ETHAN, REESE AND CALEB POV
“Do you think she’ll like me?” Caleb asked, suddenly in the silence. They were still on the plane, almost ready to land at the closest airport to the pack where their parents would pick them up.
“Where did that come from?” Reese asked, taking a long swig from a water bottle.
“I spent the last five hours wondering if I was going to like her,” Caleb said. “I didn’t think for a minute what would happen if she didn’t like me.”
Reese rolled his eyes. “She’s probably like all the other she-wolves in the pack. Maybe even worse. They’re all full of themselves and busy backstabbing each other to impress the guys.”
Caleb was quiet, thinking of this possibility.
“Right now it doesn’t really matter if she’s your fated mate or not,” Ethan pointed out. “You’re not eighteen. She’s not eighteen. You can get a good sense of it, but it won’t be confirmed until you’re of age.”
“I wonder, though,” Caleb said.
“Well, you’ll know in about an hour,” Reese said, looking out the window. “We’re getting ready to land.”
It was confirmed by the flight attendant who came back to remind them to buckle their seat belts. When Caleb smiled at her she blushed deeply before scurrying back to the front of the plane, wondering who these gorgeous boys were. Heirs to some oil fortune, probably, judging by the private plane all the way from Italy.
The plane landed and Ethan was the first off. He picked their mother up off her feet and spun her around.
“Oh, it’s good to be home!” he exclaimed. His mom laughed and leaned back.
“Let me look at you,” Luna Jenna said, leaning back. “You’ve gotten even more handsome,” she proclaimed.
“What about me?” asked Reese. Luna Jenna laughed.
“You all look the same. You’re all incredibly handsome.” Reese kissed the top of her head and linked arms with her. Caleb and Ethan followed them to the car.
“Tell me about Izzy,” Caleb asked. Luna Jenna exchanged glances with her husband.
“What do you want to know?” she inquired.
“Dad, tell Caleb about Izzy,” Reese said. Luna Jenna snorted but Alpha James shushed her.
“Men know what men want to know,” he said by means of explanation. He thought a minute. “She’s quiet. And a little sad, I think. We ate dinner with her and her mom last night and she was very polite. Smart, too. She asked how big the Packlands are, and I gave her acreage. She converted that to square miles in her head.”
Caleb looked pleased. He liked the idea of a calm and thoughtful mate.
“She’s got a fire in her belly, though,” Alpha James continued. “She used to get into fights at school whenever someone would insult her mom. She’s strong and Alessia trained her well. She’s coming into her strength, and she has good instincts.”
Reese looked intrigued. He liked passionate and strong women.
“But she still doesn’t know she’s a wolf,” Ethan stated, making a point. James shook his head, confirming it. “How does Aunt Lissa think she’s going to keep that a secret? Doesn’t she turn eighteen in December?”
Jenna answered. “She does. We’re just being careful at our house and limiting who comes over. The staff has been warned not to say anything. Lissa wants to tell her when the time is right.”
James and Jenna exchanged glances. “One more thing. She’s having dreams. The moon goddess is sending her visions of her wolf and we believe she’s having premonitions. She’s usually being attacked by rogues in these dreams. Lissa says that Izzy wakes up screaming most nights.”
Curtis frowned, his heart aching for Izzy.
“Is there anything we can do?” he asked, quietly.
“Just be patient with her,” Jenna answered. “Make her feel welcome and loved. The rest will fall into place.” They were quiet for a little bit and then Jenna clapped her hands.
“Tomorrow is your birthday,” she announced with joy. “We’ve got a huge celebration planned for you at the Packhouse for before your shift and first run. Most of the pack will be in attendance.”
“What about Izzy?” Caleb asked. Ever since he heard about her, she wasn’t far from his mind.
“We will do a small celebration at the house before your party with gifts and cake,” Jenna said. “We’ll send her up to her room and the rest of us will go to the party. Lissa will get her settled and then join us. She’s looking forward to letting her wolf run. It’s been a long time for her.”
The car had arrived at the gate. It lifted and James drove through, waving at the guard. The three boys leaned forward in their seat, almost imperceptibly. They were eager to be home. The conversation quelled as the car pulled up to the house.
A pretty girl sat on the stairs, waiting for the car to pull up. The triplets got excited for a moment, then became disappointed.
“What’s Katie doing here?” Ethan asked, irritation in his voice.
“I don’t know,” his mom said, her voice hard. It was no secret that she didn’t care for Beta Silvo or his mate, Vanessa, after what they had done to Alessia. Katie was their daughter and Luna Jenna found her incredibly annoying. So did the triplets.
Ethan was the first one out of the car. Katie stood up and smoothed the front of her dress down. “Reese? Or are you Caleb?”
“Neither,” Ethan said, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.
“Heavens! You’re Ethan. I couldn’t tell. You’ve done gone and grown up,” Katie said, a fake Southern accent in her voice. Ethan rolled his eyes.
“What do you want, Katie?” he asked. Alpha James made a small noise of protest. He didn’t like his boys being rude, even if the person deserved it.
“I wanted to be the first to say hello and welcome back,” she said putting a pretty pout on her face.
“Well, you succeeded,” Caleb said, a little kindlier than his brother. “If you would excuse us, please. We’re tired after the long flight.”
“Thank you for stopping by,” Luna Jenna said. “We’ll give you a call if we feel up to company later. I’m assuming we will see you at the party?”
“Absolutely. I’ve got an amazing dress that I’m sure you boys will appreciate,” Katie said, eyes batting. She took the hint and climbed down the stairs, heading down the driveway. Alpha James watched her go.
“You boys need to be a little nicer,” he said in a chiding voice. Luna Jenna shook her head.
“No, you don’t,” she corrected. “That girl can’t take a hint. You have to be blunt.”
Alessia met them in the hallway. “Ethan! Caleb! Reese!” She gave them all hugs in turn. “It’s been too long!”
Caleb was busy looking over Alessia’s shoulder. “It has been too long, Aunt Lissa,” he said, politely. “I would like to meet your daughter. Is she around?”
Alessia laughed. “I worked her pretty hard today in training. She’s just finishing her shower. She’ll be down in a moment.”
The boys didn’t hear her because, in that moment, they caught a whiff of the most delicious scent. It was like mangos and fresh rain and evergreen trees. They could hear dainty footsteps coming down the stairs and the three boys waited in anticipation. She came into view and the triplets knew. Izzy was their mate. All three of them.
IZZY POVI was in a hurry. I had spent the morning with mom in the basement of the Alpha house. They had a full gym set up down there with weights and exercise equipment and an entire area devoted to what mom called training. It was pretty much her pretending to try to kill me and me fighting back.I was hot, sweaty and so hungry when she finally checked the clock and called it quits.“Sorry, baby girl. I ran us too long. You need to shower quick and get downstairs. The triplets will be home in less than an hour.”I rolled my eyes. I’ve been in this home for less than twenty-four hours and I noticed that whenever anyone spoke of the boys, they called them ‘the triplets’ and had a note of reverence in their voice. I know identical triplets are rare, but it’s not unheard of for crying out loud. I raced upstairs and into my dreamy bathroom. I thought about taking a bubble bath, but I had less than an hour and I really wanted to enjoy my first bath in this room. I hopped into t
ETHAN, REESE AND CALEB POVIzzy stood up from the table and muttered an excuse, bolting out of the room. The boys looked at each other and exchanged glances.“What happened?” Reese finally asked, dumbfounded. His father answered, chuckling.“You overwhelmed the girl, boys. She just got here. Her whole world has been tipped upside down and she has no idea what she’s experiencing. One of you would have been tough for her to handle. Three of you? No wonder she panicked.”Caleb looked sad. “Should we go talk to her? Explain things?”Alessia stood up, pushing her chair away from the table. “No. I had better go. She doesn’t understand what’s going on and I think you would freak her out even more.” She gave the boys a smile, letting them know she wasn’t mad at them. “Why don’t you boys take a trip down to the packhouse after lunch,” his father said, scooping up a big bite of macaroni salad. “I know you have some friends down there who would like to see you before the party tom
IZZY POVI was waiting for the triplets in the foyer when they got back from the Packhouse. I could tell that they had a good workout while they were there; they were glistening with sweat and they were still shirtless. I swallowed hard. They had the most perfect pectoral muscles with a gorgeously cut six pack and they wore their jeans slung low on their hips. They smelled divine and I wondered what cologne they all used. It was slightly musky, like the clean scent of outdoors after a really hard rain, mixed with oranges and cut grass. It was a perfect scent for them, and I loved how it smelled.I stood awkwardly in the hall until they noticed me. Caleb saw me first, stopping with a tentative smile on his face. Reese and Ethan almost ran into him.There was silence. I could tell the boys didn’t know what to say to me.“I’m sorry,” I began. “I panicked. Mom came up and explained everything to me.”I saw the three of them exchange glances. “Explained what, exactly,” Ethan as
ETHAN REESE AND CALEB POVWe need to talk. The mind link from their father came through to the three boys simultaneously. When? Ethan answered back.Now. Their father was firm. Caleb, Reese and Ethan all left their bedrooms and met in the shared sitting room in the wing that was their own. “I wonder what’s up,” Caleb mused.“Probably has to do with Izzy,” Reese said. “We should probably hurry.” The boys traipsed down the stairs to their father’s office together. Upon entering they were surprised to see their Aunt Lissa and mom already seated.“There was a little incident between Katie and Izzy about a half hour ago,” his father stated. The boys exchanged glances.“Where?” asked Ethan. “We just left Izzy in the entrance hall about that time. She was heading to her room.”“The entrance hall,” James stated. “I’m guessing it happened right after you left.” He glanced at Aunt Lissa who was wringing her hands. “Don’t worry,” he said to her, a huge grin on his face. “My interv
IZZY POVThe triplets followed me out of the room and Caleb closed the door firmly behind us. “I’m really proud of you,” Reese said to me. “I admire how you’re always standing up for your mom.”I looked at him with a smile. “She sacrificed everything for me,” I said, softly. “It bothers me when people don’t see her for her amazing self.” I took two steps forward and then felt a wave of heat hit me like an oven. “Do you feel that?” I asked, faltering, my voice sounding a million miles away in my head. My vision began to swim, and I heard one of the brothers exclaim very loudly. I felt hands on my body, and I tried to push them off, weakly. I was too hot. I didn’t want anyone to touch me.I blacked out, but not all the way. I was vaguely aware of being lifted, cradled in someone’s arms. I heard a hollow voice saying that I was too hot. I tried to protest, to ask for water, but I was as weak as a newborn kitten. I could feel my clothes being peeled off from my body and then
IZZY POVI woke up to howling. The room was dark and the curtains were drawn but they moved slightly in the breeze of the open window. I had no idea how long I had slept, but I felt great. I haven’t felt this rested in a long time.I slid out of bed and padded to the window, pulling back the curtains. The full moon shone so brightly that it was almost as bright as the day. I leaned out, looking to see if I could see the animal that was howling.It wasn’t just one animal. It was hundreds. All wolves. No wonder I woke up to them. They were all over the lawn and in the tree line. Some were playing and some were running, and some were just sitting there. Every once in a while, a wolf would howl, and dozens would answer it.I stood in the window, just watching the beautiful animals. There must be a sanctuary of wolves close by because I have never even seen one in the wild, let alone hundreds. I watched quietly, enjoying the show that they were putting on until my attention w
IZZY POVI’ve been at the Alpha House for three months. My days are pretty much filled; the mornings I train with my mom and the triplets and in the afternoon, I was working with my tutor. My birthday is a week away and I’ve given myself an early birthday present. I earned my diploma today!“Miss Emerald told me that you’ve graduated,” Aunt Luna said at dinner. I grinned at her. “Yep! No more high school for me. I’m going to start applying to colleges in a few weeks.” I forked up a big helping of spaghetti. Joanna, the cook, was amazing. She even made her own noodles. I saw the rest of the family exchange glances. I put down my fork. “What’s going on?” I asked, suspicious. “What are you planning on studying?” Caleb asked, his voice a little funny. I narrowed my eyes. Something was going on. It was like my announcement that I was going to college was a surprise. That’s just what people did. They finished high school and went to college. I couldn’t figure out what th
Caleb, Reese and Ethan’s POV“What’s up with Katie?” Caleb asked his brothers later that night. “What do you mean?” Ethan asked. Caleb shrugged.“I don’t think she likes Izzy. She’s kind of mean to her. I’m pretty sure she deliberately tripped her today.” Caleb flopped on to the couch. Ethan took the seat opposite him and reached for the television remote. “Dude, I’m serious,” Caleb said. “Don’t turn on the TV. We need to talk about Katie.”“Why?” Ethan asked, a little sharply. Caleb rolled his eyes.“Well, for starters, she’s not very nice to Izzy.”“Izzy isn’t very nice, either,” Ethan said. “Did you catch that slutty-chic comment?”Reese laughed. “Oh, yeah. That was a good one. And deserved. Katie started it with the comments about her sweater.”“I don’t see it,” Ethan said, trying to pick up the remote again. Caleb came over and took it from him. “We all know you have a soft spot for Katie because she was your first, umm, experience,” Caleb said. “But start think