Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 222

Ashley pov

The back entrance is closer than I remembered, so I move quickly, hyper-alert to every movement around me, every person who brushes past me.

My eyes dart to every shadow in the near vicinity, nearly giving me a minor heart attack every time I notice something nearby.

The servants are too caught up by the chaos of the ceremony to notice me, so no one looks my way as I slip through the door that leads to the servant’s part of the building.

I force my back against the wall as I creep down the long corridor and disappear into the nearest room. To my luck, it’s one of the maid’s rooms, so I quickly steal a couple of her clothes, take off the dress and wear the maid’s uniform. Then, I grab her fabric bag, force the dress inside it and leave the room.

Once I’m out, I double check that no one’s around and return to the chaos, brushing past the guests and guards until I reach the nearest bathroom and leave the dress there. No matter how awful Kaiden and his father are, this dress holds important memories of their beloved one, so there’s no way I’d ever ruin it.

After the first steps are done, I walk right to the back entry of the building. No one seems to have the slightest care about me, so I use the chance and get out.

As soon as I step outside the building, I freeze. This is the right choice, I know it is, but there’s still this ping of guilt that hits me right in my gut. I don’t know why, but it’s there.

First, I take in the sight of the dark woods ahead of me. It’s my best shot, the only place I can go where they won’t find me. Without any hesitation, I make a break for it, my bare feet slap against the cool stone until I reach the rough earth of the forest floor.

The trees close in around me as I keep running, my breath coming in ragged gasps. My legs ache, my lungs burn, but I don’t care and keep pushing.

When I slow down, I lean against the nearest tree to catch my breath and that’s when I hear it - a low, pained groan somewhere near me.

My heart instantly picks up speed. Dread washes over me - this might be a trap. They might have noticed where I went and sent the king’s men after me to pretend someone’s hurt and fool me.

But even despite the thought, I decide it’s best to check for myself. If someone’s really hurt, it would be unfair to leave them behind, suffering and possibly even dying.

Slowly, I start walking closer to the sound and stop in my tracks when I notice them. It’s Constantine, one of his bear brothers, and wait, and Dominic.

I almost cry out in shock, but somehow manage to keep the sound trapped inside as I watch them move closer to me. Dominic is leaning heavily on Constantine, his face pale and streaked with blood, and Greg is stanying just a few feet away, looking like someone who doesn’t want to be near them.

“What’s he even doing here?” Greg snaps, his eyes darting to Dominic. “We should leave him.”

Constantine shakes his head. “He saved our lives, Greg. He’s hurt because of it. We can’t just abandon him.”

Greg’s lips press into a thin line, but his face turns a couple of shades redder. “You’re too trusting,” he mutters. “This is probably another one of his games. We don’t know if we can trust him.”

“I don’t trust him,” Constantine mutters. “But I can’t leave him behind, not after everything. He’s not the same as he was before.”

I step out from my hiding spot behind a tree before I can second-guess my decision. “What’s going on?” I ask, looking between the three men.

Constantine’s head snaps up, his eyes widen in shock as he spots me. “Ash? What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you guys the same thing. But I escaped,” I say, stepping a little closer. “There was an attack at the ceremony. I don’t know who they were, but they gave me a chance to run.”

Constantine’s eyes scan me from head to toes, possibly adding extra attention to the clothes I’m wearing, which clearly isn’t mine. Then, like always, his eyes soften and a small smile spreads across his lips. “You did the right thing, kiddo.”

“Of course she did,” the bear mutters, still sounding annoyed for some reason. “But what are you doing here? Did you bring back the snacks you stole from me?”

“There’s no time,” Dominic cuts in, sounding just as pained as he looks. He winces, leaning heavier on Constantine’s shoulder. “We need to get out of here. They’ll be searching the woods soon, and we can’t be caught.”

I nod, finding it a little surprising that I can agree with Dominic this easily. “I know a way out. There’s a path through the woods that leads to the border. If we move fast, we can make it before they realize I’m gone.”

“Wait,” the bear interrupts. “Why should we trust you? You could be leading us right into a trap. At this point, the only person I can trust is Constantine. I know he’s on your side, but for all I know, you might have been sent by those fuckers to catch the last bears.”

“I don’t care if you trust me. But if we stay here, we’re all dead. I want to get out just as much as you do.”

The bear hesitates, switching his weight from one leg to another as his gaze darts between Constantine and me. Only when Constantine nods, he huffs out a frustrated sound and steps back. “Fine. But if this goes south, it’s on you.”

“Deal,” I flash him the widest grin. “Let’s go.”

Soon enough, we’re moving towards the path. We’re relatively fast, even though Dominic’s steps are unsteady and he needs Constantine to support him. In the meantime, the bear, who still hasn’t told me his name, keeps an eye on me and Dominic.

This isn’t the safest path, but it’s the fastest. Every sound around us makes me flinch, everyone notices it, but I still don’t stop and thankfully, no one comments on that either.

It feels like hours before we finally exit the thickest part of the woods and get closer to the border of the king’s territory. The air here feels cooler, as weird as it sounds, it even tastes fresher, so I take a few greedy, deep breaths and enjoy it.

“We’re almost there,” I whisper, glancing at Constantine over my shoulder. He nods and offers a tight smile. Dominic is barely conscious, his face pale with pain, and I can tell he’s on the edge of passing out. “Just a little further.”

Finally, we reach the edge of the woods and can see the unclaimed lands. Unlike any other pack territory, these lands are truly wild, untamed, scarred with rocky hills and forests.

Unclaimed territories aren’t safe, but they’re free and right now, that’s all that matters.

“There,” Dominic gasps, pointing his finger to a path that leads through the trees. “My hideout, it’s not far. We’ll be safe there.”

Constantine’s eyes dart to mine, and I nod. For some reason, I trust Dominic’s directions, even though our bear friend doesn’t look too pleased with it.

We move down the uneven path until we reach a small, secluded cabin tucked away from the eyes of the onlookers.

As we step inside, I’m hit with a wave of relief. We’re out of the king’s reach. But I know this is just the beginning - there are too many questions, too many enemies still out there, and I can’t shake the feeling that we’re only just starting to understand the depths of the danger we’re in.

“Rest,” Constantine says softly, helping Dominic on the old couch in the middle of the small room. He turns to me, his expression worried and tired. “We’ll talk soon. But for now,  I’m glad you’re safe.” Then, he turns to the bear and pins him with a glare, “Greg, you’ll be responsible for getting some firewood for the stove. We need to make sure we don’t freeze to death once night comes.”