The Triplet Alphas' Secret Mate-Chapter 51: I Don’t Hate You
Scarlett’s POV
The packhouse was buzzing with activity. Maids, servants, and staff moved around quickly, preparing for the coronation happening tomorrow morning. From the balcony, I watched them rush back and forth, arranging everything. Tomorrow... The triplets would officially become Alphas.
A small, bittersweet smile touched my lips.
We used to dream about this day.
Not just them... me too.
I remembered how they used to argue about which of them I would end up with—who I would choose, who I would belong to. I even joked once that they could share me.
But they all refused.
Strongly.
They could never accept it.
I didn’t mind sharing them... but they never wanted that.
Not even once.
A soft sigh left my lips. Those were the good old days... Before everything became complicated... before I became nothing.
The room suddenly felt too small. Too heavy. I couldn’t breathe.
So I decided to take a walk just for a little while. Everyone was busy anyway. No one would notice.
I moved downstairs quietly. The hallway was filled with movement, but no one looked at me.
I slipped outside and headed toward the garden. The cool night air brushed against my skin, calming me.
For the first time all day...
I could breathe.
I folded my arms across my chest, my gaze drifting over the blooming flowers. This garden had been built specifically for our late Luna; I knew it was her favorite place in the entire territory. A sharp pang of grief hit me. I missed her so much. If she were still here, maybe I wouldn’t feel like an outsider here.
The sudden snap of a twig broke the silence. My wolf, Zoe, suddenly stood on edge, a low snarl vibrating deep in my subconscious. She didn’t like this presence. Not at all.
I spun around, my heart leaping into my throat.
Standing a few feet away was Alpha Levi.
I swallowed hard, my breath hitching as I instinctively took a step back. Since Ethan brought me back to the packhouse, I hadn’t been alone with him.
He must have seen the fear on my face because he let out a dry, humorless chuckle.
"You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Scarlett," he said dryly.
"Alpha," I managed to whisper, dropping my head. I kept my eyes on his polished boots, trying to make myself as small as possible.
An awkward silence hung in the air before he finally spoke.
"I believe you know that I don’t hate you."
I managed to find my voice, though it felt thin and fragile. "I know, Alpha," I whispered.
Despite the irony of the situation, it was actually true. In the two years since my life had fallen apart, the Alphas—Lennox and Levi—never truly went out of their way to hurt me. They never sought me out for punishment, and they never raised a hand on me.
In fact, they had simply ignored my existence. To them, I was like a piece of furniture that had been moved to the basement—out of sight and out of mind. I knew they didn’t hate me because there were so many ways they could have made my life a living hell if they wanted to, but they never did. Their neglect felt like a strange kind of mercy.
"Your father was my closest friend," Levi said, his voice softening just a little as he looked out at the flowers. "And your mother... she was like a sister to the late Luna. What happened to you didn’t bring me joy."
I stayed silent, my fingers digging into my arms. If it didn’t bring him joy, why let it happen? Why let the pack treat me like an outcast?
"But tomorrow," he continued, his tone turning sharp and cold again, "my sons take the mantle. They are the future of this pack. And as a father, I have to ensure that future is stable. Secure."
He stepped closer, and for the first time, I forced myself to look up. His eyes weren’t filled with hate, but they were filled with a cold, hard logic that was much scarier.
"Ethan is a powerful man. He will offer you a fresh start where no one knows you," he said. "For the sake of the boys, and for your own sake... take that chance. Be with him."
It was a warning wrapped in a piece of advice. Obviously he didn’t want me ending up with any of his sons...
I swallowed hard and nodded. My throat felt tight, but I couldn’t let him leave without asking the one question that had been eating at me for two years. He turned to walk away, but I spoke up before I could lose my nerve.
"Why didn’t you give them a trial?"
He stopped in his tracks. He didn’t have to ask who I meant. He knew I was talking about my parents. They were killed instantly, labeled as traitors without a single chance to defend themselves. No evidence shown, no trial held. Just a swift, brutal execution.
He didn’t turn back to look at me. He just stood there, his back stiff.
"When everything is over," he said quietly, "I hope you can forgive us... and your parents too."
My brow furrowed in deep confusion. What did he mean by that? Forgive them for what? Before I could ask him to explain, he walked away.
I was still standing there, trying to make sense of his words, when I saw Alpha Ethan approaching from the other side of the garden. He was frowning as he watched Alpha Levi leave. He walked up to me, his gray eyes scanning my face with concern.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
I couldn’t even respond. My mind was still spinning from what Levi had said. Forgive my parents? Forgive them? What does he mean?
Ethan came closer, stepping into my personal space, and a scent drifted from him to my nose. It wasn’t his usual smell of cedar and rain. Mixed in with his power was the unmistakable scent of a female. It was sweet, floral, and definitely didn’t belong to him.
I raised a brow at him, my heart sinking for a reason I couldn’t explain. Then I saw it. There was a smear of red lipstick on his lips. He must have tried to wipe it off quickly, but he had missed a spot. It was still right there, on his lips.
I didn’t know why, but I felt a strange, sharp wave of jealousy wash over me.
I didn’t know why, but my heart dropped.
A strange, painful feeling spread through my chest, tight, and suffocating.
I swallowed hard. I thought he wanted me. I thought he was interested in me.
"Alpha Ethan," I said, my voice trembling despite my effort to stay composed. "Were you with a woman?"
For a moment, he just stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then he exhaled slowly.
"Yes," he said.
