Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 160

Constantine pov

For some reason, when I wake up the next day, I feel less rested than I was when I headed to bed early the previous evening.

I already know that this is not going to be my day. Everything feels like too big of a hassle, starting with simply getting out of the bed and moving on to walking to the kitchen, to get my daily dose of coffee.

As I round the corner and step into the kitchen, I'm greeted by some of my brothers, already awake and ready for a new start of the day. “Good morning sleepyhead, judging by your looks, it seems bed bugs were on you tonight,” Grant chuckles, shaking his head with amusement.

“No shit, Sherlock,” I grumble and reach for a cup. “Is Ash awake yet?” I add the question as I inhale the godly scent of the drink.

All of them exchanged quick glances and shake their heads. “Nope, haven't heard from her yet,” Grant mutters.

“Alright. In that case, I suppose we have some time to discuss the course of action. But before we do, I need you guys to be completely transparent with me. Are you even willing to risk your lives to protect the girl?” I ask without looking at them.

Deep down, I know my brothers will always stand by me. I know they will do whatever it takes to help one of us in need. But the issue is that no matter how much I claim Ash is our family, unfortunately she isn't.

We can't change the fact that the girl was born a wolf. The same as we can't change the fact that nobody from our little group fathered her. However, to me she feels like my daughter. That girl means the world to me, and me alone, so if anyone has to die to keep her safe, it has to be me, not my brothers.

Grant is the first one to step closer and speak up. “We are willing to do whatever it takes to protect your family, brother. Wolf or not, that girl is your family. I'm pretty certain everyone under this roof thinks the same as I do. Whatever you do next, you got us. Always, until the day all of us take our last breaths. We got you, brother.” To emphasize the seriousness behind his words, Grant slaps his hand on my shoulder and shakes me a little.

I'm actually insanely glad and grateful that he does, otherwise I might break out in tears like a child. These men, as rough around the edges as they are, have the biggest hearts I've ever seen. These men have earned their title as brothers and family. Without them there wouldn't be me.

“Okay,” I choke out and try to turn my back on them, so they don't see how I'm wiping my eyes. I think Grant’s little speech is enough emotion for today, for all of us.

“Okay,” Grant repeats and squeezes my shoulder a little. “So? What do you have planned? Are we relocating, looking for a new safe house, or do you want to stay here? Just for the record, I don't mind any of those possibilities. Whatever you want, I'm down.”

The rest of the guys in the kitchen agree with him, each of them emphasizing how willing they are to follow my every command.

Goddess, I'm seriously about to start weeping, ugly crying, with snot and everything. None of them has any idea how much their words actually mean to me. With a family like mine, I feel like I can move mountains and no goal is too big to reach.

Slowly, I spin on my heel to face them and force a smile. “I believe it would be for the best if we found another place to hide her. She got the hunters off our backs once, but one day come back, there's no saying if they're going to buy her story again. What we need is complete stability.”

All of them nod in agreement with me and remain silent, waiting for more details that I would be willing to share. I feel like I stand on a stage, right under the spotlight, every move I could make would be scrutinized by others. Sure, in reality I understand that that isn't happening, but I've never been a big fan of public speech, so it becomes difficult for me.

“First things first, we need to make sure that we have enough resources to relocate. Food is an absolute necessity, so is money, water, and any medical supplies we can get our hands on. And I know, you might be wondering why we need those supplies, but trust me I have a very valid reason to need them. Ash needs them. We haven't seen her wolf ever since we took her from that territory, and even when she was angry at me, I didn't see the beast in her eyes. Where I stand, I believe there might be an issue with the wolf.”

The guy's nod again, simply gazing at me as if they understand even the smallest worries I could have. They don't challenge my words, don't speak over me, and just agree to go with whatever I choose.

Once we set down the ground rules, they agreed to start packing up while I head to Ash’s bedroom to wake her up. Since now we have a plan of action, we can't afford to waste any time.

I approach her door, stand in front of it and lift my hand to knock. Before I do, I take a deep breath to brace myself for any reaction she might have, and only then I knock on her door and try to open it.

To my surprise, the bedroom isn't locked. And to my absolute horror, Ash isn't in the bed. A wave of panic surges through me as I rush into the bathroom to check if she is there, but she's not there either. In fact, she's not anywhere in sight.

Without wasting more time than I already have, I run to the kitchen, tell the guys she's gone and order everyone to pack up because we're heading to her old pack grounds. There is nowhere else I can imagine she could go to.