Mated to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Surrounded by Love

His kiss was desperate, almost angry—the kiss of a man who’d been fighting himself for too long.

And despite everything, despite all the complications, all the reasons this was a bad idea, I found myself kissing him back.

Leo’s hands tightened on my waist, pulling me closer as if afraid I might disappear. The scent of sandalwood enveloped me, intoxicating and warm. My fingers tangled in his hair, my body responding to his touch with an intensity that surprised even me.

When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard. Leo’s forehead rested against mine, his eyes closed as if savoring the moment.

“That wasn’t a rejection,” he murmured, his voice rough.

I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped me. “No, it wasn’t.”

His eyes opened, those grayish-brown depths studying me with an intensity that made my heart skip. “Are you sure about this, Hazel? There’s no going back.”

Before I could answer, the door to the cell burst open with a bang. Three identical figures rushed in, their movements halting abruptly as they took in the scene.

“We heard you both go quiet and got worried—” Lucas began, then stopped mid-sentence.

I felt my face flush hot with embarrassment as I realized what they were seeing. Leo and I still stood close, my lips swollen from his kiss, both of us looking thoroughly disheveled. noveldrama

“Well, well,” Liam said, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Looks like someone finally stopped being stubborn.”

Lucas crossed his arms, his expression unreadable for a moment before softening into something almost like relief. “It’s about time.”

I blinked in surprise. “You’re... not upset?”

“Why would we be upset?” Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow. “We’ve been waiting for you two to stop dancing around each other.”

“It was getting annoying watching how emotionally constipated you both are,” Liam added with a laugh.

I noticed Levi hadn’t said anything yet, which was unusual for him. His face was serious as he studied Leo and me.

“Levi?” I called uncertainly.

Without warning, Levi darted forward. I tensed, unsure what to expect, but instead of pulling me away from Leo as I feared, he wrapped his arms around me in a protective hug, not exactly tugging me away.

“You hurt her,” he said to Leo, his voice playful but with an undercurrent of steel, “and we’ll hunt you down.”

Leo snorted. “How terrifying.”

“I mean it,” Levi continued, squeezing me tighter. “We’ve all got our eyes on you, cousin. You’ll need to work extra hard to steal her away.”

“As if I’d want to steal someone this stubborn,” Leo replied with his typical sarcasm, but his arm snaked around my waist, belying his words.

Lucas shook his head, a rare smile playing at his lips. “Four mates. The Moon Goddess must have quite the sense of humor.”

“Or she knows exactly what our little Hazel needs,” Liam said, winking at me.

I looked around at the four men surrounding me—the triplets who had gone from my tormentors to my protectors, and Leo who had transformed from my captor to something else entirely.

A laugh bubbled up from somewhere deep inside me, surprising even myself. After everything—all the pain, the fear, the confusion—here I stood, surrounded by more love than I ever thought possible.

“What’s so funny?” Leo asked, his brow furrowing.

I shook my head, unable to put it into words. “Just... life. Fate. Everything.”

Levi grinned and squeezed me tighter. “She’s gone crazy. Too many hot guys fighting over her.”

“Who’s fighting?” Liam asked innocently. “We’re sharing quite nicely.”

The absurdity of it all—four powerful alpha wolves agreeing to share one mate—made me laugh harder. And after a moment, they joined in, their deep laughter blending with mine, filling the small cell with a warmth I never expected to find there.

In that moment, I felt truly blessed.

+++

“Hold still, Hazel! I swear, if you move one more time, this curl is going to be all wrong.”

I winced as Sophia tugged at my hair, pinning another strand into place. The dressing room was warm, filled with the scents of hairspray and floral perfume.

“Sorry,” I murmured, forcing myself to sit still despite my nerves.

Sophia stepped back, admiring her handiwork. “You look absolutely stunning. It’s about time you got married, you know.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. One month had passed since that day in the cell. Just four weeks of adjusting to a life with four mates instead of three. I would be lying if I said there wasn’t any adjusting needed. But we made it work, and it worked well.

Life hadn’t been the same since then—it got better.

“The triplets were driving everyone crazy with the wedding preparations,” Sophia continued, adjusting my veil. “Lucas nearly fired the florist when they brought the wrong shade of roses.”

I laughed, picturing Lucas’s serious face as he lectured some poor florist about proper color coordination. “That sounds like him.”

A knock on the door interrupted us. Sophia opened it to reveal Callum and Leo, both looking handsome in tailored suits. Leo carried a small box and what looked like my bouquet.

“The grooms sent these,” Callum said with a grin. “Apparently there was some debate about which flowers would complement your eyes better.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Three alphas trying to make wedding decisions is a nightmare. Never again.”

He moved toward me, his eyes softening as he took in my appearance. When he leaned in for a kiss, Sophia smacked his arm.

“Don’t you dare! I just finished her makeup, and I’m not redoing it because you can’t control yourself for five minutes.”

Leo grumbled but retreated, settling for pressing a quick kiss to my hand instead. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”

Callum laughed at Leo’s disgruntled expression. “You’ll have the rest of your lives for that.”

As Sophia returned to fussing with my hair, I caught Leo and Callum exchanging glances. Something in their expressions made me pause.

“What?” I asked, suddenly nervous. “Is everything okay? The triplets aren’t fighting again, are they?”

“Everything’s fine,” Leo assured me quickly. “Your three other husbands-to-be are perfectly behaved.”

But something still felt off. I studied Callum’s face, noting the slight tension around his eyes.

“You look like you want to say something,” I said hesitantly.

Callum shook his head. “It’s your wedding day. Let’s focus on that.”

I bit my lip, glancing between my friends. “No, something’s bothering you. Tell me.”

“It’s nothing, really,” Callum insisted, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Callum.”

He sighed, exchanging another look with Leo. “It’s just pre-wedding jitters. Everyone has them.”

I wasn’t convinced. The nagging feeling that there was something they weren’t telling me grew stronger.

“You’re not even the one getting married today, so I don’t know what sort of pre-wedding jitters you are having,” I said, raising an eyebrow. I crossed my arms. “I’m not walking down that aisle until you tell me what’s going on.”

Leo chuckled. “Stubborn as always.”

Sophia finished the last pin in my hair and stepped back. “There. Perfect. I’ll go check on the guests while you all... sort this out.” She shot Callum and Leo a warning look before slipping out the door.

In the silence that followed, I gathered my courage. There was one question that had been on my mind all week, one I’d been afraid to ask. I had a feeling it might be what had gotten Callum looking so conflicted.

“Is...” I swallowed hard. “Is Kendra coming to the wedding?”

Callum’s entire body stiffened, and a part of me immediately regretted asking.