The Triplet Alphas' Secret Mate-Chapter 9: His Smell On Me

Scarlett’s POV

​"What do I want?" he repeated, his voice dropping into a rough whisper.

"I want you in my room... every night. Once you finish your duties for the day, you come straight to me."

​I shook my head, my eyes blurring with tears. "Please, Leon... let me go."

​"Not yet," he growled.

​He suddenly pulled his hand away, leaving behind an empty, aching sensation that made my stomach twist. Before I could even draw a breath of relief, he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His brown eyes were no longer calculating; they were dark with a raw, animalistic hunger.

​"Don’t test my patience, Scarlett," he murmured. "My room. Every. Night."

​He stepped back, finally giving me space. The sudden lack of his heat made me shiver. He casually began to dress, not at all bothered by his nakedness, while I stood there trembling, my silk dress stained and my underwear ruined.

​"Now run back to Lana," he said flatly, glancing toward the forest. "Before someone notices you’re missing."

​I didn’t wait. I hiked up my dress and bolted, my legs feeling heavy. I could still feel the slickness between my thighs, the phantom sensation of his finger, and the stinging heat on my body.

​I made it back to the edge of the party, gasping for air, trying to smooth my hair and look presentable. But as I stepped into the light, I froze. Standing by the drinks table, looking directly at me with a narrow-eyed gaze, was Liam.

​His nostrils flared. He didn’t say a word, but the way his jaw tightened told me everything. He was an Alpha heir. He could smell the woods, the sweat, and—most importantly—the scent of his brother all over me.

​Panic shot through me like ice water. Liam’s gaze became piercing, stripping away my layers until I felt completely exposed. He started walking toward me, his steps long and angry. I knew that look—it was the look of a predator who had found a scent he didn’t like.

​I couldn’t let him get close. If he smelled Leon on me, he would kill me, or worse, disgrace me in front of the pack. So, without thinking, I turned and bolted, weaving through the crowds of drinking warriors. I could hear his heavy boots hitting the grass behind me, but I didn’t stop.

​"Scarlett! Stop!" he roared, but I didn’t listen.

​I scrambled toward the edge of the lake, my vision blurred by tears of fear. Suddenly, a group of drunken young warriors blocked my path. They were laughing, their faces flushed with ale. Before I could dart around them, one of them reached out and grabbed me by the waist.

​"Where are you going in such a hurry, little rogue?" he jeered.

​"Let go!" I thrashed, my palms slick with sweat as I pushed against his chest. I looked back over my shoulder and realized Liam was getting close.

​"She looks like she needs to cool off!" Another smirk, his fingers digging into my hips with bruising force.

​"No! Please—"

My plea was cut short as they swung me back and then threw me away. I hit the cold lake water with a violent splash. The expensive blue dress immediately became a heavy weight, dragging me down as the icy water filled my nose and ears.

​I scrambled out, gasping for air, my hair plastered to my face and the dress clinging to every curve of my body like a second skin. I looked up, shivering, to see the entire party watching.

​Liam was standing right at the water’s edge. His face was a mask of pure rage. He didn’t wait for me to recover; he reached down, fisted his hand in the fabric of my sleeve, and hauled me out of the mud.

​He dragged me away from the crowd, his grip bruising my arm. I looked back, desperate to find Lana, but she was nowhere in sight. Instead, I saw Leon standing near the oak trees. He looked furious—not at the boys who threw me in, but at the way Liam was touching me.

​Liam didn’t stop until he shoved me behind the cover of the back tent, where the music was muffled and no one was in sight. He didn’t speak. He stepped into my space, his chest heaving, and leaned down. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart hammering.

​The lake water had been a blessing. It had washed away the physical slickness and the pungent musk of Leon’s arousal, leaving only the cold smell of water. Liam pulled back, his eyes flashing with annoyance.

​"Why," he hissed, his voice trembling with a restrained growl, "did you smell of my brother and sex before you hit that water?"

​My breath hitched. I forced my face to go blank, even though my insides were shaking.

​"I... I don’t know what you’re talking about, Alpha," I whispered, my body trembling from the cold..

​Liam’s hand shot out, pinning me against the canvas of the tent. He leaned in until our noses touched, his scent of winter frost and cedar wrapping around me like a cage.

​"Don’t lie to me, Scarlett," he snarled, his eyes scanning my face for any hint of the truth. "The wind carried it. Leon’s scent was practically screaming off your skin. Did he touch you? Did you let him touch you?"

​I looked away, my heart aching. Why was he acting this possessive? Why was he acting with such a strange, jealous rage? He hates me, so why should he care if his brother touched me?

​"He didn’t do anything," I lied, my voice cracking. "Maybe he was just nearby. We all share the same woods, don’t we?"

​Liam’s jaw tightened so hard I thought it might snap. He reached out, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw, his touch surprisingly soft despite the fury in his eyes.

​"If I find out he laid a hand on you," he whispered, his voice dark and possessive, "I’ll make him regret ever sharing a womb with me. And if I find out you’re lying, you’ll regret not dying that day with your parents," he spat.

​My heart sank. Why must he remind me of my greatest pain?

​"I hate you, Liam..." I sobbed out.

​"You hate me?" he whispered, his voice a low, angry vibration that sent a traitorous shiver down my spine. "Good. Hate me, Scarlett, because I do the same."

​He reached out, his hand threading into my wet hair, tilting my head back so I was forced to meet his gaze. His thumb brushed over my lower lip, dragging against the skin until it stung.

​My heart raced. "Liam..."

​Before I could complete my sentence, his mouth crashed onto mine, stealing the breath straight from my lungs.