Trap of the King Alpha Triplet

Emily.

Leo stood there, looking slightly disheveled but back in human form. His golden eyes met mine, filled with a mix of emotions I couldn't quite decipher. "Hey," I said softly, suddenly feeling shy. "You, uh, feeling better?"

He ran a hand through his tousled hair, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to freak you out."

I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. "It's fine. I get it, werewolf stuff and all that."

Leo's expression turned serious. "It's more than that, Emily. You... you do things to me. To all of us. And I'm sorry if we came on too strong earlier. We just... we want you so badly, it's hard to control ourselves sometimes." I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. "I... I don't know what to say to that."

He took a step closer, his scent - pine and musk and something uniquely Leo - enveloping me. "You don't have to say anything. Just... give us a chance? Let us show you how good we could be together?"

I looked up at him for a moment. "Okay," I whispered.

Leo's face lit up with a grin so bright it could have outshone the sun.

"I'll try. But on my terms, got it? No more throwing me in lakes or springing naked surprises on me." I said. "Deal," he said, reaching out to tuck a stray curl behind my ear. The touch sent sparks racing across my skin.

"Emily," Leo said, his voice low and husky. "I want to kiss you."

My heart was pounding so hard I was sure Leo could hear it. My breath caught in my throat. I looked up at him. Slowly, achingly slowly, he lowered his head. I felt my eyes flutter closed as his lips met mine. The first touch was soft, almost hesitant. Like a butterfly's wings brushing against my skin. But then, as if a switch had been flipped, the kiss deepened.

Leo's hands came up to cup my face. I found myself pressing closer, my own hands fisting in the fabric of his shirt.

The world faded away until all I could feel was Leo. The heat of his body, the taste of his lips, the intoxicating scent of pine and musk that was uniquely him.

I was drowning, burning, flying all at once. Every nerve ending in my body was singing, and I swore I could feel actual sparks dancing along my skin.

Wait. Sparks?

My eyes flew open, and I gasped against Leo's mouth. Because there, right in front of me, Leo's eyebrows were on fire.

"Oh my god!" I yelped, pulling back. "Leo, you're "

But it wasn't just his eyebrows. His hair was smoldering, and as I looked around in horror, I saw that the curtains beside us were starting to smoke. Even the carpet was beginning to spark. "Noooo!" I cried, grabbing Leo's arm and yanking him into the bathroom. I shoved his head under the faucet, turning on the water full blast.

"What the" Leo spluttered, but I was too busy trying to pat out the embers in his eyebrows to explain.

Once I was sure the fire was out, I stepped back, taking in the soggy, singed mess that was Leo King. And suddenly, absurdly, I started to laugh.

After a moment of confused blinking, Leo joined in, his deep chuckles mixing with my giggles until we were both clutching our sides.

"So," Leo said when we'd finally caught our breath, "I guess that's the power of magic, huh?"

I nodded, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. "Yeah, it... it happens sometimes. When I get really emotional."

A wicked grin spread across Leo's face. "So you liked our kiss that much, huh?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the way my stomach flipped at his words. "Don't let it go to your head, wolf boy. Now come on, we need to put out the rest of the fires before we burn this place down."

We stepped out of the bathroom, and I got to work extinguishing the small flames on the curtains and carpet. As the adrenaline wore off, I felt a wave of shyness wash over me. What now?

I snuck a glance at Leo, only to burst into fresh giggles. His hair was a disaster, sticking up in all directions and singed at the ends.

"What?" he asked, reaching up to touch his ruined locks. "That bad, huh?"

I nodded, trying to stifle my laughter. "Let's just say you won't be winning any hair model contests anytime soon."

Leo's eyes twinkled with mischief. "So, when's the last time you got so excited you set someone's hair on fire, hmm?"

The question caught me off guard, and before I could think better of it, I blurted out, "Ugh, probably when I first met Damien."

The change in Leo's demeanor was instant. His eyes darkened, a low growl rumbling in his chest. "Don't mention that guy in front of me," he snapped. "You belong to me."

I felt my own temper flare. "Excuse me? I don't belong to anyone, you stupid wolf. Want me to burn off the rest of your hair?"

Leo's expression softened, though I could still see the tension in his shoulders. "Okay, baby. That's all in the past. From now on, the only people who can get you excited are us."

I raised an eyebrow, fighting back a smile. "I wouldn't be too sure about that."

We made our way downstairs, where Logan and Luca took one look at Leo and burst into raucous laughter.

"Holy shit, bro!" Logan wheezed, clutching his sides. "What happened to you?"

"You look like you stuck your finger in an electrical socket!" Luca said.

Leo shrugged, a rueful grin on his face. "What can I say? This is what happens when you fall for a witch."

I felt a warmth bloom in my chest at his words. Fall for me? Was that what was happening here?

"Hey, Em," Luca said, still chuckling. "You got any magic that can fix this disaster?"

I shook my head, fighting back a grin. "Not everything can be solved with magic. Especially not something magic caused in the first place."

An idea struck me, and I rummaged through a nearby drawer until I found a pair of scissors. "But maybe I can help the old-fashioned way."

Leo's eyes widened. "Whoa, hold on. You're not coming near me with those."

I rolled my eyes. "Relax, you big baby. I used to cut Mom's hair all the time. Unless you'd rather live as a wolf until it grows back?"

That shut him up quickly. I gestured for him to sit, and soon I was carefully trimming away the singed ends, shaping his hair into a style that complemented his strong jawline.

As I worked, we fell into easy conversation, the four of us trading quips and gentle teasing. It felt... nice. Comfortable, even. Like maybe, just maybe, we could make this weird situation work. "All done," I announced, stepping back to admire my handiwork. "What do you think?"

Leo examined his reflection in a nearby mirror, turning his head this way and that. "Not bad, little witch," he said with a grin. "You've got some skills."

"Don't sound so surprised," I retorted, but I couldn't help the pleased flush that warmed my cheeks.

Before I knew it, it was time for lunch. The triplets led me to the dining room, where a spread that would put most five-star restaurants to shame awaited us.

I breathed, taking in the array of dishes. "Don't tell me that you guys make all this."

The boys exchanged guilty looks. "Well," Logan admitted. "We might have had some help from a local catering service."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I Knew!"

As we dug in and oh my god, the food was amazing, I was pretty sure I'd died and gone to culinary heaven - we discussed plans for the afternoon.

"How about a movie?" Luca suggested. "We've got a killer home theater setup."

I nodded, but then a thought occurred to me. "Wait, what kind of movies do you guys even like? Please tell me it's not all superhero flicks and cheesy werewolf versus vampire stuff."

The triplets looked offended. "Hey, we have taste!" Logan protested. "Besides, those werewolf movies are ridiculous. They always make us look like mindless, hairy beasts."

I smirked. "Oh? And you're saying you're not?"

Leo growled playfully, flashing his canines. "Watch it, little witch. We'll make you watch one of those movies with the ugly, hunchbacked witch villains."

I gasped in mock outrage. "You wouldn't dare!"

We went back and forth like that for a while, each trying to one-up the other with increasingly ridiculous movie suggestions. It was... fun. I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed this much. Finally, we settled on a classic Chaplin comedy. "No witches, no werewolves," I declared. "Safe for everyone."

As we were clearing the table, Logan mentioned casually, "Oh, by the way, your mom's official Luna ceremony is next week."

I froze, nearly dropping the plate I was holding. "What? How could Mom not tell me about this?"