Claimed By The Triplet Alphas

My best friend and I had a mutual love of 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: to propose to my werewolf boyfriend Donovan, the moment he stepped off his flight.

Ria was horrified by the very idea, while I cackled and ignored her protests.

"Are you insane, Vespa?" She finally managed. "Women don't propose to men; it’s supposed to be the other way around.”

I tugged on a simple ivory dress, and prepared myself like a woman on a mission and styled my ash-blond pixie. 

“Don't jinx it. I've been dropping hints for ages about wanting to get married young.”

“But you're just twenty-one,” Ria whined. “Why would you even think about marrying a werewolf? They call us meatbags! You can't seriously consider marrying one of them, let alone having his babies. That’s bestiality."

My laughter bounced off the walls. This was the best part. Tell me not to do something, dare me, that’s when the excitement truly takes hold.

"C’mon, Ri, Donovan has a human side too. 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!" Ria glared, sitting bolt upright. She looked like a very pissed-off puppy.

I pressed on, ignoring her outburst. “I’ll hook you up with Donovan's friend. Prepare for a toe-curling, earth-shattering orgasm that’ll make you forget your own name.”

When I asked if she was coming along, she groaned, grabbed her phone, and followed like a condemned soul, muttering all the while about my questionable sanity.

By the time we hit the airport, the place was pulsing with chaos. My pulse pounded with it. 

Donovan and I were solid. Our romance started on the stairs of the journalism faculty’s third floor last year. He was there to enroll in his Master's program, a little lost, and I was a junior who knew her way around. That first accidental bump, the papers he dropped, my apology, his shy smile – it sparked a connection that quickly grew into something beautiful. 

When I finally spotted Donovan, I didn’t wait. I launched myself at him, heart racing and a ring box burning a hole in my purse. 

He looked shocked to see me and his face paled as I hit the floor on one knee like I was born for dramatic declarations. 

“Vespa, what are you doing?” he asked, dread creeping into his voice. I beamed, holding up a fake diamond for the whole terminal to see. 

This wasn’t just a prank anymore. It was a collision of love, insanity, and pure adrenaline. And somewhere behind me, Ria was filming.

“Donovan, my love, will you marry me?" The words came out in a happy rush. Some onlookers had gathered now; I could see phones pointing our way out of the corner of my eye. This was perfect!

Donovan wasn’t smiling. His eyes, wide and dark, were fixed on me with utter disbelief, as if I had just confessed to a terrible crime.

"Is this a prank, Vespa?" he asked, his voice strained. "Because if it is, it’s not funny. Not at all.”

My breath hitched. I forced a laugh, but it sounded brittle and shaky even to my own ears.

Okay, breathe, Vespa. 

He’s just shocked. 

Women don't propose to men.

My nerves felt like frayed wires. To make matters worse, I was acutely aware of the cameras still focused on me, capturing this awkward pause. 

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

"Of course, it isn't a joke," I said, trying to keep my tone light, playful. "Are you really going to reject me in front of all these people?" 

My smile felt frozen on my face.

He looked like a small child caught with his hand in the cookie jar – guilty and panicked. Then, my eyes followed his gaze to a figure standing just behind him. 

A young woman, with fiery ginger hair pulled back in a messy bun, was dressed in a bright yellow sundress and scuffed green sneakers. She was glaring at me, her lips pressed into a hard line. Her eyes were the coldest blue I had ever seen.

"What's going on here, baby?" she asked, her voice sharp and possessive as she stepped forward and curled her hand around Donovan's arm. She looked me up and down, a sneer twisting her lips. "And who is this desperate bitch groveling on her knees?"

Donovan flinched at her touch, then scratched his head again, avoiding my eyes. “She… she’s, uh… nobody, honey. Just some chick I know from college.”

Nobody. 

Some chick…

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

"Hello, meatbag," she said, her voice dripping with condescension as she addressed me directly. Her eyes raked over me with open contempt. "I'm Nebula. Donovan's fiancée." She paused for effect, her smile cruel. "And the mother of his unborn baby. Now, if you’ll excuse us, take your pathetic little self out of our way. You’re making a scene and frankly, embarrassing yourself."

My cheeks burned with a shame so intense it felt like fire. I could feel Ria at my side, mortified, her hand urgently tugging at my arm, trying to pull me to my feet. But my legs wouldn't obey. I was frozen to the spot.

"Vespa, I… I’m sorry," Donovan finally stammered, shaking his head, still not meeting my eyes. "But I can't marry you. You must have been out of your mind to pull a stunt like this.” 

He gently detached Nebula’s hand from his arm, but then he took it again, more firmly this time, and started to walk away, pulling her with him. He didn't look back.

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. This bastard… this was how he repaid me? With this colossal, public humiliation?

I was still reeling, watching Donovan and Nebula disappear into the throng of travelers. Ria was desperately begging me to get up. 

"Vespa, please, let's go. Please." I tried to stand, to push myself up, but my legs felt like cooked noodles, wobbly and weak.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, three tall male 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 entire store. The world tilted. The noise of the airport faded to a dull roar. The last thing I knew before everything went black was the sensation of falling, and then strong arms catching me.