Jade felt their eyes on her, a gaze so intense it made her skin prickle despite her new wolf strength. Liam, Eric, and Cole, the triplet Alphas who had bullied her for years, now looked at her with an entirely different intensity. She shifted back into her human form, her body still humming with the energy of the transformation, and instantly felt the weight of their stares. But it wasn’t disdain this time—it was something deeper, something that made her heart race in a way she wasn’t ready to admit.
“Jade,” Eric said, stepping forward. His voice was softer now, almost careful. It was such a stark contrast to the cold, detached tone he had used just days ago. “You’re... you’re our mate.”
Her heart froze, the world seeming to tilt as his words sank in. Mate? She shook her head, not believing it. No. This had to be a mistake.
“We didn’t know,” Liam added, his tone gentler than she’d ever heard. “Not until you shifted.”
“That’s impossible,” Jade muttered, backing away, her eyes wide. “You’ve made my life hell for years, and now suddenly I’m your mate?”
“We didn’t know,” Cole said, his voice defensive but tinged with something almost apologetic. “None of us could feel it until your wolf came out. We thought—”
“You thought I was weak,” she spat, cutting him off. The fury rising inside her felt familiar, like a shield she needed to keep them at bay. “You thought I was pathetic because I hadn’t shifted. You think I’ll just forget that because now, suddenly, I’m your mate?”
Eric stepped closer, his blue eyes locking onto hers with a strange mix of determination and regret. “We were wrong. Jade, you’re not weak. You never were. We just... we didn’t understand.”
Jade’s pulse raced, her wolf stirring beneath her skin. She could feel the bond pulling at her, trying to draw her toward them, but the memories of their cruelty still stung. How could everything have changed so quickly? How could they treat her like nothing yesterday and claim her today?
“You expect me to believe this?” she snapped, her voice trembling with anger and confusion. “That this changes anything?”
“It changes everything,” Liam said softly. “We’re mates, Jade. Fate chose you for us.”
Jade shook her head, her breath coming in short gasps. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. The triplets, the ones who had tormented her for years, were now claiming her as their mate? It was too much, too fast.
“No,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I don’t believe in fate. I don’t believe in any of this.”
“You don’t have to believe it,” Eric said, his voice a low rumble. “But you can’t deny what’s between us.”
Jade’s hands clenched into fists, her body trembling with a mixture of rage and confusion. “I don’t want this. I don’t want any of you.”
She saw the brief flicker of hurt in their eyes, but they quickly masked it. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, the pull of the bond stronger than she wanted to admit. But she wasn’t ready. Not for this. Not after everything they had put her through.
She stepped back, shaking her head. “I need to think.”
“You can’t run from this, Jade,” Cole said, his voice softer than she’d ever heard it.