it which would lead me into more trouble than I already was in. I once had a friend who would always stand up to the bullies. Jake was a scrawny little guy but he had a big heart, he wouldn’t cower or shy away from getting into it with the bullies.” I smiled at the memory of Jake yelling at the top of his voice with his claws jutting out of his hands and he dared anyone to come close. “I think they got scared of his big heart at one point.”

“What happened to Jake?”

“We found his dead body floating in the river a week after the authorities had reported him missing. That was the end of brave Jake. Everyone had their suspicions but no one would dare point fingers for fear of ending up like he did.”

“Bloody hell!” Ethan exclaimed.

“Bloody hell, Ethan. I had no choice but to suffer in silence, I didn’t want to end up dead like Jake did. So I woke up every morning wishing it would be my last day of high school, I couldn’t wait to be free.”

“You’ve said you were mated to the Van Tyson triplets, how could they sit back and watch you be ridiculed?”

“They intervened eventually. I was being bullied in the cafeteria during recess one fateful day and the trio walked into the room and made their way towards me.” A wistful smile played on my lips.

“I was scared at first, you know?” I said, turning towards Ethan.

“I thought they were here to make it worse for me.

They belong to the upper echelons of the school’s hierarchy, the same class the bullies belonged to. But much to my surprise, they picked me off the floor and cleaned me up. I thought that was all there was to be, I had finally found favor in their eyes and I wouldn’t be bullied anymore but they had one more surprise in store for me.”

“Loki called for everyone’s attention and he announced to the entire school that had managed to gather in the cafeteria after the news spread like wildfire that I was now their mate which meant an automatic upturn in my fortunes. I thought it was a joke at first, why would they want me to begin with? I had no land, title, or wealth to my name. My parents were bad. Surely there were a lot more female wolves who would be a better fit to become their Luna than I would ever be.”

“The commotion threw the cafeteria in a frenzied state after they announced the news and I managed to escape and head to the comfort of my home and crawl into bed, hoping to wake up to find out that it was all a dream. The next morning, I heard a knock on my door and I opened it to the Van Tyson triplets standing outside my front porch.”

“It wasn’t a dream,” Ethan said.

“No, it wasn’t. It was real and I was the claimed mate of the Van Tyson triplets.”

***

“Good morning, Arielle.” Loki started, a broad smile on his face as he leaned against the doorpost.

“You ran off without saying goodbye yesterday at school,” Elijah added. “Now, that wasn’t very polite, was it?”

“I—“ I opened my mouth to speak but Jonathan cut me off.

“We’re here to take you to school. You shouldn’t be seen walking down the street like some commoner, you aren’t that anymore.”

It was all happening so fast again. Yesterday wasn’t a fool’s dream. They meant what they said and seeing them standing here only solidified that statement.

“Why me?” I blurted out, trying to understand what was going on. “You can snap your fingers and have any girl you want in the world. They’re lots of girls with better portfolios than me, why did you claim me as yours?”

“They weren’t what we wanted,” Loki said after a deafening silence. “They’re all about the power and glamor that comes with the Van Tyson name but you’re different. You don’t care about any of those, we’ve been watching you for a while now and we debated on it and we chose you, our hearts did.”

I could feel my heart jackknifing against my ribs, it was all too surreal to take in at once. “I don’t know if you’ve realized by now that I don’t have anything to offer you. I don’t have wealth or influence and I don’t come from a powerful wolf pack. My parents are dead and I’m the last surviving member of my pack.”

“Believe me, we know everything about you. Your past, your family’s history, and even what you eat for breakfast every morning. The announcement in front of everyone was a little bit irrational, I must admit but we’ve had our eyes on you for a long time now.” Loki finished, trying to convince me.

I leaned against the door and shut my eyes, trying to maintain my composure. “A lot of people won’t be happy about this, I assure you this.”

“We don’t care about what many people think, you ought to know this by now.” Elijah scoffed.

“No one would dare mess with the three of you, you’re untouchable but I don’t have that kind of luxury. Putting me out there is simply exposing me to more dangers lurking out there and I don’t have the strength to face these obstacles alone while you three are wherever you would be making merry leaving me alone and at the mercy of whoever chooses to come for me.”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Loki smiled at me, and my eyes roamed toward his brothers who both wore matching amused looks on their faces.

“What are you talking about?” I frowned, unable to figure out what was so funny.

“Accepting to be our Luna means you become untouchable as well, you gain access to the higher-ups as we have and you become an exalted member of the Silver pack as a result of your new status,” Loki said, his eyes twinkling as he spoke.

“What my brother is trying to say is, you become the most desirable she-wolf on earth,” Elijah added.

“So what do you say?” Jonathan began, “Do you accept our claim to be your mate?”

I hesitated, what could I possibly lose? Nothing but I could get all I’ve ever wanted if this works out. Maybe all I needed to do was take a huge step of fate.

“Yes.”