Resisting the Alpha Triplets by Cara Anderson

Ch. 38 Devastating News

Mallory’s POV

My hands trembled nervously at my sides as I neared the front door of the Winter Woods Packhouse. Maybe Nathan wouldn’t even be home. I hadn’t called to say I was coming, not wanting him to ask questions I was woefully unprepared to answer. So I was about to show up unannounced and drop a bomb in his lap.

For the entire drive, my mind had been consumed with how to tell him the triplets were my fated mates. I practiced the speech over and over again, changing tactics from one imaginary scenario to another.

Option one: “Nathan, I have some important news to share. My name is Mallory Brooks, not Edwards. I’m the rightful Alpha of the Hazelwood pack.

Oh and BTdubs, I have a wolf now and I’m mated to the triplets.”

“That won’t work.” My wolf chimed in. “He’ll smell me as soon as we arrive. I’ll be the first thing he asks about.”

“Right. Damn it!” I huffed, answering her aloud.

“It’s not that complicated. Just walk in, tell him you shifted, you’re mated, end of story. Then let’s go home to our mates. After last night, they more than proved they have what we need.” She purred wantonly.

“No! No, no, no, no, no!” I vehemently disagreed. “I’ll admit the mate pull is strong and last night I was weak. I just wanted to feel something, anything besides the anger, pain and fear that was consuming me. But that can’t happen again, Raven. I’ve already explained this to you. We can’t trust them!”

“But-” She whined.

“No buts!” I cut in. “Nathan has loved me unconditionally. He’s never done anything to hurt me. I know you’ll grow to love him once you get to know him. That’s IF he’ll forgive me. Again. Which is highly unlikely. But even if he won’t, it will never work with the triplets.”

Raven growled her displeasure, turning in circles in my head before plopping down and refusing to participate further in my mental speech preparation. Maybe she had it right. Maybe option two should be just blurting it out, though not with the end result she intended.

By the time I reached the packhouse, I hadn’t come up with a solid option three. So there I was, knocking on the door with absolutely no idea how to approach the coming conversation. Or how to explain my lascivious behavior with Clayton and Cary once again. I was well and truly fucked!

“Oh, hi Mallory!” Mikhail, Nathan’s Beta, answered the door. “Nate didn’t mention we’d be seeing you today.”

“He didn’t know. It’s sort of a surprise.” I improvised, not wanting to share the gory details with him.

“Well he’s down at the training grounds. Would you like to wait in his office? I’ll let him know you’re here.” He offered.

“Sure. Tell him to take his time. I don’t want to interrupt if he’s busy.” I said, hoping for a bit of a reprieve.

“Will do.” He nodded and strolled away, leaving me to make my own way to the office.

I’d only been there once or twice, never having visited Winter Woods before returning home from the academy. But it was easy enough to follow my nose to the place Nathan spent most of his time. Especially now that I had my wolf.

Stepping inside, I closed the door behind me. I thought about taking a seat but my body hummed with nervous energy, compelling me to pace the room. My eyes wandered without really seeing, too consumed by the challenging task that lay ahead.

What I did register was Nathan’s scent. Specifically the way it hadn’t changed, remaining the same masculine fragrance I’d always recognized to be uniquely his. Pleasant in a soothing kind of way.

I’d never been drawn to Nathan’s scent, never craved it the way I seemed to crave the triplets’ smell, wanting to bury my face in their neck and breathe them in until I was drunk on it. Now, with the mate bond, their scents seemed to have a direct line to my pussy, making my panties wet with just one sniff.

I clamped my thighs together against the throbbing need that just the memory of their scent inspired. The thought was so enthralling, I didn’t hear Nathan enter the room, startling me when he called my name.

“Mallory?” I turned to see a huge grin spread across his face. “What are you-”

He stopped mid-sentence, having caught my scent on an inhale.

“I shifted. I have a wolf.” I announced before he could ask.

“What? But you’re not eighteen yet.” His face fell, the realization that I wasn’t his mate dawning on him.

“It’s a long story. I think we should sit down.” I said with a sigh.

Nathan walked over to me slowly, lifting my chin with a finger and searching my eyes. For what, I didn’t know. Then he took my hand and led me to the little two-seater sofa and pulled me down beside him.

“I’ll always make time for you Mallory. No matter how long it takes. Tell me everything.” he prompted.

So I did. I poured out the entire grisly tale of my catastrophic first shift. Then told him all about Raven, how beautiful and brilliant she is. His eyes twinkled brightly as I spoke about her and he told me how excited he was to meet her.

The next part was harder to recite, my quavering voice betraying the emotions I hadn’t yet had the chance to reconcile. Nathan listened with laser focus as I hammered him with all the facts about my true identity. I expected him to express disgust, shock, or disbelief. What I didn’t expect was the slow grin that developed as he took in my words.

“What?” I finally stopped to ask when his smile lit up his eyes.

“I always knew you were special.” He said with a nonchalant shrug.

“Thank you.” I offered in a hushed tone, squeezing his hand in gratitude for the reminder of his unwavering confidence in me.

“How is Maeve? I’m sure this has all been very difficult for her. I can’t imagine it would be easy keeping such a huge secret for so many years.” He sympathized.

“I’m afraid I didn’t handle the news very well at first. But we’ve had a chance to talk and though it might take some time, I think we’ll be okay. She seemed good after our chat last night.”

“No one would blame you for being upset, love. You have every right to your feelings. You always want to make everyone around you happy but sometimes you need to put yourself first, take the time you need to process everything.” Nathan counseled me and it truly did help to settle my mind, to ease the guilt I felt for being so angry about the lies.

I dropped my head to my chest and took a few cleansing breaths, trying to calm my racing heart as panic reared its ugly head. I still had one major piece of news to share and it was the one I feared the most to divulge. Pulling my hands free from Nathan’s grasp, I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants.

“Hey, hey.” Nathan cooed to me, lifting my chin again to capture me in his comforting gaze. “You can tell me anything, Mal. Nothing you say could ever change the way I feel about you.

Whatever it is, you can trust me with it.”

“The Black Moon Triplets are my mates.” I blurted out before I lost my nerve. “They were with me when I shifted and our wolves recognized the bond.”

“I had a feeling.” Nathan revealed, wearing a sad smile now, one that didn’t reach his eyes.

“You did?” I frowned at that information.

“Mallory, I think you are the only one who didn’t suspect it. The way you were drawn to them. The way you couldn’t stay away from them even though I know you still loved me. And they had to have harbored the same suspicion. Especially Colton when he found himself kissing you despite his devotion to his girlfriend. There are only so many possible excuses for that and he generally seems like a good guy, not the type to cheat.”

I was stunned by Nathan’s comments, staring at him like he’d lost his mind. He chuckled at the bemused look on my face which once again caught me off guard. I thought he loved me. How could he be so apathetic? Seeming to register my concern, he was quick to reassure me.

“Don’t get me wrong, love. It’s devastating news but it isn’t your fault and I refuse to let you feel guilty for it.” He professed.

“I’m so sorry, Nathan. I really hoped it was you.” I said, not really sure why I was apologizing for something beyond my control but feeling the need to anyway.

“No need for that, sweetheart.” He shook his head, his voice cracking slightly which only made my own tears spill over.

He reached up to brush them away but the sweet gesture had them racing faster, as if trying to prove he couldn’t win.

“I won’t accept the bond. I still choose you, Nathan.” I managed between sniffles.

“Come here, love.” Nathan pulled me into his arms and buried his head in my hair while my tears dripped down his shirt. “You know I love you and I will take you any way I can get you. But please don’t make me promises you can’t keep. I’m aware how strong the pull of a mate bond can be. I’d even venture to guess you’ve already had some experience with that.

“Nathan, I’m-” I pulled away, determined to confess my sins and beg for forgiveness.

“It’s okay, Mal. I don’t need to know. In fact I’d rather not. Just know I don’t blame you.” His forbearing attitude only made me cry harder.

Nathan lifted me into his lap, turning me around and pulling my back tight against his chest. We just sat there silently, both lost to our own contemplation but as his arms tightened around me, I knew he was weathering his own struggles. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he spoke again.

“Mallory, I think there is something you should know.” He started, his tone putting me on edge. “I’ve had a few run -ins with men from the Blood Claw pack. They aren’t good people. In fact, I’ve heard some of them boasting about the way Alpha Quade runs his pack and most of them seem more than willing to help perpetuate his depraved ideals.

“What do you mean?” I pressed him to elaborate.

“I don’t know specifics. But from what I’ve heard, I don’t think people are safe there. Especially the women and children. It’s a very male-dominated pack where the women, children, and even weaker males are treated like cattle. Used to serve the needs of the Alpha and his Elite Guard.”

“Serve how?” I asked, almost certain I didn’t want to hear the answer.

“Like slaves, Mallory. Some as household servants, some as sex slaves, some both. And all forced to live in poor conditions, receiving the bare minimum when it comes to food and shelter.”

“Oh Fuck No!” I shouted, jumping to my feet. “Not on my watch!”