Claimed By The Three Alpha Brothers

CHAPTER 2

The door clicked shut, sealing out the cool autumn night and the muffled whispers of the pack. The interior of the SUV was a cocoon of expensive leather and that same overwhelming scent—pine, rain, and something more primal that made Elena’s lungs feel tight.

She was pressed into the middle of the back seat, sandwiched between Kael and Silas. Jax had taken the driver’s seat, his eyes catching hers in the rearview mirror as he shifted the car into gear.

Elena stared straight ahead, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She was determined not to let them see her tremble, but her heart was a trapped bird beating against her ribs.

"You can’t just keep me," she said, her voice small but clear in the quiet cabin. "I have a life. I have a job at the library. People will notice if I’m gone."

"We’ve already informed the Head Librarian that you’re taking a leave of absence," Silas said beside her. His voice was calm, conversational, which made the reality of it even more terrifying. "And your landlord has been told you’re moving."

Elena snapped her head toward him. Silas wasn't looking at her; he was checking something on a sleek tablet, the blue light sharpening the hard lines of his jaw. "You did what? That’s kidnapping. You can’t just erase my life in ten minutes."

"We didn't erase it," Kael drawled from her other side. She felt the heat of his arm as he draped it casually across the back of her seat, his fingers dangerously close to her hair. "We just moved the location."

"I am not an object you can just relocate," Elena snapped, turning to face him.

Kael smirked, his eyes flashing amber in the dim light of the passing streetlamps. "You’re right. Objects don't smell this good."

He leaned in closer, his nose brushing against her neck. Elena jerked away, bumping into Silas’s solid shoulder. Silas didn't move, but his hand came down on her thigh. It wasn't a squeeze, just a heavy, grounding weight that felt like a claim.

"Kael, leave her be for a moment," Silas commanded. "She’s overwhelmed."

"She’s pissed off, Silas. There’s a difference," Kael muttered, though he settled back into his seat, his gaze still fixed on Elena like she was a riddle he intended to solve.

Elena looked down at Silas’s hand on her leg. The fabric of her jeans felt thin, almost non-existent under the heat of his palm. A strange, unwanted warmth began to spread from where he touched her, an electric hum that made her skin tingle. It was the bond—she knew it—and she hated how easily her body was betraying her.

"Why me?" she asked, her voice cracking. "I’m a nobody. My wolf is barely there. I’ve spent my whole life trying to be invisible."

Jax’s voice came from the front, quiet and contemplative. "Maybe that’s why we didn't find you sooner. You’re very good at hiding, Elena."

"I wasn't hiding," she argued. "I was just living."

"You’re the daughter of the Crescent Moon line," Silas said, finally putting the tablet away and looking at her. His gaze was intense, stripping away her defenses. "That line was thought to be extinct after the Great Purge. Do you have any idea what that makes you?"

Elena felt a cold lump form in her throat. "It makes me an orphan with a dead-end job."

"It makes you a target," Silas corrected. "And it makes you the only woman capable of carrying the Alpha Triplets' legacy."

The air left Elena’s lungs. "I don't care about legacies. I want to go home."

"This is your home now," Kael said. He reached out, his hand finally making contact with hers. He didn't grab her; he threaded his fingers through hers, forcing her to feel the calloused strength of his grip. "The sooner you accept it, the easier this gets."

Elena tried to pull her hand away, but he held fast. "Is that a threat?"

Kael leaned over, his face inches from hers. His scent was more aggressive than the others—muskier, sharper. "It’s a promise. We’ve waited years for this pull to lead us somewhere. Now that we have you, do you really think we’re going to let you walk back to a studio apartment and a library card?"

Elena looked from Kael’s wild intensity to Silas’s cold, immovable resolve, and then to Jax’s steady, watchful eyes in the mirror. She was outnumbered and outmatched, but she wasn't broken.

"You might be able to lock me in a house," she whispered, her eyes burning with defiance. "But you can't make me yours. Not really."

A heavy silence fell over the car. Silas’s grip on her thigh tightened just a fraction, and Kael’s thumb traced the back of her hand in a slow, rhythmic motion that felt more like a countdown than a comfort.

The SUV turned off the main road, the tires crunching onto a gravel path that led deep into the forest. The trees moved past like shadows, tall and ancient, cutting off the last of the moonlight.

"We’ll see about that," Silas said softly.

Jax slowed the car as they approached a massive iron gate. Beyond it, a sprawling stone estate rose out of the darkness, windows glowing with a low, amber light. It looked less like a home and more like a fortress.

As the gates swung open with a heavy groan, Elena felt a sudden, sharp pang in her chest—not from fear, but from a sudden spike of recognition. Her wolf, usually so silent, let out a low, mournful howl in the back of her mind. It wasn't a cry of distress; it was a greeting.

The car came to a halt in front of the grand entrance. Silas stepped out first, then reached back in to offer Elena a hand. She ignored it, sliding out on Kael’s side just to avoid Silas’s touch, only to find Kael already there, standing so close she walked right into his chest.

He caught her by the elbows, steadying her. "Welcome to the end of your old life, Little Wolf."

Jax joined them, standing on her other side. The three of them surrounded her, a wall of Alpha muscle and scent that blocked out the rest of the world.

"There’s something you should know before we go inside," Jax said, his voice dropping to a serious whisper.

Elena looked at him, her heart skipping a beat. "What?"

Jax looked up at the high windows of the estate, where a shadow moved behind the glass. "We aren't the only ones who have been waiting for you. And not everyone is happy that the Crescent Moon has returned."

Before Elena could ask what that meant, the massive front doors creaked open, and a tall, elegant woman with hair as white as bone stepped onto the porch. She didn't look at the triplets. Her eyes, sharp and cold as ice, went straight to Elena.

"So," the woman said, her voice dripping with a strange, dark hunger. "The catalyst has finally arrived."

Elena took an instinctive step back, hitting the solid wall of Silas’s chest. His hands came up to rest on her shoulders, holding her in place.

"Don't be afraid," Silas whispered against the top of her head, though his own body had gone rigid. "But don't move from our side."

Elena looked at the woman, then at the dark woods behind her, realizing that the danger in the community hall was nothing compared to whatever was waiting for her inside these walls.