Mated to the forbidden three: A triplet mate bond

Isabella's POV

The full moon was just three days away and I was so excited. I couldn't keep still as I kept fantasizing about what came with the full moon.

Three days from now was my mating ceremony, the one I had waited for and dreamt about since I was still a kid. I had always talked about it being a fairytale and the moon goddess being so benevolent had granted me that wish.

The moment my wolf had sensed Alpha Cain as my mate six months ago, it was as if my world had finally aligned. He was strong, powerful, and admired by the entire Blood moon Pack.

And now, he was mine.

After taking one last look at my reflection in the mirror, I turned around to leave. Dressed in a soft lavender I headed for the pack house. I was going to spend the night with Alpha Cain.

On arrival, I stood outside the pack house for a while as my heart pounded with excitement. In a few days, this was going to be my new home and I was looking forward to it.

Grabbing the small picnic basket in my hands which was a homemade surprise dinner for Cain, my lips curled into a bright smile.

Meeting with him had always been a hassle because he was laden with pack duties and so he barely had enough time to spend with me, but today, it was going to be different.

Tonight was all about us and I was going to relish every single moment of it. This was going to be the last meeting before we will be mated officially.

The guards didn't stop me and since I knew my way around the pack house, I pushed the front door of his chamber open. It was unlocked as always so I made my way in, careful not to make any sound.

I wanted to surprise him.

But tonight, the surprise wasn't mine to give.

It was mine to receive.

The scent hit me before anything else; it was the unmistakable scent of two wolves in heat.

My wolf whimpered in the back of her mind as I tiptoed towards his bedroom. My instinct asked me to stop, to turn around and leave but my curiosity pushed me forward.

And then I saw them.

Cain, my mate, Alpha of Black Moon Pack and Sienna, my best friend.

Sienna was straddled on top of him, their bodies tangled as his hands grabbed her waist as if she belonged to him. Her moans filled the room; they were echoing, haunting, unforgettable.

Against my wish, I let out a loud howl as my heart clenched tightly against my chest.

At that instant, Cain's head snapped toward the door, horror washing over his face while Sienna gasped, scrambling off him and trying to cover herself, guilt flashing in her eyes.

"Isabella... wait... it's not what you think." Cain ratted out. He was breathless, his hair tousled and his lips still wet from their intense kiss.

Fueled with anger, I wanted to yell my lungs out again but instead, I laughed.

"Not what I think?" I huffed, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Cain, you cheated with my best friend, you couldn't even wait a few more days?"

Sienna rushed toward me, trying to grab my hand but I veered backwards, "Bella, please... listen..."

"Don't," I yelled, glaring murderously at her. My hands had begun to tremble now so the basket I was holding fell to the ground. The bottle of wine I had intended to share with him shattered, red liquid spilling across the marble floor like blood.

"Don't come any closer, else I wouldn't hesitate to end you right here." I yelled, my chest rising and falling in rhythm.

"The bond... it doesn't change what I feel for you." Cain sauntered, sounding desperate.

"But it does for me," I whispered as my voice and lips trembled.

Mustering courage, I forced myself to look back at him in his eyes and with a firm and unwavering voice, said, "I, Isabella Leigh, reject you, Alpha Cain, as my mate."

"Bella..." They yelled in unison and immediately, the bond snapped violently in my chest as my wolf howled in pain.

"I swear I don't know what came over me..." I didn't wait to hear anymore excuses. I turned around to leave, running as fast as my legs could carry me.

Now in the woods, I fell on my knees, tears streaming down my eyes with no restriction. This wasn't what I had imagined; it wasn't supposed to be like this.

I was supposed to be marked soon.

Claimed by Alpha Cain and then assumed my position as the Luna of the Pack.

Instead, things spiraled out of control and I rejected my mate.

When I finally got home, I was greeted with an entirely different sight that made me raise my brow in confusion. Walking further into the room, I called, "Mom?" my voice was. "What's going on?" I asked, alternating my gaze from her to the box she was packing.

Startled, mother swirled around to face me, "Isabella, sweetheart. I thought you were staying at Cain's tonight..."

The name twisted in my chest like a blade.

"I'm moving," She said, seeing the expression on my face as she zipped up the suitcase she was handling. "My mate, he's ready to have us now."

After several years of being without a mate, the moon goddess out of her benevolence gave mother a second chance mate; the Alpha of the Moon Crest Pack.

They had met during a function a few months ago and now they were ready to live together as mates.

"I thought I would give you some time with Cain before we leave, but..." She narrowed her eyes like she had just remembered something.

"Did something happen?" She asked, peering into my eyes.

I didn't respond at once.

My lips parted, but no words came out, I didn't want to talk about it, not now.

"I'll come with you." I said, evading her question.

"Are you sure?" Mother asked, blinking her eyes while I nodded in confirmation.

"There's nothing for me here anymore." I shrugged only to end up telling her everything that had happened.

Instead of brooding, I joined in packing our bags, the weight of what I had done, rejecting Cain, rejecting the bond pressing down on my chest, but I didn't regret it.

I couldn't regret it.

By dawn, a black SUV pulled up in front of the house.

At first I thought it was Alpha Cain who had come to create a scene but instead a tall figure stepped out of the car. From my discretion, the boy was no older than twenty-one.

He looked like the kind that turned heads effortlessly. He was dressed in black jeans and a leather jacket. He moved with a quiet and dangerous confidence that couldn't be ignored.

"That's Darcy, my mate's son." Mother said from behind me. "He's here to take us to the Moon Crest Pack."

"I see." I spewed the first thing that came to mind.

I grabbed my bag, and with my mother right behind me, I stepped out to meet with him but the second I locked eyes with him, everything changed.

My breath hitched against my throat as the mate bond snapped in place.

Again.

No.

Not again.

It's too soon.

This can't be real.

Darcy's lips parted slightly, as if he felt it too. His eyes, bright amber like, stared at me in silent recognition.

But then, his expression switched, guarded and unreadable.

My pulse thundered in my ears as my wolf whimpered in confusion.

"No," I whispered under my breath.

"Not again..."

Isabella's POV

Right from a tender age, I had a knack for acting like nothing happened and so it was easy for me to maneuver through this but still I was worried.

Was I thinking things?

Is it really the mate bond?

I had a lot of questions to ask but there was no one to answer them apart from the moon goddess.

"I will help you." Darcy offered, snapping me from my revive.

"I'm fine." I flashed him a smile instead. I didn't want to get involved just yet as this felt so surreal to me.

"I'm Darcy Slade." He introduced, "It's nice meeting you in person Isabella." He smacked his lips while I just nodded.

I wanted to yell at myself for acting clumsy, instead I facepalmed myself, biting the side of my cheek.

The journey to the Moon Crest Pack was long, silent, and unsettling. I sat in the back seat next to my mother, clutching my backpack like a life jacket.

At intervals, mother would cast me a glance in concern but she said no words. She must have attributed this to my action in rejecting Cain but it was something else.

I was mated to my step brother just after rejecting my fated mate.

Since Darcy climbed behind the steering wheel, he hasn't said a word but I could feel his eyes on me through the rear mirror.

His scent which filled the car clouded my mind, placing me on the edge.

Each time I lifted my head and locked gaze with him through the rear mirror, my stomach flipped.

Not again. - I repeated this to myself several times.

No matter how much I tried, I just couldn't accept this new discovery.

The Moon Goddess can't be this cruel.

After what happened with Cain, after what I had done; no way.

I don't deserve this.

I don't deserve another bond.

I don't deserve another mate.

But my wolf disagreed.

Each time Darcy looks my way, it howled. It was thrilled and yearning for a connection.

Finally, the car engine died and for the first time, I poked my head out of the window. We had just arrived at the Moon Crest Pack House.

I allowed my eyes to run all over the looming mansion that looked like a fortress. It was modern but it was a sharp contrast to that in Blood Moon Pack.

Tall trees surrounded the estate, and guards were flanked on both sides of the wrought-iron gates that parted for us on arrival.

"Hey, I will help you." Darcy spoke, extending his hand to me as he yanked the door open.

Reluctantly, I received his hand and almost immediately, the bond snapped again.

This time it was harder and fierce than the last time.

I felt it ripple through me, clearer than before, louder than before. It was now clear that this wasn't just a trick of my mind.

It was the handiwork of the Moon Goddess.

Mate.

My body stiffened as my breath caught in my throat. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to silence the urge to bond.

This can't be happening.

No.

"Thank you." I pulled away from Darcy the moment I stepped down, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

Trailing behind mother and Darcy, I fed my eyes with the beautiful sight of my new home and at the same time, tried to ignore the tug.

"Honey, I will leave you with Darcy." My mother broke the silence and immediately, my eyes grew wide.

"Are you alright?" She asked, rubbing my shoulder tenderly.

"Yeah, just that I was startled." I laughed awkwardly, watching the smile on her lips getting broad.

While mother disappeared to the west wing of the pack house, Darcy led me to the main building.

The moment we stepped in, the sound of approaching footsteps climbing down the spiral staircase filtered into my ear and immediately, I snapped my head upwards.

One of the boys exuded an icy aura. He was tall, broad shoulders and had steely gray eyes that screamed danger. His shirt clung to his body like it was a part of his skin and his dark hair was tousled.

The other had a more approachable aura. He had lighter features and an easy smile. His golden hair and warm hazel gaze was a sharp contrast to his brother's demeanor.

They stopped halfway down the stairs as I locked gaze with the first.

Time came to a halt.

Snap.

Again.

No.

Not possible.

My wolf let out a cry of recognition.

Another mate?

The bond pulsed underneath my skin. It was fierce and undeniable.

My heart slammed against my chest furiously as my eyes drifted to the third figure, the one with the golden smile.

And as soon as our eyes met, the bond snapped into place.

My knees nearly buckled.

Three mates!

My breath caught in my throat as the realization struck like lightning: I was mated to all three of them.

"Darcy..." The icy one growled, making me flinch slightly. "What the hell is this?"

"Meet Isabella, our new stepsister." Darcy said with a mild tone.

"Is that why the bond snapped?" The golden-haired one muttered under his breath, staring at me like I was a ghost.

The tension in the air became suffocating.

I shook my head slowly as my lips trembled.

"This... this is a mistake. It can't be. I already rejected a mate. This isn't supposed to happen again... let alone with three of you." I ratted out.

The icy one practically flew the remaining stairs and the next second, he was standing right in front of me.

"You're joking," He snarled, voice low and dangerous. "You're the girl from Ridgecrest High? Isabella Leigh?"

"You know me?" I asked, blinking rapidly as my heart thumped against my chest in fury.

"We went to high school together, dumbass," he spat. "You beat me in every competition. Every class. You were the thorn in my side for two years."

Trenton Slade. - The name hit me like a bolt.

I remembered him now. He was always arrogant and competitive. And angry that I came first in everything.

And now... he is my mate?

"No," He yelled, shaking his head. "Hell no. I don't care what the Moon Goddess wants. I'm not doing this. I'll reject you. I swear to the Goddess, I will."

"Trent, calm down," Darcy muttered, stepping between them.

"I am calm," Trenton snapped. "But she's not going to play the poor rejected girl here and mess up everything. I'll reject her the moment father finishes the paperwork and this mess is done."

I turned my back on him before he could see the crack forming in my composure. His words shouldn't hurt, but they did. I didn't want the mate bond either but at the same time, I don't deserve to be hated for something I didn't choose.

The golden-haired one, Oliver, if I remembered correctly stepped forward. He looked more curious than hostile.

"You felt it too, didn't you?" He asked gently.

"All three times." I nodded slowly, hands folded in front of me.

"We need to talk about this." Darcy said with a low sigh.

"No, we don't." Trenton cut in coldly. "There's nothing to talk about."

With that, he turned around and disappeared down the hall, his footsteps heavy like someone going to a battled

I just stood there, numbed to my brain.

Three mates.

Three stepbrothers.

I wanted to scream my lungs out but instead, I ran up the stairs, choosing the first guest room and locking myself inside.

Trenton's POV

The moment I felt the snap, I wanted to tear something apart.

The bond, the unmistakable surge of heat that rolled through my chest, down my arms and into my very soul. It felt like wildfire under my skin, like chains wrapping around my bones and it had a name.

Isabella.

Freaking Isabella Leigh.

Of all the women in the world, the Moon Goddess had the audacity to mate her to me?

After storming out of the living room, I headed straight for my room, slamming the door shut as the whole building shook in a protest.

Biting my fingers, I began to pace back and forth like a caged wild beast waiting to be released.

My wolf howled inside me, pacing about like me but for entirely different reasons.

My wolf wanted her. He wanted to claim her, to protect her, to bury his nose in her scent and never let her out of sight.

But me? I wanted her gone.

"Unbelievable," I muttered, pushing my hand through my hair.

I couldn't even look at Darcy or Oliver without my blood boiling. That was why I left before I did something I would regret.

Why weren't they losing their minds just like me? Didn't they realize how messed up this was?

Our mate wasn't just any girl.

She was Isabella Leigh, the same annoying know it all who humiliated me in college. She had beaten me in every academic competition, scored higher on every test, and even won the Alpha's Future Leaders Award, the one that should have been mine.

She didn't just outshine me, she dethroned me.

And now, fate decided to toss her back into my life as my mate?

Hell No.

I'm not going to sit back and watch this happen. - I growled, my veins pulsating as my eyes went all over the room, looking for what to destroy.

Storming towards my desk, I grabbed the nearest object which was a framed picture of me and my brothers from our graduation ceremony and without thinking, I hurled it against the wall.

The glass shattered, sending shards of the glass across the floor.

Staring at the damage I had done, my chest rose and fell in rhythm. My anger was yet to be abated, I was still boiling with rage that was threatening to take away my sanity.

Why her? - The question repeated itself in my mind, over and over again.

Was this some kind of punishment?

Was the Moon Goddess mocking me?

My door creaked open, and without turning, I knew who it was.

"You're going to regret breaking that," Oliver said coolly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

"I'll just get another one," I snapped back, swirling around to face him. "Unless you're here to whine about our mate bond too."

Oliver didn't answer right away. He moved toward the desk, brushing the shards of glass off the surface before leaning against it.

"You felt it," He said finally. "The bond. All three of us did."

"And what? You're just going to accept it? Pretend it's not a problem?" I yelled, glaring murderously at him.

"I didn't say it's not a problem. I'm just saying... maybe it's not a mistake." He shrugged like it was nothing.

I let out a bitter laugh, I was losing my mind but here was my brother acting all cool about it.

"That girl is a walking disaster. I've known her longer than you think. She's not innocent. She plays sweet, but she's a manipulative overachiever who never knows when to stop." I spelt out, my veins popping out of my neck in protest.

Oliver raised his eyebrow at me, a smile forming on his lips.

"Don't tell me you're still all over some high school rivalry? Dude, let it go, we're not kids anymore."

My jaw clenched at his words.

"It's not just college," I growled. "You don't know her like I do. She's trouble. She's emotional, impulsive, and she already rejected one mate. She has no loyalty, no stability and in no time, she will reject the bond you are holding onto."

"Or maybe... she was hurt. You didn't see her face when we asked the reason for her action. She looked wrecked."

"She should be wrecked. That's what happens when you reject a bond. Actions have consequences you know."

"Careful, Trent," Oliver said, his voice colder now. "You're acting like you've never made a mistake."

I turned away, fists clenched at my sides. I didn't want to feel sympathy. I didn't want to care. I didn't want to be mated to a girl who made me feel less down myself.

But deep down that wasn't the truth.

I cared about everything that pertains to her and that was what scared me the most.

My wolf clawed inside my chest restlessly.

"Her mating ceremony to Alpha Cain was scheduled to be held in three days but she caught her mate cheating on her with her best friend." Oliver reeled and immediately, my palm formed into a fist.

The thought of seeing her in pain made me livid. I wanted to punch something.

No, Alpha Cain.

What kind of mate cheats on his girl with her best friend?

He was the kind of scum I hate with everything I had in me but still, that doesn't mean I was going to accept her.

"I'm still going to reject her anyway." I said, more quietly now.

"You keep saying that, but I don't think you really believe it."

I didn't answer.

The fact that Oliver could see through me no matter how much I tried to mask what I truly felt made me furious.

The door creaked open and this time around, it was Darcy who stepped in.

"She tried to leave." He announced, his voice low and solemn.

"What?" I snapped, straightening up immediately.

"I caught her in the hallway, she was going to sneak out. Good thing she doesn't know the floor plan."

My heart slammed against my chest but I don't know why.

"And?" I asked, crossing my hands on my chest to show my disinterest.

"And I talked to her. I told her we should at least try to understand the bond before we make any rash decisions." He murmured, pushing his hand into his hair before plopping on my bed.

"You're all seriously considering this?" I yelled, my blood boiling furiously.

"She's our mate." Darcy snapped. "I'm not saying we should marry her and have ten pups, Trent. I'm saying she deserves a damn conversation, she's not the only one confused."

"What did she say?" I asked against my will.

"She said she felt like the Moon Goddess was playing a cruel game, like she was cursed."

My breath caught.

Cursed; that word pierced something in my chest. I remembered what it felt like.

"She's not the girl you think she is, Trent. Maybe it's time you see past what happened in the past."

"You two do whatever you want. But I'm not falling into this trap. The bond? It's a mistake. It has to be." I said with a clenched jaw.

Without a word, Darcy left and he was followed by Oliver who has masked his expression with the lingering smile on his lips.

Left to myself, I plopped on the spot Darcy was occupying, my head buried in my palms.

My wolf growled in protest. It was restless and angry.

For the first time in years, I felt completely lost.