Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 203

Gio pov

I should’ve known better when I told the asshole off. The king isn’t one to let go of things easily.

The door to the king’s office slams open, and I’m shoved inside by the guards. My wrists are bound tight, the metal chains biting into my skin as I’m forced into the office.

The king sits behind his desk, his face unreadable as always. Kaiden stands off to the side, his arrogant posture enough to make my blood boil seven ways to Hell. He smirks when he sees me, like a wolf that’s just cornered its prey, ready for a game of fear.

The air between us is thick, heavy with the weight of everything that’s gone wrong, everything they have done to force us all into this position. Mainly everything that Kaiden has done. The king doesn’t look at me at first. His attention is fixed on a stack of papers, but when he speaks, his voice cuts through the silence like a blade.

“Sit.”

I don’t move. I stand there, staring at him, the anger burning up inside me. I’m not going to sit. Not like this. Not while Kaiden’s eyes are on me, full of mockery. I can feel his eyes boring into the side of my head, and it only makes me more furious.

The king looks up, his gaze cold. “Sit, Gio,” he repeats, voice low. “We need to talk. It’s better if you get comfortable first.”

I don’t say anything, so the guards push me toward a chair, and I have no choice but to sit. The chains rattle as I adjust myself in the seat, my wrists sore from where they’re restrained.

Kaiden steps forward, his smirk widening. “You’ve been causing trouble, Gio. You’re lucky father hasn’t had you disposed of yet. I would’ve done just that, getting rid of trash like you happens to be a hobby of mine.”

I glance at him, barely containing the anger that threatens to spill out. “Maybe I’m lucky. Or maybe it’s you who’s unlucky, Kaiden. You’re too blind to see the mess you’re creating.”

The king’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t speak right away. He looks at me, studying me before finally sighing. “Enough, Gio. We’re past all that. I need your help.”

I blink. My help? After everything? “You need my help?” I repeat, my voice filled with disbelief and something that sounds like a big, fat no-thank-you.

“Yes,” the king says in a dismissive tone, like he’s just asking me to do a simple favor. “I need your advice on something.”

I don’t hide my irritation and roll my eyes. “You’ve got Kaiden to help you now. You don’t need me for anything.”

The king ignores the bitterness in my tone, leaning forward slightly. “The situation with his mate, things are escalating quickly. Kaiden thinks we should force her to comply. You’ve seen what happens when she’s given the freedom to choose. She escapes, runs, hides. We can’t keep playing these games.”

I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. My anger is rising, and I can feel the heat rising in my neck. “What are you suggesting? You want Kaiden to mark her? Force her into submission?”

Kaiden laughs from the side, clearly enjoying my reaction. “It’s the only way, Gio. Once I mark her, there’s nothing anyone can do. She’ll be mine.”

The king watches me closely, waiting for my reaction, like he expects me to agree. But I can’t. I won’t. I won’t stand by and let this happen to Ashley. I’m the one who’s supposed to protect her, not let this happen. If not for greater good, I must do it for my mate. I must show him I have his best interest at heart and he cares a whole lot about her.

“No!” I snap, my voice hard. “You can’t! You shouldn’t!”

The room goes silent for a moment, the tension thick enough to suffocate us all. The king’s face twists in anger as he slams his fist against the desk. “You don’t understand! We don’t have time for your damn moral debates. Kaiden’s plan is the only solution.”

“No,” I say again, my fists clenched tightly in my lap. “It’s not. You can’t force her. She deserves a choice. She deserves better than this. Besides, Kaiden doesn’t want her. He rejected the girl. What he’s doing is unfair, immoral and all sorts of wrong. The Goddess will punish him.”

Kaiden steps forward, his voice dripping with venom. “Who are you to tell me what she deserves, Gio? You’re just a tool to be used, nothing more. The sooner you accept that, the better.”

I can feel my blood boiling. The audacity of both of them, sitting there and acting like they own everything. Like they have the right to do whatever they want. I won’t stand for it. Not anymore.

“You’re sick,” I growl, standing up abruptly, my chains rattling with the movement. “Both of you. This is wrong, Kaiden. What you’re doing - what your father is letting you do - it’s wrong.”

The king rises from his chair, his eyes flashing with a cold fury I’ve only seen in him once or twice before. “You don’t tell me what’s wrong, Gio. You’ve lost your place here. You’ve become a liability.”

I try to take a step forward, but the guards step in, grabbing my arms and forcing me back into the chair. My chest tightens with frustration, and I can feel the rage bubbling up inside me, wanting to escape.

“You don’t understand, Gio,” the king continues, his voice low. “Kaiden will take what’s his. Whether you help him or not is up to you. But if you continue to defy me, I’ll have no choice but to deal with you the way I see fit. It would be such a shame if that mate of yours wouldn’t get to see you again, wouldn’t it?”

I know what that means. The king’s threats are never empty. I’m already marked for an actual punishment. I can see it in his eyes.

“I’ll never help you with this,” I spit, the words bitter on my tongue. “Not like this.”

The king’s face darkens, and with a sharp wave of his hand, he signals for the guards to take me. “Take him back to the cells,” he orders coldly, sounding nothing like the friend I’ve known him to be for so many years. “He’ll learn his place.”

Kaiden laughs as I’m dragged away, and I can’t stop myself from jerking against the guards’ hold, but it’s useless. “Enjoy your time in the cells, Gio,” Kaiden calls after me. “It’s the only place you’ll ever belong.”

The door slams behind me as I’m shoved down the hallway. I can feel the weight of my failure. The king - my king - has turned on me. And Kaiden? He’s only just getting started.