The Triplet Alphas' Secret Mate-Chapter 54: Reject His Offer

Scarlett’s POV

​I expected him to yell. I expected the full force of his Alpha rage, but instead, the fire in his eyes just... went out. He looked smaller, his shoulders sagging as he stared at me with raw, broken pain.

​"I want to accept you," he whispered, the word dropping like a bomb. "I want to accept this bond, Scarlett."

​I froze. My heart, which had been hammering against my ribs, felt like it stopped beating entirely. I was confused. After two years of cold shoulders and averted eyes, he was saying the words I used to cry myself to sleep wishing for.

​"Scarlett... I will be made Alpha tomorrow," he continued, stepping closer until I could feel the warmth of his breath. "Just give me a few days. Once the coronation is over, I’ll tell everyone. I’ll stand in front of the pack and say it... that you are my mate. That you are my Luna."

​I looked at him, and for the first time, I didn’t know what to feel. Days ago—even hours ago—I would have done anything to hear him say this. I would have crawled through broken glass for this moment. But right now, standing here with the ghost of Ethan’s kiss on my lips and the bruises of the last two years on my soul, I felt... hollow.

​"Say something," he begged, his voice trembling. "Please, Scarlett."

​I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat painful... then slowly shook my head. "Leo... don’t."

​His eyes blinked, wide and wounded. "Why? Scarlett, I’m giving you everything. I’m telling you I’m choosing you."

​"What am I saying?" I repeated, my voice rising as a sudden anger rose up in my chest. "I’m saying don’t do it. Let’s just keep things the way they are. I don’t want to accept this bond. I don’t want to be your Luna."

​Leo reached for my hands, his eyes filled with desperation. "I know you’re angry. I know I hurt you. I know I was a coward, but I will make up for it. I swear on my life, I’ll make it up to you."

​I scoffed, pulling my hands back as if disgusted by his touch. "Make up for it?"

​A bitter laugh left my lips. I stepped into his space, forcing him to see the tears of rage blurring my vision.

​"Leo, you and your brothers ordered the hanging of my parents," I spat. "How are you going to make up for that? Will you bring them back? Will you reach into the ground and pull them out? Tell me, Leo! How do you fix that?"

​His face went pale.

His lips parted, but no words came out.

​"Exactly," I said, my voice breaking the heavy silence of the room. "You can’t. You can’t fix it, Leo. So please... just leave."

​I couldn’t look at him anymore. I turned my back, walking away toward the window to stare out at the dark trees. I wanted him gone. I wanted the scent of him out of my room so I could stop feeling like my heart was being torn in two.

​But instead of hearing the door open, I felt a sudden rush of heat.

​Shockingly, Leo’s arms wrapped tightly around my waist from behind. He pulled me back against his chest, burying his face in the crook of my neck. I froze, my hands hovering over his as his touch burned through my thin nightgown.

​"I am sorry, Scarlett," he whispered against my skin, his voice muffled and low. "I am so, so sorry."

​I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. My wolf, Zoe, was stirring, her tail tucking between her legs at the sound of his pain. She wanted to lean into him, but I held myself rigid.

​"I love you, Scarlett," he said, his grip tightening as if he were afraid I would vanish if he let go. "You may not believe it, but you were my first and only love. You always have been."

​I swallowed hard, a single tear finally escaping and rolling down my cheek. The words I had waited years for felt like they were arriving far too late to save anything.

​"I won’t let go of you, Scarlett," he vowed, his breath shaky against my back. "I will fight. I don’t care about the coronation or the pack anymore. I will fight for you."

​He suddenly pulled away, the loss of his warmth making my wolf curl inside. I kept my back turned, my eyes fixed on the window. I heard his heavy footsteps move toward the door. I heard the click of the latch as he opened it, and then the soft thud as he stepped out and left me alone in the silence.

​I swallowed hard and curled up in my bed, pulling the thin blanket over my shoulders. My wolf, Zoe, was whimpering and whining inside me, mourning the touch of our mate, but I ignored her, forcing my eyes closed. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

​After a rough, restless sleep filled with dreams of gallows and eyes, I finally woke up. I glanced at the small clock on my bedside table and realized it was 6 a.m.

For a moment, I just lay there, staring at nothing. My chest felt tight, like something was sitting on it.

His voice wouldn’t leave my head.

I love you, Scarlett.

My wolf stirred again, aching... wanting him.

"No," I whispered to myself.

I pressed my hand to my chest, trying to steady my breathing, but it only got worse. His scent was still in the room, thick and impossible to ignore.

"I can’t stay here," I whispered.

Zoe agreed instantly.

We needed to run.

​I dressed cautiously, pulling on some old clothes that I didn’t mind ruining. Leaving my room, I noticed the packhouse was already buzzing with even more activity than yesterday. Servants were carrying massive trays of food and decorations. Everyone was busy. It was the perfect time to vanish.

​I managed to slip out the side gate and walk into the treeline. The forest was quiet, the morning mist clinging to the ground like a shroud. I hadn’t even gone deep into the woods when I noticed a presence.

​The air shifted, growing heavy with a familiar scent. I became alert, my heart hammering against my ribs. Zoe stood on high alert, her fur bristling.

​That was when a figure stepped out from behind a massive oak tree.

​It was Leon.

​He was completely naked, his skin slick with sweat, his chest rising and falling like he’d been running for miles, and his eyes were dark with an intensity that made me want to bolt.