My Royal Triplets

Angelica’s POV I’m lying on the stone floor in the basement of the Blood Moon packhouse, trying to hide from my stepfather, Simeon. When I first came to live in the Blood Moon Pack, I was 8, and I wanted to be with my biological mother, Molly. Simeon was really nice to me, he made sure I felt welcomed and loved, but everything changed the moment I turned 12. You see, my mother, Molly Salisbury, was Simeon’s second chance mate, as he was hers. Mum was working as an escort here in the Dragon Kingdom when Simeon needed someone to attend a function with him. She doesn't know I know this information. Casey, my best friend, told me. Anyway, he contacted the person in charge and, low and behold, they found one another. Mum told Simeon about me and how I was living with my grandmother; and together they decided to take me in because Simeon had a son, Connor, to his first mate too. We were meant to be a big, happy family. So, what changed? You might ask. Well, to be honest, I’m not sure of the answer. I know something happened on my 12th birthday. We were getting ready for a big birthday party in my honor. My friends from school were here, and I was dressed in a pretty green party dress that complimented my auburn red hair. Green is my go-to color. Anyway, someone knocked on the door and handed Simeon some official paperwork from the werewolf king, Nicholas Jackman. Simeon’s eyes started to turn gold, and he kicked everyone out of the packhouse. I was stunned because he then turned on me. I had my first beating by Simeon that day. He blamed me for whatever King Nicholas gave him. I didn’t get to read it because he had thrown the paperwork in the fire saying ‘I don’t know anything if there is no proof.’ I know we are a werewolf pack in the dragon kingdom, but we still live by the werewolf kingdom’s rules; or so I’m told, for him to use that logic is ridiculous. From that moment on, I was a second-class pack member and was ranked lower than the omegas. My only way to survive is to do my chores. If I don’t, I get beaten and that is part of my daily routine because Simeon, Connor, my mother or one of the pack members will find something to cause it. I do get fed. I suppose that’s a bonus, even though it’s scraps and normally at breakfast. “There you are?” I hear one of the few voices I care about in this goddess' forsaken place. My only friend Casey. Casey is a warrior’s daughter. Her father came to the Blood Moon pack from some pack in the werecat kingdom after his mate passed away. She’s younger by a year and four days, even though we are in the same grade at school. We are the same height at 5 feet 8 and have a similar build. I know Casey’s body is to die for, mine… eh; I could be less skinny because I don’t eat as well as the rest of the pack. She has dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. People have said our eyes almost look identical, but I can’t see it. Yes, they are the same color, and I guess we can say we both have it as one of our main features on our faces, but there is no way they are the same. We aren’t even related. “What are you doing down here?” “Hoping my mate finds me and whisks me away from this goddess-forsaken place” I murmured as Casey’s brown eyes popped out of her head. “Not from you or your dad. Just everyone else.” “You need a wolf for that” Casey said nonchalantly, and I scratched my nose at her. She’s right, I do need a wolf and mine still hasn’t arrived. Casey got hers on her 16th birthday and here I am, four months after my 18th birthday and haven’t received my wolf yet. “You’ll get her” she said quickly, regretting her choice of words when she saw my reaction. “How about you come over to my place for dinner?” “I need to be here to serve their highnesses” I said sarcastically as Casey covered her mouth to stop herself from giggling. “Speaking of which, I should get to the kitchen before the bat from hell tells Simeon I was late again.” “I’ll get dad to stop by” Casey tells me with a frown, getting up from the floor. The only person to stop the beatings is her father. She said it’s because he has a soft spot for me. I think he pities the wolfless girl who must endure such a mother, stepfather and stepbrother. He even stood toe to toe with Connor before Simeon pulled him away from Aston. Thank goddess, Connor is still at uni. I followed suit and stood from my spot on the ground, patting the dirt from the oversize clothes I was wearing to head to the kitchen where Omega Libby; the bat from hell; was cooking dinner. “What took you so long?” she seethes, running her disgusted eyes up and down my apparel. This is another daily routine. She looks at me with repulsion at what I’m wearing, but I’m not allowed to wear anything else. Libby doesn’t actually hit me, that’s reserved for Alpha Asshole, but she can’t wait to instigate them by telling Simeon some bullshit story. “I was finishing my homework” I lied, hoping she couldn’t see right through me. “Mrs Robinson gave me an extra assignment to do before graduation.” That part wasn’t a lie, I did get an extra assignment, which I’ve already finished. To everyone’s amazement, the wolfless girl still gets straight A’s for all her assignments, so they add surprise assignments in the hope I would stumble and fall. Something I won’t let happen. “Your father is going to know about…” “Who is going to let who know what?” Warrior Aston and Casey’s father asked, coming into the kitchen. “Didn’t Angelica just say she was doing an assignment which was sprung on her last minute before graduation and since that's tomorrow, shouldn't she have been doing it?” “Why do you like this retching, wolfless, nobody?” Libby asked, her lips curling as though she smelt something so repulsive, it was going to make her sick. “She’s nothing but trouble.” “Because she has not given me any reason not to like her” he said, giving me a small smile and a tiny wink to tell me Casey had indeed sent him. “It doesn’t matter, she’s late and the Alpha’s meal is getting cold. I will still have to tell him”, Libby said, reaching to grab my arm and pull me to the dining area for my daily beating as Aston took a step to stand in front of me, stopping Libby in the process. “Good. Maybe I can go with you to see the Alpha since she was with my daughter, and it was I who failed to remind her she needed to finish up to come home”, Aston smirked, walking towards the doorway to the dining area. “If he wants to hit someone, then I’m here ready and waiting.” I smile inwardly; there is one person Simeon doesn’t want to get on the wrong side of; that’s Aston. He probably could win in a one-on-one fight, but Aston and Casey came to the Blood Moon Pack as a special request from the werewolf king himself and was told if anything happened to either of them, they would pay with their lives. I don't think it would actually happen. When it comes to werewolf royalty, who knows. So, Simeon, Mum and Connor wouldn’t dare do anything to him, hence why they don’t do anything to me when Aston steps in. Aston stops at the doorway, turning on his heels to glare at Libby, who went white; “Are we going to tell Alpha Simeon?” “N… No” Libby stumbled out as the smile on my face grew a little more. “I’ll take the food out, she can go.” “That’s what I thought” Aston said, walking past her to the back entrance, grabbing my arm to go with him. As soon as we were out of earshot, “I believe Casey asked if you would like to have dinner at our place tonight, and I have something to give you.” Give me? What could he possibly give me? He must have seen the question on my face because Aston chuckled to himself. We reached the doorway of their house and my stomach began to growl. I’m not allowed to eat with the others in the packhouse and when I do get food, it is normally scraps, mainly at breakfast, but I still get food. The only decent food I get is when I come over to Casey’s place, hence why I’m skinny but not as skinny as I could be. Aston begins to chuckle to himself again as he opens the front door. “I’m making hamburgers, I hope you don’t mind?” Casey said with a knowing look at her father. It wasn’t really a question, it was food. Of course, I don’t mind. The two of them planned this, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I’m just not looking forward to going home to face my parents. “After that, we can pick out our outfits for graduation tomorrow.” “I don’t have anything to wear” I told her, looking down at the oversize ripped jeans and faded purple shirt that were hand-me-downs from Connor. “That’s why I made two dresses” she smiles, my mouth gaping open at the same time. Casey was always big on fashion and making her own clothes, me not so much. She wants to start her own fashion label and study fashion design somewhere. I’m not sure if she will go through, she doesn’t want to leave me behind. Aston sits down quietly at the dining room table, grinning at himself as Casey and I move to sit with him. My stomach grumbles again when I take in the wonderful smell of the hamburgers Casey prepared. I started piling the meat, tomato, cheese and lettuce on my bun before taking a bite. “What did you want to give me? The graduation dress?” I asked, my mouth still full of food. Aston chuckles again; “We will talk about it after dinner.” We finished eating, and I helped Casey clear the dishes before she ran to her room and grabbed two clothes bags to bring back to the table. One had her name on it and one had mine. I opened the zipper on my clothes bag and saw the most beautiful green dress. It was simple but elegant. “Try it on” Casey said, jumping up and down in her seat. I did as she asked, and I felt like a normal she-wolf, going to her graduation and not some wolfless nobody. I couldn’t hide the tears as I came out of the spare room. “I knew that was the right dress for you” Casey said, wrapping her arms around me. “Wait, I have shoes to match” she said, dropping her arms and running to her room, returning with a pair of low healed green shoes. “Thank you” I whispered, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand as Casey gave me a side hug. “Both of you” I said, turning to Aston who was smiling fondly in my direction. “Is this what you wanted to give me?” I asked him again, now dinner was over. “No” he said, a smile forming across his face. “As soon as you graduate, my official appointment in this pack will be coming to an end. I have been asked to give you something before that happens.” I looked at him confused. Were they leaving? Casey’s my only friend, and even though I want her to attend university to start her fashion career, I don’t want her to leave either. “Before you have kittens over there, I should give you the letter now.” My face turns to Casey, who shrugs her shoulders. I turned back to Aston as he pulled out a large white A4 sized envelope and handed it to me. I looked down at the werewolf kingdom crest on the envelope and gasped at the addressee; it’s the name my grandmother called me when I lived with her; Angelica Leigh Newton.