Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 168

The king pov

Gio’s back is still turned to me. I doubt he has any idea how much I hate his newfound attitude.

The hatred isn't rooted in disrespect, it's connected to the fact that Gio is purposely building an invisible wall between us, acting like we're strangers, not lifelong friends.

I get that he's angry about the situation, but this is the consequences of his own doings. I agreed to release him from the duties so he can go and be happy with his mate, just for Gio to turn around and attack my son.

What did he expect would happen afterwards? That I'd just pat his shoulder and call him a good boy? Hell, no.

Gio, although higher in rank, is obligated to follow the same law we all do. While I can make some exceptions if the crime is unimportant, I can't ignore any of my pack members attacking my flesh and blood.

And even if I could, fuck, the council would hand me my ass. They definitely wouldn't have forgiven Gio, no matter how close the relationship is between him and I.

Of all the people, the council doesn't forgive.

I hold my breath, waiting for an answer, which definitely isn't his chuckle. What makes everything worse are the words that follow in a mere whisper,” must be the hunters he sent after the girl. Seems like they came back for a better prize.”

My breath catches in my throat and my knees almost give out from under me. Hunters. The hunters might have my only son.

At first, that one word is the only thing that registers in my brain. The damned group of men who live for the chance to hunt and imprison everyone of our species to sell us like circus animals.

However, it doesn't take much time for me to process why exactly Gio mentioned the hunters to begin with.

No, it couldn't be. Kaiden is a reckless and sometimes a little stupid kid, just like any child is, but he wouldn't go as far as get on one hand with the hunters to get what he wants.

Or would he?

I grip the metal bar of the cell to steady myself, mentally thanking the guards for keeping Gio out of the cells with the silver bars. Gripping one of those would hurt like a bitch.

“You can't be serious,” I finally find my voice and mutter, silently hating how surprised and weak my voice sounds.

I'm supposed to be a leader, the man everyone can rely on and trust with their lives. The king who rules fairly and stands by his people, protects them, not invite danger into his home.

“Oh, but I am,” Gio snaps back, sounding so bitter, I barely recognize the man he's supposed to be. “If you bothered to ask me why I attacked the little shit, maybe you would've found that out ages ago. But no, of course you wouldn't, because his lies are more believable than the truth coming from any of your pack members' mouths, even that of your so-called best friend.”

The resentment radiates off him in such powerful waves, it nearly knocks me over.

So much for Kaiden's story about taking control of his doings and Gio hating that he isn't needed.

Looking back, I can't believe I bought his story in the first place. I know my son better than anyone ever could, I know he has a mean streak to him and Kaiden can lie like a magician to get himself out of possible trouble.

Gio, on the other hand, has never given me a reason to doubt him for a second. He is a fair man who respects himself enough to always remain loyal and truthful to his own self.

He has never attacked anyone unprovoked, especially someone higher than him. Gio doesn't lie and doesn't come up with stories, but he also never ignores injustice if he sees it.

And besides, just minutes before he attacked Kaiden, Gio asked to leave the pack. He was planning to seek out his mate and start a new life with the person fated to him. There's no way Gio would ever jeopardize that plan only because Kaiden finally took control of his own actions and grew up a little.

“I'm such a fool,” I mutter and shake my head. “How could I believe in his words? Kaiden claimed it was all a misunderstanding. You, getting angry because he sent a search party into the mountains, because he disrespected you by not asking for any advice. He made it sound like you attacked him only because you feared not being of use to this pack anymore.”

A bitter, loud laugh leaves me as I let my own words sink in and compare them to the truth I already know.

“And I believed him. I fucking believed him even though minutes earlier, you were asking for permission to leave the pack. Oh, how would the attack possibly make sense if Kaiden was telling the truth? It wouldn't. There's no way you would fear losing your position in the pack you've actively trying to leave.”

“Didn't even take you two years to figure out the misery. Congratulations, there's no prize to win. Well, other than losing the so-called best friend and realizing your own son is a lying piece of shit. For the record, I can say whatever the fuck I please here because I'm already in the cells. Can't really punish me more with something I already have,” Gio states and laughs, clearly enjoying my suffering.

It's messed up, but more than the realization about my son's nature, I hate the fact that Gio claims I've lost him. My only friend, the closest person I have. The only man I could trust with my life for years.

I've lost all that because of a lie my son told.

And the worst part? This mess in my head is all about me. What my son did, what I lost, what I feel. Not even for a brief second, have I thought about how Gio feels, what he lost and how this will affect him.

A wannabe friend of a year, that's who I am. Nothing less and definitely nothing more.