The Triplet Alphas' Secret Mate-Chapter 16: Hiding His Concern

​Scarlett’s POV

​"Why?" The word left my lips before I could stop it—a small, broken sound that hung in the air of the grand study.

​The three Alphas exchanged a look, their faces unreadable. It was Alpha Levi who finally spoke, his voice softening just a little. "We are setting you free, Scarlett... for old time’s sake. Before the tragedy, your parents were our friends. We want you to have a chance at a life that isn’t defined by the walls of this packhouse. You should be happy."

​I nodded slowly, my throat tight. "Yes... I should be happy."

​But I wasn’t. Since I was six years old, these woods had been my world. I had known this pack as my home, even when it turned into my cage. I had never seen the world beyond the border, and now I was being told to vanish into it.

​I wouldn’t get to see Lana again. I wouldn’t see Jameson or Jane grow up. And the triplets... the boys who had been my best friends before they became my tormentors. Despite the marks on my neck and the cold way they had dismissed me this morning, the thought of never seeing them again made my heart ache in a way I couldn’t explain.

​I forced myself to hold back the tide of emotion, my nails digging into my palms. "Thank you, Alphas," I whispered, bowing my head.

​"One more thing," Alpha Lennox added, his voice regaining its steel. "You are to tell no one. Not the staff, and especially not our children. We want this transition to be quiet. No scenes, no goodbyes. Do you understand?"

​"I understand," I said, my voice barely audible. I was being exiled in secret. I was leaving without a single goodbye, as if I had never existed at all.

​"You may go," Lennox commanded. "Prepare yourself. Tomorrow, at midnight, you leave."

​I stood on shaky legs, thanked them one last time, and retreated from the room. The moment the heavy mahogany doors clicked shut behind me, the first sob broke through. Tears rolled down my cheeks, hot and fast. I kept telling myself this was for the best—that I was escaping the bullying, the servant’s work, and the confusing, predatory games the triplets played.

​But as I hurried toward the servants’ quarters, I couldn’t explain why I kept crying. It felt less like I was being set free and more like I was being erased.

​I was so blinded by my tears that I didn’t see the figure leaning against the stone pillar at the end of the hall. I walked straight into a solid, warm chest that smelled of rain and mountain air.

​Strong hands gripped my shoulders to steady me. I looked up, my vision blurred, into the piercing, dark eyes of Leo.

​He didn’t say a word. He just stared at my tear-stained face, his nostrils flaring as he caught the scent of my distress. His gaze dropped to my trembling lips, then back to my eyes, his grip on my shoulders tightening just enough to let me know he wasn’t letting go.

​"Why are you crying, Scarlett?" he asked, his voice a low, angry vibration. "And why did you just come out of my father’s study looking like the world ended?"

​I opened my mouth to speak, the lie already on my tongue, but the sound of heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoing down the hallway cut me off.

​Liam.

​The air suddenly turned freezing as his scent of sharp mint and cedar collided with Leo’s mountain air. Leo’s hands, which had been surprisingly steadying on my shoulders, dropped instantly as if my skin had turned to hot coal. The tenderness I’d seen in his dark eyes vanished, replaced by a shuttered, impenetrable mask.

​"What the hell is going on here?" Liam’s voice boomed, his presence filling the corridor. He looked between the two of us, his green eyes narrowing with a dangerous, suspicious glint. He looked tired, his jaw set in a hard line that told me he was still reeling from whatever had kept him awake all night.

​Leo didn’t even flinch. He let out a sharp, mocking huff and stepped back, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

​"Nothing," Leo said, his voice now flat and cruel. "It’s just typical Scarlett, isn’t it? Looking for attention as usual. I caught her lurking outside Father’s study, crying for no reason. She probably thinks a few tears will get her out of her chores for the day."

​The whiplash of his change in tone made me flinch more than Liam’s shouting ever could. I looked at Leo, my heart stinging, but he wouldn’t even meet my gaze.

​Liam stepped closer, his shadow falling over me. He leaned down until we were eye to eye, his nostrils flaring as he took in my scent.

​"Is that it, Scarlett?" Liam hissed. "You’re crying for attention now?"

​I looked down at the floor, my hair falling forward to hide my face. "I’m sorry, Alpha," I whispered, the word ’Alpha’ feeling like a jagged rock in my throat. "I’ll get back to the kitchens."

​"See that you do," Liam snapped. "And stay away from my father’s study. You have no business in that wing."

​I didn’t wait for another word. I turned and hurried down the hall, my legs still trembling. I could feel both their gazes on my back—Leo’s silent, calculating stare and Liam’s burning, possessive heat.

​I reached the safety of the servants’ stairs and collapsed against the cold stone wall, gasping for air. They had no idea. They were mocking me and shouting at me, completely unaware that in less than thirty-six hours, I would be gone forever. Leo had acted like he didn’t care, but the way he had held my shoulders for those few seconds... it felt like he was deeply worried.

​But the moment his brother appeared, he hid his concern.

​I wiped my eyes and straightened my collar, making sure the bruises were still hidden. I had one day left. One day before I was forced to leave the only home I had ever known.

​