Entangled With My Alpha Triplets

Twenty One

~Hazel~

I sat stiffly in the backseat of his SUV, my gaze glued to the window. Zane had been texting me nonstop since we left the academy. Every few minutes, my phone buzzed in my lap, but I didn't know how to respond to his concern.

"Are you okay?"

"You don't have to go through with this if you're uncomfortable."

"Just text me if you need anything."

Asher hadn't said a word the entire trip, but I could feel him glancing at my phone every time it lit up with a new message. He didn't ask about it, though. Somehow, I knew that within those thick walls of indifference, he cared, but I wasn't willing to start up a conversation first.

When we finally pulled up to the five-star hotel for the Alpha Conference, I couldn't have been more relieved to escape the cage of a car.

The building was grand as I expected; it was yet another reminder of the world Asher lived in, one I didn't and could never belong to. The driver helped us with our bags while I tried to mentally prepare myself for the next three days. Three days alone with Asher with so many possibilities.

As we stepped into the hotel lobby, I wore a mask of confidence so I wouldn't embarrass Asher. I just had to get through this trip without making things worse between us. Surely, we'd have separate rooms, and I could manage to keep my distance. That was the plan, at least.

But when we approached the receptionist and she handed over the keycards, my heart dropped.

"Your presidential suite is ready, Alpha Asher," she said, smiling warmly at him before turning her attention to me with the same smile. "Enjoy your stay, ma'am."

"Suite?" I blinked, unable to bury my confusion. I glanced over at Asher, but he didn't acknowledge my questioning look. He just took the keycard and started walking toward the elevators.

I followed behind him, my heart thudding. Why had he booked a suite? Was this some kind of mistake? I didn't say anything until we were inside the suite. The door clicked shut behind me, and I dropped my bag on the floor, staring at the luxurious space before me. It was massive, far too big for just one person, and certainly too intimate for two.

"Asher?" I called. "Do you need me to set up your work stuff? Or unpack anything?"

He raised an eyebrow, pulling off his jacket and tossing it on the couch. "I've got it handled."

I hesitated, biting my lip. "Then why did you bring me here? You don't seem to need my help with anything."

"And why are we sharing a room? I thought it would be best.

He turned to face me fully now, his expression tainted with boredom. "I didn't bring you here to work, and I certainly can't have you in another room all by yourself."

Being so close to him felt like I was losing a large part of my reasoning, "What do you mean?"

"I brought you here because I couldn't imagine spending the next three days without you." His voice was calm, like he was stating something obvious, but my heart stumbled over itself in shock.

I laughed, thinking he must be joking, but when I looked at him, his expression was deadly serious. My laughter died in my throat. "You're kidding, right?"

He didn't answer right away. He just watched me, his gaze unflinching. "You should know that I always mean every word I say, Haz."

The bump in my throat hardened, and I swallowed, ignoring the butterflies resurrecting in my tummy as the nickname echoed in my head.

"I... I don't understand. You could have brought Trisha or Tiara or both if you wanted to be less bored after the meetings. What could you possibly need me for? You've never acted like you ever wanted me around."

"It was just a few days ago when you abandoned me at the hotel, and then, that night, you made..."

"We're not talking about that night." He shunned me like anything that could remind me of that day and made his blood plummet.

I frowned. "Why not? You can't just ignore what happened, Asher. I know I was super drunk, but you weren't when you said all those things to me."

"If you want me so badly, then stop treating me like I don't fit in."

"Please, stop."

"I really don't want to do this right now."

His coldness mocked me in the face, but before I could whine further, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. He handed it to me without a word, and I stared at it, confused.

"It's my black card," he explained. "If you need anything while we're here, use it. My driver can take you wherever you want to go."

I looked up at him, stunned. "Why are you treating me like this? You hate me, but then you don't."

"Stop fighting yourself, Ash. Your brothers wouldn't treat me this way, but you make it so hard for me to want them." I tried to reach for his arm, but he pulled away.

"Oh yeah? Zane fucked some girl, and Tyler has been a man whore since he clocked eighteen." He countered, proving himself a better option.

My eyes tightened, drying up the tears that threatened to flow. "Yet, Tiara's mouth took you in a few hours after we..."

"We did nothing, Haz. I didn't even touch you; you were the one throwing yourself at me, remember?" Yes, he was free to remind me of my shamelessness, but at least I wasn't the one who didn't have the balls to fight for the one I loved.

"All of this is too sudden; take it slow so you don't mess your head up, like go shopping. I need you to look very classy because I'll be introducing you to a few alphas and their Lunas." He mentioned changing the subject.

This was the moment I could have taken his card and left like every other materialistic gold digger, but I foolishly stood there, asking him more questions.