Mated to the Triplet Alphas Chapter 5: Intoxicate

“What in the blazes is occurring here!?” A powerful voice suddenly thundered.

All four of us snapped our heads around simultaneously, catching sight of the triplets purposefully striding toward our group.

A gasp escaped me, and an inexplicable warmth flooded my being, an invisible current urging me closer to them. It required every ounce of my self-control to resist the urge to rush forward and embrace them.

This was the very first time I was seeing them in person since the transformations began. I absorbed their presence, my eyes devouring every detail.

They had always possessed striking good looks, yet I had never truly paid them any mind.

For my entire existence, I had witnessed countless girls fawning over the triplets purely based on their appearance. Determined not to be like them, I had deliberately ignored their attractiveness. But now, in this moment, I found myself far more captivated than any of those girls. My gaze was utterly fixed upon them.

Every sense felt amplified. My vision was keener, allowing me to discern every subtle contour and delicate line on their faces. My fingertips tingled with the desire to trace those features, to feel the minute variations that distinguished their identical countenances.

“Someone explain to me this instant why there’s a red mark on Hazel’s face!” Lucas demanded, his voice laced with fury.

I flinched, suddenly jolted back to reality as I realized they had reached us. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t even noticed their approach until he spoke. The stinging sensation on my cheek had completely vanished in their imposing presence.

I tentatively touched my face, curious about the extent of the redness.

“Answer my question. Which one of you had the audacity to lay hands on Hazel!?” Lucas boomed, his anger escalating.

While his brothers addressed the girls, Levi gently cupped my face. He moved his thumb over my tender skin with a softness I had never experienced before.

“Does it hurt? Are you alright?” he inquired, his voice thick with concern.

I felt as though I had stepped into an entirely different reality. My mouth opened, but no words emerged.

The girls’ faces were masks of shock as they observed our interaction. I had no doubt my own expression mirrored theirs.

“Did I not explicitly warn all of you yesterday that she was not to be touched?” Lucas growled, redirecting their attention back to him. “Who was it?”

They remained utterly silent, their bodies quivering with apprehension. Pure terror flashed in their eyes, as if they were only now comprehending the gravity of their transgression.

“Since none of you will confess to striking her, you shall all face an equal punishment,” Lucas declared, his tone unyielding.

Their eyes widened in alarm. Melanie took a hesitant step forward. “Lucas, please, don’t do this! We are your girlfriends.”

“Ex-girlfriends,” Liam corrected coldly. “We terminated our relationships with you ladies, if you recall?”

“No! You can’t!” Annie cried out, attempting to grasp his hand. “Please, I love you.”

A wave of revulsion washed over me, churning in my gut. An instinct deep within me rebelled violently at the thought of another female touching my mate.

The sheer intensity of my feelings surprised even myself.

Fortunately, he recoiled his hand just before I could descend into embarrassing violence, like clawing her eyes out.

“Don’t even consider touching me, or I might just rip your head off,” he retorted, his voice dripping with the same disgust I felt.

It was a small comfort to know that I wasn’t alone in my visceral reaction.

They retreated rapidly, visibly intimidated, recognizing the seriousness of the triplets’ intentions.

“Y-You can’t possibly treat us like t-this over a s-slave,” Melanie stammered, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

The triplets’ gazes turned as dark and forbidding as the night sky. This time, Levi intervened.

He seized her by the front of her dress, yanking her forcefully towards him. “And what exactly makes you believe you are worthy of us? The future alphas?”

“Are you not merely the daughters of lowly gammas within this pack? Perhaps you’ve begun to perceive yourselves as superior to us now,” Liam sneered.

“Just because we chose to associate with women like yourselves, I suppose you started to develop inflated notions of your own importance. What, pray tell, makes you superior to Hazel? She possesses qualities that make her ten times the woman any of you could ever be!” Levi roared, his voice resonating with protective fury.

“From this moment forward, I will not tolerate anyone speaking ill of Hazel,” Lucas proclaimed with absolute finality.

He continued, his voice hardening further. “The very next disrespectful word you utter about her will spell your doom. Not only will I ensure your punishment, but I will also guarantee that your parents lose their insignificant standing within the pack. Does that prospect appeal to you?”

She frantically shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears.

“I am granting you precisely 30 seconds to vacate this hall,” he commanded sharply.

They did not wait for a single second to elapse before scattering from the hall in utter defeat.

As for myself, my jaw remained slack in astonishment. The fact that they had so fiercely defended my honor left me utterly dumbfounded.

For a fleeting moment, the impulse to flee, just like the girls, crossed my mind. However, Lucas turned his attention towards me.

“Hazel,” he began, his voice remarkably softer than I had ever heard it. “I am aware that you have been deliberately avoiding us.”

‘Well, obviously!’ I thought internally, choosing to keep the remark to myself.

“You have every right to do so. We failed to treat you with the respect you deserved in the past. We were unequivocally wrong. As the eldest, allow me to extend the first apology on behalf of all of us,” he concluded, his tone somber.

“I too offer my apologies, Hazel,” Liam added, his expression one of genuine remorse. “We have no justifiable excuse for our past actions. Our only hope is that you can find it in your heart to forgive us.”

“I am truly, genuinely sorry, Hazel,” Levi chimed in, his voice filled with sincerity.

I could hardly process the words reaching my ears. I gave myself a sharp pinch, needing to confirm whether I was caught in a dream.

I was not. The sharp sting was undeniably real, causing me to emit a small cry and instinctively rub the sore spot.

Levi gasped, immediately taking my hand and gently kissing the reddened mark.

Among the three of them, one seemed unable to keep his hands off me, yet I couldn't bring myself to dislike it. A tingle spread across my skin from his touch.

“Why would you do that to yourself? You are not permitted to get hurt from this moment onward,” Levi pleaded, his voice choked.

“I second that,” Liam chimed in, his agreement firm.

“Thirded,” Lucas added his voice to the chorus.

“This is truly crazy,” I whispered, my gaze shifting between the three brothers. It felt surreal, having them stare at me with such potent attraction and evident care.

“What is crazy?” Liam inquired, tilting his head slightly.

“You all are suddenly being so incredibly kind to me. You don’t even seem taken aback by this whole situation. You’ve simply accepted it all—me being your mate...having to s-share me.”

A deep blush spread across my cheeks, the word itself feeling embarrassing to utter.

“It isn’t strange at all,” Liam assured me with a warm smile. “We had always assumed our mate might be the same person. It’s quite common for twins and triplets to share their mate.”

“We were prepared for this possibility,” Levi confirmed. “So, will you forgive us?”

I found myself hesitating. It was difficult to simply forget the years of torment and harassment I had endured, inflicted by the triplets and their parents.

No matter how strong my attraction to them grew, the memories wouldn't just vanish.

A part of me yearned to lash out, to tell them to leave me be, to storm out of the hall.

However, the mate bond suddenly tugged insistently, a powerful reminder that these men were my fated partners, my destiny.

An overwhelming impulse surged within me, compelling me to reach out to them.

Their eyes darkened simultaneously. I knew they were experiencing the same pull. Our bond was insistent, demanding completion.

My eyes met Lucas’. I could discern the fierce battle raging within his gaze, his struggle for self-control.

But as the eldest and most powerful, he ultimately prevailed. I watched as his mask of composure settled back into place, and I let out a breath of relief.

Just as I was beginning to relax, a hand suddenly grasped me, yanking me forward.

It was Levi!

“Your scent is absolutely intoxicating. I feel like I’m losing my mind. I can’t resist,” he muttered, his voice thick with a dazed quality.

My eyes widened in alarm as he turned my head, exposing the delicate skin of my neck. His teeth clamped down with brutal force.