Chapter 2

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the great hall as I arranged the final decorations for tonight's ceremony. My hands trembled slightly as I hung the last of the silver and blue streamers, my mind still reeling from the morning's revelations. The mate bond thrummed beneath my skin like an electric current, making it impossible to forget the three alphas who now dominated my thoughts.

"A little higher on the left, omega," Selene's cold voice cut through my concentration. I adjusted the streamer, biting back a retort. Even now, hours after discovering her sons were my mates, she treated me like a servant.

"Yes, Luna," I murmured, though the title felt strange on my tongue. Would I be expected to call her "mother" now? The thought made my stomach churn.

"The caterers will be here in an hour," she continued, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against her phone screen. "Try not to get in their way."

I nodded, watching her stride away in her designer heels. Nine years I'd lived under her roof, and not once had she shown me an ounce of kindness. Now that fate had bound me to her sons, would anything change?

The sound of engines rumbling in the driveway made my heart skip. The triplets were back from wherever they'd disappeared to this morning. My wolf stirred restlessly, yearning to be closer to them. I quickly ducked into the kitchen, pretending to busy myself with arranging appetizer platters.

"Where is she?" Liam's deep voice carried through the house. My fingers fumbled with a tray of canapés.

"Kitchen," Noah answered softly. Of course he'd know - he always seemed to know where I was.

Heavy footsteps approached, and then they were there, filling the doorway with their imposing presence. All three wore dark suits that highlighted their broad shoulders and powerful builds. My mouth went dry.

"Zara." Liam's voice was gentler than I'd ever heard it. "We need to talk."

"I'm busy," I gestured to the platters before me. "The ceremony starts in a few hours and-"

"This can't wait," Ethan interrupted, moving closer. His usual playful smirk was gone, replaced by an intensity that made me shiver.

Noah remained by the door, his quiet presence somehow more unnerving than his brothers' direct approach. His dark eyes watched me carefully, reading every micro-expression that crossed my face.

"Fine," I sighed, setting down the tray. "Talk."

"Not here," Liam glanced toward the hall where staff members bustled about with decorations and supplies. "Somewhere private."

Before I could protest, Ethan's hand settled on my lower back, guiding me toward the stairs. The touch sent sparks through my body, making my wolf howl with need. I jerked away from him, nearly colliding with Noah.

"Sorry," he murmured, steadying me with gentle hands on my shoulders. His touch was different from Ethan's - calmer, less demanding - but no less affecting.

They led me to Liam's study, a room I'd only glimpsed in passing over the years. Like everything else about the triplets, it spoke of power and privilege - dark wood paneling, leather-bound books, and a massive desk that dominated the space.

"Sit," Liam gestured to one of the leather armchairs. When I hesitated, he added, "Please."

The 'please' caught me off guard. In nine years, I couldn't remember any of them ever saying that word to me. I perched on the edge of the chair, watching warily as they arranged themselves around me - Liam behind his desk, Ethan lounging against a bookshelf, and Noah taking the chair beside me.

"We know this is... unexpected," Liam began, his fingers drumming against the desk's polished surface. "For all of us."

I couldn't help but laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Unexpected? That's one way to put it. The three alphas who've made my life hell for nearly a decade turn out to be my mates. The universe must have a sick sense of humor."

Ethan flinched at my words. Good. Let them feel a fraction of the pain they'd caused me.

"We deserve that," Noah said quietly. "We deserve your anger, your distrust. We've earned it."

"But we want to make it right," Liam leaned forward, his blue eyes intense. "We want to prove ourselves worthy of being your mates."

"And if I don't want you to?" I challenged, though my wolf whined in protest. "If I reject the bond?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Ethan pushed away from the bookshelf, pacing like a caged animal. Noah's hands tightened on the arms of his chair. Only Liam maintained his composure, though I could see the muscle jumping in his jaw.

"That's your right," he said finally. "We won't force you to accept us. But before you make that decision, there are things you need to know."

"Like what?"

"Like the truth about your parents' disappearance," Noah answered. "And why we really turned on you nine years ago."

My heart stuttered in my chest. "What do you know about my parents?"

"Everything," Ethan stopped pacing to look at me. "Including who was really responsible for their deaths."