The triplets stood bickering in the said Alpha’s office, contemplating their plan of action for the so called mate nearby.
River groaned as he threw his head back in frustration, he felt like he was fighting a losing battle. “Ryker, for fuck sake. We’re here for one reason and one reason only, to take control over this pack.” He argued, before issuing Ryker a warning look. Ryker rolled his eyes before dismissively flicking his hand in front of River. “Well our mate is in the pack, whether you like it or not. When we take over, she’ll still be here.” He objected. River sighed as he began to massage his temples. “We’ll deal with that later.” River couldn’t understand his brothers infatuation with meeting their mate, he’d been clear for as long as he could remember that he wouldn’t accept whoever it was. “Aren’t you even a little curious to see who it is?” Reid shrugged, as his hands fiddled in the glass jar of mints on the Alpha’s desk. “Why?” River asked flatly. “It doesn’t change anything.” And in his mind, it didn’t. Ryker opened his mouth to protest once again, whilst Reid shoved a handful of mints in his, when suddenly the door swung open and startled the trio. Before them, stood in the now open doorway, the most beautiful woman any of them had ever seen. Her bright green eyes shimmered like emeralds, whilst her long brunette hair fell into waves down her waist. Her rose, full lips were complimented perfectly with her olive skin tone, whilst her cute button nose wore a few faint freckles. She sported a blue gym set, which hugged her curves perfectly. The girl wasn’t stick thin, but she didn’t carry any additional weight either. She had a true woman’s body, with curves in all the right places. Each of the triplets could have sworn the girl before them was handcrafted by the moon goddess herself, even River. “Shit.” River and Brielle muttered in unison. Brielle cautiously eyed the identical men before her, as she accepted the conclusion that each one of them was her mate. Well this was just brilliant, she thought. She didn’t even want one mate, let alone frigging three of them. Her father was gonna go off the rails when he found out, especially when he found out who they were. Brielle could feel Ocean urging her to go forth, to accept each of the triplets as her destined mate, but she couldn’t. It simply wasn’t part of the plan. Deciding enough awkward moments of silence had passed, Brielle headed to her desk and folded her arms across her chest, as she lent against the wooden furniture. “You requested a meeting?” She questioned, as she raised her brows and cast her eyes upon each of them once more. Harlie and Scarlett quietly made their way through the room, before taking their place behind Brielle. Neither of them knew exactly what to say in this situation, as they shared wary glances with one another, so instead they silently awaited some form of direction from their Alpha. River frowned as he watched his supposed mate lean against the desk, this plan had taken way too many complicated turns already, and now he was supposed to believe the mate he was trying to avoid was the Alpha he had came to see? “With the Alpha, yes. And you are?” He enquired, earning him an eye roll from the woman before him. “The Alpha.” She responded coldly. River sighed as he bit down on his lower lip, he couldn’t believe the unfortunate luck he was having right now. “Our mate is an Alpha?” Reid quirked up as he took his eyes off the girl for the first time since she had entered the room. He shot River a bewildered glance as he tried to understand the match. River’s frown didn’t falter as he turned to face Reid. “How’s that supposed to work?” He questioned, before suddenly realising he wasn’t supposed to care. And he didn’t, at least that’s what he told himself. “Who cares?” Ryker suddenly found his voice. “We’ll figure it out.” He shrugged, not taking his eyes off Brielle. He was completely mesmerised. Brielle snorted as the triplets spoke about her as if she wasn’t there. “I care.” She sarcastically smiled at each other them as their eyes landed on her. “I’ve got no interest in being your mate, so if you’ll quickly hurry up and tell me what exactly you needed to travel all the way down here for, that would be great.” Ryker gasped as Brielle’s words tugged on his heart. Whilst he had spent all this time hoping to find her, it never occurred to him that there was a possibility she wouldn’t want them. “You… you don’t want us?” The hurt was an evident in his voice as much as it was written all over his face. Ocean winced as she felt the pain in Ryker’s voice, just as she felt the whimpers of his wolf, Mace. She wanted her mate, she wanted all three of them. “No.” Brielle stated matter-of-factly. “Now, for the second time, what do you want?” Reid squinted as he took a step toward Brielle, as a devilish smirk spread on his lips. “How did you just get even sexier?” He licked his lips, as his eyes trailed down her body. Brielle crinkled her nose as she locked eyes with Reid. “Excuse me?” Brielle instantly regretted meeting his gaze, as she felt her cold exterior threaten to melt away. She found herself momentarily lost in his eyes as the pull toward him caused her breathing to hitch. “I love a challenge.” He winked at her, whilst slowly edging closer and closer. He couldn’t deny the fact that she was everything he had hoped his mate would be, and as much as he told himself he wasn’t too bothered about finding her, he now felt the insatiable urge to have her. Brielle rolled her eyes as she fell out of the trance the bond had temporarily found her in. “I don’t want a mate, let alone three of them.” She admitted. “And even if I did, the rumours I’ve heard about the three of you is enough to scare me off for life.” She snorted, digging the knife in Ryker’s heart deeper. “Good, neither do I.” River added as he shoved Reid away from the girl. “We’re only here because we wanted to discuss Shadow Pack with you.” Brielle threw back her head as she let out a loud laugh. “Let me guess, you’re here to bring the pack to its fullest potential?” She pressed her lips in a thin line as her forehead creased. River’s jaw set as he narrowed his eyes on the Alpha. “Yes, actually.” He replied, taken back by the attitude he’d received. “We both know the pack will thrive under Blood Moon leadership, don’t you want that for your pack members?” He challenged, taunting the girl as he plastered on his most sincere, innocent smile. Brielle scoffed, before chuckling and shaking her head in disbelief. “Is that so? And how will you do that?” She queried. “Between bedding multiple girls each night, I find it hard to believe any of you will find the time to lead an additional one thousand warriors.” River tilted his head as he listened to the girl insult him. “I’m sure we’ll manage perfectly fine, don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.” He grinned. Brielle placed her palm against her heart as she issued him a sarcastic smile. “Did you just call me pretty?” She sighed contently as she looked over her shoulder to see her beta and gamma. “He just called me pretty.” She squealed sarcastically, as Harlie and Scarlett sniggered in response. River rolled his eyes at the Alpha’s dramatics, feeling his blood start to boil from the interaction. Reid grinned as he watched his mate taunted his older brother, silently feeling more attracted to her with each passing moment. “So tell me, Romeo, how exactly do you think you’ll run the pack better than me?” Brielle questioned as her eyes bored into River. “Well for starters, there is three of us and one of you.” River began, as Brielle pressed her lips together and squinted her eyes, as she dramatically nodded her head whilst River spoke. “Plus, male wolves are typically stronger than females. Meaning we can train them harder, push them to their fullest potential, develop them to reach the standard of combat skills the warriors at Blood Moon hold. Something that you’re unable to do here.” “And…” Reid added enthusiastically. “Don’t you wish you had more time to do the things you enjoy? Go shopping with your friends, get your nails done, go to spa and so on. Let’s be real, surely you’d much rather do those things instead, which you can do when you hand the pack to us.” He concluded, smiling brightly as if he had just provided the answer that fixed all the conflict in the room. Brielle soared with laughter, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It wasn’t the presumption that she would rather do other things that had shocked her, but instead the presumption that female wolves couldn’t be as strong as men. In this moment, she thanked the heavens that River had given her that misogynistic explanation, it had only made her decision to reject the triplets that bit easier. She slowly raised herself off the desk, as Harlie and Scarlett joined her side. She let out a disappointed sigh, before tutting at River. “So, you think you’re a more capable fighter than me?” “Of course.” River shrugged. “I’d be willing to take that bet.” Brielle grinned as she stepped toward the triplet. “In fact, I’d be willing to take on all three of you. Let’s see if your theory pans out.” She challenged River, who had tensed up as her lavender scent momentarily blinded his senses. Ryker finally found his voice again as he frowned at the Alpha. “It doesn’t have to be like this.” He groaned, unable to believe what he was hearing. This hadn’t gone how he had expected in the slightest. “I don’t think fighting is how the moon goddess intended for you to take all three of us at once, princess.” Reid winked as he continued shoving handfuls of mints in his mouth.River scoffed at the girl in disbelief. He wasn’t going to fight her, it was against his morals to fight a woman unless he was paired with one during training. Much less was he going to fight his mate as a way of taking her pack. Ryker was right, it didn’t have to be like this. Granted, he didn’t plan to accept her as his mate either but he certainly wasn’t going to get what he wanted this way. “You can’t be serious.” River laughed at the petite woman. She was barely tall enough to reach his shoulder, let alone take both him and his brothers on. Although, he didn’t disagree with Reid either. He was certain he would have plenty of fun throwing her around the bedroom. “Scared?” Brielle taunted, as she confidently placed her hands on her exposed waist. She was dying for the opportunity to show this idiot how capable she truly was. River chuckled again as he rolled his eyes. His deep, baritone laugh set Brielle’s nerves alight. There was something about the sound that she found
“What the hell is the Battle of the Alpha’s?” Scarlett blurted out, as she finally found her voice in the overcrowded room. Harlie frowned as she stepped forward, narrowing her eyes at the smug challenger. “You can’t be serious.” She questioned. “That hasn’t been done in over a century, you really think King Nathanial will waste his time over you spoilt men spitting your dummy out because my sister won’t just hand over her pack?” She glared at the triplet in disbelief. River shrugged, before turning his back to his mate’s sister. He lifted his brow as his eyes locked with Brielle’s. “I guess we’ll find out, if your sister accepts the challenge.” Brielle thought for a moment as she glared back at Alpha. She was never one to back down from a challenge but where the price of her pack was concerned, she couldn’t afford to make the wrong decision. However, just like River, Brielle was too strong willed for her own good. Brielle knew if she didn’t accept the challenge, it wouldn’t
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Ryker yelled out to River. His eyes blazed with fury as he ground his jaw, he was livid. He couldn’t wrap his head around River’s stupidity, all he could think about was how selfish his brother had been. River rolled his eyes as he let out an exasperated sigh. “Liven up, Ry. What’s the worst that could happen?” River wasn’t shocked by Ryker’s outburst, quite frankly he had been anticipating it. However, he had presumed his brother would have waited until they were off the Shadow Pack land before kicking up at fuss. “She is our mate, Riv! How can you be so god damn narrow minded!” Ryker spat, as he took threatening steps toward the eldest. “All you think about is yourself, who cares what Reid and I want, right?” Sick of Ryker being in his face, River forcefully shoved his brother away from him. “Are you kidding me, Ry?” He exclaimed as his face hardened. “This is what you and Reid wanted, remember? Until thirty minutes ago, you were sat in my
The last few days had been intense for Brielle, she had been none stop. Her days had mainly consisted of carrying out her Alpha duties to ensure smooth and sufficient running of the pack and practicing various challenges Harlie had discovered during her time researching the Battle of the Alpha’s. To say she was exhausted, well that would be an understatement. At quarter to twelve at night, Brielle finally collapsed on her bed. Her eyes landed on the ceiling as she let out a heavy sigh. She had barely had time to think recently, but now the opportunity arose, she wasn’t sure she wanted too. Her mind wandered to what was to come, would the triplets really stick to their word and follow through? But it had been several days and she’s received no word, so she couldn’t help but consider if they’d had second thoughts. She hoped they had because this would mean she could put the whole thing behind her and forget they ever existed, despite Ocean’s consistent pleas to see them. Bri
River threw his suitcase in the back of his boot, before slamming down the door. He’d spent the last few days receiving the silent treatment from Ryker, which had inevitably led to him being in a funky mood himself. He wasn’t used to his brothers and him not being on speaking terms, they usually did everything together. Before this, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone longer than merely a few hours without speaking to one of them. River accepted he had acted hastily when challenging their mate to the Battle of the Alpha’s, but she struck against his pride and backing down just wasn’t in his nature. Besides, he knew this was the only way to merge the two packs without blood being shed. He wasn’t completely naive, however. He knew there was a very slim possibility he would have convinced the girl to give them Shadow, but his backup plan hadn’t factored in that the girl could be his mate. Initially, he had no issue with formulating a forceful takeover, but now Kane refus
Brielle paced along the wooden flooring, muttering the odd swear word here and there as she rushed back and forth past her Beta and Gamma. The corner of Scarlett’s lips turned upright as she watched her best friend work herself into a frenzy of frustration. As insufferable as Scarlett found the triplets to be, she did enjoy the amusing affect they appeared to have on her Alpha. Brielle was never known to lose her cool, but these idiots seemed to really get under her skin. Harlie sighed as she plopped herself down on the edge of Brielle’s bed, before resting back on her elbows and twisting her lips. “Can you stop? You’re giving me whiplash with all this back and forth.” She groaned as her eyes glanced over the ceiling. Brielle came to a halt and faced her sister. “We weren’t supposed to see them outside of the challenges! The mate bond will be a distraction enough with the limited interaction, let alone if we’re getting freaking cozy over a dinner table! Ocean is stirring li
Brielle allowed a smug grin to grow on the edge of her lips as she sashayed her hips across the room, feeling confident she had managed to throw a curveball the triplets way. She looked hot and she knew it. Ocean whined within her as the leggy blonde still clung to one of the triplets like a koala bear, desperately trying to regain his attention, but Brielle knew better than to give them the satisfaction of knowing it had effected her. She had her game face on. “Wait until I get my paws on that bitch.” Ocean growled as she paced back and forth. Brielle chuckled at her wolf’s jealous threats as she took a champagne flute off a passing by waiters tray. She brought the glass to her lips, carefully taking a steady sip, before turning her attention to Harlie and Scarlett. Harlie crinkled her nose as amusement flickered in her blue orbs. “Worked like a charm.” She sighed contently. Scarlett burst into a fit of giggles as she shook her head in dismay. “Thing one l
Brielle swiftly spun to face the direction of the commotion, only to see one of the triplets storm raiding towards her. With his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw sharper than a knife, it was obvious he was furious. Gasps echoed throughout the room as each conversation came to a halt, choosing to focus their attention on them instead. As the triplet tried to take another step closer, his two brothers abruptly grabbed either shoulder to hold him back. The look of concern was evident on their faces, but Brielle noticed a hint of irritation too. Were they mad at their brother or her? “I told you not to dance with him.” Ocean muttered in infuriation, but Brielle brushed her off. In her wolfs eyes, it appeared to be one rule for her and another for them. Brielle’s eyebrows quirked as she wore an unimpressed expression, whilst she calmly watched the scene unfold. The triplet’s chest aggressively puffed in and out as he listened to the whispers from his brothers. The corners of Arlen