CHAPTER 4
1413 Words
MIRABLE POV.
I ran away from the triplets when I realized I was mated to them. Thankfully, they hadn’t followed me. I couldn’t handle both the drowning and rejection in one day. All weekend, I’d been dreading Monday. I had even hoped for a heavy winter storm so school would close, but of course, that didn’t happen.
People pointed and silently laughed as I walked down the School hallway. They had all seen the videos of my humiliation that had spread all over the internet. I wasn’t bothered anymore. In a few days, they would move on to their next target.
I was about to enter my classroom when someone suddenly grabbed my arm and dragged me into an empty room. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the three brothers—Damian, Noah, and Owen . I swallowed hard, already knowing what to expect.
“What did you do?” Damian accused. He was always the most vocal and aggressive.
At this point, I was exhausted and wasn’t ready for their games. “Just get on with the rejection, okay? I have a class to attend,” I muttered, crossing my arms.
Damian seemed taken aback by my bluntness and frowned. “What makes you think we are going to reject you?”
I rolled my eyes. “Isn’t that why we are here? You have already clarified that you wouldn’t want an omega like me. So, get on with it,” I hissed.
“We are not going to reject you,” Noah said softly, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he looked at me above his glasses. He always wore glasses, which I was sure he didn’t need. They gave him the look of a sexy young scientist, not the socially awkward nerd he probably was. His soft but muscular physique made whatever he wore look impeccable, and I felt my heart skip a beat whenever he spoke.
“Why?” I asked.
Noah sighed, his eyes clouded with something like regret. I couldn’t tell if he was disappointed that I was his mate or if he regretted everything that had happened.
“Because we can’t,” he said simply.
“We know you are different,” Owen continued, staring at me suspiciously.
I swallowed hard, feeling my pulse quicken. “W-what do you mean?” I stuttered.
Owen took a slow breath. “We looked through your file, Mirabel. You are going to be eighteen in three days.”
My brow furrowed. “Why were you checking my birth chart? Are you trying to see if we are astrologically compatible? Because it’s clear we are not.”
Owen ignored my sarcasm and continued. “You can only have a mate once you have your wolf. Since the beginning of time, werewolves have always received their wolf on their eighteenth birthday.”
“But somehow, you defied the rules.” Noah’s voice was calm, but it had a quiet intensity to it. “How long have you had your wolf?”
I swallowed again. “I—I only noticed after the party,” I answered.
Damian’s eyes narrowed. “You are lying.”
“I’m not!” I protested, but before I could finish, Damian grabbed my neck and slammed me against the wall.
“Tell me the truth, piggy,” he sneered, his grip tightening. “What are you hiding from us?”
I gasped for air, trying to pull his hand away. “I didn’t have a wolf until after the party. I think… I think she came because of the trauma I went through.”
“Enough,” Noah commanded firmly, pulling Damian away from me. I fell to the floor, coughing, gasping for breath as I glared at them.
“She is lying,” Damian accused.
“No, she isn’t,” Noah replied. “Think about it. If she’d had a wolf before, we would have smelled it. But before the party, she smelled like an unshifted wolf. Now it’s different. Maybe she’s right—drowning her must have triggered the wolf.”
Damian wasn’t convinced. “But that’s impossible. No one has a wolf before their birthday.”
“Do you know anyone who nearly drowned right before their birthday?” Noah raised an eyebrow, challenging them.
No one spoke.
“Exactly.” Noah continued. “It could be a trauma response. Her birthday is only a few days away anyway, so what does it matter?”
Damian turned to me; he did not look convinced. “Maybe Noah’s right, but something’s still off with you.”
“I have always been weird,” I said, half-smiling, trying to mask my nervousness.
Damian’s frown deepened. “Don’t think this is over. I’m keeping an eye on you, piggy.” And with that, he stormed out of the room.
Owen watched me for a while longer as if trying to figure something out. “What color is your wolf?”
I hesitated for a moment, then lied, “Gray. The usual.”
Omega wolves were always gray, while the rest of the pack had black or brown wolves. Only a few were pure white, like Noah. My wolf was blue, a rare color, one that didn’t fit the usual pack traits. Thankfully, I’d shifted into her for the first time in the privacy of my bedroom.
“Show me,” Owen said.
“You want me to strip?” I frowned. “Just because you are my mate doesn’t mean I’m going to ruin my outfit and stand here naked during school hours.”
Owen ’s face reddened with embarrassment. “That’s not what I meant… I just thought… never mind.” He turned and left, leaving just Noah and me.
I furrowed my brow. “Are you going to leave, or should I?”
Noah didn’t answer. I turned to go, but he grabbed my wrist, pulling me back as he slammed the door shut. He was standing way too close, and my heart began to race. It was the stupid mating bond; that had to be why I felt like this. His whole presence was intoxicating, making it hard to stay angry.
“You’re not fooling me,” Noah said. “I know more about you than you think.”
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. Did he know I was a hybrid? My mom had warned me to hide it because if the pack discovered I was part wolf and part witch, they’d kill me and punish her for having a child with our enemies. I’d promised her to keep it a secret, and it nearly unraveled when my wolf emerged earlier than expected.
“W-what do you mean?” I stammered.
“I didn’t stay top of the class or become the best student here just because I’m an Alpha. I spent my time studying art, history, and science. I know werewolf history better than anyone, and no Alpha or anyone else, not even those who’ve faced trauma, has ever shifted before their eighteenth birthday. The only exceptions are hybrids.”
The room felt hotter, beads of sweat gathering on my back.
“Aren’t hybrids extinct?” I asked, trying to sound innocent.
“We haven’t had one in over a century,” Noah said.
“If I remember correctly, didn’t hybrids shift months before their birthdays, not just a couple of days?” I asked.
“Yes.” His eyes narrowed. “Seems you know a lot about hybrids.”
I straightened my shoulders. “You are not the only one who likes to study in their free time. I’m second best, remember?” I smirked.
A small smile played on his lips. “Right. I suppose, for now, you are safe.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not a hybrid. I’m too weak to be one. Now, if you are done with your questions, I would like to leave,” I said, feeling more confident.
“One more thing,” Noah said. “I noticed there was no mention of your father in your file. Where is he?”
“I never knew him. He died before I was born.”
“All right. I have no more questions.” Then, after a pause, he added sincerely, “I’m sorry about the party. I should not have let that happen.”
I nodded quickly, then left before he could ask anything else that might expose my secret.
- Writer
