Billionaire Quadruplet Alphas

Thursday 24th September, 2020

Harper’s POV

I awoke feeling well-rested. I had never slept quite so deeply. I looked at the reason for this as she lay still asleep in my arms. She had requested a room in the “servants’ quarters” which I had refused to give her. After some bickering, she caved and slept in my room, her head resting on my chest and one of her legs resting across my waist. I was painfully hard, my morning wood intensified due to the presence of my mate. I was glad she was fast asleep so she couldn’t feel it bulging against her thigh. I tried to extricate myself but Holly tightened her arms around me and mumbled something in her sleep.

Suddenly, the double doors to my room rattled. Someone was banging on the doors. I stiffened for a moment, worried that it was another group of guards sent after my Holly. I had no idea what the lingering Lotus was and why she had stolen it but I really didn’t care. She was mine and she was absolved of all wrongdoing in my eyes.

“Harper!” Whined a voice I would know anywhere.

I quickly shot out of bed, unfortunately disturbing my little Holly.

I flung open the doors. Star.

“What’s wrong?” I demanded.

There were tears streaming down her face. She rushed into my arms and I pulled her to me, hugging her tightly and rubbing her back gently.

“Star, try to calm down enough to tell me what’s the matter! Let’s fix it together,” I suggested, cupping her tear-streaked face in my hands.

Star sniffled. I heard a huffing sound. I glanced behind me. Holly was sitting up on the edge of the bed with her arms folded and her little face in a scowl. My wolf and I chuckled, enjoying our mate’s possessiveness of us though misplaced.

“Holly, this is my twin sister, Star,” I said, grinning.

Holly’s scowl faded. She smiled shyly, her cheeks flushing a little. She smoothed her tousled waves and ringlets.

“Star, this is my fated mate and future Luna, Holly,” I announced happily.

Star actually stopped crying for a moment.

“Oh, Harper, I’m so happy for you two,” said Star softly, pulling me into another hug.

“Thanks, Movie Star,” I murmured. “Now, what’s going on with your mates? I refuse to believe these tears have nothing to do with them!”

Star sighed.

“I have a confession to make. A huge one,” she whispered.

I felt like my heart had dropped into my stomach.

“Should we involve Dad in this?” I asked, realising I needed to explain Holly to Great Grandmother, Dad and cousin Asriel.

“We might have to…but I wanna just tell you first. It’s about something you had wondered about back when we met,”

“You’re going to tell me why you really hired me in the first place?” I asked eagerly.

Star nodded.

She sat next to me on the edge of the bed. Holly was twiddling her thumbs, her eyes downcast.

“Holly, come here,” I said, motioning for her to come sit at the foot of the bed with us.

“Yes, my Lord,” said Holly brightly, crawling across to us and sitting on my other side. She leant against my side. I wrapped my arm around her waist, my other arm around Star’s shoulders. Holly hugged my torso, snuggling closer. I had given up for the while on getting her to use my first name. I would give her a little more time to get comfortable with me and the castle and to not think that every sudden noise heralded an imminent arrest. We had not so much as kissed last night. Holly was immensely shy when it came to things like that. All we had done was hold each other but I was not about to rush her. My beautiful little mate could take her time. We were strangers still although the bond was so strong. Also, the last time I asked a girl for a k**s, the said girl turned out to be my long-lost twin sister so I was thankful she had turned me down.

“Harper,” breathed Star.

I rubbed her back. “Just say it, whatever it is, I won’t be upset,” I said.

I would probably be upset but I would hide it for her sake. Holly was gazing up at us with a quizzical look on her face.

“Should I go, my Lord? Is this a private family matter?” Whispered Holly.

“No, Baby, stay right here, where you belong,” I murmured, planting a k**s on her marking spot. She shivered a little and tightened her hold on me.

“Harper, Noah just called,” said Star.

I was going to f*****g kill him.

“He told me Jillian and Chet were in a bad car accident,” said Star, more tears slipping down her flushed cheeks.

Oh. That wasn’t the Quads’ fault. Wow. Something that wasn’t the Quads fault.

“I’m so sorry, Star,” I said, pulling her closer. “Are they ok?”

I figured they were no ok. I pictured Jillian’s big smile the last time I saw her. She was Star’s best friend. I held Star tighter.

“They’re alive,” said Star. “But they’re in ICU.”

“They’ll pull through,” I told her. “They’re wolves. Their healing rates are fast.”

“I don’t know. Toby’s back at Viper Moon,” Star added.

“Ok, so you wanna be there with Toby and Gillian and Chet,” I said. It wasn’t a question. It was plain as day she wanted to go see them.

“I know it’s a lot to ask, with you about to take over here and all, but will you come back with me? For a little while? I don’t wanna go alone,” said Star.

I smiled slightly.

“It’s not a lot to ask, Star,” I said.

She smiled through the tears.

“We shared a womb. Your sorrow is sorrow and your joy is my joy,” I told her.

“Thank you, Harper,” she said, resting her head on my shoulder.

“It’s all my fault,” she said softly.

“The car accident?” I asked.

This was the confession part. I could feel it.

“I don’t see how that could be your fault but tell me your thoughts,” I said.

“Harper, I…the Quads…they…they have a curse on their family,” said Star.

Holly shifted uncomfortably on my other side. I tightened my arm around my mate. She was probably feeling as though she was intruding upon a family matter but she was family.

“The curse was placed on the Quads’ ancestor Oleander who tried to poison the mate of his brother Alpha Alto because she was a witch,” explained Star.

What an a*****e! Of course, someone like Jonah was descended from a long line of assholes. I bet Oleander had a side chick back in his day too.

“So, Alpha Alto drank the poison accidentally because he drank from his mate’s wedding cup,” said Star. “And he died. His mate was Georgianna, a Mother of a witch coven. She cursed Oleander so that he would never know true love as he had robbed her of her love.”

Fair enough. I glanced at Holly who was staring at Star, listening closely. I could only imagine how it must feel to have someone rob you of your mate intentionally.

“So, the curse affects you and the Quads down to this day?” I presumed.

Star nodded.

“So you needed to be with other people?” I asked.

Me and Angie.

Star nodded.

“Permanently?” I wondered.

“No, we just wanted to fool the curse into thinking we were with other people. We wanted to make it seem as if Angie was the Quads’ mate,” explained Star.

“So, what happens if you throw caution to the wind and just be together openly? You…” I didn’t want to say it. I was suddenly boiling with rage.

“Well, if they marked me or if they married me, the curse would claim my life,” said Star.

Did Eli know about this? Did all four of them know?

“And all of the Quads are aware that they’re risking your life by being with you?” I clarified as calmly as I could.

“Well, I wouldn’t say it like that…” began Star.

“How exactly would you say it?” I snapped, my patience running short.

This was a very big cover-up come to think of it.

“I…” said Star, pausing, looking worried by my reaction.

“And what does this have to do with Jillian and Chet?” I asked.

“The curse goes after people in our lives if we spend to much time together as mates,” said Star.

I chuckled humourlessly.

“So even Dad or me or even Holly could die just because you and the Quads are on a date or something?” I asked.

“Don’t make it sound so awful,” whispered Star.

“IT IS AWFUL!” I bellowed.

The room shook. I hadn’t meant to do that. Holly squeaked but clung more tightly to me rather than run away though I was the source of the chaos. Star didn’t flinch. She just kept her eyes downcast.

“I love you, and I would never want anything to happen to you, ever!” Said Star. “But the way it happened wasn’t linear and you know that!”

She had a point. I sighed.

“We were just fake-dating at first when I didn’t know you were my brother so I didn’t think you would’ve been in danger and only teachers had been hurt so far!” Said Star.

The two dead teachers. The curse had already claimed people. And now it was trying to take Jillian and Chet.

“Excuse me, my Lady, what was that?” Said Holly suddenly.

“What was what?” Said Star, confused.

“You said something about dating his Highness,” said Holly, looking horrified.

Oh f**k.

“Holly,” I said quickly. “That…uh…Star hired me to pretend to date her back when we didn’t know we were related,” I said, watching Holly’s expression carefully.

Holly blinked.

“Did you lay down together as a husband and wife does?” Asked Holly.

Star looked mortified.

“NO!” We both said in unison.

Holly looked a little relieved.

“Am I to assume you were raised separately in the absence of your parents?” Asked Holly.

“Yes,” we both chorused.

“How long did you…court one another?” Asked Holly.

“Our completely fake courtship for which I was paid lasted literally a few days and consisted of being seen together dancing or holding hands or just standing around,” I said, stressing almost every word of that sentence.

“No kissing,” said Holly, locking eyes with me.

I glanced at Holly’s lips before my eyes found hers again. “No kissing,” I confirmed.

Holly and I stared at each other as if entranced.

“Ok, now that we have made it clear there was no twin-cest, I need to explain the plan to fix the curse to you and my new plan to keep you and Dad safe,” said Star.

“What word was that?” I asked.

Holly made a disapproving face.

“I’m moving on from that part of our history forever,” said Star, refusing to repeat that ridiculous word.

“Did you make that word up?” I asked.

“Harper!” She said.

“Ok, tell me your plan,” I said, “And make it involve dragons,” I added.

“It can’t involve dragons,” said Star.

“And Holly goes with me everywhere I go, no exceptions,” said Harper.

“I wouldn’t dream of separating you and Holy!” Said Star, agreeing.

“And we have to tell Dad,” I said pointedly.

“We can’t tell Dad just yet,” said Star. “He’ll never let me go visit Gillian if we tell him and he already agreed when I told him what happened.”

“You just told him about the car accident and nothing else?” I said angrily.

“Harper, please just give me a few days. Three tops!” Said Star.

“Two,” I said.

“Not counting today right?” Asked Star eagerly.

“Two days is forty-eight hours from this very moment,” I specified.

Star sighed. “You know Dad gave the Quads seven days to sort out themselves and come back for me and he’s a ruthless warrior. You’re tougher than Dad!”

“Good,” I said dryly.