Chapter 95: You stole them
Kaden stepped forward.
"Eloise..." he pleaded, but her shrill voice cut through.
"Stop there, or I will really jump..." she threatened, and he froze there, his fists trembling.
The rain continued to pound against the rooftop, soaking everyone where they stood. Water streamed from Yuki’s hair and dripped from the hem of her thin nightdress, making the fabric cling to her trembling body.
A few metres away, Eloise stood barefoot at the very edge of the roof, shivering just as badly. Her white nightdress was plastered against her skin, while her fingers clutched the wolfsbane bottle so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
Neither woman looked away from the other. Between them stood the three Alpha heirs, every muscle in their bodies drawn tight.
Killian’s jaw remained locked so tightly that the muscles along his face twitched beneath his skin. Kaden’s claws carved faint scratches into the rain-soaked roof tiles as he fought every instinct urging him to rush forward. Beside them, Kieran’s breathing had become uneven, his golden eyes fixed on Eloise as though blinking for even a second might cost her life.
Their fear bled through the incomplete mate bond without restraint. A blend of panic, desperation, and terror.
Yuki felt every emotion crashing into her chest until it became difficult to breathe. Her nails dug painfully into her palms. She would have been lying if she claimed she wasn’t affected.
She cared.
Maybe a little more than she imagined.
How could she not care?
The three men destined to be her mates looked as though their entire world would collapse if another woman took one more step.
A bitter ache settled inside her chest.
She buried it before it could grow.
They weren’t hers.
They never would be.
Her wolf whimpered quietly in her mind.
They belong to Eloise...
Yuki pushed the thought away before it could linger. She lifted her eyes to the trembling woman standing on the ledge.
"Eloise," she called, keeping her voice as gentle as she could despite the storm around them. "Why did you want me here? This is dangerous. You could really die."
Eloise slowly raised her head. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot from crying. Mascara had streaked down her cheeks, mixing with the rain until it was impossible to tell where the tears ended and the storm began.
She looked broken, almost pitiful. Yuki couldn’t tell whether it was genuine or another performance.
For several long seconds, Eloise simply stared at her before finally speaking.
"Give them back," she demanded in a shrill voice.
Yuki frowned. Her frown deepened.
"What?" she blurted.
"Them."
Eloise pointed towards the triplets without taking her eyes off Yuki.
"Give them back."
Yuki stared at her in disbelief.
"I don’t control them. What do you mean by ’give them back’?"
A bitter laugh escaped Eloise.
"Don’t play games with me. You know exactly what I mean," she drawled.
She lifted the wolfsbane bottle until it hovered near her lips.
"Reject them..." Her voice trembled. "...or I’ll end everything right here."
"Eloise!" Kieran shouted, panic breaking through his composure as he instinctively stepped forward.
She immediately raised the bottle higher.
"Don’t come any closer!" she screamed. "One more step and this bottle goes down my throat."
Kieran froze.
"Please don’t hurt yourself," he pleaded, rainwater running down his face. "We’ll do whatever you want."
Killian cautiously took a single step forward, both hands raised where she could see them. His blond hair had darkened beneath the rain and clung to his forehead.
"Eloise," he called gently. "Please... just come down. We’ll do anything."
She never looked at him. Her eyes remained locked on Yuki.
"This has nothing to do with any of you," she whispered. "She has to agree."
The words settled over the rooftop.
There it was.
Her true goal.
Yuki almost laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because the situation had become completely absurd.
After spending days begging the triplets to reject her, someone was now demanding that she agree to exactly what she wanted.
"I agree."
The words came without hesitation.
Everyone froze.
Even Eloise blinked.
"I’ll reject them," Yuki continued calmly. "I’ve wanted that from the beginning."
She looked straight at Eloise.
"So please... come down."
The brothers stared at her.
Kaden felt something tighten painfully inside his chest.
Kieran couldn’t understand why hearing those words hurt more than he expected.
Even Killian’s composed expression cracked for the briefest moment before settling again.
Eloise simply stared.
Then she slowly shook her head.
"No."
Her voice sharpened.
"You’re lying."
"I’m not," Yuki argued.
"You are!" Eloise screamed. "You’re playing with me!"
Cold water seeped into Yuki’s bare feet. Kieran had dragged her here so quickly that she hadn’t even been allowed to put on shoes, but she ignored the cold.
"I’m telling the truth," she said. "Ask them. I’ve been asking them to reject me since the beginning. I don’t want this bond."
Every word sounded sincere.
That only made Eloise angrier.
"Liar!" she shrieked. "You think I’m stupid? You’ll just change your mind later!"
"I won’t," Yuki argued.
"You already stole everything from me!"
"I didn’t steal anything!"
"But you did!" she yelled.
"Do you know how long I’ve waited for them? Do you know how many years I spent imagining that future? You walked in and took everything without even trying."
"I didn’t steal them!" Yuki insisted.
Rain battered the rooftop as thunder rolled overhead.
Yuki released a weary breath.
"I mean it, Eloise. Please... just come down."
Eloise’s face twisted with despair.
"Since you won’t admit it..."
A broken smile spread across her lips.
"...then my death is on your hands."
Before anyone realised what she intended to do, she tipped the bottle.
The dark liquid poured into her mouth.
"ELOISE!"
Three voices roared together.
She swallowed, then tossed the empty bottle away.
It shattered against the roof tiles.
For one terrifying second, she smiled.
Then she leaned backwards.
The world stopped.
"No!"
Killian, Kaden, and Kieran launched themselves towards her at the same time. They moved so fast that none of them noticed Yuki standing directly behind them.
A shoulder slammed into her.
An elbow struck her side.
The force threw her off balance.
She crashed onto the rain-soaked roof, her knees scraping painfully across the rough tiles. Sharp pain shot through both legs as she struggled to steady herself.
By the time she managed to lift her head, all three brothers had already raced past her.
Not one of them looked back. Their hands stretched desperately towards Eloise’s falling body. Yuki watched them disappear over the edge.
Rain continued to hammer against her skin.
Her vision blurred, and the rooftop tilted beneath her.
A dull ringing filled her ears.
Her fingers lost their strength against the slippery tiles.
Then everything went black.