LAYLA'S POV
I'm doing everything I can to avoid the triplets since the full moon. I keep my head low, eyes down, and take every back hallway and corridor I can find just to escape their gaze, their scent, their... pull.
But it's useless.
Because even in the silence of my room, even in the quiet moments when I should be at peace, I still feel them. I feel their touch. I remember every single moment in the forest. The way Kaiden's cock felt in my mouth. The way Killian eats me out. And the way Kieran fucks my mouth like he can't get enough.
Their wolves barely hold back that night.
And mine?
Mine begs me to give in.
It terrifies me. I crave them. All three of them. Their scent haunts me. Their voices echo in my head. And their touch... I still feel it ghosting along my skin. But that's what scares me the most.
Because I want more.
And I shouldn't.
I know better. I tell myself that a thousand times, but my body—my wolf—doesn't seem to care. It remembers every kiss, every touch, every growl of possessiveness that makes my heart race. So now, I hide. I work longer hours. I avoid the eastern wing. I skip serving dinner in the main hall if I know they're around.
But fate has its own cruel sense of humor.
Today, I'm in the kitchen chopping vegetables alongside Janet. Janet, sweet and bubbly as ever, is humming some tune about love or heartbreak—who knows with her—but her presence calms me.
That is, until she walks in.
Kate.
If venom has a smile, it's hers.
"Well, well, look who finally decided to show up early for once," Kate says. Her words are laced with fake sweetness.
I don't respond. I just keep cutting the carrots into even pieces, focusing on my task.
But Kate isn't done.
With a loud clatter, she knocks over a bowl of freshly chopped onions—my bowl—and watches it spill onto the floor like she just tripped by accident.
"Oh no!" she gasps dramatically. "Layla, you should be more careful!"
Janet's eyes go wide. "That wasn't Layla's fault—"
"Silence, both of you!" the head cook barks from the far end of the kitchen. She storms over, eyes narrowed.
Kate puts on her best innocent face. "I just wanted to help, but Layla bumped me and—"
"That's enough," the head cook snaps. She turns to me. "Clean this mess up. And once you're done, scrub the pantry floors. All of them. With your hands. That's your punishment. Since you can't do anything right."
"But—" Janet starts again, stepping forward.
"No 'but's! You can clean it together if you want."
Janet groans, but I place a hand on her wrist and give her a small smile.
"It's fine," I say softly.
Inside, it's not fine. I'm tired. Of being blamed. Of being picked on. Of feeling like I don't belong here. Some days, it feels like I'm suffocating in a world that doesn't want me in it.
"I'm sorry," Janet says softly as I kneel down to pick up the mess.
"I'm used to it," I reply. And that's the saddest part.
But before I can get started, a guard steps into the kitchen. His gaze scans the room until it lands on me.
"Layla," he says.
I stand, brushing my hands on my apron. "Yes?"
"The Alphas want to see you. Now."
I blink. "W-What?"
That has to be a mistake. The triplets? Asking for me?
"What did you do this time?" Janet teases, trying to lighten the mood. "Or maybe they want some alone time with you."
I give her a weak smile and follow the guard. My heart pounds harder with every step. My palms are sweaty. I rub them against my skirt. What could they possibly want with me?
The guard leads me to a set of double doors I have never passed through before. The triplets' private study.
My breath catches in my throat.
The doors open, and there they are.
Kaiden, standing tall and intimidating with his arms crossed. The dominant aura around him is almost suffocating. Killian is seated in a chair like a king in his throne, sipping from a glass of dark red wine with that arrogant smirk that always makes me want to slap him or kiss him. And Kieran… standing by the window, staring out at something far away. His profile is sharp. Beautiful. Cold.
My wolf whimpers softly.
She wants them.
I bow my head, trying to keep my breathing steady. "Good day, Alphas. You summoned me?"
Kaiden's voice is the first to speak. "You're to appear before the Elders' Council in a few hours."
My head shoots up in shock. "What? Why?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Killian says, taking another sip of his wine.
"That's not an answer," I whisper.
He grins. "You don't need one. Yet."
I clench my fists. I hate how smug he always is. But I don't say anything. My eyes drift to Kieran again.
He's still silent and his gaze is distant.
I wonder what he's thinking.
He turns suddenly, and our eyes meet.
And everything else fades.
My heart skips a beat. He looks at me, not through me, not around me, but at me. Like he sees everything I try so hard to hide.
I smile softly, and to my utter surprise, he smiles back.
It's barely there, just a small curve of his lips. But it's real.
My cheeks burn. I drop my gaze quickly.
"Maids will help you get ready," Kaiden says. "You need to be presentable."
I nod. "Yes, Alpha."
I turn to leave. My heart is still fluttering, when Killian chuckles behind me. "Try not to embarrass us. Or trip over your own feet, little maid."
The words sting. More than I expect.
I pause, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"That's enough," Kieran says sharply.
The room goes silent.
"What?" Killian scoffs. "It's a joke—"
"Don't talk about her like that again." Kieran's voice is hard. Firm. Protective.
Killian raises an eyebrow. "Since when do you care—?"
"I said don't." Kieran's tone makes the air in the room drop ten degrees.
Kaiden sighs, stepping between them. "Enough. Both of you."
The tension crackles like electricity.
I turn toward Kieran. Our eyes meet one last time.
Thank you, I mouth.
He doesn't respond. But I see the flicker in his eyes.
I leave the study with my heart racing and my steps lighter.
Kieran defends me. Again.
This isn't the first time he stands up for me. It won't be the last.
For the first time in a long time, I smile for real.
Maybe… just maybe… fate isn't done with me yet.