Good Morning

Waking up the next morning, the luxurious warmth surrounding me feels entirely surreal. The heavy, comforting exhaustion that had pulled me under the night before slowly recedes, leaving me floating in a haze of absolute, unprecedented comfort. Every single event that transpired yesterday—Sloane and Tasha actually befriending me, the overwhelming pile of expensive presents, and finding out I am the fated mate to the three future Alphas of the pack—feels like a bizarre, vivid fever dream. I am genuinely terrified to even open my eyes. A dark, anxious part of my brain is entirely convinced that the moment my eyelids flutter open, I will find myself lying on that miserable, broken cot in the freezing cleaning supply room, and the triplets will be glaring down at me, hating me all over again.

But the physical evidence of reality is simply too strong to ignore. I feel incredibly, deeply warm. I am entirely too warm to be lying in a bed alone, and the mattress beneath me is entirely too soft and yielding to be my pathetic little cot. Blinking my eyes open in the dim, soft light of the early morning, I find myself warmly and securely wedged right between Kellan’s solid chest and Corbin’s muscular back. My body is completely caged in their massive strength, surrounded by their intoxicating, overwhelmingly masculine scents. I let out a soft moan, carefully trying to stretch out my limbs without disturbing the two absolute giants pinning me down.

Turning my head slightly against the plush pillow, I catch a glance at the digital clock resting on the dark mahogany nightstand. The glowing red numbers read exactly five o’clock in the morning.

Instantly, my blood runs completely cold.

The luxurious warmth of the bed vanishes, replaced by a sudden, icy spike of sheer, unadulterated panic. Five o’clock. That is my designated wake-up time. For years, years of deep-seated terror and rigid conditioning, five in the morning meant I had to be on my feet, dressed in my ragged servant clothes, and down in the massive kitchen to start preparing the family's massive, complicated breakfast. The triplets themselves never woke up until noon on Sundays, but their parents—former Alpha Ragnar and Luna Vera—would absolutely be awake and downstairs by seven o’clock sharp.

My breathing immediately hitches. The conditioning seizes my brain in a vice grip. I have to make the breakfast. If I am late, if the bacon isn't perfectly crisp, if the eggs aren't made exactly to the Luna's liking, the punishments are always swift and humiliating. Now that I might actually be interested in their sons, now that the mate bond is a terrifying reality between us, the absolute last thing I want is for their ruthless parents to despise me even more. I cannot give them a single reason to throw me out or punish me. I wonder frantically if I can somehow slip out of this massive bed, sneak down the heavily carpeted stairs, and start the prep work in the kitchen before anyone even notices I am gone.

Terrified of violently angering their parents, I take a slow, shallow breath and attempt to gently, slowly slip my body away from their heavy limbs. I press my hands against the mattress, trying to carefully extricate myself from the tight space between Kellan and Corbin.

Instantly, Kellan lets out a low, gravelly groan. Before I can even move an inch, his thick, muscular arm tightens around my waist like a steel vice, forcefully pulling my back flush against his broad chest.

"What're you doing?" Kellan asks groggily, his voice thick and raspy with sleep. His hot breath fans against the back of my neck, right over the spot where he had kissed me last night. "Do you have to use the bathroom or something?"

I freeze, my heart pounding rapidly against my ribs. Turning my head slightly, I look over my shoulder at him. His dark hair is completely ruffled, falling messily over his eyes. He looks incredibly boyish and cute, completely stripped of his usual terrifying Alpha arrogance. I bite my lower lip, my anxiety warring with the strange, fluttering feeling in my chest. I do not have the heart to lie to him.

"This is the time I usually wake up," I whisper softly, my voice trembling slightly in the quiet room. "I have to go down. I have to make you guys' breakfast."

On the other side of me, Corbin stirs. He lets out a deep, rumbling laugh that vibrates against my side, followed by a massive yawn. He rolls onto his back, rubbing his eyes with the back of his large hand. "We wake up at like noon, don't we?" Corbin mumbles, his voice entirely completely unconcerned.

"Yeah," I say, my panic rising as the minutes tick by. "But your parents wake up at seven. I have to be in the kitchen."

"They'll fend for themselves, don't worry," Kellan insists sleepily, entirely dismissing my deeply ingrained terror. He stubbornly tightens his iron grip on my waist, burying his face directly into my messy curls, refusing to let me pull away.

For a long, agonizing moment, the tension holds. I lie there, my heart racing, completely trapped by Kellan's heavy arm and Corbin's sprawling legs. But eventually, the sheer exhaustion of the night pulls them back under. The second Kellan and Corbin’s iron grips finally slacken in the heavy depths of their sleep, a massive, dark shadow suddenly looms over the bed.

Before I can even process what is happening, Zander—who had apparently been wide awake in the dark corner of the massive bed, silently watching the entire exchange—suddenly reaches out. His massive hands lock onto my hips and he snatches me right out from between his brothers in one swift, terrifyingly powerful motion.

"Hey!" Corbin protests blindly, groaning as the sudden movement disturbs his sleep, but his eyes remain heavily closed.

Zander completely ignores his brother. He hauls me up into the air and forcefully wraps his heavily corded arms securely around my waist. In a smooth, completely dominant motion, he drapes my body completely across his broad, heavily muscled chest. The heat radiating off his skin is intense, searing right through my thin shirt. It is actually incredibly comfortable lying on top of him, but the sheer size and power of his body beneath mine is completely overwhelming. His large hand immediately finds its way down, resting possessively on my behind, while his other hand reaches up to gently, affectionately squeeze my cheeks.

This is exactly what I was so deeply afraid of. The sudden, intense physical contact from the brother who had always been the most outwardly vicious to me.

"What're you doing, Zander?" Kellan asks suspiciously, prying one eye open to glare at his brother in the dim light.

Zander doesn't even look at him. His intense, burning blue eyes are locked entirely on my face. "I'm bonding with my gorgeous mate," Zander rumbles, his voice thick with a dark, heavy possessiveness that makes the air in the room feel thick.

But the heavy compliment instantly stings. The word 'gorgeous' leaving his lips does not make me blush; it acts as a brutal, violent trigger. The soft, intimate atmosphere of the bedroom shatters completely. My mind flashes violently back to the kitchen just days ago. The blinding fluorescent lights. The gnawing, agonizing ache of hunger in my empty stomach. Zander towering over me, a cruel sneer twisting his handsome face as he deliberately snatched the very last pancake right off my plate, shoving it into his mouth while I stood there, utterly starving and humiliated.

I wince physically, my entire body jerking against his chest as the traumatic memory slams into my brain.

Zander immediately notices my strange, violent flinch. His brow furrows in concern. "Sorry, Baby," he whispers, his voice entirely gentle, completely misreading my reaction.

I push myself up slightly, resting my hands against his incredibly hard chest, looking down at him with wide, trembling eyes. "You think I'm gorgeous?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper, completely saturated with disbelief.

"You are," Zander says simply, his eyes dark and entirely sincere.

My chest tightens until it physically hurts. The humiliation, the starvation, the years of ruthless mockery bubble up like bile in my throat. "The other day you called me fat," I remind him, my voice trembling violently.

The massive bed grows incredibly, suffocatingly silent. Beneath me, Zander’s entire body goes completely rigid. It is as if he has been physically struck by lightning. He stiffens beneath me, his chest rising in a sharp, sudden intake of breath. From the suffocating, heavy silence immediately filling the room, I can clearly tell that Corbin and Kellan are now entirely awake and incredibly uncomfortable too.

"And you took the last pancake," I continue, my voice rising in pitch, the tears already burning hot in the corners of my eyes. The humiliating memories of him viciously stealing my food flood back into my mind, drowning out the present moment completely. "I literally ate nothing that entire day. I was starving. I spent the whole damn day organizing stuff for you guys, working until my hands bled, and I had absolutely nothing to eat!"

The dam breaks. The memories violently overwhelm me. The sheer, claustrophobic panic of being a trapped, abused servant in a house full of terrifying monsters crashes down on me with the force of a tidal wave.

"Shh, Baby, I'm so sorry," Zander hastily whispers, a frantic, desperate edge bleeding into his deep voice. He quickly lifts his head, pressing his warm lips directly against my forehead, trying to soothe the absolute terror he sees completely taking over my eyes.

But the damage is already done. His touch feels like scorching fire against my skin.

"Don't touch me!" I scream at the absolute top of my lungs.

The sound tears through the quiet morning air like a gunshot. Thrashing wildly, I scramble and fight against his massive arms. I shove my hands hard against his shoulders and jump out of the high bed so aggressively and loudly that I nearly crash into the nightstand.

All three massive triplets violently jolt awake. Instinct takes over, and all three of them spring instantly into highly aggressive, defensive positions on the mattress, their muscles bunching, their eyes wide and frantic, scanning the room for a threat.

"Zander, you fucker, what did you do?" Kellan yells aggressively, turning fiercely on his brother. "She wasn't scared before!"

"YES I WAS!" I scream back, my voice so piercing, so completely filled with years of pent-up agony and sheer terror, that all three of the massive alphas physically flinch.

My scream is so incredibly loud that just seconds later, heavy, frantic footsteps pound aggressively down the hardwood hallway. Before anyone can even breathe, the heavy oak door to the master bedroom is violently thrown open, crashing against the wall.

Their parents—former Alpha Ragnar and Luna Vera—literally burst through the doorway, sprinting into the room with wide, panicked eyes, fully prepared for a bloody attack. Ragnar’s massive chest is heaving, his claws partially extended, while Luna Vera looks utterly horrified.

Standing by the wall, entirely overwhelmed by the chaos, the trauma, and the sheer number of massive, dominating werewolves surrounding me, I break completely. I burst into uncontrollable, gasping sobs, wrapping my arms tightly around my trembling torso, trying to make myself as small as physically possible. I am so deeply confused. The transition from starved servant to beloved mate is tearing my mind entirely apart.

Seeing my absolute distress, the triplets immediately scramble off the bed, rushing frantically toward me to comfort me, their hands reaching out desperately.

"NO!" bellows Alpha Ragnar.

His voice is absolutely deafening. Even though he had officially passed the Alpha title to his sons yesterday, the sheer, undeniable power of his command instantly freezes the triplets in their tracks. They halt, their bodies instinctively yielding to their father's lingering authority, and slowly, reluctantly sit back down on the edge of the massive mattress.

Alpha Ragnar's dark, piercing eyes sweep the chaotic, emotionally charged scene. His gaze lands on me, sobbing violently against the wall, and then snaps directly to his three massive sons. His face hardens into a mask of pure, deadly fury.

"What is she doing in here?" Ragnar demands quietly. The sheer quietness of his voice is entirely more terrifying than his yelling. His tone is absolutely dangerous, laced with a lethal edge that promises severe violence. He wants to know exactly why the eighteen-year-old servant girl is crying hysterically in his sons' master bedroom at five in the morning.

Kellan immediately steps forward, moving his broad, heavily muscled chest to physically shield my trembling body from his father's intense, judging gaze. Taking the absolute brunt of the blame, Kellan meets his father's eyes.

"I can't sleep with her in that cleaning supplies room," Kellan admits firmly, his jaw set in a hard, stubborn line. "I just can't stand it. My wolf couldn't stand the thought of leaving her in there to freeze for another night."

Ragnar’s jaw tightens aggressively. He doesn't yield an inch. "Then why did you not put her in a proper guest room?" Ragnar demands sharply, his eyes narrowing into deadly slits.

Luna Vera stands silently by the door, keeping her mouth entirely shut, letting her powerful mate handle the explosive situation.

"Um," Kellan falters, rubbing the back of his neck, the fierce Alpha momentarily looking exactly like a scolded child.

"Look, Dad," Corbin interjects quickly, trying his best to defuse the ticking bomb. He flashes a desperately sweet, placating smile. "Everything was totally fine, wasn't it, Amity?"

Standing by the bed, completely guilt-ridden and looking entirely devastated, Zander lowers his head. His broad shoulders slump heavily. "It's my fault," Zander says, stepping fully into the line of fire. He sounds truly, deeply broken. The arrogance is completely gone, leaving only raw, bleeding remorse. "I've been pushing her way too hard, and I am so fucking sorry. She was literally so happy and comfortable up until she came over to my side of the bed, which was barely five minutes ago."

The raw agony bleeding through Zander's deep voice forcefully tugs at my chest. The mate-bond, absolute and undeniable, instantly flares to life inside me. Even though my human mind is still screaming in terror, my inner wolf aches violently with the desperate, clawing need to comfort his immense pain. Since when was I so incredibly weak to them? I wrap my arms tighter around myself, trying to fight the pull, but it is completely useless.

"Zander, we’re ok right?" I ask softly, my voice breaking pitifully through my gasping sobs, needing the reassurance just as desperately as he does.

His head snaps up so fast it's a blur. He looks at me with a fierce, terrifying intensity, his blazing blue eyes burning right through my soul.

"Always, Baby. I fucking love you, Amity," Zander swears. The absolute raw conviction in his voice hits me like a physical blow. It carries the heavy, unshakeable weight of an absolute vow.

His brothers look physically shocked. Kellan and Corbin's eyes go incredibly wide, staring at Zander as if he has grown a second head. My own eyes widen in sheer disbelief. Did he actually mean that? It sounds so terrifyingly real, so entirely raw. My inner wolf violently wags her tail, completely confirming that he means every single syllable. I am utterly completely shocked. I was absolutely not expecting Zander—the brother who had been the cruelest, the meanest, the most viciously physical—to fall the hardest and the fastest.

Alpha Ragnar completely ignores Zander's dramatic confession of love. He steps further into the room, crossing his massive arms over his chest, severely lecturing his towering sons.

"Amity is very young," Ragnar sternly, coldly reminds his massive sons, pointing a heavy finger at them. "She is only eighteen years old. You boys are twenty-one. You have had numerous, highly experienced girlfriends in a very swift rotation."

The major shade thrown directly by their father makes Kellan and Corbin wince physically, their cheeks actually flushing in embarrassment.

"As far as I know, Amity cleans, cooks, studies, and that is absolutely it," Ragnar continues, his voice dripping with harsh reality. "You cannot forcefully sneak your completely inexperienced mate into your shared bed at night. There are three of you massive idiots, and you all spent nearly a decade outwardly hating her. Forcefully sneaking her in here is entirely too much psychological pressure for her to handle!"

I stop crying entirely, wiping my tear-stained cheeks in utter, complete shock. Whoa. Does the ruthless, terrifying Alpha Ragnar actually sound like he genuinely cares about my mental wellbeing? He definitely loves his boys, fiercely and violently, but maybe now that they are officially fated to me, he feels heavily obligated to salvage whatever remains of my shattered psychological state.

"We really didn't do any... mating stuff, though," Corbin mumbles defensively, looking down at the heavy carpet.

"Maybe in your eyes, Honey," Luna Vera finally cooes from the doorway, her voice soft but heavily laced with warning. "But in Amity's eyes, being surrounded by three massive Alphas in the dark may seem very, very different."

The triplets look entirely crestfallen. Their broad shoulders slump, and they look like giant, kicked puppies sitting on the edge of the bed. The sight of their utter misery violently tugs at my inner wolf again, and I desperately, overwhelmingly want to comfort them. I am wholeheartedly regretting my loud scream. I just want this heavy, suffocating awkwardness hanging thickly in the air to be completely over.

Desperate to escape the intense scrutiny of the entire Alpha family, I revert immediately to my deeply ingrained coping mechanism. "Let me start on breakfast. It's already late," I say quickly, turning on my heel, entirely intending to leave the room and march straight down to the massive kitchen to begin my morning duties.

But in a terrifying, blinding flash of supernatural werewolf speed, the air in the room completely displacement.

Before I can take a second step, Zander is suddenly standing directly in front of the heavy oak door. His massive, incredibly broad frame completely blocks my exit. He towers over me, his chest heaving slightly from the burst of speed.

"I know I already fucked up this morning, but while I'm ahead," Zander says, rolling his massive shoulders in a heavy shrug. His bright blue eyes narrow into deadly, serious slits. "Over my dead body, Princess."

I stumble back a step, staring up at him in complete shock.

"I am still one of the newly ascended Alphas of this pack," Zander declares, his voice dropping an octave, the heavy, undeniable dominance of his new Alpha status rolling off him in suffocating, powerful waves. "And whether you want to actually be with me or not, you will absolutely never lift a single finger in this house ever again."

I am completely paralyzed. I cannot even breathe as I stare at the sheer determination etched into his rugged face. Without breaking his intense eye contact with me, Zander turns his head just slightly toward his shocked parents.

"Hire a maid and a cook again," Zander firmly, aggressively orders his parents, completely flipping the hierarchy of the room. "Two of each if it's too much work for one person. Do it today."

Ragnar and Vera look entirely annoyed by the blatant disrespect, their own Alpha pride bristling at being commanded in their own pack house. But the raw truth is undeniable: Zander is now officially the Alpha. His word is absolute law.

Kellan and Corbin instantly step up, moving seamlessly to flank Zander on either side. They puff out their massive chests, their eyes glowing faintly as they loudly and aggressively back up their brother's command.

"I entirely agree," Kellan says, nodding his head sharply, his arms crossing over his broad chest.

"Same here," Corbin chimes in, offering a quick, charming wink to his mother so she wouldn't get too violently angry with them.

Yielding completely to the heavy, undeniable dominance of their newly ascended Alpha status, Ragnar slowly raises his massive hands in a gesture of absolute surrender. He recognizes that the era of his absolute rule is over.

"Fine," Ragnar instructs firmly, looking directly at his sons. "But before today is over, you boys will sort out this bedroom situation and decide exactly which luxurious guest bedroom will officially become Amity's. I will not have her sneaking around like a servant anymore."

With that final, strict instruction, Ragnar turns sharply on his heel and strides completely out of the room. Luna Vera simply sighs, ruffling Corbin's hair affectionately as Zander reaches back to pull the door open for her, and then she swiftly follows her mate down the hall.

The heavy oak door clicks completely shut.

Alone again with my massive mates, the suffocating tension slowly bleeds out of the room. The aggressive Alpha auras retract, leaving the three incredibly large men looking somewhat lost and entirely focused on me.

Zander takes a slow, careful step closer to me. He rubs the back of his neck, looking incredibly awkward and entirely out of his depth.

"Baby," Zander starts, his deep voice trembling slightly with genuine remorse. "I am so incredibly sorry for all the times I cruelly called you fat in front of the pack."

His stumbling, desperate words, combined with his massive, hulking frame trying so hard to look non-threatening, are so entirely out of character for the vicious bully I grew up with. It is so absolutely ridiculous that it actually shocks a sudden, wet laugh right out of my mouth. I cover my mouth with my hand, the giggle bubbling up through my lingering tears.

Kellan groans loudly from his position near the bed, dramatically rolling his eyes at his brother's complete lack of tact. He smooths his ruffled hair back and smoothly clarifies, "What my absolute idiot of a brother meant to say was, you're incredibly beautiful."

A hot, heavy blush violently stains my cheeks. My heart flutters wildly in my chest. Looking back, I suddenly realize that Kellan had never actually called me fat during all those years of torment. I vividly remember his soft confession last night, claiming to have always had a desperate crush on me, stealing my hair ties because he didn't know how to handle his feelings. I deeply wonder if that was really, truly the case all along.

And Corbin—Corbin was actually the only one who had ever casually complimented me before the mate bond violently snapped into place yesterday. He would absolutely be the easiest one to forgive.

The realization settles heavily over me. The fear recedes, entirely replaced by the overwhelming, demanding howl of my inner wolf. She is absolutely screaming at me, throwing herself against the bars of my mind, desperately demanding to be physically close to her mates. Feeling a sudden, massive surge of bravery, I completely give in to the instinct.

I take a deep breath, walk straight over to the edge of the mattress where Zander has just sat back down, and without a single word, I step right between his spread thighs. Wrapping my small arms securely around his thick, muscular neck, I climb directly into his lap.

Kellan and Corbin’s jaws literally drop open. They stare at me, looking utterly, completely stunned by my sudden physical initiation.

Zander lets out a heavy, shuddering breath of pure relief. He happily, eagerly wraps his massive arms tightly around my waist, burying his face in my neck before pulling back just enough to softly, affectionately nuzzle his nose directly against mine. The physical contact sends violent, electric tingles shooting entirely through my nervous system. I can distinctly feel his inner wolf aggressively, happily calling out to mine, the invisible bond pulling tight and secure between us.

Sitting there, surrounded by their intense heat and intoxicating scents, a sudden, highly exciting thought occurs to me.

"I've never seen any of your wolves," I say softly, looking directly between the three massive, gorgeous men surrounding me.

The Triplets instantly freeze.

For a split second, the room is entirely silent. And then, slowly, all three of them break into massive, incredibly dangerous grins. Their eyes flash with a sudden, wild excitement. They are absolutely, completely wide awake now.