Chapter 162: We are aware!
Ella.
My eyes flew open, and a profound sense of weightlessness washed over me. I lay there for a moment, simply breathing in the quiet of the room. It had been a long time since sleep had come so gently, without the usual tossing and turning.
Everything in my life finally felt like it was sliding into its proper place, moving forward with an easy, unbothered rhythm. Even my pup was thriving, it small body filling out with healthy strength.
I propped myself up on my elbows, lifting my head from the pillow. The moment I did, I froze.
Three distinct pairs of eyes—six in total, all shining with a bright, captivated warmth—were locked directly onto me. A shared, brilliant smile stretched across all three of their faces.
"Good morning, my queen!" they chimed, their voices blending into a perfect, rehearsed harmony that bounced off the walls.
I blinked, my breath catching in my throat as I sat all the way up. My heart did a sudden flip.
Where had this sudden burst of cheerful devotion come from?
Just twenty-four hours ago, the air between them had been thick with tension, each of them practically baring their teeth and ready to tear one another apart.
As the memory of yesterday rushed back, a sudden wave of heat flooded my cheeks. I pressed the back of my hand to my face, half-convinced they could see the bright red blush painting my skin.
It felt utterly ridiculous. Had I seriously defused an entire room full of territorial rage just by throwing myself into a kiss?
Honestly, I couldn’t take all the credit. Nyx was entirely to blame for that.
Lately, my inner wolf had been pacing the edges of my mind, restless and hyper-alert the second any of her mates came near.
She was turning into an absolute menace, driven by instincts that never used to be this loud or demanding. She certainly had never acted this wild or impatient back when it was just Alex.
Oh, right. Alex.
The thought of his name broke through the embarrassment, and a genuine, brilliant smile broke across my face.
A familiar spark of anticipation flared up in my chest. We still had plenty of unfinished business to take care of today.
As the thoughts of Alex slowly faded, the silence of the bedroom crept back in. I shifted my gaze and noticed that the triplets had stopped looking at me.
Instead, they were darting anxious glances at one another, their brows furrowing in silent communication. They were fidgeting, their shoulders tense as they tried to read my blank expression, clearly agonizing over why I hadn’t said a word yet.
A bubble of laughter tickled the back of my throat. I bit the inside of my cheek hard to keep from letting it out, forcing my features back into a cool, neutral mask.
They didn’t need to know how amused I was. If they truly wanted a place by my side, a single morning greeting wasn’t going to cut it. They were going to have to work for it, mate bond or not.
"Theresa!" Lawrence’s voice was barely a whisper, a soft plea that hung in the quiet room.
He dropped his chin toward his chest, his shoulders slumping forward. He looked exactly like a man standing before a judge, waiting for a sentence to be passed.
He swallowed hard, his eyes flickering up to meet mine before darting away.
"Did I do anything wrong?" he asked.
Lugard took a slow, deliberate step out from the line. He slid his hands behind his back, locking his fingers together as if to keep himself grounded.
"Theresa, I am so sorry about yesterday," he said.
He drew out every single syllable, placing a heavy weight on each word to make sure I felt the weight of his regret.
"I won’t throw a tantrum again." He paused, his chest rising as he gathered his courage, then let out a long, ragged breath that deflated his posture. "So please... don’t ignore me."
The heavy silence stretched between us, thick with their desperation. Instead of answering them, I threw back the blankets.
"I have an important meeting to attend to," I said, my voice flat and even as I swung my legs over the edge of the mattress and stood up.
"Yes, we are well aware of that," Leonard broke in, taking his turn to step forward.
He reached up, his fingers wrapping around the knot of his tie to straighten it with a sharp, confident tug. His gaze was steady, his voice leaving absolutely no room for argument.
"We came here specifically to take you there." he added.
"There is no need for that. I will go on my own," I replied, stopping for a brief second to let the words sink in. I looked at the three of them, gesturing vaguely toward the door. "You all have your own companies to run today."
"No," Leonard said, his tone snapping like a whip. He didn’t blink, his jaw setting into a hard line. "There is absolutely no way we are letting you go out there on your own today."
I looked at him for a moment, keeping my expression perfectly blank. "Fine," I said, my voice a calm contrast to his sharp command. "Suit yourselves." I took a deep breath, crossing my arms over my chest to assert control over my space. "But first of all, get out of here. I need to prepare myself for the day."
The moment the words left my mouth, the triplets snapped their heads toward one another. Their eyes met in a silent, three-way conversation that lasted only a second before they all turned their faces back to me at the exact same time.
"We want to assist you!" they chimed together, their voices locking in perfect, flawless unison.
A sudden, fierce wave of heat rushed up my neck and flooded my cheeks, leaving my face burning hot.
I stared at them, my mind completely reeling.
What in the world was always wrong with these three?