Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 24

Ashley pov

Last night was nothing but a bad dream, right? Half nightmare? Taken how well it started and how awfully it ended? RIGHT?

Wrong. So freaking wrong.

Today reminds me of the first morning I woke up in the Academy dorm. The same as that morning, I open my eyes to an overly excited, grinning Ethan hovering over my bed.

However, unlike that morning, the words that leave his lips shock me to my core. “You look so peaceful and pretty when you sleep. Like a princess.”

Clearly, Ethan sees nothing wrong about saying ridiculous things like that. Especially ridiculous since he still believes I’m a guy. Or, at least I think he still believes it.

“Have you lost it?” I grumble and try to pull the covers over my face.

Ethan’s gaze is so intense, I seriously want to hide away from the guy. It’s too much, especially this early in the morning.

“Have I? Not sure. I might have. Didn’t check in with my therapist,” Ethan rambless off and sits down at the edge of my bed.

“Remind me to start locking my door to keep you out of my room again,” I hiss and turn to my side, my back turned to him.

“As if that could ever stop me. Just because I’m nice and don’t bother to intrude your privacy, it doesn’t mean I can’t do that. Breaking down a locked door is easy as shit.” Ethan laughs.

The sound of his deep laughter sends unwanted shivers down my spine. I seriously start hating the way his presence affects me. The presence of them all, actually.

The Universe and the Goddess herself are against me. I’m trying my best to avoid the men who have no idea who I am, but somehow, we are always forced back to the same place - far too close to my comfort.

At times, I fear the triplets know the truth and just keep playing around to mess with my head. It’s a tiny possibility, but still one nevertheless.

Since I don’t show much interest in keeping this conversation alive, Ethan lets out what sounds like a sigh of frustration and gets up from the bed. “Just get ready, we need to leave for our first day soon. Elias and Everett already left.”

Ethan leaves the room without waiting for my response, so the moment I hear him close the door to my room, I jump out of the bed like I’ve been hit with electricity and get dressed in the uniform.

I must admit that this one is more comfortable than the one at the Academy, it’s easier to move in these clothes, almost as if I’m wearing a second skin.

Although I’m not sure if I’m supposed to walk around here with books in my hands, just in case, after I’m done brushing my teeth and making myself a little more presentable, I grab a pen and a notebook.

Sometimes, even during training, the coach made us write down some important things, so this might come handy.

Leaving my room, I lock it. No, I don’t have anything to hide from anyone, but by locking it, I give myself a false sense of privacy - one no one can invade. Silly, really, but I feel like that’s exactly what I need these days.

Ethan is in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, eating a toast and glaring at his phone.

Seeing how irritated he looks, I feel a little bad for giving him attitude, so as I enter, I mutter a weak “good morning.”

Ethan’s gaze instantly focuses on me. “Good morning, sunshine,” he answers and grins. “The uniform looks good on you.”

I frown as I walk around him to get a cup of coffee myself. “Thanks, I suppose.”

I’m not trying to be difficult on purpose. I just don’t know how to accept compliments, no one has ever told me that I looked good, at least not someone who wasn’t my mom or dad.

“You know,” Ethan sounds a little more cheerful. “If you were a chick, even with the shitty attitude, I’d probably try to woo you. You’re hella pretty these days, no idea how that happened, but seriously, you’re fucking adorable. Be careful around these guys or they might try to get in your pants.”

I don’t pay any attention to his words. Instead, I take a quick gulp of the bitter coffee, frown at the cup and place it in the sink. “We’ll be late for our first day.” I mutter and head for the door.

Ethan is quick on my heels, muttering something I don’t quite get. Okay, it’s not that I don’t get it, it’s rather that I don’t pay attention to his words.

He is a distraction, sometimes pleasant one, but more often, an annoying one. Like a zit on ass. You know it’s there, but it doesn’t bother you until you finally get a chance to sit down to rest, and then, there it is - the stinging pain.

Before I exit the building, Ethan rushes to the door, opens it and holds it for me.

Look at this, all of a sudden, he’s a gentleman, not the despicable man he was in the forest. How the tables have turned..

I don’t let him know this, but I’m grateful he leads the way. At least I don’t get lost and don’t miss the first lesson.

To my surprise, we’re not sent out to show off our abilities and fight each other. Instead, we’re sitting in a massive room while the professor introduces himself to us.

I expect a moment when he asks for our names, but he makes it clear he’s not interested in getting to know his students.

The light slowly fades in the room and once it’s relatively dark, the screen behind the professor lights up brightly, nearly blinding everyone in the room. Soon, slides appear on it as the professor starts explaining the course, essential combat skills that must be mastered, the various skills, and strategies needed to survive on the battlefield.

I’m so engrossed in everything he’s showing us that I don’t notice how Ethan has managed to sit so close to me until our knees touch. “Hey here, roommate,” he whispers near my ear.

This guy has to be on a mission to make my life as miserable as possible.

Ignoring him becomes so hard, I find it difficult to focus on what the professor is saying. The fact that he notices what is happening and calls Ethan out doesn’t help either.

“Would you mind telling us what is more interesting than my presentation, young man?” The professor asks, pointing at Ethan.

I can’t describe the shame I feel when Ethan stands up and grins at everyone before announcing, “I was just trying to apologize to my friend Ash over here. I offered my junk to him a few days ago, didn’t go quite as planned, so I’m trying to save a friendship. That’s pretty important, isn’t it?”