Entangled With My Alpha Triplets

Eighteen

~Asher~

I stormed back into the party, my mind filled with the revelation. Mate. The word echoed in my head like a curse. I didn't want a mate, especially not Hazel. She was trouble, and I knew it.

I made a beeline for the bar, ordering a whiskey on the rocks. My best friend, Ryder, caught up to me, concern etched on his face.

"Dude, what's going on? You've been MIA for hours, and everyone's been looking for you," he said.

I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. I tossed back the whiskey, feeling the burn all the way down.

Ryder's eyes narrowed. "Man, talk to me. What's wrong?"

But before I could respond, the MC's voice boomed through the speakers, calling me onstage for the coronation ceremony. I cursed under my breath, knowing I couldn't avoid it.

As I made my way to the stage, Ryder followed close behind, his eyes fixed on me with a mixture of worry and confusion.

The ceremony was a blur. I went through the motions, my mind still reeling from the mate-bond revelation. Hazel's face never left my head; her dashing smile and seductive laughter haunted me.

When the ceremony was finally close to an end, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

With the weight of the crown settling on my head, it was time for me to make a choice. Three girls, as was tradition, were to accompany me to my new alpha home. But I couldn't bring myself to choose multiple partners. The younger me looked forward to these days when I could get as many slaves as I wanted to lash at and fuck any alpha princess, but I belonged to someone else now.

The crowd's eyes turned to Trisha, expecting her to be the obvious choice. She started to step forward, a proud smile on her face, but I halted her with a raised hand.

"My choice is Hazel," I announced, my tone flat and my face stern with authority.

The room fell silent with shock as Trisha froze there, embarrassed.

Zane and Tyler exchanged disbelieving glances, while my father's face turned red with wrath.

After the ceremony, my father stormed up to me. "Asher, what was the meaning of that? We heard an agreement right from time that Trisha will be your girlfriend and your rightful Luna."

I stood my ground, meeting his gaze. "No, father. You had an agreement with her father, not me. I never loved her, and I definitely do not like her."

"I never loved your mother at first, but my feelings grew over time." He countered.

"That doesn't work with everyone, dad."

"It doesn't matter; you'll have to take her in as your bride because Hazel is a slave and she shall remain till she dies." He stated.

My brothers flanked our father, their faces equally disapproving. "Brother, think about what you're doing," Zane said. "Marriage with Trisha is an alliance; Hazel has nothing to offer you except a few minutes of pleasure."

"As the new alpha of the pack, neither of you are to meddle in my affairs. If I want to ever marry Trisha, her father and mother would have to swear an oath because she's a whore and is known enough to run away with my money."

"Father's money. You didn't work for sh*t." Tyler chipped in.

I glared at him with gnashed teeth before stating facts: "If anything, I have been the one taking care of dad's company while he ran the pack."

It was the only reason why I was mostly absent at school and forced Hazel to do all of my assignments. I needed her—not for love or children, but for something I couldn't tell anyone yet until the time was right.

"So what? You're the alpha now, and Zane would be your beta, leaving me with the CEO position." Tyler remarked.

"Dream on." Zane snorted, knowing that he had had an eye for that seat for years now.

"None of you knows what it takes to run a successful business, so you'd better sit this one out."

"Boys, that's enough." My father cut through again with a clear voice.

"Zane is the beta, while Tyler remains the gamma. As for the position of the CEO in my company, we'd discuss that later."

"No more fighting; people are always watching, especially the elders." He patted us on the back before leaving.

Tyler followed suit, but Zane didn't move an inch; his eyes grew with suspicion as he said. "Few days ago, I could have sworn that you hated Hazel; what changed?"

"Did she recently turn out to be your mate?"

"No, I'd reject her if that happened." I denied it with a straight face so he wouldn't suspect me more than once.

"Then why do you want her so bad?"

"She's a slave, my slave, so stop asking me questions like you own her."

"I have the rights to her as much as you do, and she likes me more than anyone else." He bragged.

I scoffed, my lips curving into a smile. "Not when she caught you fucking that whore of yours."

"What the heck are you talking about? If there is anyone who is likely to do that, it would be you." He denied.

I glared at Zane and said,  "Don't gaslight me like one of your naive bitches. I know what I saw."

"I swear on mom's memory that nothing happened between us."

My fists clenched, and before I knew it, I was pummeling Zane's face.

How dare he drag our mother into this?!

He tried to defend himself, but I was relentless. I pinned him to the ground, my hands wrapped around his throat.

"You can tell a lie but don't you ever in your meaningless life drag mum into it!"

"Hazel saw you, and I did too! So you better own up to it like a man and leave her alone."

Zane's eyes widened, and he struggled to speak. I loosened my grip on him.

"I was drunk and thought she was the one I was with—that girl, whoever she was, whose shape shifted into her." He lied again.

"Do you think I'm a fool? I could have seen it too if that were the case, not just you, so don't start with that bullshit of being charmed."

"You really have some nerves to practice the lies you planned to tell her about me."

"Stay away from her, or else I'll wreck this pretty boy face of yours." I warned him for the last time.

As I turned to leave, Zane's weak voice called out to me. "Do you... do you like her?"

I spun around, my expression cold. "No, I don't like her. Everyone knows it, including her, but I am not like you, who leads her on and then plays around."

Zane's eyes filled with guilt, and he nodded slowly. "I have to apologize to her."

"Jeez, you are way worse than Tyler."

I knew he would only cover his lies with others, so I left him to nurse his wounds. My mind was filled with the future burdens of being an alpha when I bumped into Trisha in the hallway. Her eyes filled with annoyance and betrayal, she launched herself at me.

"You humiliated me in front of everyone, Asher!" she spat. "What was that for? Choosing that thing? You really think she's so much better than me?"

"I honestly thought Zane liked her, but I was blind all along."

"Yes, you were truly blind to see that we weren't working out."

"I don't like you, Trisha, and I only stayed with you because my father asked me to, but now I'm the alpha, and I don't think I need you for anything."

"It's over."

Her eyes widened with disbelief before they formed into rage. "You're breaking up with me? After everything I've done for you?"

"You've done nothing for me but cause me headaches. I have cleaned up your mess several times because you kept using your relationship with me to bully people."

"Like you aren't a bully as well." She eyed me.

I didn't say anything to her; I just turned my back to walk out. She was free to rant until the goddess returned.

"Fine, Asher. But if you don't take me in as your Luna, I'll expose your secret. I know all about what you did that night, and I'll make sure everyone else does too."

My veins throbbed with fury as I yanked her to the wall, my face inches from hers. "You think you can blackmail me?"

"Get this into that empty brain of yours; I'll never take you in as my Luna. And if you're so desperate to marry me, then be prepared for years of loveless marriage. I'll never touch you or look at you with affection. You'll be nothing but a miserable old hag, and for Hazel, I'll fuck her while you watch us in pain and envy." I breathed.

Her eyes shone with hot tears, and she tried kicking me in the balls, but I moved backwards just in time to grab her and push her to the ground.