THIRD POVThey both stared at each other in silence, Anaya felt her heart beating inside her chest like it would burst out and she tried to keep her gaze from falling from his.Duke let out a soft chuckle and took a step back. "I'm just kidding. Come on, let's go inside and give you some warmth. From the fireplace, not me."Anaya felt like a fool for feeling so affected by his presence. The way their breath mixed, the way his scent filled up her head and made her almost lose grip on sanity, the way his mesmerizing brown eyes watched her body, she felt lost in his gaze.He turned and walked away while laughing to himself and Anaya felt her cheek burn up. A big part of her wanted it to be true. She had hoped he would touch her and help quench the strange hunger inside of her.The way she felt was all too strange and demanding. Her body was demanding for the unthinkable, what she would have never thought about on a normal day.Her naivety always found a way to make a fool of her in situa
ANAYA'S POVHe just stared silently at my breast and I felt as hot as I could ever be. I was so surprised to have done something so outrageous but oddly, a bigger part of me was filled with excitement and eagerness.I breathed heavily, my nipples hardened just watching him watch me. My cheeks burnt up as he stared at my now hardened nipples."Mm..." He moaned thoughtfully with a look that said he was not totally displeased with what he saw.Why did it matter to me what he thought about me? Why did I allow myself to get judged by him? Why did I want this to happen?I didn't have the answer to any of those questions. In fact I didn't know what I was doing or why I was doing anything but I knew I wanted to do it.Without listening to my head, my legs made their way towards him, one quick step after another. Afraid of slowing down and letting hesitance rule. Afraid of losing to the many thoughts that flooded my head.I walked towards him and stopped right in front of him. "Didn't you say
ANAYA'S POVI spent the rest of the day thinking about what I had done in my room. Did it mean anything to him? Did it mean half as much as it did to me to him? Or was I just another girl he ticked off his 'have sex with' list?I didn't know why, but I felt like I was more than someone on a list to him. Like what we did meant something to him.For him to ask me if I truly wanted it, if I were just someone on his list, I doubted if there would be any hesitation.But now that he saw me naked, now that he had explored my body and taken away my innocence, what was I to him?It would be too much of a burden to ask him right away so it might be best to wait a while. Right? Was I even making any sense?'We don't have to ask him anything,' my wolf said to me. 'We can just watch his actions for a few days and see how he acts. There are three options to how his behavior might be, firstly, If he acts the same, like nothing ever happened, then it doesn't mean anything to him.'Her first option ma
ANAYA'S POVI shuffled awkwardly in my seat, every single time I tried to steal a glance at Duke, our eyes would meet.I had assisted Luna Freya in making dinner but I couldn't even bring myself to stomach anything. I knew I was acting awkward and it showed.Dean and Darius would often cast glances at me with confusion written in their eyes. All I would do was avert my gaze or sometimes smile. I didn't know how to act, not after Duke pinned me to the door of my room.I wanted to be more like him. He ate without a care in the world. He was his normal self, no awkwardness in his eyes or body movement. Just the same always cool Duke eating dinner.'Stop acting like a fool so openly! Stop being such an idiot!' I yelled at myself in my head. My wolf was trying to tell me to calm my nerves but nothing was working no matter how hard I tried.Try a conversation,' my wolf suggested. 'Nothing helps distract the mind like a calm and easy and conversation'. She was right.I cleared my throat. "So
The entire room fell into silence as they all waited for Duke to come clean about what we had to tell them. We?! As in Duke and I!I felt lumps in my throat as his eyes remained fixed on me in a way that felt so wicked and excruciatingly painful.What did WE have to tell them? Nothing at all! How could he decide on his own to come clean on the very day we had sex? Who did that in this world?"What is it you would like to tell us?" Luna Freya questioned and I only just realized she had directed her question to me."What? I don't... I don't think there's anything..." My words stumbled against each other and my voice chose that particular moment to croak. I cleared my throat loudly, "I don't think I have anything to tell you, Luna, or anyone else at this table.""Oh come on," he rolled his eyes skywards. "Have you forgotten about it so quickly? You made such a big fuss about how important it was and now you're telling me that you don't remember?"A big fuss? I wanted to rip his hair righ
ANAYA'S POVLuna Freya suddenly asked all of us to back away from the table and we all obediently did so while staring confusedly at the plant on the table.She, herself, seemed to be studying the plant intently with squinting eyes. Her mind seemed to have wandered far away from the dining room where we all were.I had a bazillion questions to ask her but I also didn't want to interrupt her thoughts. If it wasn't pink ivy, was it something dangerous? What was the odd surge I was feeling? Those desires I felt that were my own but also weren't.How was I to explain that? What was that?Had I urged Duke to bring home something very dangerous? Were we all going to die? Was it feeding on our energy or something?I couldn't remain quiet anymore. "Freya, what is it then if it isn't pink ivy? Have I brought home something very dangerous? Are we all going to die?" Anxiety hooked me in the throat, choking me and making it hard to swallow."No," she replied in her usual motherly calmness but her
ANAYA'S POV"We should get rid of it!" Darius said, his tone wavering with worry. A feeling that matched the one in his eyes.Luna Freya shook her head. "No, we can't. It still has important properties that are very useful. I can grow more and use it for treatment but I will take it away from here so none of us will ever get tempted to do anything stupid--""But mom! It's too much of a risk, even for you and you know that." Dean cut her off.It was written on his face that he was worried about his mother just like the rest of his brothers."Dean is right." Alpha Donald said in agreement. "We should do something about it but most definitely not keep it.""No, all of you just listen to me. This plant will work as a cure to anything! Even wolfbane once ingested to a certain point." She looked at all of us. "We can help so many people, the last alpha who had such thing in possession cleansed the world of every sickness and though it was hard, he fought against the darkness of the flower a
DUKE'S POVAnaya stared wordlessly at me, eyes burning with confusion and what seemed like fear. I felt my hand squeeze into a ball of rage even though I managed to keep my anger from showing on my face.How could they be so thoughtless? Aren't they the only ones in our midsts who knew well the dangers of having such a thing around us? So why act so foolishly?"It doesn't matter what--"It doesn't matter what?" I cut her off sternly. "It doesn't matter what people think? It doesn't matter what others say? It doesn't matter what I say?""It doesn't matter what other people think about me!" She yelled, sadness flickered across her eyes. "It doesn't matter how they treat me! I will still do what I can to help people when they are sick. Sure, they all hate me, they bully me, I'm a nobody and they probably even wouldn't want to accept anything from the disgusting hands of a lowly omega as myself but I am not them! I am not a selfish, egoistic and arrogant fool who only does things to her o
ANAYA'S POVI threw my arms around his neck, hugging him like I wanted to take out his last breath. He didn't complain. His strong hands wrapped around my waist and hugged me tightly.Tears ran down my face like a river, pain burdened my heart like an anchor, emotions seeped through my every being like I had holes."It's too much..." I muttered as I sobbed against his body."It's alright." He responded in a soft tone. He didn't ask me what was too much, he didn't ask me what had hurt me so much, he simply just patted me down on my back like I was an infant that couldn't voice out its pain yet and just simply cried for attention.I raised my head from his shoulder and stared into his eyes. The next word that left my mouth surprised us both. "I need you to have sex with me."He blinked. "What?"It sounded so absurd asking for something like that out of the blue but I had my reasons. If I slept with him, I wouldn't get the chance to worry about anything, I wouldn't even be able to think
THIRD POVDarius wore a smile on his face as he saw Anaya walking back towards their table. "Hey, how was the talk? Are you okay?" He arched his brow, his smile turning into worry as he saw how pale she was looking.Duke and Dean were on their feet as well, trying to figure out what had happened to her.She simply smiled, a smile that barely touched her eyes, "let's go home." She said in a zombie state.Without waiting, she started for the exit and walked out on her own. The triplet was left hurrying after her.All through the car ride, she was silent, clutching the photo album to her chest. Her heavy head nested against the window and she looked as if she would break into tears any time soon.Duke didn't want to pay any attention to her, he was angry at her for what she did earlier with Miguel, yet he found himself casting glances at her to make sure she was alright.One time, he had to look twice to be sure that she wasn't in tears. He couldn't help the rage that began to sprout ins
ANAYA'S POVMy stomach churned, my heart raced, tears blurred my eyes and my head spun. All I could think of was his smile, I had tried so hard to remember his laughter ever since he passed but now that I was looking at his picture, it slipped to me so easily.The way his face lit up whenever he saw me. Up until I was sixteen, he still treated me like I was three.My lips stretched into a smile and all I could do was yearn for him.Ex beta Ray's soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I sniffed. "You cannot imagine how much I miss him too."I looked up at him and smiled. "Miguel has always been good looking." I tried to change the subject.He chuckled wholeheartedly. "Of course! He takes after me. I always thought you two would grow up to become mates, you were joined at the hip!"I cleared my throat and let out a nervous chuckle. "You don't say..." I anxiously replied.He sighed and turned the page over. It was a picture of he and my dad standing side by side with the biggest smi
ANAYA'S POVI shuffled from foot to foot, not solely because my feet were hurting from the heels I was putting on but because I was nervous, waiting for the former beta.I clutched the bag with books inside close to myself, hoping and praying that the beta wouldn't realize what was inside. Maybe I should have handed it to Darius as he asked.I took the opportunity to show myself around his study. The room was large and in neat order.His chair was a strong looking leather and the table carried more weight than it looked like it could.Two soft looking white sofas sat close to each other with a rectangular glass table in the middle of the place.The walls had a unique set of paintings in all colors. Large flower pots sat in two corners of the room."...and call me when he is done." I turned around as I heard him say from behind.He smiled as he saw me and gently closed the door behind himself. "Oh, you're already here. You must have waited long, sorry to have kept you waiting." He apol
ANAYA'S POVI thought about the offer for a second even though it tormented me too. I needed that book, well apparently, those books.Luna Freya had told me about a book that held more information about dark flowers like the soil feeders and I desperately needed to know more. Apparently, the keepers of all information related things was the beta family. It had always been.The alpha used to keep it before but he got robbed so they secretly moved it to the beta without anyone knowing. Now for generations, only the alpha and his family knew that the beta were the keepers.Knowing that, I just couldn't hold back the urge to ask Miguel what he knew about it. I didn't know if he would actually have the book or know where it was but then that was one thing.Handing it to me by himself was another thing entirely.Now that he was willing to hand it to me, a few moments from my time should be enough to pay the price.I nodded my head. "I'll keep my word about the seven dates. I promise you.""
THIRD POVDuke slammed the door behind himself as he walked outside. He scoffed, finding it hard to understand why she had chosen Miguel over him.'That arrogant jerk! What did he promise her to make her choose her over me so easily? I could tell that she was lying to me in there but why?'He asked himself severally as he stood by the door like a security guard. He folded his arms across his chest and let out a chuckle of disbelief.The door pulled open behind him and he turned around as Anaya and Miguel walked out of the room.Miguel stared at Duke with a smile on his face but the smile was a mask. He was thinking about something but didn't want it to show on his face.What she had asked him for, he knew it was in the Rodrigo family's possession but he didn't know where exactly it was. But he would find it somehow and hand it to her. For the security of the entire town.Anaya smiled at him, knowing well that he would keep his word. "Thank you for answering me, I think I should be abl
DUKE'S POVI searched my surroundings for any face with a slight similarity to Anaya's but found none. She had left to go to the bathroom a while ago and was yet to return. I had a bad feeling about the way she acted from the start."Hey, have either of you two spotted Anaya anywhere?" I asked my brothers.They finally fell silent, their conversation drowning as they looked around in a futile attempt to find her."Now that you mention it..." Darius spoke up. "Didn't she say she was going to the bathroom? Do you think it's for a number two?" He arched his brow."Miguel isn't here either," Dean said. He has a suspicious look on his face. "I don't like it. I'm getting a strange feeling inside. She's not in danger but she's feeling tense somehow. I don't know how to explain it.""You don't have to." I said to him in response. "We can all feel it too." My expression darkened as a slight frown sat on my face."We should try to find her right?" Dean questioned.Darius nodded his head. "We sh
ANAYA'S POVMy eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Did Miguel Rodrigo know what he was saying? Me? His mate? How was that even possible?"All the questions you could possibly think of, I have the answer to them." He proudly said. "So go ahead and ask them.""Firstly, do you even know what you are saying? The alpha triplet is my mate and I have not been rejected by either of them.""You don't have to be for me to find you. Didn't you notice? I haven't found a mate yet. I was curious as to why mate hasn't shown her face to me yet, who knew she was busy with the Cavannagh brothers?" His brow arched maliciously at me."You said you have a woman." I returned my hands beneath my breast as I glared at him."I did, didn't I? But I never said she was my mate. I believe the Cavannagh brothers were fooling around with some pretty girls before they found you. It hurts to know that you are my first chance mate and I your second. Has any complication like this happened before?" He placed a cur
ANAYA'S POVI walked down the hall but didn't find anyone with the resemblance of Miguel. I stopped one of the passing maids-- an omega-- who greeted me with a now."Hi, I'm sorry to bother you while you work but I am looking for beta Miguel." I said in the most modest tone I could."I think I saw him going into the library just a few seconds ago." She said to me. Her voice was soft and full of respect.I smiled at her. "Thank you so much for answering. Can I go into the library without permission?" I asked her."Of course you can, would you like me to show you?" She asked me."Of course," I responded with a smile, "you are very nice."She smiled as well and led me to the library. Arriving there, she pointed at the door and with a bow, she turned and walked away.I allowed myself into the library. Taking a step forward, it was like walking into a different world. Several books aligned on tall shelves, taller than I had ever seen.The covers were of several different colors, from blue