Chapter 58Like Father, Not Like SonAiden's POVThe silence in the house was suffocating. I stood just outside the door to my father's chambers, my heart pounding in my chest. I had made up my mind, this confrontation was long overdue. The lies, the secrecy, the power games. I couldn’t stand it any longer. I needed to know where Asher was.As I opened the door, I immediately felt the weight of his presence, like an oppressive cloud that darkened everything around him. He was sitting behind his desk, his eyes cold and calculating. When he saw me, his lips barely twitched into a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. I was the nerd of the trio and somehow being forced to take a front-row responsibility was not something I was cut out for.“Aiden,” my father greeted me, his voice as smooth as ever, though there was a hint of something I couldn’t quite place. “What brings you here?”I wasted no time, walking straight to the point. “Where is Asher?”His eyes narrowed slightly, and for the b
Chapter 59An EscapeAsher's POVI woke up with the heaviness of the chains still clinging to my limbs, and yet, today was different. Today, I was going to escape. I could feel the anticipation vibrating through every cell of my body. The cell I had been trapped in for the past week had become a cage, and I was ready to break out. The whole place was beginning to irritate me and every day, I hoped what Tomas said about a chance of Axel still being alive.Leon was already awake, sitting on his cot with a look of determination etched into his face. His eyes met mine as soon as I stirred, and I saw the flicker of excitement there, the same one I was feeling. He had proven to be more useful than I ever expected. When I first arrived, I thought I was alone, just another pawn in a game too dangerous to play. But Leon had helped me and showed me how to move through this place without drawing too much attention. He had connections, allies, and most importantly, he had a plan.“I’ve got the re
Chapter 60Blood and WaterWillow’s POVThe sound of my phone buzzing jolted me out of my thoughts. The name on the screen, Kingston, immediately put me on edge. There was something about him that always felt... unsettled. Necessary, but unsettling. “Kingston,” I answered, keeping my voice steady. “I’ve got what you asked for,” he said curtly. “Information on the triplets’ father.” The words hung in the air for a moment, heavier than I expected. “You’re sure?” I asked, bracing myself. “Dead sure,” he replied. “Meet me at the hospital. Aiden texted you, didn’t he?” I frowned and quickly checked my notifications. Aiden had texted earlier, asking me to come to the hospital, but I hadn’t had time to respond. “Yes, he did, and how did you know that he had texted me, is there something I should know?” I said slowly. “We will speak in the car, on the way there. I don't want to bore you with details I can't show you right now. So, I’ll meet you there.” “Wait.” My voice sharp
Chapter 61The Reunion Asher’s POVThe arrival back to the pack had been easier than I expected. My heart wondered a few times what had happened to the men back at the mine and if any of them would be spared. It was nearly morning and I had to heavily disguise myself as I didn't want my father to know that I was back. It was a good thing that Axel had made it out alive. A whole chunk of anger had been steamed off me when Aiden had told me about that. Aiden had sounded dull on the phone and even though I knew that he was happy to hear from me, I also knew that something was bothering him. He was the softest of us three and we did everything we could to shield him from handling the heavy emotional baggage. Soon, I got to the meeting point that Aiden had told me to come to and we spoke. He brought me up to date and told me that Axel was still at the hospital. "Willow is coming around too. Her friend has proven to be very helpful. We should listen to him, he has been investigating Da
Chapter 62Bonded and Broken Willow’s POVI didn’t know what had drawn me back to Axel’s hospital room at that exact moment. Maybe it was the lingering tension in the air or the unsettling energy that had been nagging at me all day. Aiden had texted again, asking me to come by, but his message had been more cryptic this time around and not as always. It was almost like something had happened and he now just wanted to tell me. Even though I knew the men felt disappointed with what Kingston could come up with after accusing their father of so many terrible things. Jason trailed behind me, his footsteps heavy against the polished floor as we walked down the corridor. I could feel his presence like a protective shadow, and while I appreciated his support, I wasn’t sure how much of it was necessary or welcome today. Then I heard it. “Asher?” Jason’s voice was puzzled, but I barely registered it. My ears buzzed, and my heart stuttered in my chest. That voice. I hadn’t heard it in t
Chapter 63A New EmotionAxel’s POVThe first thing I noticed was the pull, sharp, undeniable, and wild. My wolf surged forward, its growl resonating in my chest as I gripped the edge of the bed. My vision blurred, the room spinning around me. Across the room, I saw Asher stagger, his fists clenched, his entire body trembling. Aiden wasn’t far behind; he leaned against the wall, his glowing eyes betraying his own internal struggle. “What’s going on?” Willow’s voice cut through the haze. The sound hit me like lightning, reigniting the fire that was already roaring inside. My wolf clawed at the walls of my control, desperate, relentless. Every word she spoke only made it worse. Aiden’s voice was low and rough, his struggle evident. “We feel… like letting them take over. Letting our wolves do what they want.” Her brows furrowed in confusion. “What do they want?” Asher’s growl rumbled through the room. “You,” he said, his voice raw and guttural. “They want you. Our mate. It's be
Chapter 64Debt RepaidWillow’s POVThe pull was undeniable. It wasn’t just them; I felt it too. A simmering heat, an ache that had lingered for years, now amplified in the small hospital room. The triplets tried to hide it, masking their desperation under layers of stoicism, but I saw the truth. Their wolves were battling for control, and I could feel their struggle like it was my own. It wasn’t just the bond, it was what they had done. They had saved my children without even knowing they existed. For that, they deserved something, even if it was temporary. My body trembled as I came to a decision. I had to just not make it look like this was also coming from a place of need for me, it made more sense for me to justify it as that than as anything else. “I need to step out for a moment,” I said, my voice softer than I intended. The three of them looked at me, their eyes glowing faintly, as though their wolves didn’t want me to leave. I reassured them with a small smile before ste
Chapter 65Desperate Measures Asher's POVThe first light of dawn was soft, creeping through the curtains of Willow’s hotel room. I could still hear the steady rhythm of her breathing next to me, her body tucked into the sheets as she slept soundly. I wanted to stay, to lie next to her forever, to savor the fleeting moments when the world seemed perfect when nothing outside this room mattered. But Axel’s sharp voice broke the spell.“We can’t stay, Ash. We have to go. Now.” I sat up, rubbing my eyes, but I already knew what he meant. We couldn’t risk waking her up, not after everything that had happened, not after everything we had left finished. Our time here was temporary. Willow needed rest, and we couldn’t afford to stay any longer.Axel was already moving, gathering his things and moving as quietly as he could. A small part of me wished I could stay longer, and hold Willow in my arms just a little bit more, but Axel was right. There was too much at stake, and if we stayed, we
Chapter 70OverreactionAsher's POVI paced the floor, checking my watch for what felt like the hundredth time. It was past the time Willow was supposed to have arrived. The evening air outside had grown cooler, and the shadows in the room seemed to stretch farther as if reflecting the tension gnawing at my insides. Willow should have been here by now. We had planned for her to get picked up by mid-day but it was almost dusk and there was still no word from her.Axel had already tried calling her more times than I cared to count, his face growing darker with each unanswered ring. We even called the hotel, only to be told that she wasn’t picking up her room phone either. A knot formed in my stomach. What was going on? "She’ll turn up," Aiden said, trying to reassure us, though the uncertainty in his voice betrayed him. Axel’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know, Aiden. I feel like she might have left. Everything she came here to do is done, she’s helped me recover, helped you get back, an
Chapter 69Ended RealitiesWillow's POVThe ride back to my hotel felt like an eternity. The world outside was a blur of lights and shadows as the car sped through the city streets, but all I could focus on was the whirlwind of emotions churning inside me. I had barely been able to think straight since I left Jason’s hotel room. His words echoed in my mind, sharp and accusing, and then, just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, he confessed that he loved me. Love. The word seemed so out of place, so foreign coming from him. My heart ached at the thought of it, not because I wanted to return those feelings but because of the way he had said it like it was a plea, a desperate cry for me to see him the way he wanted me to. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was truth in some of the things Jason had said. He had called me cheap and made me feel like I had somehow been used by the triplets. There had been a part of me, a dark corner I didn’t want to acknowledge, that wondered if he
Chapter 68A Thin LineWillow's POV I stared at the phone in my hand, the weight of the decision I was about to make settling into my bones. It wasn’t that I wanted to confront him, Jason. He had been there for me, I couldn’t deny that. But sometimes, his protectiveness over me, his constant need to guard me from every little thing, felt like a chain wrapped around my heart. It was smothering. He needed to know that. I pressed the dial button, and the phone once, twice, three times before he picked up. “Willow,” Jason’s voice was flat, tired like he already knew what I was going to say. “I don’t want to talk right now.” My heart tightened. I wanted to scream at him, but I forced the words out instead, keeping my voice steady. “I’m not giving you a choice, Jason. I need you to tell me where you are.” There was a long silence on the other end. I could almost feel him weighing his options, deciding whether to comply or push me away further. I couldn’t let him. Not this time. F
Chapter 67A Romantic HorrorAxel's POVI couldn’t shake the feeling. Every minute since we returned from Willow’s hotel room, the tension had settled in my chest like a weight. My thoughts were consumed by the idea of our father. The old man, where was he? What would he do when he returned? How far had he gone in his plan? I tried to push it out of my mind, but it wasn’t easy. Asher, of course, noticed my mood shift. He always did. “You alright?” Asher asked, his voice cutting through the quiet of the living room. I had been staring into the empty space in front of me for what felt like hours. I blinked, the reality of the question pulling me back to the present. “Yeah, just… wondering what our father will do when he comes back.” His brow furrowed, and I could tell he wasn’t buying it. He knew better. I had to be careful. “You think the poison from the bullet is acting up again too?” he asked and I wondered why he thought that. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake
Chapter 66Proof of BondWillow's POVThe soft, golden light of afternoon seeped through the blinds, caressing my skin with a warmth that stirred me awake. My eyelids fluttered open, and as soon as they did, I knew, this wasn’t just any sleep. No, this was the kind of sleep that made everything feel distant like I had traveled somewhere far away and then returned. The best sleep I’d had in eight years.The weight of everything, the trauma, the heartbreak, the loss that had been crushing me for as long as I could remember had been lifted in that quiet, undisturbed rest. I felt light, lighter than I had in so long. There was no tension in my body, no gnawing worry. I could finally breathe. For a fleeting moment, I believed that maybe I was okay again. That everything would somehow be okay. But as the fog of sleep started to lift, the reality of my situation slammed back into my consciousness. The triplets. Asher, Axel, Aiden.I reached out instinctively, hoping to find their warmth
Chapter 65Desperate Measures Asher's POVThe first light of dawn was soft, creeping through the curtains of Willow’s hotel room. I could still hear the steady rhythm of her breathing next to me, her body tucked into the sheets as she slept soundly. I wanted to stay, to lie next to her forever, to savor the fleeting moments when the world seemed perfect when nothing outside this room mattered. But Axel’s sharp voice broke the spell.“We can’t stay, Ash. We have to go. Now.” I sat up, rubbing my eyes, but I already knew what he meant. We couldn’t risk waking her up, not after everything that had happened, not after everything we had left finished. Our time here was temporary. Willow needed rest, and we couldn’t afford to stay any longer.Axel was already moving, gathering his things and moving as quietly as he could. A small part of me wished I could stay longer, and hold Willow in my arms just a little bit more, but Axel was right. There was too much at stake, and if we stayed, we
Chapter 64Debt RepaidWillow’s POVThe pull was undeniable. It wasn’t just them; I felt it too. A simmering heat, an ache that had lingered for years, now amplified in the small hospital room. The triplets tried to hide it, masking their desperation under layers of stoicism, but I saw the truth. Their wolves were battling for control, and I could feel their struggle like it was my own. It wasn’t just the bond, it was what they had done. They had saved my children without even knowing they existed. For that, they deserved something, even if it was temporary. My body trembled as I came to a decision. I had to just not make it look like this was also coming from a place of need for me, it made more sense for me to justify it as that than as anything else. “I need to step out for a moment,” I said, my voice softer than I intended. The three of them looked at me, their eyes glowing faintly, as though their wolves didn’t want me to leave. I reassured them with a small smile before ste
Chapter 63A New EmotionAxel’s POVThe first thing I noticed was the pull, sharp, undeniable, and wild. My wolf surged forward, its growl resonating in my chest as I gripped the edge of the bed. My vision blurred, the room spinning around me. Across the room, I saw Asher stagger, his fists clenched, his entire body trembling. Aiden wasn’t far behind; he leaned against the wall, his glowing eyes betraying his own internal struggle. “What’s going on?” Willow’s voice cut through the haze. The sound hit me like lightning, reigniting the fire that was already roaring inside. My wolf clawed at the walls of my control, desperate, relentless. Every word she spoke only made it worse. Aiden’s voice was low and rough, his struggle evident. “We feel… like letting them take over. Letting our wolves do what they want.” Her brows furrowed in confusion. “What do they want?” Asher’s growl rumbled through the room. “You,” he said, his voice raw and guttural. “They want you. Our mate. It's be
Chapter 62Bonded and Broken Willow’s POVI didn’t know what had drawn me back to Axel’s hospital room at that exact moment. Maybe it was the lingering tension in the air or the unsettling energy that had been nagging at me all day. Aiden had texted again, asking me to come by, but his message had been more cryptic this time around and not as always. It was almost like something had happened and he now just wanted to tell me. Even though I knew the men felt disappointed with what Kingston could come up with after accusing their father of so many terrible things. Jason trailed behind me, his footsteps heavy against the polished floor as we walked down the corridor. I could feel his presence like a protective shadow, and while I appreciated his support, I wasn’t sure how much of it was necessary or welcome today. Then I heard it. “Asher?” Jason’s voice was puzzled, but I barely registered it. My ears buzzed, and my heart stuttered in my chest. That voice. I hadn’t heard it in t