Claimed By The Triplet Alphas

My best friend and I had a mutual love for crazy pranks, but this time, I was extra with my boldest stunt yet.

I planned to propose to my boyfriend at the airport.

It was a regular Friday afternoon, our final class behind us, and I’d just unveiled my plan to Ria: I was going to propose to Donovan, the moment he stepped off his flight.

"Are you insane, Vespa?" Ria shrieked, horrified. "Women don't propose to men. That's not how it's done.”

Laughing at her reaction, I zipped up a simple ivory dress and styled my ash-blond pixie cut.

“Don’t jinx it,” I said. “I’ve been dropping hints forever. I want to get married young. Donovan knows that.”

“But you're twenty-one,” Ria groaned. “And why would you marry a werewolf? Let alone have his babies? That’s bestiality.”

I laughed so hard until my stomach hurt. This was the best part. Tell me not to do something, dare me, that’s when things get fun.

"C’mon, Ri, Donovan’s human 90% of the time. And really, in the grand scheme, aren’t we all just animals trying to get by?”

I leaned closer. “You need to get laid by a werewolf. Trust me, once you try it, there’s no going back. They are so incredibly hot. I bet you haven't had decent sex since…”

"Vespa!" she snapped, sitting up straighter, like a scolded puppy.

I smirked and pressed on. “I’ll hook you up with Donovan's friend. You’re overdue for a toe-curling, memory-erasing, soul-snatching orgasm.”

When I asked if she was coming along, she groaned, grabbed her phone, and followed like someone heading to their own funeral, muttering about my questionable sanity.

By the time we reached the airport, the place was buzzing with chaos.

Donovan and I were solid. We met last year, on the stairs of the journalism building. He was there for his Master’s program, a little lost, and I was an undergrad who knew every shortcut on campus. One accidental collision and a shy smile later, we were inseparable.

When I finally spotted him coming through the gate, I launched myself toward him, heart racing, the ring box burning a hole in my purse. 

He looked shocked to see me. His face paled as I dropped to one knee.

“Vespa, what are you doing?” he asked, dread creeping into his voice. 

I beamed, holding up the cheap ring for the crowd now gathering around us.

This wasn’t just a prank anymore. It was love, insanity, and pure adrenaline. I was proud of myself.

“Donovan, my love, will you marry me?" The words came out in a happy rush. 

Phones were up. More people gathered. Somewhere behind me, Ria was filming.

But Donovan didn't smile. His eyes were wide and panicked. Like I’d just pulled a knife, not a ring.

"Is this a joke, Vespa?" he asked, his voice strained. "Because if it is…it’s not funny.”

My breath caught. I forced a laugh. It sounded brittle and shaky.

Okay, breathe, Vespa. 

He’s just shocked. 

“Of course, it’s not a joke,” I said lightly, forcing a smile. “What, are you really going to reject me in front of all these people?”

Ria looked terrified from where she stood, her phone now lowered. I took a shaky breath, trying to gather my composure, to look dignified.

Donovan’s gaze had drifted over my shoulder. His expression turned from panicked to horrified.

He looked like a small child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Then, my eyes followed his gaze to a figure approaching us.

A young woman with ginger hair in a messy bun, dressed in a yellow sundress stormed toward us, her eyes the coldest shade of blue I’d ever seen.

“What’s going on here, baby?” she asked, her voice clipped as she looped her arm around Donovan’s.

Holy flipping fuck.

She gave me a once-over and sneered. “And who’s this sad little stray groveling on the floor?”

Donovan flinched. He scratched his head, eyes darting everywhere but mine.

“She… she’s just some chick from college who's obviously obsessed with me,” he mumbled. “Nobody important.”

The words stung with a heat that had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to do with a sickening shock.

The woman turned to me fully now. “Hi bitch, I’m Nebula,” she said, lips curled in a cruel smile. “Donovan’s fiancée. And the mother of his baby.”

She gave a dramatic pause, savoring the words.

“So if you’d be so kind, take your pathetic little show somewhere else. You’re making a scene.”

My cheeks burned. Rage and humiliation clawed at my throat. Behind me, I felt Ria’s hand tugging urgently at my arm, trying to help me up. But I couldn’t move.

“Vespa, I’m… I’m sorry,” Donovan finally muttered. “But you were out of your mind pulling something like this.”

He turned and walked away with his woman.

He didn’t look back.

“We need to leave, Vespa,” Ria pleaded, attempting to pull me to my feet. But my legs wouldn't obey.

I blinked, trying to clear my vision, trying to convince myself this was some horrible dream. My body started to tremble, a violent shudder that went all the way to my bones, like an aspen leaf in a storm. 

My vision blurred, the bright lights of the airport swimming before my eyes. I couldn’t believe this. I watched Donovan and Nebula disappear into the throng of travelers.

"Vespa, please, let's go. Please,” Ria said, sounding desperate.

I tried to stand, to push myself up, but my legs felt like cooked noodles.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, three tall figures moved towards me with an unsettling speed. They were big, and their eyes, dark and intense, were fixed solely on me like I was the last piece of candy in the store.

Everything slowed. The sounds of the airport dulled to a hum.

The last thing I knew before everything went black was the feel of strong arms catching me as I fell