Chapter 3 I Won't Accept Her

Ansel POV

I walked into the throne room, jaw tight,with my brothers behind me.

The tension was thick between us, but I didn't care. My blood was still boiling.

The doors shut behind us with a thud.

"This has to be some kind of mistake," I muttered, pacing the length of the throne steps.

"The Moon Goddess gave us an omega? She looked like she'd never shifted a day in her life. Hell, she smelled like dirt and tears."

Asher shot me a look. "Don't be cruel, Ansel."

"I'm being honest," I snapped. "Did you see her? She didn't know where she was. She could barely stand up straight, and her aura...there was barely anything there, almost like she was a rogue wolf."

Rowan said nothing, leaning against the stone pillar as usual, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

I turned toward him. "You felt the bond, didn't you?"

He nodded once. "Of course I did."

I raked a hand through my hair. "Then how the hell are we all supposed to share her? The three of us? That's not normal. That's not even remotely sane."

I could already feel the tightening in my chest, the pull like a hook lodged deep inside me. I hated it. I hated her for it.

I slammed my palm against the edge of the throne, jaw clenching. "Well, I don't need a mate. I don't care what you two do with her. But let's not kid ourselves...we can't reject her. We all know the consequences."

Asher's lips thinned. Rowan didn't even look at me.

I continued anyway, needing to say it out loud even if it made me sick.

"Our wolves won't let us stay far from her. Mine's already getting restless... and her scent...fuck." I looked away, disgusted at myself. "Her scent almost brought me to my knees."

There was a beat of silence. No one dared to speak.

"I don't want her. Not as a Luna. Not as a mate. But my wolf..." I let the words drip like poison.

"He wants her. I Need her. So fine. She stays. But as a breeder. She gives us strong pups, and that's all she'll ever be to me...a breeder for my wolf."

Asher stepped forward slowly, and for the first time, I saw anger flicker in his calm eyes.

"You say that again," he said, his voice dangerously soft, "and I'll punch you so hard you'll be coughing up your pride for a week."

"Remember who you're talking to, Asher," I growled, stepping closer.

"We might be triplets, but I'm still the one who leads when Father isn't here. Don't forget that."

He backed off, jaw tight, fists clenched, but he didn't challenge me again. Not this time.

Rowan stood still, eyes cast to the side, as always unreadable. That was the thing about Rowan-he was quiet, but when he did move, it always meant something.

I turned my gaze to both of them. "Either way, the mating must take place tonight. That's the only way to settle the bond before it weakens us. She should be ready by then."

Asher's eyes flared. "You want to force it?"

"She's our mate. The moon bound her to us. I'm not waiting around while she cries in some corner. We take what's ours."

"You mean you take," Asher hissed. "Don't speak for all of us."

I smirked. "You'll feel it too, Asher. Don't pretend you're any different."

Then I turned to leave the room, the weight of my decision settling in my chest like ice.

By evening, my wolf was pacing under my skin like a caged beast.

I'd held back longer than I thought possible.

From the moment she crossed through the trees, standing in front of us, I should've claimed her. Taken her. Buried myself inside her until the bond satisfied the ache.

But I didn't.I was done waiting.

Let them judge me.

They could join if they wanted or stay the hell out of my way. Either way, I wanted her. Now.

But I wouldn't mark her. No. I wasn't that far gone. I wouldn't bond myself to a wolfless omega. She didn't deserve that kind of honor.

Still... the need to mate her pulsed like fire in my blood.

She's ours karl growled louder this time the edges of my vision turned gold as my wolf rose to the surface.

The urge was unbearable.I clenched my fists and stalked through the corridor.

Her scent hit me like a wave. It was wild, fresh, tinged with the faint trace of fear,the smell of tears was gone.

It only made my wolf more eager.

I reached her door, shoving it open with no hesitation.

The door slammed open against the wall.

She jerked up from the bed, eyes wide, lips parted like she was about to scream.

Good.

She should be afraid.

She looked small in the night gown.they gave her, legs bare, hair still slightly damp from her bath. Her scent hit me like a drug.

Her back pressed to the headboard, fingers curling around the sheets. "W-what do you want?" she asked, voice trembling.

"I think you already know," I said, stepping inside, closing the door behind me with a sharp click.

She shook her head, panic rising in her eyes. "Please...don't. I don't want this."

I stalked toward her, slow but sure. "I didn't ask what you wanted."

Just then Asher stepped into the room, his eyes glowing fierce yellow, his wolf pressing hard to the surface. The tension between us was electric.

"I thought you were the gentleman, Asher," I sneered, eyes locked on his shifting form. "Glad you finally showed your true self."

Without another word, I strode toward the bed and grabbed her ankle, pulling her roughly toward me.

Her body tensed, panic flashing in her eyes, but there was a strange, undeniable heat beneath the fear.

She trembled between us, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

She fought her wolf, struggling to resist the force of our commands, but her body betrayed her, responding in ways that left her confused and ashamed.

"Stop," she whispered, voice barely audible, "I don't want this..." she repeated like a broken record.