Resisting the Alpha Triplets by Cara Anderson

Ch. 48 I’ll Wait

Mallory’s POV

Three sets of nostrils flared the second Cary and I walked into the Alphas’ office at the packhouse. If the entire situation hadn’t been such a disaster, it would have been almost comical to see the vastly different expressions on the three men’s faces.

Clay looked livid. Colton wore a pained expression, like he was remembering his scent on me and wished it still was. But it was Nathan;s expression that sent guilt searing through me like lightning strikes and threatened to split my chest open. Because Nathan just looked… heartbroken.

“Nathan, I-” I started softly, unsure what to say but wanting to say something to erase that look from his face.

“I have some important information to share.” Nathan stood abruptly, tucking his pain away and adopting a formal expression that was all business.

Seeing the effort it took for him to hide his feelings almost hurt more than his blatant sadness, But I shook it off, letting my arms fall limply at my sides. It was my cross to bear and no more than I deserved. I wouldn;t make this harder for him than it had to be.

“Well she’s here now. Tell us what’s going on.” Colton ground out, obviously displeased with Nathan’s reluctance to share.

“We put some feelers out to see if we could find out anything about the conditions within the former Hazelwood pack. One of Mikhail’s contacts got a hit.

“There is a man that says he used to live there but managed to escape. He still has family on the inside and thinks he can get us some useful information. But he refuses to talk unless we can assure his safety and that of his family.

“We had no contingency for this scenario and as this is Mallory’s call to make, i wanted to discuss it with her.” Nathan informed us all.

“Set up a meeting. Give him the assurances he requests. I want to talk to him myself.” I stated emphatically.

“No!” Clay barked. “That’s too dangerous.”

“Absolutely fuck no!” Cary added imperiously. “We’ll go. It could be a trap and we can’t risk your safety.”

“You’re not risking it! I am!” I insisted. “Nathan will take me. He and Mikhail will keep me safe. Their contact can vouch for them and whoever this guy is, he won’t be spooked by a seemingly powerless woman. He’ll feel more comfortable talking to me.”

“She’s right.” Nathan interjected in support of my plan. “I’ll make the call.”

He got up and left the room, pulling out his cell phone as he went. As soon as the office door closed behind him, all hell broke loose.

“You can’t be fucking seriously considering letting her do this.” Colton pounded his fist on the table.

“She’s not doing this!” Clay revolted.

“No fucking way is she going without me.” Cary agreed.

“She is right here!” I roared at the top of my lungs. “And the last time I checked, I didn’t require your permission. My decisions are my own.”

“We’re your mates, Omega! We’re a team and we should make decisions together!” Colton blared.

“Is that what you were doing when you spent the night with your fingers in my pussy then ran back into Darcy’s arms the next day? Being a team player? Because if you were, I would have to question whose team you’re on!” I yelled, enjoying the way his face paled at my words. “And don’t call me Omega! It’s Alpha Brooks to you!”

“Sorry to interrupt.” Nathan’s voice was like a bucket of ice poured over the room. It was my turn to turn pale knowing he’d heard what I said about my night with Colton. “He can meet us in the city in half an hour. Is that enough time?”

“Plenty.” I answered flatly, turning on my heels and striding from the room.

All three of my mates followed behind me, some arguing against me going without them and some arguing against me going altogether, But I ignored them all, not stopping until I reached the passenger side of Nathan’s car. I turned and leaned my back against the door with my arms over my chest.

“I’m not your helpless Omega,” I narrowed my eyes, throwing daggers at Colton, “and I’m not your property. I am Mallory Brooks Edwards and future Alpha of the Hazelwood pack if I so choose. You’re going to have to get used to that idea. Start now!”

I slipped into the car and shut the door, shutting out their protests along with it. Nathan drove out of the packhouse drive and out of Black Moon territory without saying a word. The silence was deafening, almost making me wish for the arguments and raised voices I’d just left behind.

“Nathan, please talk to me.” I begged, more than a little whine to my voice.

“What is there to say, Mallory? You’ve obviously made your choice. I would have liked to think you would have told me yourself rather than letting me find out in a room full of people with you drenched in their scent but I guess that was too much to ask.” He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, telling me how he truly felt more than words ever could.

“But I haven’t,” I said, watching his face morph from hurt to confused.

“Haven’t what?” He gritted out between clenched teeth.

“Haven’t made a choice. Haven’t chosen them.” I sighed. “I’m so sorry I’m hurting you Nathan. Everything is just so…complicated. The bond, the pull, it’s overwhelming at times. Especially physically.

“But despite what I know it must have looked like, and smelled like, I haven’t mated with them. And even if I had, it wouldn’t erase the years of pain they put me through. I’m not sure If I can get past that.

“I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me anymore. None of this is fair to you, But they are my fated mates and I feel like I owe it to the Moon Goddess to at least explore the possibility that we could accept each other.

“I have no right to ask you to wait for me. You deserve more than to be somebody’s back-up plan. Though I’d never see you that way, I’m sure it must feel that way to you. I’m truly sorry for that.” I apologized again. 2

“You must severely underestimate my feelings for you if you think for one second I wouldn’t be willing to wait for you, Mallory. Seeing you with them, hearing them lay claim to you, knowing they’ve touched you in ways I never have, that all hurts like a fucking bitch.

“But I’d endure it a hundred times over for the slightest chance you might choose me in the end. So yeah, I’ll wait. Until you wear their marks, I’ll wait.” he declared.

“Nathan,” I whispered, but I had no idea what else to say.

“We’re here!” He announced, eliminating the need for me to say anything else at all.

We had arrived at a small diner on the outskirts of the city. There was a gas station next door with lots of big rigs in the lot but not much else. Nathan came around to open my door and when I got out, he immediately pulled me into his side.

“You stick to my side like glue, Do you understand me?” He waited for my affirmative response. “Good. Mikhail has men watching the building from all sides and he is nearby too but I’m not taking any chances.”

We walked in and sat in the offered booth. The place had a grimy look to it, the quintessential trucker hang-out and I had a feeling the food was of the same caliber. So when the waitress came to take our order, we both stuck to soda and nothing else.

I looked around at the dingy posters on the wall, all faded and yellowed at the edges. As expected the clientele were all burly men in trucker hats and more facial hair than seemed sanitary.

Finding nothing more interesting to calm my shaky nerves, I focused on downing my newly delivered Coke.

Nathan just stared at his drink, tapping the side of the glass with his fingers distractedly. We both jerked around in our seats when the door chime alerted us to a new presence. But before I could determine if they were headed our direction, an intense wave of nausea washed over me.

“I’m going to be sick!” I slapped my hand over my mouth, rising from my seat and looking around for the restrooms.

“I’ll come with you.” Nathan insisted, standing up too, but I shook my head.

“No! One of us needs to be here or they might think we didn’t show.” I argued. “I’ll be right back. I’m not going far. The bathroom is right over there. Nothing bad is going to happen to me in there,”

Famous last words. I rushed into the bathroom and bent over the sink, heaving as I frantically pawed at the paper towel dispenser. I managed to tear off a length and soak it with cold water, dabbing it on my face and willing the nausea to subside.

“Perfect timing.” I grumbled under my breath, wondering what could possibly be making me ill faster than my wolf could heal me.

Or was it just nerves? Before I could answer that thought the bathroom door creaked open and I felt a presence looming behind me. I lifted my head to greet the witness to my humiliation but all I saw was a distorted figure before everything went black.