Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 264

Everett pov

Mate. The word feels foreign as it sinks in. It doesn’t belong in this world. Especially not in mine. 

I can’t stop staring at the wall across from me, my mind a mess of confusion. I know my brothers are still in the room, even though I managed to zone out for a long while.

Elias, probably leaning against the door frame or wall is watching me and Ethan with that intense gaze of his. Ethan, well, I can already feel the heat of his anger radiating through the house. Neither of them is taking this well. Neither of them is acting normal, but then again, neither am I. 

Why does it feel like everything inside me is just... off? It’s like something important has been taken, or maybe I’ve lost it, and I can’t find the pieces. 

My breath hitches, and I close my eyes. 

I hear Elias start pacing the room, muttering under his breath, his voice low and tight. Ethan’s footsteps are heavy and erratic, he too, decided to start burning holes in the floor again. 

Both of them are trying to figure out what our mother’s sudden, crazy idea means. Trying, but failing. So am I. 

I don’t even know what to think anymore. 

Everything about Ash has always felt... strange. There was a pull I couldn’t understand. Ethan felt it first, I’m sure of it. He stuck to her as a glue even before we knew Ash is a girl.

Then, there’s the way I always watched her, mostly from afar at first. Even when we first met, I managed to notice every little thing and detail about her. 

And now, her absence has left a hollow space inside me, which only fuels the crazy assumption mom shared with Elias.

This changes everything.

I think about the last time I saw Ash and how soon after, she slipped away from us, right between our fingers. 

I can feel the anxiety building up inside me. Elias has been more emotional than I’ve ever seen him. Ethan, on the other hand, is losing himself to anger and frustration, and his unique kind of crazy, of course. 

I can’t say I’m handling it much better. I feel like I’m losing control of something and everything at the same time. 

I didn’t even realize how badly I needed Ash until she was gone, slipping out of reach.

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I can’t stay here. I can’t stay in this house with the tension hanging thick in the air, with the echoes of Elias’ words still circling in my head.

“I need some air,” I mutter under my breath, the words sound empty even to me. I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince. My brothers, or myself.

I don’t wait for them to respond. I leave the house, stepping out into the cool air. 

The garden is quiet, the only sound is the rustling of the leaves in the breeze. It’s peaceful here, unlike inside. 

I walk without thinking, moving towards the flower garden, the soft scent of jasmine and rose filling the air. I let the peace and quiet wash over me, but it doesn’t bring the relief I was hoping for. 

I hear a soft voice before I even see her. “Everett.” 

I stop in my tracks, heart skipping a beat. There she is, sitting in the sun, a book in her hands. My mother. She’s always been a calming presence, even when she says things that unsettle me. 

She lowers the book and smiles softly at me. “You came out here for air, I suppose?” Her voice is gentle, full of understanding, like she knew one of us would come here and find her. 

I don’t answer right away. Instead, I walk toward her slowly, my mind still spinning. She doesn’t press me, just waits. 

When I reach her, I sit down beside her on the bench. She stays completely silent for a moment, just watches me with a steady gaze.

I don’t want to talk about Ash. I don’t want to admit what I’m starting to feel more than I should. But there’s no avoiding it, is there?

“You’re thinking about Ash,” she mutters, her tone a little accusatory, like she’s reading my mind. “About what I said.”

I exhale sharply. “Yeah. I’m thinking about it.” 

“I know it’s a lot to take in. But, Everett,” she pauses, her eyes softening, “I’m telling you the truth. I don’t make many mistakes in my observations, you know that. I also don’t have a habit of sharing my thoughts unless I’m certain they hold any truth to them. And I truly believe that Ash might be your mate.”

My stomach tightens. I’ve never been good with this kind of thing, never been able to wrap my head around the whole idea of mates fully. 

The idea that someone is supposed to be, for all intents and purposes, your other half. The one person who completes you. I used to think it was just a romantic ideal, something for other people, not for someone like me.

But Ash? 

The sinking feeling in my chest only grows. Ash has always been... different. I can’t pretend I didn’t feel it. The pull. The way she somehow fit into every part of my life, even when I didn’t want her to. Even when I tried to keep my distance. 

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” I ask, my voice almost a whisper. 

She doesn’t flinch. “I’ve been waiting for you to figure it out on your own. I knew you would eventually. You’re not blind, Everett. You all knew Ash was important. But the idea of a mate, well, that’s a lot to accept. Even for me.”

I glance down at my hands, feeling the weight of her words sink in deeper. I feel lost. 

“I just don’t get it,” I admit, the words spillbout before I can stop them. “Why did she have to go and meet that asshole, knowing full well that it wasn’t safe? Why didn’t she stay with us and let us protect her then? Didn’t she trust us? Didn’t she-” I trail off, the question hanging in the air. Why didn’t Ash think we could protect her from harm? 

She sighs, placing her hands in her lap. “Ash didn’t leave, Everett. She was tricked into leaving, she wanted to help a friend in distress. You know that.” 

“I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” I whisper, feeling my voice crack just a little. “I don’t know if I can be the person Ash needs me to be. If I’m even good enough.”

My mother’s expression softens, and she reaches over to place a hand on my shoulder. Her touch is warm, as always. “You’re more than good enough, Everett. You always have been. Just don’t give up on yourself, or on Ash. If you don’t, you’ll see. You’ll see that everything will fall into place.” 

Her words are gentle, like a quiet promise that I’m not sure I can believe in yet. 

I want to believe her. I want to trust that everything will somehow be okay. But right now, it feels like I’m standing at the edge of a cliff, with no idea if I’m supposed to jump or stay put.

“I don’t know how to fix this,” I admit, my voice barely audible.

“You don’t have to fix anything, Everett,” she says softly. “You just have to be there. For yourself. For Ash. For all of you.”

Maybe, she’s right. Maybe I really don’t have to fix anything and let time work in my favor. All I know for a fact is that we need to find Ash before she gets herself in trouble no one can save her from.