Entangled With My Alpha Triplets

Forty five

~Hazel~

The door clicked shut, and Asher strode in, a tray balanced in his hands. He set it down on the small table beside the bed before locking the door. 

"Eat." His tone was clipped, his eyes avoiding mine. 

I stared at the food like it might lunge at me. "And why should I trust a man who hates me?" 

His jaw tensed. "Because I'm your husband. And if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't waste my time poisoning you when I have a gun and a dagger." 

A cold shiver ran down my spine. He had a point. But that didn't mean I was comfortable. 

"Or maybe," I mused, crossing my arms, "you laced it with a love potion to make me bend to your will." 

Asher exhaled sharply, finally sitting beside me. "I don't want this to be harder than it already is." 

I scoffed. "Then stop making it hard." 

His gaze darkened. "I'm only doing this because of the doctor. Not because I care." 

Like that was supposed to make me feel better. 

I studied his face, wondering why a man like him found it so impossible to admit to his own emotions. 

"Give it to the dogs or the maids, then." I pushed the tray aside and climbed out of bed. "Because I won't be eating." 

I didn't wait for his reaction. I walked out, and he didn't follow. 

Good. 

I wandered aimlessly through the hallway, trying to clear my mind when I spotted Zane approaching. 

My heart clenched. 

He must have heard everything. And I wasn't ready to face him. 

"If you're planning to run away from me, think again, Hazel." His voice held amusement, but his eyes were sharp. 

I forced a nervous smile. "What? No." 

"I just forgot something in my room and was about to grab it." I waved a hand dismissively. "Didn't even see you coming." 

"Uh-huh." His knowing gaze pinned me in place. 

Silence stretched between us, thick with everything we weren't saying. 

Just when I was about to make an excuse to leave, he spoke. 

"So, I heard I'm going to be an uncle soon." He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Funny thing, though—the mother doesn't seem to know who the father is." 

Damn it. 

I should have walked away sooner. 

I lifted my chin. "Who is this woman you speak of? Because as far as I'm concerned, I know exactly who the father of my child is." 

Zane's lips twitched. "I never mentioned your name, did I?" 

I blinked, caught off guard. "No, but I know a subtle shade when I hear one." 

His eyes flickered with something unreadable as he stepped closer, reaching out— 

A sharp, shrill voice cut through the air. 

"ZANE!" 

I tensed. 

Trisha. 

Her heels clicked against the floor as she stormed toward us, eyes blazing with fury. 

"What the hell are you doing with this slut?" she spat, her gaze burning into me. 

My stomach twisted, but I refused to look away. 

"Isn't Tyler and Asher enough?" Trisha sneered. "What do you want with my husband?" 

"Trisha, relax," Zane sighed, already exhausted. "We were just having a conversation." 

"You're forbidden from having anything to do with her." She clung to his arm, nails digging in. "I don't want her casting her evil spells on you like she did with the others." 

I let out a slow breath, unwilling to make this any worse. "I should go." 

"Yes, you should!" she snapped. 

And then, with spite filling her voice, she said.

"Go and figure out who fathered that bastard in your womb and stay away from my marriage." 

I froze for a fraction of a second before walking away. 

From a distance, their voices escalated into a full-blown argument. 

"You just can't keep your dick in your pants, can you?" Trisha hissed. "It's not even a year into our marriage, and you already want to cheat on me." 

"I don't have time for this, Trisha," Zane bit back. "And don't act like a saint when you've tried seducing my brother four times this week, hoping he'd take you back." 

My brows shot up in shock. 

I pressed myself against the wall, heart racing as Trisha and Zane's argument carried down the hall. 

I should have walked away the second I heard them. I should have minded my own business, gone to my room, and— 

"You shouldn't be eavesdropping on people's conversations." 

A deep voice. Right behind me. 

I sucked in a sharp breath, but before I could so much as flinch, a strong arm curled around my waist, yanking me back against something firm. 

No, not something. Someone.

I stiffened, every nerve in my body on high alert. His grip was strong, not crushing, but firm enough that I knew struggling wouldn't get me anywhere. 

I turned my head slightly, heart pounding in my ears, and that's when I saw them. 

Red eyes.

The rogue king. 

Well, shit. 

"You must be Asher's possession," he murmured, his voice laced with amusement. 

Possession? 

Excuse me?

I twisted in his hold, ignoring the way my pulse stuttered when my back brushed against his chest. "I'm not anyone's possession." 

He made a low sound in the back of his throat, something between a chuckle and a hum. His fingers flexed slightly against my waist. "Oh?" 

Why did that oh sound like he knew something I didn't? 

He leaned in, his breath warm against my skin. "You smell like him." 

I swallowed, forcing myself not to react. *So what?* I lived under the same roof as Asher. I had his last name. It didn't mean— 

"But you don't look at him like you belong to him." 

Okay. What?

That made my head snap up. "And you would know that how? Didn't you get here like five minutes ago?" 

He didn't answer. Just stood there, watching me with that same amused expression, like he could hear the war waging in my brain. 

I wasn't sure what unsettled me more, the fact that he was right or the fact that he seemed to enjoy saying it out loud. 

I should have pushed him away. Should have told him to get lost. 

But then I heard footsteps. 

Someone was coming. 

His grip loosened immediately, his touch disappearing so fast I almost questioned if it was ever there. 

By the time I turned to face him, he was already a few steps away, hands sliding into his pockets, watching me with the kind of smirk that made my stomach twist. 

"See you around, Asher's doll."

And just like that, he was gone. 

Leaving me standing there, pulse still racing, wondering why the hell I suddenly felt like I was in so much trouble that could threaten my relationship.