Fated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 82: Big Sister

**************

Chapter 82

~Drake’s POV~

The house had never felt this quiet before.

Normally the silence of my room felt like a luxury after a long day, a place where I could stretch out on my bed, scroll through messages, or sink into music while ignoring the rest of the world.

Today, however, felt like a storm brewing inside my mind.

I lay flat on my bed, staring up at the ceiling while replaying the scene from the restaurant for what felt like the hundredth time.

Her eyes. Her scent.

The moment our bodies collided and the bond snapped into place so violently it had nearly knocked the breath out of me.

Mate.

Even thinking about the word made something tighten in my chest.

My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, the agitation rolling through me in waves that made it impossible to relax.

Inside my mind, Drew finally spoke again, "How sure are we that she isn’t mated to so many more?"

A slow breath left my lungs as I rubbed my hand over my face.

"Drew, I know you’re hurt," I muttered quietly, "but I doubt that."

"Doubt?" Drew scoffed immediately. "Drake, you are her second mate. That already says a lot."

I groaned under my breath and pushed myself upright, swinging my legs over the side of the bed before leaning forward with my elbows resting on my knees.

"No," I argued stubbornly. "What if her previous mate is dead?"

Drew snorted so loudly inside my head that it almost made me wince. "Yeah right. And the mark didn’t disappear?" he shot back dryly. "If that were the case, then who exactly were you smelling on her?"

The words hit harder than I wanted to admit. My jaw tightened as I stared at the floor.

"You’re right," I admitted reluctantly, frustration crawling up my spine. "But that doesn’t change the fact that she slapped me. I found my mate and she slapped me."

Drew rolled his eyes dramatically in my mind. "No," he corrected lazily. "She slapped a guy who acted like a pervert."

My head snapped up instantly. "You’re one to talk," I fired back out loud. "You were just as angry as I was when we saw that mark."

"True," Drew agreed without hesitation. "But you were the genius who decided grabbing her shirt in the middle of a restaurant was the smartest approach. And here I thought you were teh smart one."

I opened my mouth to argue, then stopped.

Fine.

Maybe that part hadn’t been my best moment. Still, the memory of the mark burned in my mind like a brand. Someone else had gotten to her first.

The thought made something dark twist inside my chest. Just as I was about to respond again, a knock sounded against my bedroom door.

I looked up, surprised as the door opened a moment later and my older sister leaned casually against the frame.

Diana.

Her sharp eyes scanned the room before settling on me, and a playful smile spread across her lips. "Well," she said slowly, crossing her arms. "You look like absolute shit."

Despite everything swirling inside my head, a small laugh escaped me.

"Thanks," I muttered dryly.

Diana stepped into the room, her strawberry-blonde hair catching the light as she moved. The new color stood out against her milky skin, though the familiar blue eyes we shared were still unmistakable.

I tilted my head slightly. "So you finally changed it," I said, gesturing toward her hair. "Strawberry blonde now?"

She flipped a strand over her shoulder with a satisfied smirk.

"Yes," she replied. "I got a little tired of the whole black-platinum family aesthetic. Someone in this house needed variety."

"That someone being the resident hacker genius with too much free time?" I teased.

"Exactly," she replied without missing a beat. Then her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied my expression more carefully. "So," she said slowly, "what happened?"

I leaned back against my pillows and sighed heavily. "I don’t even know where to start," I admitted.

Before I could continue, Diana suddenly paused mid-step. Her nose twitched. Then like an enchanted fish, she smiled.

"Oh," she said with immediate interest. "Now that is interesting."

The way her eyes lit up like a scientist who just made a huge discovery sent goosebumps down my skin and made me frown. "What?"

She stepped closer and inhaled again. "You smell like a girl," she announced with a grin. "Girl trouble, little brother?"

A groan escaped my throat as I dragged a hand down my face. I hated how accurate she got at these things. Her senses were sharper than most, including mine, in some areas, and her skills were just top notch natural.

"You could say that."

Her grin widened. "What happened?"

I hesitated for a second before answering honestly. "She slapped me," I admitted, then glanced at her for some reaction but when I find her smiling still, I continued. "Then she ran away."

Diana blinked once. Then out of nowhere, she burst into laughter.

"Oh this is rich," she said between breaths.

"Diana, not now. This is serious. Infact, I shouldn’t have..."

"Tell me," she cut me off, "...what exactly did the magnificent, perfect child Drake do this time?"

Before I could defend myself, a voice echoed from downstairs. "Kids! I’m home!"

Diana glanced toward the door. "Well," she said, pushing off the bed. "Looks like Mom’s back."

She paused halfway to the exit and looked back at me thoughtfully. "So tell me something," she continued. "What exactly are you planning to do when you find this mysterious girl?"

I shrugged lightly. "Nothing dramatic," I said. "I just need to talk to her. Ask why she reacted like that."

Drew snorted quietly in my mind, clearly not believing that for a second. "You want your mate. Say it. Maybe then Diana will help us find her."

"No. Not now. I must find these other mate or mates before anyone else knows."

"Why? Because of him?" Drew questioned but Drake blocked him off.

"And?" Diana prompted, studying me.

A small smile tugged at my lips despite everything. "And maybe befriend that beauty," I added.

Diana studied my face for a moment longer before a knowing smile spread across her lips. "Well, well," she murmured. "Looks like my little brother is in love."

"I didn’t say that."

"You didn’t have to." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and waved it casually. "Send me whatever details you have," she said confidently. "Location, description, anything. If she’s anywhere in this city, I’ll find her."

Relief washed through me immediately. "Thanks, sis."

She nodded toward the bathroom.

"You should probably shower before coming downstairs. The last thing you need is Mom smelling a mystery girl on you and launching an interrogation."

I groaned. "Good point."

Diana flashed me one last grin before stepping out of the room.

The door clicked shut behind her. For a moment I simply stood there, staring at the empty doorway while the reality of everything slowly settled in.

I had found my mate. Even if the situation was far more complicated than I had expected. I walked over and closed the door properly before turning toward the bathroom.

Inside my mind, Drew stretched lazily.

"Well," he said with satisfaction, "looks like we’ll be meeting our mate again soon."

I allowed a small smile to form as I headed for the shower.

"Yeah," I murmured under my breath. "Looks like we will."