Trap of the King Alpha Triplet

Emily.

I woke to the soft sound of sniffling. Blinking away the fog of sleep, I turned my head to see Mom sitting beside my hospital bed, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy. "Mom?" I croaked, my voice still rough from disuse.

She startled, quickly wiping at her eyes. "Oh, Emily, sweetheart. You're awake. How are you feeling?"

I tried to sit up, wincing as my muscles protested. Mom was there in an instant, helping me adjust the bed so I could recline comfortably. "I'm okay," I said, though the words felt hollow even to my own ears. "Just tired, I guess." Mom's face crumpled, fresh tears welling in her eyes. "Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. I've been a terrible mother lately, haven't I? I've been so caught up in my own life, I haven't been there for you like I should have been." "What? No, Mom, that's not true at all," I protested, reaching out to grab her hand. "None of this is your fault, Mom."

She shook her head, squeezing my hand. "But I should have been more attentive. If I had been around more, maybe I could have prevented this somehow."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, a small smile tugging at my lips despite everything. "Mom, I'm an adult. You can't protect me from everything."

"You're five months away from turning eighteen," Mom pointed out, a hint of her usual sass creeping back into her voice. "Technically, you're still a minor."

We looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. It felt good to laugh, even if it made my ribs ache a little.

"Seriously, though," I said once we'd calmed down. "I'm happy you've been taking more time for yourself lately. You deserve it, Mom. You've sacrificed so much for me over the years."

Mom's eyes softened, and she reached out to brush a stray curl from my forehead. "Oh, Emily. When did you get so wise, huh?"

I shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed. "I don't know. I guess... I just remembered that you're not just my mom. You're a woman too, with your own life and dreams. And seeing you with Alpha Christ, how happy you are... it makes me happy too."

Mom's eyes welled up again, but this time her smile was radiant. "Come here, you," she said, pulling me into a gentle hug. I melted into her embrace, breathing in the familiar scent of lavender and home.

After a moment, Mom pulled back, her expression turning more serious. "Now, about what happened at that party... Alpha Christ told me a rogue managed to break into the pack and hurt you. How on earth did that happen?"

I bit my lip, not sure how much to reveal. "I, uh... I accidentally drank some spiked punch at the triplets' party. The rogue grabbed me when I was disoriented."

Mom's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Emily Rose Blackwood, what have I told you about accepting drinks from strangers?"

"I know, I know," I groaned, flopping back against my pillows. "It was stupid. Trust me, I've learned my lesson."

"Well, just in case, maybe we should review some of those protection spells I taught you," Mom said, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Remember the one that lets you throw people up in the air and drop them? That could come in handy." I couldn't help but laugh. "Mom! We can't just go around tossing people into the air."

She shrugged, completely unapologetic. "Why not? It's not like we'd be hurting anyone... much. And if some creep tries to grab you again, a broken hand might teach him a lesson."

"Okay, okay," I conceded, holding up my hands in surrender. "I promise I'll review the spell notes you gave me. Happy?"

Mom nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now, is there anything else you want to talk about, sweetheart? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

I hesitated, chewing on my lower lip. There was so much I wanted to tell her, so much I needed to get off my chest. But where to even begin?

"Actually, yeah," I said slowly. "There is something. It's about... well, it's about my wolf. And the triplets."

Mom's eyebrows shot up. "What about them?"

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "So, you know how Eartha's been kind of... showing and missing lately? Well, it turns out that before all this happened, she actually showed up for a bit. And when she did, we found out something pretty big." "Emily," Mom said, her voice low and serious. "What are you trying to tell me?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, the words tumbling out in a rush. "The triplets are my mates. All three of them."

For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence. Then...

"WHAT?!" Mom exploded, jumping to her feet. "How long have you known this? Why didn't Alpha Christ tell me? Oh, I'm going to wring that man's neck!"

"Mom, Mom, calm down," I said, reaching out to grab her arm. "It's only been about a week. I'm pretty sure Alpha Christ was just trying to be respectful and let me tell you myself."

"A week?!" Mom repeated, her voice rising an octave. "You've known for a week and you're just telling me now?"

I shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, okay? I was kind of dealing with a lot. You know, losing my wolf, nearly dying, the teenage drama."

Mom deflated a little at that, sinking back into her chair. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm sorry. You're right, of course. I just... the triplets? Really?"

I nodded, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. "Yeah. Crazy, right?"

"Well," Mom saide. "How do you feel about it? About them?"

I let out a long sigh, running a hand through my tangled curls. "Honestly? I have no idea. It's all so complicated, you know? I mean, they've been such jerks to me for so long, but then they saved me from that rogue, and now they're being all... I don't know, protective and stuff. It's confusing."

Mom nodded, reaching out to pat my hand. "I can imagine. Love is never simple, especially not when it comes to werewolves."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Speaking from experience?"

She laughed. "Oh, you have no idea. I always thought I'd end up with some powerful, handsome witch. Instead, I fell for your father, and now Alpha Christ. The heart wants what it wants, I suppose."

We shared a smile, the tension in the room easing a bit. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Mom called out, and I felt my heart skip a beat as the triplets filed into the room.

With a wave of her hand, Mom conjured three chairs out of thin air, sending them dancing across the room to settle behind the boys. "Have a seat, boys," she said, her tone deceptively sweet. "We were just talking about you."

The triplets exchanged nervous glances before sitting down. I had to bite back a laugh at the sight of these big, bad alpha wolves looking so uncomfortable under my mother's scrutiny.

"Mrs. Blackwood," Leo began, his usual confidence faltering slightly. "We, uh, we just wanted to check on Emily. See how she's doing."

Mom's eyes narrowed, and I could practically see the protective mama bear rising to the surface. "Oh, is that so? Well, let me make one thing perfectly clear, boys. Emily is my daughter, my precious baby girl. And if any of you so much as think about hurting her, I will personally ensure that you spend the rest of your lives as very unhappy toads. Are we clear?"

The triplets nodded frantically, their eyes wide. I couldn't help it - I burst out laughing.

"Mom!" I gasped between giggles. "Stop terrorizing them. I'm pretty sure they get the point."

Mom's stern expression melted into a grin. "Oh, alright. I suppose I can leave you kids to it. But remember what I said, boys. Toads."

With that parting shot, she stood up and headed for the door. But just before she left, she turned back to me, her eyes softening. "I love you, Emily. Never forget that, okay?"

I felt a lump form in my throat. "I love you too, Mom."

As the door closed behind her, I turned my attention back to the triplets. They were all staring at me with varying degrees of amusement and awe.

"Your mom is terrifying," Luca said, shaking his head. "I think I just saw my life flash before my eyes."

I smirked, feeling a surge of pride. "Yeah, she's pretty awesome. So don't get on witches' nerve, remember?"

There was a moment of awkward silence, and I suddenly felt very aware of how small the room seemed with the three of them in it. It was like being surrounded by a wall of muscle and testosterone.

"So," I said, aiming for casual and probably missing by a mile. "What brings you boys to my humble hospital room? Besides the threat of amphibian transformation, I mean."

Leo cleared his throat, leaning forward in his chair. "We wanted to talk to you about something, actually. A proposal, of sorts."

I raised an eyebrow, my guard instantly up. "A proposal? Should I be worried?"

Logan chuckled, shaking his head. "Relax, firecracker. It's nothing sinister. We just thought... well, once you're out of here, maybe we could take you on a date?"

I blinked, sure I must have misheard. "I'm sorry, what?"

"A date," Luca repeated, a hopeful smile on his face. "You know, that thing where people go out and do fun stuff together? Usually involving food and awkward conversation?"

I looked between the three of them, waiting for the punchline. When it didn't come, I let out a disbelieving laugh. "You can't be serious. A date? With all three of you?"

Leo shrugged, trying (and failing) to look nonchalant. "Why not? We are your mates, after all. Might as well get to know each other properly, right?"

I opened my mouth to argue, to tell them exactly where they could shove their date idea. But then I caught the look in their eyes and something else I couldn't quite name. And despite myself, I felt my resolve wavering.

"I... I don't know," I said finally, picking at a loose thread on my blanket. "This is all still so weird for me. I mean, a week ago you guys were making my life hell, and now you want to take me on a date?"

Logan leaned forward, his blue eyes serious. "Emily, we know we've been assholes. We're not proud of it, trust me. But this mate bond... it's changed things. We want a chance to show you who we really are, beyond all the alpha posturing and high school bullshit."

I chewed on my lower lip, considering. Part of me - a big part - wanted to tell them to take a hike. But another part, a tiny voice in the back of my mind that sounded suspiciously like Eartha, was urging me to give them a chance. "Fine," I said finally, holding up a hand to stop their excited reactions. "One date. But I have conditions."

"Name them," Leo said immediately, leaning forward eagerly.

I ticked them off on my fingers. "One, no pressure. This isn't some magical fix-it date that's going to make me fall head over heels for you guys. Two, I get to choose when and where. And three," I fixed them with my sternest glare, "if at any point I want to leave, you let me. No questions asked. Deal?"

The triplets exchanged glances before nodding in unison. "Deal," they chorused.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "Okay then. I guess... I guess we have a date."

I looked at the triplets. Leo's intense gaze, Logan's easy smile, and Luca's boyish excitement - I realized that maybe, just maybe, I might actually a little be looking forward to this date.