Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 120

Constantine pov

Her eyes double in size and jaw drops nearly to the floor. Her hands shake even more than they did earlier. There’s this sudden change in her that I can’t really pin-point, but if I must describe it, the only words I can find fitting to the look on her face must be pure terror.

“Remember the triplet boys I mentioned? My second chance mates?” Ashley’s voice is weak, sounding almost broken and void of any emotion.

There isn’t much I can offer other than a weak nod, which thankfully, she accepts as an answer enough.

I stop and watch her try to normalize her breathing. Even in a situation like this one, in which she’s literally trying not to lose her mind, I can’t help but admire the woman she has grown into.

Gone is the small, extremely happy girl with rosy cheeks and instead of her I face a grown woman with so many emotional scars and a look of sadness in her eyes that I don’t see that little girl in her anymore.

Ashley isn’t just my best friend’s kid anymore. She’s her own person, a person with a story of life no other would ever agree to live, experiences too grand to comprehend for some adults and so much heartache following her every step that even I don’t know how to help anymore.

Slowly, I approach her again and drop to my knees to hold her hands. “Breathe, just take deep breaths and lay it all out. Let me know what are your biggest worries and fears, I might have advice to give that could be worth thinking about. And if not, we can always talk about something else until you’re ready to poke this subject again.”

She squeezes her eyes shut, her bottom lip trembles, but somehow, Ashley manages to force the words out and even make them sound clear. “They don’t know they’re my mates. When they found out I’ve been pretending to be a guy all this time, all three asked me to come clean with any secrets they might want to know, but I held this one hidden. If I accept Kaiden’s rejection, they will realize the truth the moment they see me again and might hate me.”

Not really knowing what is the best way to approach her situation, I squeeze her hands a little tighter and try to reassure her. “Hating you is impossible, don’t you ever think that way. If anything, I’m sure those boys will feel happy and blessed to have someone as amazing as you as their mate. Don’t ever try to sell yourself short. And besides, they will understand you had your reasons to keep that secret as yours.”

Instead of the reaction I expect, which is offering her some ease, Ashley tenses even more and starts shaking her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No, you don’t understand. You didn’t see how disappointed they were when they found out about my lies. If they learn that I know how much they hate lies, yet keep lying to their faces, they will definitely reject me too.”

I don’t know what to say. My lips feel like they’ve been glued together and no matter how many times I try to open my mouth and speak up, something’s holding me back.

“And besides,” Ashley cries out. “Someone like them would never accept someone like me.”

As much as I want to ask what she means, I can’t force more on her. Not now. For a conversation like this, I need her at ease, relaxed and in good spirits. She’s been receiving too many kicks from fate lately, now she needs positive energy and some rest.

So, as carefully as I can, I raise my hand to her cheek and wipe off the tears. “How about we discuss something else I’ve been dying to bring up, huh? Or maybe, after all this crying, you could have a cup of calming tea, some soup, and then we can go and discuss that other thing out on the porch?”

“I guess I could have some tea,” Ashley chokes out after a few seconds of brutally wiping off her tears, making the action look like she’s trying to scratch off her skin, not get rid of the moistness.

I jump to my feet and offer her my hand, a little surprised she actually takes it. Then, I lead her out of the room and to the kitchen, where my brothers are waiting for us, all of them looking anxious, on the verge of breaking something.

As soon as their eyes land on Ashley, all of them grin like idiots and start running around her like bees who crowd the last spring flower, ready to fight for pollen, or attention in this case.

Brandon takes it upon himself to make her some mint tea with honey. While I point out, a few times, that it’s not something people drink to calm their nerves, he just waves me off and tells me I ‘know shit.’

Arguing with a brickhead like him is pointless, so I focus my attention on Ashley, who has somehow managed to slip away from me and now stands next to Max, who is explaining to her the contents of the pot. “Those green things are peas. You can eat them, but I wouldn’t recommend that since they make you fart real bad and stinky farts, but I like the taste they add to the pot so I never skip them.”

I keep listening to his explanations for a while and fight to keep my face straight. Leave it to Max to make the most simple foods sound like an atomic explosion of farts.

Eventually, we all sit around the table and have a meal. The silence isn’t tense, it’s actually comfortable, so I enjoy the moment while it lasts. When the bowls are empty, Ashley offers to help clean up, but Max and Brandon urges her to have some tea and go out for fresh air.

I offer her an encouraging smile, grab her cup and head to the front door. She follows me and even smiles when I hold the door open for her. Once we’re both sitting on the porch and watching the forest, she brings up the topic I wanted to discuss earlier.

Bracing myself, I gip the chair I’m sitting on and focus my eyes on the trees as I whisper, “I wanted to talk about your future. Near future. Your father would never forgive me if he knew I had a chance to help you get back what’s yours and ignored it. I think it’s about time we focus on reclaiming your lands and rebuilding your pack to its former glory.”