Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 257

Elias pov

I can’t take it anymore. Just mere twenty minutes later, we’re back in Ethan’s bedroom - Everett is practically running a military operation with his plans, complete with maps and timelines, while Ethan is, well, Ethan. He’s talking about how we might need to “communicate with the trees” because, apparently, “trees live for hundreds of years and probably know stuff.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I’ve tried to be patient, to let them hash out their wild ideas, but there’s only so much a guy can handle. “I’ll be right back,” I mumble, pushing my chair back and standing up.

“Where are you going?” Everett asks without looking up, busy scribbling something on a piece of paper.

“Bathroom,” I say, already heading for the door.

“There’s a bathroom right here!” Ethan calls after me, and I hear him snickering. “Unless you’re afraid of it, Elias. Is it haunted? Do you think ghosts of my past are hiding in the shower?”

I don’t answer him. I just shut the door behind me and let out a long breath. Finally, some quiet.

Also, I don’t head for the bathroom. Instead, I make my way down the hallway, my mind racing. I need answers, real answers, not whatever Ethan’s conspiracy theories are. There’s one person who might help, someone who actually listens and knows things that Everett and Ethan don’t: mom.

Her door is open, and she’s sitting in her favorite chair, a book in her hands. She looks up when she hears my footsteps. “Elias?”

“Hey, mom.” I step inside, shutting the door softly behind me. My voice feels small when I speak again. “Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you about something. It’s... important.”

Her brows knit together in concern, and she closes her book, setting it on the side table. “Of course, sweetheart. What’s wrong?”

I don’t even know where to start. I sit on the edge of the couch across from her, fidgeting with my hands. “It’s about Ash.”

Her expression softens, but there’s worry in her eyes now. “Go on.”

“We’re trying to figure out where she is. Everett, Ethan, and I,” I shake my head. “It’s been hard. But there’s something else. Something weird.”

Mom waits, patient as always. I take a deep breath and just let it out. “We’ve all been having dreams. They’re different, but connected somehow. And they all lead back to Ash. It’s like she’s trying to tell us something, but we don’t know what.”

Her lips press into a thin line as she leans forward slightly, her eyes studying me. “Dreams? What kind of dreams?”

“They’re not normal,” I say quickly. “They feel real. Like I’m not just dreaming, but I’m there with her. She doesn’t say much, but it’s like she’s asking for help. And it’s not just me. Everett and Ethan have been having dreams too. All about her.”

She leans back in her chair, her arms crossed now. “Elias, dreams can mean a lot of things. Sometimes they’re just our subconscious working through our fears or thoughts.”

“I know that,” I say, my voice tight. “But this is different. It’s like,” I pause, struggling to find the right words. “It’s like we’re connected to her somehow. Like we can feel her fear, her pain. It’s not just me, mom. All three of us feel it.”

Mom doesn’t respond right away. She’s quiet, thinking. Her silence makes my stomach twist. What if she doesn’t believe me? What if she thinks I’m just being dramatic?

Finally, she speaks. “Do you think this connection you’re feeling is because of who she is? Or do you think it’s because of who you are?”

I frown, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” she says slowly, “Ash is important to you boys, isn’t she? She’s been a part of your lives for a while now. It’s not unusual for people to form bonds with those they care about deeply. Sometimes those bonds can manifest in strange ways.”

I shake my head. “This isn’t just some ‘deep bond.’ It’s something more. I feel it, mom. And I know Everett and Ethan feel it too.”

She’s watching me closely now, her expression unreadable. Then, out of nowhere, she says, “What if Ash is your mate?”

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I stare at her, my mind scrambling to make sense of what she just said. “What?”

“You heard me,” she says, her voice calm but firm. “What if she’s your mate? Yours and your brothers’ mate.”

“That’s not possible,” I blurt out, though my heart is racing.

“Why not?” She counters, her tone a little challenging. “It’s rare, but not unheard of. Sometimes mates are tied to more than one person. And sometimes, the bond doesn’t manifest fully until certain conditions are met.”

I shake my head again, but doubt is creeping in. “That doesn’t make sense. I don’t feel anything like that for her. She’s just Ash. Just our Ash.”

Mom’s lips quirk into a small smile. “Maybe you don’t feel it yet. Or maybe you’re mistaking what you’re feeling for something else. But if there’s a connection between the three of you and her, this could explain it.”

I slump back into the couch, my mind spinning with unanswered questions. The idea is insane. It’s impossible. But then again, so is everything else that’s been happening. The dreams, the feelings, the way Ash seems to be pulling us toward her even when she’s not here.

Mom leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Think about it, Elias. If Ash is your mate - yours and your brothers’ - it would explain why you’re all so drawn to her. Why are you all having these dreams. Why you feel like you’re connected to her, even when she’s not here.”

Her words hang in the air, heavy and a little scary. I don’t know what to say.

“Just think about it,” she says softly. “That’s all I’m asking.”

I nod, even though my thoughts are a tangled mess. I stand up, muttering a quiet, “Thanks, mom,” before heading for the door. 

As I walk back to Ethan’s room, her words echo in my mind. What if Ash is our mate? I don’t want to believe it. But deep down, I can’t shake the feeling that she might be right.