Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 256

Elias pov

I’m starting to think Ethan’s brain works in a completely different universe than the rest of us. He’s been pacing around his bedroom for the past twenty minutes, talking to himself in a way that sounds like he’s trying to pitch a movie script to us. 

Everett’s been sitting at the desk, rubbing his temples like he’s trying to hold his sanity together. I can’t blame him. This isn’t going anywhere good. We’re supposed to be planning how to find Ash, and instead, Ethan’s brain is firing on all cylinders, but none of those ideas are landing in the “good” category.

“Alright,” Everett says, struggling to stay calm. “We need to figure out where Ash would go if she was hiding out, right?”

“Obviously,” Ethan cuts in, spinning around to face us. His wild eyes are practically gleaming now, like he just found a treasure map in a cereal box. “We should start by asking the squirrels in the backyard. They’ve gotta know something. Those little fuckers have secrets.”

I blink. “What?”

“The squirrels, Elias. The squirrels. They see everything. They’re basically undercover spies for nature.” Ethan’s grin stretches wider, and I can tell he’s not joking. This is all serious to him.

Everett looks at him like he’s a puzzle he’s trying to solve without losing his mind. “Ethan, no. We’re not talking to squirrels. We’re trying to figure out where Ash could be. Maybe a place she would go when she wants to be alone.”

Ethan waves a dismissive hand. “Fine, fine. No squirrels. But what about the sewers? The rats in there have a much better network. And they’re basically underground social media.”

I rub my forehead. “Are we really going to listen to this?”

“Hey, it’s a valid point!” Ethan raises his voice, as though I just asked him to solve world hunger. “Rats are smart. They know things. Things, Elias, serious things.”

Everett slams his hand on the desk. “We need to think like Ash. Where would she go if she didn’t want to be found?”

I pace for a few steps, trying to clear my mind. The thought of Ash gone, hiding somewhere out there, is a weight on my chest. But thinking straight is hard with Ethan bouncing off the walls and Everett getting progressively more frustrated.

“Maybe she went to the old pack territory,” I say, but it’s more of a guess. 

Everett nods. “It’s a good idea. But we need to cover all the other options first.”

Ethan, still pacing like a caged animal, stops for a second, his face lighting up. “I know! What if she’s in a secret underground lair, like a supervillain? Like a cave with a disguised entrance? It could be a hidden door behind a waterfall. Or we can just bust into an old abandoned building and pretend we’re in a spy movie!”

He spreads his arms wide, and I swear I can see his brain sizzling with excitement. Everett rubs his forehead again, the frustration written all over his face.

“I’m not going to pretend to be a spy. We’re not going to break into a building, Ethan. We need to be smarter than that.” Everett’s trying to stay calm, but his voice is tight. “We need to find clues.”

Ethan jumps in again, like he’s been holding back for hours. “Or… OR! We could hire a fortune teller! They’ve got crystal balls and everything! Maybe they’ll know where Ash is. I bet that would be way more fun than sitting here and trying to figure out clues that might not even exist.”

I pause. “You seriously want to hire a fortune teller?”

He looks at me like I’ve just asked him if he wants a sandwich. “Of course! Why not? They’ve got magical powers. You know? Like a GPS, but for people. We could ask her to tell us exactly where Ash is, and she’d probably know everything about her. It’s perfect.”

“I don’t think you understand how fortune tellers work, Ethan,” I groan, rubbing my temples. “They don’t just… they don’t just tell you stuff like that. And we’re not hiring anyone.”

“I’m just saying,” Ethan continues, unaffected, “they’re practically professional detectives. They know everything! It’s like getting a cheat code for life.”

Everett finally loses his cool and slams his hand down on the desk. “Okay, enough with the ridiculous ideas! Let’s focus!”

Ethan immediately drops onto the floor, lying on his back like he’s trying to make a snow angel on carpet. “Alright, alright,” he says, voice muffled, “but we’re all just overcomplicating this. Why don’t we just ask Ash directly where she is? You know, just text her or something.”

I stare at him for a long moment, trying to process what he just said. “She doesn’t even have a phone, smartass? You think we wouldn’t have done that if she had a damn phone already?”

“I know, I know,” he says with a dramatic sigh, standing up again and pacing back to the window. “It was a joke. I get it. The texting thing’s out.”

Everett, who’s clearly had enough, tries to steer the conversation back to something useful. “We need to be strategic. Where does Ash go when she’s upset? Think about it. What places does she always run to?”

I bite my lip, thinking. I know Ash. At least I think I do. “Back in the Academy, she sometimes went to the forest with that friend of hers, you know, the traitor. So, maybe she’s in the woods somewhere?”

Everett looks at me like I’ve just suggested we take a trip to the moon. “Woods definitely is a small fucking place to search, right? Come on, Elias, think, you have to have some ideas.”

“I am thinking!” I snap. “It’s a good idea. We know it’s one of her go-to spots.”

Ethan jumps in, his eyes gleaming again like he’s about to throw out another wild suggestion. “What if she’s just straight-up on a wild adventure? Like, what if she’s out there with a bunch of treasure hunters and we’re so close to finding them, but we’re just not thinking big enough? Maybe there’s a treasure map involved. Seriously, there has to be a treasure map! I know, I need to check my cereal box!”

At this point, I feel like I’m losing brain cells just listening to him.

“We are not looking for treasure!” I say, voice getting louder. “We’re looking for Ash! Not a hidden gold mine!”

Ethan throws his hands up in the air dramatically. “Okay, okay, no treasure map. But we could still find a hidden cave or something. I’m telling you, caves are the answer. We just need to find one!”

I want to scream. I really do. But instead, I just drop into the chair by the desk and try to focus. I need a plan, not whatever this is.

“We’re not looking for caves,” Everett says firmly, but there’s a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He’s amused, but he’s keeping it together. “Let’s start with the basics. We’ll go to the lake near the king’s territory and see if we find anything. From there, we figure out the next step.”

Ethan grins. “Okay, okay, no caves. But I’m still sticking with my idea for the squirrels and I need to talk to them before we leave.”

“I’ll eat and get your map from the box then,” Everett mutters, rubbing his temples again.

This is going to be a long day.