Chapter 3

Elena

With piercing dark brown eyes and striking jet-black hair, it was as though the universe had conspired to grace the triplets with this shared, hypnotic feature. Beyond their matching gaze and hair, each of them possessed a unique magnetism of their own.

Magnetism mixed with cruelty—a deadly combination, I knew in my heart, was capable of killing me a thousand times more than they already had.

As I served the members along with them, I couldn't help but sneak a few glances at them.

Alex, the middle triplet, was tall and lean, with dark hair perfectly coiffed, a striking contrast against his light olive skin. He had a sharp nose, perfect brows, cheekbones, and lips that always seemed somewhat swollen but plump. He usually wore nothing but simple colored shirts rolled up to his elbows, showing off his mesmerizing tattoos that traveled upwards to his biceps and spread across his chest. He was the calmest one; being the middle suited him. But that didn't mean those beautiful features didn't scowl at the sight of me. They did, every time.

Next came Caleb, the youngest, who exuded an air of refinement and elegance. Equally tall and handsome like Alex, with a sharp nose and an even sharper jaw, his skin was a bit lighter than Alex's, and his lips slightly thinner. He too had tattoos but only on his fingers— a cross, his initials, a sword, a skull, and a half moon—He was a man of sophistication. Always had been. While in childhood, Alex and Lucas would simply roll out of bed and join the breakfast table with messy hair and puffy faces, Caleb would already be there, fully dressed. But that was about all the effort he put in. He was the messiest one in every other aspect, whether it was taking multiple girls to his room at night or choosing words to insult me, even more than Lucas. Lucas's words were cold, but Caleb's could break your heart with just a laugh in your face.

Lastly came Lucas, the embodiment of rugged masculinity. He had a strong jawline and a face that spoke of untamed wilderness. His eyes never held calm; they held deep rage and a hint of vulnerability he never showed to anybody. His presence exuded strength, like a silent force of nature. And his features? I didn't need to say anything at all—they were breathtaking, just like his words of this morning.

All of them were gorgeous, but sadly not mine, and would never be.

Caleb's eyes suddenly caught mine, but I looked away instantly.

Honestly, it hurt when I saw them with other girls. But I had never let my feelings grow for them, because I believed that one day I would find my mate, and he would save me from all this mess. Moreover, the Triplets would also find their mate, and it was not wise for me to let my feelings grow for people who were not destined to be with me.

I prepared their breakfast and started serving everyone. Some pack members thanked me with warm smiles, while others continued to ignore me, as they always did.

As I began serving breakfast, Caleb's nonchalant voice suddenly rang out, "Give me a sandwich, Trash," followed by his girlfriend's giggle. It was just the beginning; I knew it.

Trash—was the name he had given me. There were other names too, but this was the one he used most often.

I held my breath as I handed him a sandwich and moved on to serve other pack members.

"Where's my juice?" Lucas's girlfriend asked, and my gaze shifted to her figure. She wore a red dress, red heels, and red lipstick, but none of it seemed to suit her. She was beautiful, but the color didn't work for her. To be honest, Caleb's girlfriend looked much better. It was only then I realized that she was new—not Caleb's girlfriend, but Lucas's. She wasn't brand new, judging by the hickeys on her neck.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you wanted Juice. Please tell me whether you'd like orange or raspberry, and I'll make it for you real quick."

"How dare you!" Out of the blue, she slammed her fist on the table and stood up from her chair. No wonder, staying with Lucas for one, or at most two nights, had turned her as angry as Lucas himself, or maybe she pretended just to be his favorite.

I didn't care either way, but I did look at her in bewilderment because I genuinely believed I hadn't said anything offensive.

"Sorry?"

She walked toward me, her heels clicking all the way, and then she grabbed my face harshly, digging her nails into my cheeks.

Rage coursed through my veins.

I could have thrown her right out of the window without even using my full strength if I wanted to. But I didn't want to endure the silver chains again. The last time, when I did something similar to Alex's girlfriend, I had to go without food for two days, and they tied me up with silver chains. It was fucking painful.

I saw some of the pack members looking at me with pity, while others observed the scene as if they were savoring it, although their numbers were few.

"You ugly bitch. You can't even do a single thing properly, and now you're saying you didn't know what I wanted." She dug her sharp nails in even deeper, and it was becoming far too painful to bear. I had a high pain tolerance, but her nails were excruciating on my sensitive skin.

"Sorry, but you are new here. I'm not entirely aware of your breakfast preferences," I said, my hands gripping the tray tightly to prevent my hand from colliding sharply with her face.

"What did you just say?" Her jaw clenched. "New? You miserable bitch, I could easily rip that tongue of yours for talking back. Don't you know that?"

Shit! It was becoming increasingly difficult to stay calm when all I wanted was to tear her throat out. What did she even expect from me? She was new and would likely be gone soon, just like the Triplets' other short-term girlfriends.

What was I supposed to do? Remember the preferences of every one-night stand or two-night stand they brought in? Fuck it! I was never going to do that.

"I think you are being totally unreasonable. I aplogized even though it's not my fault. Just tell me what you want and get over with it."

"You run that smart mouth of yours too much, Elena," rage flashed in his eyes, her jaw clenching, "Trust me, you do not fucking want me to put you back to your spot. It won't end up good for you."

She had to be fucking kidding me.

Put me back to my spot? It'd just take one slap to get this bitch on her fucking knees.

"Listen, Alice, don't make it—"

"She needs to learn a lesson, Alice," Alex's girlfriend chimed in, cutting me off. The evil glint in her eyes told me that she clearly hadn't forgotten about the incident where I'd thrown her out of the window.

"You're absolutely right," a sinister smirk curved at the corner of Alice's mouth. She snatched a cup of steaming hot coffee from the table, and before I could even fathom what she was about to do, she threw it at me without any warning.