Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 223

Constantine pov

The morning is cold and gloomy, but it doesn’t hold me back from enjoying the cool air in front of Dominic’s small hideout house. Not long after I step outside with a cup of tea in my hand, Ash joins me, flashing me a weak smile and muttering a good morning.

We stay silent for a while, both lost in our own thoughts. The hideout is well-hidden, which grants me a moment of peace I didn’t think I needed this desperately. The feeling is fragile, but nevertheless, it’s still here.

Ash is sitting across from me on an old bench. While I didn’t pay her attention, she found a blanket and now, she looks like a tiny burrito, trembling with every gust of wind that breaks through the fabric around her shoulders.

“Thanks,” Ash suddenly mutters, breaking the comfortable silence.

She hasn’t said much since we got here, so the attempt to start the conversation catches me off guard at first. But I also know she’s probably been through hell in the king’s territory, so I don’t blame her. I don’t want to push her, but I also need answers. I need to understand how she ended up in the king’s territory to begin with.

I take a sip of my tea and lean back, watching her carefully. “I don’t want to pry,” I start, keeping an eye on her reaction,  “But, I need to know, Ash. After you left the cabin, what happened? How did you end up with the king?”

She doesn’t answer right away, her eyes focused on the steam rising from the tea. Finally, she sighs and looks at me. “I didn’t want to get you and the others in danger,” she begins and looks away, almost like she’s ashamed to admit that she wanted to protect us all along. “That’s why I left.”

My heart squeezes in my chest at her words. I knew she left to protect us, but hearing it from her mouth only grows the guilt that’s been eating at me. “Ash, we could have helped you. You didn’t have to go through this alone.”

“I thought I was doing the right thing,” she whispers and looks down. “I thought if I left, if I just vanished, then Kaiden would stop hunting me. But it didn’t work.”

“What happened?” I ask, doing my best to keep my voice even so she doesn’t catch on the anger that only keeps growing within me. The last thing I need is to scare her into thinking I’m angry at her.

Ash sucks in a shaky breath and shakes her head, as if in disbelief. “He found me. I was trying to stay off the main paths, sticking to the woods. But he was faster than I thought. Truth be told, I had no idea he was out there and looking for me. I was pretty convinced he sent the hunters after me and since they left in another direction, I assumed I was safe from him.”

Even from here, I can see the pain in her eyes. “What did he do, Ash?” I ask and instantly regret pushing for answers. She looks so fragile and here I am, acting like an absolute asshole, pushing her.

I hate Kaiden. Hate him for everything he has done to Ash. And I hate him even more for turning the vibrant, strong young woman into a shell of herself.

Ash looks up at the forest, her gaze lost somewhere in the distance as she sets the cup aside and pulls the blanket tighter around herself, almost looking like someone who’s trying to shield herself. “He beat me. Until I lost consciousness. I don’t even remember how long it lasted. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. I didn’t know where I was, or who he was.”

“What do you mean, you didn’t know who he was?” I ask.

She chuckles and shakes her head. “The beating messed with my head. I couldn’t remember him at first. He kept visiting me in the hospital, and every time he came, it felt like something was clawing its way back into my mind.”

I swallow hard. Keeping my anger in check is proving to be more difficult than I hope it would be. “So you remembered him later?”

“Slowly. I remembered who he was and who I was. And when I finally understood what he was trying to do, I knew I had to get out. I played along, pretended to be weak, too confused to fight back. Then, when the hunters attacked during the ceremony I ran. It was the only chance I had. And trust me, I was looking for any chance I could get. Once I got one, I knew I couldn’t pass on it.”

“You did the right thing.”

She looks at me, her eyes red-rimmed, almost like she’s been holding back the tears for days. “Was it the right thing, though? If I’d just stayed-”

“No,” I cut her off. “Don’t even think like that. You did what you had to do, exactly what you thought was the right thing in the situation. None of this is your fault. Kaiden is the one who’s lost his mind, not you.”

She nods, but I can see the doubt in her eyes. She’s been through so much, and I wish I could take the pain away, make it all better, but I can’t. All I can do is be here for her.

“After you left the bear’s cabin, we tried to find you. All of us. We followed your trail as far as we could, but when we lost you, we decided to go where I assumed you might have gone. And when we reached the edge of your parents’ old territory everything changed.”

Her eyes widen, almost like she didn’t think we’d go after her. “What happened?”

“The king’s men were everywhere. Kaiden made it look like the bears attacked you. He framed us. Made it seem like we were the ones who left you for dead.”

“What? That’s insane. You would never!” Ash shouts and jumps to her feet, almost kicking the mug over.

“I know. We know. But it didn’t matter. By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late. The guards were swarming the area, hunting for us. We had to split up. Greg and I managed to avoid them, but I haven’t seen the rest of us since.”

Ash looks down at me in complete disbelief.  “You think they’re in the cells? In the king’s territory?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “But I’ve heard rumors. There’s talk of the king imprisoning his best friend, Gio. He’s a man of honor, Ash, and everyone knows it. If m y brothers are in the cells, I think they’ll be safe with him. If anyone can help them, it’s Gio.”

“Do you think he’ll help them?”

“Yes. He’s not like the others. He’s always chosen what’s right over what’s easy. I know he’ll do everything in his power to protect them.”

Ash nods. “Do you think they’ll be okay?” She asks, her voice breaking mid-sentence.

I reach out and take her hand and squeeze it gently. “My brothers are strong, and Gio is not someone who gives up easily. If they’re together, they’ll find a way out.”