Chapter Four
Elora's POV
The three of them stood side by side.
They didn't look like triplets. Not at all. If I hadn't known, I would have thought they were just three strangers standing together, watching me like prey.
My throat went dry. I knew I was going to meet someone tonight, but not them. Not the triplets. Not my mates.
The one on the far end had a grin tugging at his lips. He looked younger than the rest, almost like a teenager even though I knew they were only a year older than me.
His hair was shock white, so white it glowed under the dim lights, and his eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. He didn't look bothered at all in fact, he seemed excited to see me.
The one in the middle— gods, he looked like trouble. His long dark hair brushed against his neck, falling in strands that framed his sharp jawline. He wore a fitted black shirt that looked ready to rip open from how hard his muscles strained against the fabric. The quiet, heavy kind of power radiated from him, the kind that made my stomach twist.
And then there was the last one.
The tallest. The one with a permanent frown carved into his face. His body was huge, larger than both of the others, his shoulders broad, his arms thick with muscle.
His hair was dark too, styled back into tight waves that made him look even more intimidating. He had the look of someone who lived in the training grounds, someone who bled sweat and steel.
There was a visible scar across his eyebrows.
"Goshh, the scent is so strong," the white-haired one broke the silence, sniffing the air like he was drunk on it. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to control my wolves if we keep meeting up like this."
The last one, the one with the short hair sucked in a deep breath, but it was strained.
His chest rose and fell quicker, his jaw tightening as though his wolf was clawing to the surface just because I was in the same room.
He turned abruptly, muttering something under his breath before climbing the stairs, leaving the air behind him heavy and tense.
I shifted my weight awkwardly, my eyes flicking between the remaining two. "You're my mates?" I said, though the answer was already written in their eyes. "I didn't know you were the ones who lived here. I'll… I'll clean this up." I pointed lamely at the shattered vase on the floor.
"You didn't know what?" The long-haired one shot back, his voice sharp, doubtful, like I had just fed him poison instead of words.
I swallowed hard. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, so I was… startled."
They looked terrifying, yes—but I wasn't about to let them scare me into silence. The only difference between us was that they were stronger. That was it.
The tallest one's lips twisted. "I knew you'd be this kind of person. Gullible. Stupid. A pretender. I hate someone who acts like you." His words were spat like venom.
What?
My heart kicked in my chest. I stepped forward, heat flooding my face to make sure I hadn't misheard. "What?"
"How come you didn't know we were going to be here? You don't have to lie about the whole thing."
That was it. The last piece of patience in me snapped.
"I knew it. I knew you guys were going to be assholes," I hissed before I could stop myself. "Spoilt little kids with the brain of insects. I wish I was never found. I can't believe I'm stuck between the three of you."
I snatched my bag from the chair and stormed toward the door, fury rushing through me hotter than fear.
When I reached him—the tall one. I tilted my chin up and spat the words right into his chest. "Fuck you." I shoved my arm against him as I pushed past.
He was so strong that he didn't even budge.
He was so much taller, his frame so much bigger than mine, but I didn't care. Not at this point.
They could kill me in a blink if they wanted to. The only reason I dared to raise my voice was because I knew they wouldn't. They couldn't do that, especially to their mate.
Not when the Moon Goddess had tied us together. I was the only seer left, the last of my bloodline.
But before I could touch the doorknob, a blur flashed, and suddenly the white-haired one was standing in front of me, blocking my escape.
Oh! Right? Super speed. I had forgotten they could move really fast.
"You can't leave yet," he said with a grin, his eyes glinting like he enjoyed this.
"I can. And I can't keep up with your bullshit too." I tried to sidestep, but his arm shot out, curling around mine and tugging me back.
"Ouuuu," he chuckled low, dragging his tongue across his lip. "Feisty. I love it."
The one I had dared to talk back to moved with slow, dangerous steps, each stride filled with authority. His tall frame seemed to darken the space as he came to stand directly in front of me.
The brother who had pinned me earlier released my wrists, grinning like he had just been entertained. My skin burned from the pressure he left behind, but my eyes didn't waver.
"Maybe I was wrong," the one in front of me said, his voice low and sharp, "but you don't talk to us that way."
"Why?" I snapped, the words tearing out of me before I could stop them. My voice trembled, but my spirit didn't bend. "You want me to shit in my pants anytime I see you? Bow down to you and worship you? Do I look like someone who can get walked upon?"
The air thickened. His jaw tightened. In a flash his hand shot out, wrapping around my neck. My breath caught, panic clawing at my chest as his fingers pressed hard against my throat.
Never in my life had I felt a grip like that. His palm was hot against my skin, trembling faintly—not with weakness, but with something else he was trying to control. His nostrils flared as he stared down at me, his pupils blown wide. For a second his grip faltered, but then it tightened again.
"Never in my twenty-three years have I ever come across someone who disrespected me this way," he snarled, his breath brushing my lips. "Just because you think you are my mate doesn't mean I can't do anything to you."
The edges of my vision blurred. My heart hammered against his palm, every nerve screaming, but I forced myself to look him dead in the eye.
"Then do it," I rasped, voice rough against the choke of his hold. "Kill me if you want to. I knew I did right by running from you monsters."
His nostrils flared harder, his entire body rigid as if fighting something inside himself. I didn't understand it, but I could feel his hand shaking slightly where it pressed against my throat.
His lips curled into something darker than a smile. "I will punish you. A more rewarding punishment, worse than your death."
And just like that, he released me.
My knees gave out. I hit the ground, my hands flying to my neck, sucking in air like it was the first time I'd ever breathed. My skin stung where his fingers had been, red marks already rising.
This this was just one of my problems. My mates hated me.