Sold to the alpha triplets

010: Training ground

JEREMY'S POV

I gulped down on my saliva, keeping my head down, not anticipating whatever my dad had planned for me in the training ground.

Jace and Jaxon were forced along with me just because of my own words. Dad-- he was not my dad at the moment-- alpha Ethan was never the kind to stand any act of disrespect against him or anyone else in the pack.

He walked like a watch bird, his hands firmly placed behind his back and a gaze as stern as stone.

Anger wore him like a cloak and refused to let go. His eyes never left our faces and it made me almost wish I had kept my discontent to myself. Almost.

Silence weighed heavily on our heads and shoulders, no one moved, no one dared. Not a breath heaved, like soldiers in training, my brothers and I stood firmly and unshaken, hands behind our backs as well and our heads facing the ground.

He stopped parading in front of us, suddenly but finally, his deep voice made my ears wriggle. "I noticed that we are lacking some basic combat skills and that is not good for the alpha and his trainees as well.

"You three will lead this pack soon enough-- sooner than you think!-- and I cannot stand any act of laziness or lack in skills. Even for myself. So, we'll spar."

His hands raised and pointed at my brothers, "Jace, Jaxon, you two are together. Jeremy, you'll spar with me."

My head lifted just then, my eyes stared back into his and I wanted to voice out my discontent with the way he teamed us but it was that exactly that brought us all here.

My brothers stared at each other then at me, fear brewing in their eyes.

Jace turned towards alpha Ethan, "but dad--"

"It's alpha Ethan and I don't want to hear any complaint. Get to it!" He spat out.

Jace swallowed but nodded his head without any further argument. His eyes fell back on me and sympathy flickered in them.

It was always Jace that sparred with alpha Ethan, he was somehow stronger than Jaxon and I, something about being the older sibling-- though we were triplet-- yet he always got his ass whooped.

None of us were a match for alpha Ethan, not even the three of us together. His strength was unmatchable somehow.

But I refused to back down, I was no coward. Hiding my fear, I stared firmly and intently at alpha Ethan, trying to recall his moves. The way he always fought Jace, it was impossible to recall, he never used the same moves twice.

I couldn't tell what was going through his mind, alpha Ethan always looked so composed when fighting, not angry, not happy, just... Unemotional.

Jace and Jaxon got to it immediately, throwing punches and kicks while keeping an eye on alpha Ethan and I. As expected, Jace was winning, he had the upper hand with any one of us except alpha Ethan.

My heart was racing, Elliot was anxious, but I kept a grip on my emotions. For how long though?

Charging in first-- after growing impatient of alpha Ethan's silence and stillness-- I threw a punch his way but the swiftness of his reaction took me by surprise.

His firm hands gripped mine like I was far from a threat and slammed me to the ground. A groan left my mouth as my body hit the cemented floor.

Unlike an attacker would, he watched me on the ground and didn't lift a finger. "Up." He commanded simply.

His eyes trailed towards Jace and Jaxon who had stopped and his brow arched at them. "Did I declare a winner yet?"

Without any delay, they continued with their fighting and Jaxon was swept off of his feet. But he wasn't going down without a fight.

Neither was I.

Bringing myself to my feet, i adjusted my clothes and a heavy breath drew from my mouth.

This time, he came at me first, lunging an attack while aiming for my gut. An attempt to block went futile and the sound of my ribs crushing caught my ear as I flew across the room.

Before I could get the chance to get up to gather myself properly, he was at me again, a blow landed on my face with a nose breaking force.

He picked me up himself, straightened me, only to throw a blow.

The bitter taste of blood filled up my mouth and I spat it out. An attempt to breathe became futile. I panted.

With a growl, I threw a punch at his face, only to be stolen of my balance with one swift punch to my vulnerable stomach.

"Get up!" He barked at me. "Are you even trying? Is this what you call fighting? You didn't even land a single punch! You can do better. Get up!" He yelled.

"Dad..." Jace called out softly as he came forward towards us. Jaxon had already been defeated or maybe he surrendered. "He's down, you should let him be. Spar with me instead, i beat Jaxon already."

But the words fell on Dad's deaf ear. "Get the f*ck up!" He spat out angrily. "This is just the basics of combat, if you don't know this much then I don't even know what you have been doing with your life all this while. It's too embarrassing, I can't even call you my son if you can't land a single punch on me so get up!"

Anger roused inside of me, Elliot growled and thrashed inside of me.

"Dad!" Jace yelled out. "Snap out of it dad! He is your son! He gets the lesson now, you'll kill him!"

"Kill him?" Alpha Ethan's brow arched. "Fine, let me kill him then." His eyes never left mine. "If you can't land a single punch on me... Then I might as well kill you."

"Dad!" Jace barked, but alpha Ethan was no longer paying attention to his oldest son.

He took a step towards me, "are you my son? Get up if you are. Give up and be a coward forever, get on your feet and show me that you deserve to be called the alpha of this pack."

Jace's eyes landed on me, widened with fear. He shook his head, telling me to stay down.

Jaxon joined in just then, holding his ribs. His own pain didn't seem to matter to him at that moment, he stared at me on the ground, shaking his head intently.

His eyes glowed with fear as he muttered softly, "don't get up."

I laid there, thinking of my chances in a fight with a man like Alpha Ethan, I could never win. Not even in another lifetime.

But I was no coward...