It drives me crazy

Caden’s POV

The laughter faded as the weight of our situation settled back in, quieter this time but still undeniable. The bond wasn’t just a hurdle—it was a storm, tearing through everything we’d built as brothers. But sitting here, with Ryder and Jaxon, I felt something I hadn’t in weeks: hope.

Still, I couldn’t ignore the guilt gnawing at me. Ryder might have accepted my apology, but the damage I’d caused wouldn’t disappear overnight. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, and stared at the beer in my hands.

“We need to talk about Amara,” I said, breaking the silence.

Ryder tensed, his jaw tightening again, but he nodded. “Go on.”

“I don’t know how to explain it,” I admitted, my voice quiet. “When I’m around her, it’s like… nothing else matters. She’s the only thing my wolf wants, and it drives me crazy. But at the same time, I hate what it’s doing to us. I hate that my feelings for her are hurting you two.”

Jaxon nodded, his expression serious. “It’s the same for me. The bond makes everything feel so intense. But I don’t think it’s just about wanting her. It’s deeper than that—it’s about needing her. Like she’s the missing piece to something we didn’t even know was broken.”

Ryder let out a long sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. “And that’s the problem, isn’t it? The bond is forcing us to feel things we don’t fully understand. It’s not just love or attraction—it’s this primal, uncontrollable need. And it’s tearing us apart because none of us know how to handle it.”

“I don’t think we’re supposed to handle it alone,” I said, glancing between them. “The bond ties us all together for a reason. Maybe we’ve been fighting it instead of leaning into it.”

Ryder raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying we’re supposed to work together? To… share her?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted honestly. “But what I do know is that she’s just as overwhelmed by this as we are. She needs us to be stronger than the bond—to figure this out before it destroys everything.”

Jaxon nodded slowly. “He’s right. Amara didn’t ask for this any more than we did. She’s probably scared out of her mind, trying to navigate something none of us understand. If we can’t get past our own issues, how can we expect her to?”

Ryder didn’t say anything for a long moment, his gaze distant. Finally, he let out a low growl, his wolf’s frustration bleeding into his voice. “I still don’t like it. I don’t like the idea of sharing her, or this whole ‘bonded to all three of us’ thing. But you’re right. Fighting each other isn’t going to fix anything. If we’re going to figure this out, we need to do it together.”

The tension in my chest eased slightly at his words. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a step forward.

Jaxon raised his beer again, a small smile tugging at his lips. “To figuring out this mess, one step at a time.”

Ryder and I clinked our cans against his, the gesture feeling more meaningful than it had before.

“To us,” I said quietly.

“To Amara,” Jaxon added with a smirk.

Ryder groaned, but there was a faint smile on his lips. “And to surviving whatever the hell this bond throws at us next.”

As we sat there, talking and joking like old times, I felt a flicker of hope. The bond might be chaotic and maddening, but for the first time, it didn’t feel insurmountable. Together, we could face it. Together, we could figure it out.

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Amara’s POV

The house was quiet when I returned. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. I knew the triplets were home; I’d heard their voices earlier, muffled and low, as if they didn’t want me to hear.

Something was different. The tension that had simmered for weeks seemed to have shifted, but I couldn’t tell if it was for better or worse.

I made my way to the kitchen, hoping to grab some water and retreat to my room before anyone saw me. But as I passed the living room, their voices stopped me in my tracks.

“I still don’t know how to deal with this,” Ryder was saying, his tone softer than I’d ever heard it.

“You don’t have to do it alone,” Caden replied. “None of us do.”

Curiosity pulled me closer, my bare feet silent on the hardwood floor. I peeked around the corner, my heart pounding as I took in the scene.

The three of them were sitting together on the couch, beers in hand. Ryder looked less tense than usual, though his jaw was still tight. Jaxon was leaning back, his usual smirk replaced by a thoughtful expression. And Caden… Caden looked tired, like he’d been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“It’s not just about her,” Jaxon said, his voice steady. “It’s about us. We’ve let this bond turn us against each other, but that’s not who we are. We’re brothers first. We need to remember that.”

My chest tightened at his words, guilt gnawing at me. They were fighting because of me, because of this bond none of us had chosen.

Ryder let out a low growl, his wolf’s frustration evident. “It’s not easy. Seeing her with one of you… it makes me feel like I’m losing something that’s supposed to be mine.”

“But she’s not just yours,” Caden said gently. “She’s bonded to all of us. And that’s not her fault. If anything, she’s probably just as confused and overwhelmed as we are.”

I couldn’t listen anymore. The raw honesty in their voices, the vulnerability they were sharing—it was too much. I turned and hurried back to my room, my heart pounding.

Once inside, I shut the door and leaned against it, my breath coming in short gasps.

They were right. I was overwhelmed, confused, and utterly lost. This bond was unlike anything I’d ever imagined, and it was pulling me in three different directions at once.

But hearing them talk—hearing them try—gave me a sliver of hope. Maybe we could figure this out together.

Maybe we didn’t have to let the bond destroy us.

I just wasn’t sure if my heart could handle the journey.