Chapter 32
1496 Words
Gwen
His lips were soft but sure, tasting of heat and longing and weeks of unsaid words. Cain kissed me like I was breath and he’d been drowning.
And I—goddess help me—I kissed him back.
The moment our mouths met, the bond ignited. I felt him. The full weight of him—his pain, his need, his love. It surged through my body like a storm breaking open my chest.
I gasped into his mouth as the mate bond surged between us, no longer restrained by distance or confusion or fear. Just raw, unmistakable truth. Every nerve in my body came alive. My skin hummed where he touched me, my wolf stirred faintly in the depths of my mind—Akira flickering like a dying candle sparked back to life.
Cain pulled back just slightly, his breath brushing over my lips.
“Worth the wait,” he whispered.
I wanted to cry from the weight of it. But instead, I cleared my throat and forced myself to focus. “You’re really a prince?”
He smiled sheepishly, brushing a lock of hair from my cheek. “Yeah. I’m the heir to the Capital City Pack.”
“And you didn’t think to mention that?”
“I didn’t want to be that guy,” he said softly. “I wanted to be someone you could trust… not someone who scared you.”
I stared at the swirling silver marks on his forearms—proof of his divine bloodline, proof that he was chosen by Selene herself. “So… does that make me a princess now?”
“No,” he said gently. “It makes you a queen—someday, if you want that.”
I blinked at him. “Queen,” I echoed, like the word tasted foreign in my mouth.
Then he hesitated, something deeper flickering behind his eyes. “There’s more.”
“Oh gods,” I groaned.
“I have two brothers. We're...triplets. And… they’re your mates too.”
“What?” I sat up straighter, staring at him. “You’re telling me I have three mates?”
He nodded, watching me closely for my reaction.
“Is that even possible?”
“With royalty and divine bloodlines… it's pretty common. Selene doesn’t make mistakes.”
I bit my lip. “Are they… like you?”
“Cash is bold and reckless. Cole is quieter, more analytical. But they’re good. They’ve wanted to meet you for weeks. We agreed to hold off as long as you needed though, if you aren't ready”
I swallowed hard, unsure what I was supposed to feel. But the bond didn’t lie. It hadn’t when I met Cain. It wouldn’t now. “I'm ready,” I said after a long breath. “Let’s meet them.”
He kissed my forehead and stood. “I’ll be right back.”
As the door clicked shut behind him, I sank back against the pillows. The scent he left behind still lingered, wrapping around me like a blanket.
Akira?
The silence was thick.
Please, I whispered in my mind. Just let me know you’re still there.
There was a flicker.
A faint warmth. Like someone striking a match in the dark.
Akira was trying.
I closed my eyes and reached for her again.
Cash
I practically kicked open the hospital door. Cain shot me a look like chill, but I couldn’t.
Because the moment I stepped inside that room, I felt her.
Gwen.
My mate.
Holy hell.
She looked so small—tucked up in that hospital bed, wrapped in white sheets and too pale. But her eyes locked on mine and every instinct in me screamed mine. The bond lashed through my chest like a whip, sharp and electric and immediate.
“Hi,” I said, like some i***t who forgot how to use words.
Her eyes widened. “You must be Cash.”
“The one and only,” I said with a grin, striding forward and taking her hand. “You look stronger than I expected, considering the rumors.”
Cain glared at me. Gwen snorted.
She laughed at my joke.
I was already gone.
“Sorry, I’ve been pacing like a lunatic all morning,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. “Cain told us, and I—well, I couldn’t wait.”
Gwen looked at our joined hands like she was seeing something rare. “This bond thing. It’s real.”
“Damn right it is.”
She tilted her head. “And you’re okay with this? Sharing a mate with your brothers?”
I shrugged. “We’ve always shared everything. Just never someone this important.” I stepped back, suddenly a little nervous. “But if you ever pick favorites, make sure I’m first.”
Cole
I hovered at the doorway, heart hammering behind my ribs.
Gwen.
She turned toward me and I felt her. The tether snapped taut between us, not fiery and chaotic like I imagined—it was quiet. Steady. Right.
I took a breath and stepped into the room.
Her eyes—those luminous eyes—tracked my every movement. I felt exposed. Seen.
“Cole?” she asked softly.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
She looked at Cain. “You weren’t kidding. You all really are different.”
Cain smirked. “Told you.”
I walked over slowly and offered my hand. She took it without hesitation. The warmth of her skin hit me like a sunrise—gentle but consuming.
“I’m glad you’re awake,” I murmured.
“Me too,” she said, her voice softer now. “You feel… calm.”
“Good,” I said, managing a quiet smile. “Because I think your soul’s been at war for too long.”
She blinked at me. Her lips parted like she might cry, but instead she held my hand tighter.
In that moment, I swore to whatever gods were listening—I would be her anchor.
Always.
Gwen
When Cain walked back into the room, he wasn’t alone.
I held my breath.
Trailing behind him were two men who mirrored him just enough to be unmistakably related—same strong bones, same grace in the way they carried themselves—but where Cain was a storm contained behind green eyes and dark stubble, these two brought their own kind of energy.
Cash entered first, his energy hitting me like a crashing wave. He was slightly shorter than Cain, but broader through the shoulders, all movement and momentum. His dark brown hair fell just past his jaw, loose and wild, like he’d just stepped out of a wind tunnel and didn’t give a damn. But his eyes—goddess—bright green, almost unnatural, sparked with mischief and intensity.
When our eyes met, the bond snapped into place, and my breath caught in my throat.
Oh.
It was like stepping too close to a bonfire—dangerous, addictive heat. It wrapped around my ribs and tugged hard, like my soul remembered him even if my mind didn’t.
He grinned like he felt it too. “Hey, beautiful.”
My cheeks flushed. “Hi.”
Then the third brother stepped into view, and the energy in the room changed again. Subtler this time. Quieter. Like stepping into calm after a storm.
Cole.
He was the shortest and leanest of the three—not short by normal standards, but compared to Cain and Cash, he looked more like a shadow than a warrior. His posture was straighter, deliberate, every step carefully measured. His hair was cut short and neat, a deep brown, and his eyes—hazel maybe, or blue?—changed depending on how the light caught them. He didn’t speak right away. Just looked at me.
The moment our eyes met, the bond settled over me like a weighted blanket.
Gentle. Deep. Unshakable.
I gasped softly.
The connection wasn’t fire, or lightning, or even a storm—it was a tether. A quiet knowing. Like something inside me recognized him and whispered safe.
“Hi,” I breathed.
He nodded once, then stepped closer. “I’m glad you’re awake.”
And just like that, I felt like I could breathe fully for the first time in weeks.
I looked at Cain, then at the two new bonds blooming in my chest like silver threads spinning through my soul.
“This is a lot,” I admitted, voice trembling. “Three mates?”
Cash rubbed the back of his neck and smiled wide. “Yeah, sorry about that. We’re kind of a package deal.”
“Are you alright?” Cole asked softly, watching me with quiet concern.
I looked between them—Cain’s steady strength, Cash’s spark, and Cole’s anchor—and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel alone.
I nodded. “I think I’m going to be.”
- Writer
