Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 205

Elias pov

I glance over at my brothers, trying to suppress the grin tugging at my lips. If this doesn’t turn into an absolute disaster, I’ll be surprised. We’re supposed to sneak out of our parents’ territory without anyone noticing, which - let’s face it - has about as much chance of happening as Ethan pulling off a successful impersonation of a well-behaved child. Not happening.

Ethan’s already moving, like some kind of overgrown toddler on a mission, his feet light and his swagger unmistakable. But it’s the way he grins that makes me want to smack him upside the head. That grin? It’s trouble, and he knows it.

“Are you ready for this?” I mutter to him, keeping my voice low.

He looks back, and his smirk only widens, making him look like that clown guy from a bad horror movie we watched as kids. “Always.”

The plan? Easy. We just leave and walk out like we’re going for a casual stroll. No one will notice, and if anyone does, we’ll be back before anyone can say anything.

It’s foolproof. I’m fully convinced the easier route should win us the easier way out. That’s until we get to the border.

The moment I see the guard standing a little too close to the edge of the territory, my stomach twists. I nudge Ethan, trying to signal him to slow down. “Shit,” I mutter, my gaze flicking to the guard.

The guy’s got a face I’ve seen before. Axel. He’s got that “I’m always suspicious” look on his face, like he’s trying to figure out if he’s dealing with the most annoying triplets in the world or the ones who’ll end up in a ditch because they’ve pissed off their own parents.

“What now?” Everett whispers, eyeing the guard nervously.

Ethan, ever the confident idiot, gives a low chuckle. “What else? We lie.”

I roll my eyes, trying to keep my face neutral, but inside... Inside I’m already panicking. It might come as a surprise to most, but I’m not the greatest liar, especially if I don’t believe in my own lies.

Axel spots us and his eyes narrow with suspicion as we approach. He doesn’t say anything immediately, but his posture is enough to make my heartbeat speed up in my chest. The way he stands, straight as a pole, is like he knows exactly what’s going on. And I hate it. I really do.

“What’s this?” Axel finally asks, his voice even, though I can tell he’s sizing us up. “I thought you three were supposed to be in the house, especially with your parents out for the night. What are you doing out here?”

Damn it, I forgot about that detail. I should’ve reminded my dear brothers that we agreed to look after the house so Mom and Dad could have a quick date night before the Council turned out life to shit. I glance at my brothers. Great. We need a solid plan, and fast.

Everett shoots me a look, and I swear I can hear the gears turning in his head. I quickly decide to take the reins before the two wild fuckers ruin this mission for us all.

“We were just... going for a walk,” I say, trying to sound casual like it’s the most normal thing in the world. I offer Axel a wide smile. “You know, getting some fresh air before it runs out and all.”

“Getting fresh air?” Axel repeats, not bothering to hide that he isn’t buying any of my bullshit. “At this hour? Seems suspicious to me. Also, before it runs out? Since when is the air running out?”

My stomach turns. There’s no way he’s buying this. I need something else, quickly.

“Uh, yeah, well…” I scratch my head. “You see, we were thinking about, uh, checking out the village? It’s just a short walk from here, and we wanted to, you know, get a feel for the place before the festivities start. Mom mentioned a festival nearing, so we want to see what that’s about. Maybe talk to some of the locals? Nothing serious.”

The guard squints at us. I swear, the guy has the brain of a true wolf, always sniffing out a lie. But I can’t let that stop me now.

“Yeah, just,” I add, “making sure everything’s set and stuff. A little pre-celebration, you know?”

Ethan grins beside me, probably sensing I’ve sold it. He steps in with a light-hearted tone, “We figured, the earlier we get out, the more time we’ll have for-”

Axel holds up a hand, silencing him. My heart skips a beat. Did we push it too far? “You’re lucky I’m feeling generous,” Axel mutters, giving us a sharp look. “But don’t think you can get away with this again. The Council’s been keeping an eye on things. You’ve been warned.”

I nod quickly. “Thanks, Axel. Really appreciate it.”

He grunts, then turns away, clearly satisfied with his mini-interrogation. I wait until he’s out of sight before letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “That was close,” I mutter, wiping my palms on my pants.

Everett cracks a smile. “You think he bought it?”

“Who knows?” I shrug. “We got past him, so it doesn’t matter now. Let’s get to the village.”

After a quick walk, we reach the nearby village, a quiet place that’s seen better days. As we enter, the hushed murmurs from the villagers catch my attention. Whispers, here and there, that I can’t quite make out at first. But the more I listen, the clearer it becomes.

“The king’s been talking about the prince’s mating ceremony,” a woman whispers to another, loud enough for us to overhear. “He’s been telling everyone it’s happening soon. The prince will finally claim his mate. The king’s been making a big deal out of it.”

I freeze mid-step, my heart stops in my chest. Mating ceremony? That could only mean one thing. I turn to Ethan and Everett, who both seem to have caught the same conversation. We exchange a glance, and I can see the realization dawning on all of us.

“Ash,” I say under my breath. “She’s in the king’s territory.”

Everett curses under his breath. “We have to move fast. If the king’s already spreading word about it-”

“There’s no time to waste,” Ethan hisses and clenches his fists.

We exchange a glance, nod at each other and take off. As soon as we’re deep into the forest, we strip and shift into our wolves. Traveling as humans will only waste more of the time we don’t have.