The Rejected Wolf and Her Three WereMates

Chapter 9 : Longing

HARPER

~~~

The gravel crunched beneath the SUV's tires as Mason pulled up to the driveway of the pack house. The moment he killed the engine, the doors flew open.

I barely had time to unbuckle my seatbelt before all three triplets scrambled to my side of the vehicle, a synchronized blur of massive shoulders and extended hands.

"Careful, Harper," Mason murmured, offering his palm.

"I've got your left side," Ryder insisted, positioning himself like a shield.

"Watch the step," Dallas cautioned, his hand hovering inches from the small of my back, radiating a protective warmth.

I looked at the three of them, a sudden wave of amusement washing over the irritation in my chest. It was a little bit sweet, seeing three ruthless Alpha bears tripping over themselves to assist a plus-size girl they had once cast aside.

I started to smile, then I caught myself just in time, mentally snapping the lock shut on my heart. Don't get soft now, Harper. They're still the same men who broke you.

"I can walk," I said dryly, though I didn't push their hands away as they escorted me through the foyer and into the leather-accented living room.

The moment I sank into the plush sofa, the atmosphere shifted instantly. The playful, attentive aura the three of them wore at the clinic evaporated, replaced by a suffocating, predatory coldness.

Ryder and Dallas flanked me on either side, their massive frames pressing close enough that their earthy scent of pine and rain enveloped me.

Mason stood at the center of the room, his eyes bleeding into an eerie, feral gold. He looked at a guard stationed by the door. "Bring her in."

The air grew so tight with tension it felt difficult to breathe. A few minutes later, the doors opened, and two armed guards dragged Ruby into the room.

She was no longer wearing Mason's dark dress shirt. She had changed into her own form-fitting clothes, but her usual pristine facade was shattered. The shredded fabric at her sleeves revealed raw, angry whip marks tracing down both her arms. She had been punished under the same laws she had weaponized against me.

Yet, she didn't let it break her. She kept her chin high, her expression haughty and sharp as she openly glared at me with pure venom.

"You dare look at her that way?" Mason's voice was a low, terrifying growl that vibrated right through the living room. "How dare you?"

"I did what any high-ranking official would do, Mason!" Ruby shot back, her voice shrill but defiant. "She disrespected me. She attacked me! I punished her according to pack law."

"You had no right to put your hands on her!" Ryder thundered, causing me to flinch. "No f*****g right to take the pack laws into your hands. You're not an Alpha!"

"She is beneath me!" Ruby yelled back. "And you're all hypocrites! If another Alpha dared to disrespect you, you would tear his throat out. I did my job."

Ryder moved suddenly, his large fists clenching as he surged forward from the sofa towards Ruby.

My heart lurched. I almost grabbed his arm to stop him, because as much as I hated Ruby, I didn't want Ryder hitting her. But Dallas got to him first.

"Ryder, stop," he intercepted smoothly, his cold, calculating voice cutting through the rage. He didn't even look at Ruby as he kept Ryder back. "Let Mason handle it."

Mason stepped closer to Ruby, his shadow completely eclipsing her smaller frame. "You don't get to invoke pack law, Ruby, because you broke the most fundamental law of all. You touched what belongs to the Alphas."

Ruby's breath hitched.

"Harper is above you," Mason continued cruelly. "She belongs to us now."

I tried not to react to how dangerously seductive those words were. I clutched the fabric of my jeans, my heart doing acrobats in my chest. Oh, Harper, you're such a foolish foolish girl.

"Your mate?" Ruby laughed humourlessly, her eyes flashing with desperate denial. "She was a fat outcast five years ago, and she's an even fatter b***h now. It's never going to change!"

"Say another rude word towards Ruby again and you won't like what I'll do to you!" Mason muttered.

Another tense silence followed, until Mason broke it again.

"Your tenure as the head of pack welfare is over," he commanded coldly. "That position is being handed over to Harper. She is the rightful owner of everything in this pack."

"No!" Ruby screamed, completely losing her temper. "You can't do this, Mason! I have been with this pack for years! I worked my butt off building this territory alongside you three while she was rotting in the city! I gave you everything."

"We never asked you for that," Dallas cut in, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Sure we f****d a few times to relieve the burning s****l tension of an empty bond, but that was it. You gave yourself willingly and eagerly every single time, knowing it meant nothing to us."

Ruby's face turned a violent shade of crimson. She was fuming, her chest heaving as Dallas laid her humiliation bare in front of the guards.

"You would cast me aside?" she seethed. "All because of her?"

"You're being punished for what you did." Mason said. "And the only reason you aren't being exiled from Black Pine Springs entirely is because of the promise we made to your late brother."

I blinked, my eyes shifting between the triplets. What promise was Mason talking about? My curiosity piqued instantly.

"Now," Mason continued, his aura dropping like a lead weight. "Drop to your knees and apologize to Harper."

Ruby stiffened, her jaw locking. "I will never see her as your mate! I won't do it."

"If you don't," Mason whispered, and the quiet promise of ruin in his voice made the guards shift uncomfortably, "I will strip your family name from the registries, cut you off from every pack asset, and ensure you leave this territory with absolutely nothing. Kneel. Now!"

The silence stretched, thick with hatred. Slowly, her body trembling with rage, Ruby dropped to her knees on the hardwood floor.

She looked up at me, her eyes burning with a venomous promise of revenge.

"I'm sorry, Harper," she spat out coldly.

It was an apology born entirely of anger and hate, but I didn't care. Seeing her on her knees where she had once tried to break me was enough.

"I accept," I said.

Mason didn't look at her again. "Good. Now get out."

The guards immediately hauled a shaking, humiliated Ruby out of the room, slamming the doors behind them.

Once she was gone, I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding and stood up from the sofa, distancing myself from them.

"Thank you for dealing with her. And thank you for the care. I should be on my way now."

"Absolutely not," Ryder blurted out, blocking the door with his massive frame.

"Harper, it's late," Dallas added, his voice softening as he rose. "We don't want you sleeping alone in that lodge, or in a cheap motel again. Stay here tonight. Stay with us."

"No," I argued, shaking my head. I knew myself. The magnetic pull between us was already overwhelming. If I stayed in their territory, in their home, under the same roof, the temptation to completely surrender to the bond would be too high. "I'm going back to Silver Ridge."

I turned toward the door, determined to push Ryder out of the way, when a sudden, violent crash of thunder shook the entire building.

Within seconds, the sky opened up. A violent storm slammed against the mansion, heavy sheets of rain hammering against the glass windows so loudly it sounded like an assault.

I froze, staring at the blurred windows in absolute disbelief. What the actual f**k?

Ryder let out a low, deeply amused chuckle. "Well, it looks like the heavens are also against you. Just stay with us tonight, sweetheart."

I knew I was cornered. There was no way I would forge through this storm back to the lodge.

Giving up, I exhaled a sharp sigh, crossing my arms. "Fine. Just for tonight."

...

I was ushered into the grand dining room several minutes later, where dinner was served. To my surprise, Aiden, the pack beta who had been dismissive of me earlier that morning, stepped forward.

He bowed his head deeply in front of my chair.

"Harper, I want to apologize for my behavior earlier today," he said sincerely. "I shouldn't have treated you that way. It was unforgivable."

"It's fine, Aiden," I said quietly, appreciating the gesture. "You were just doing your job. It's totally fine."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Mason glare at Aiden. He must have been the one who forced him to apologize.

Dinner was a blur of rich food and the intense, unblinking gazes of the three Alphas watching my every move. Once the meal concluded, they escorted me upstairs to the private wing of the mansion, opening the door to a luxurious bedroom suite.

It was fitted with a massive king-sized bed, plush carpets, and designed exquisitely.

"Wow," I murmured. "This is perfect."

Mason and his brothers crowded around the doorway, their massive frames completely blocking the hall. They looked longingly into the room, their golden eyes reflecting the lamplight, completely reluctant to walk away.

"Thank you... for the room," I mumbled, gripping the doorknob tightly.

Ryder leaned in eagerly. "Do you want company? We could stay..."

"Absolutely not," I refused, my voice shaking with amusement. I'll see you three tomorrow. Goodnight, boys."

Before they could protest or try to convince me otherwise, I gently but firmly shut the door right in their handsome faces.

I let out a breath, leaning against the wood for a moment before heading into the bathroom.

I took a long, steaming bath, letting the hot water soothe the remaining stiffness in my muscles. When I stepped out, I found a set of soft silk pajamas that had been thoughtfully left on the bed for me. They fit my curves perfectly, the fabric sliding smoothly against my skin.

I climbed into the bed, the sound of the rain hammering against the windowpanes acting as a soothing lullaby. Exhaustion finally won, and sleep pulled me under into the dark.

But even in the safety of the room, my mind couldn't escape them.

Deep in the throes of a restless dream, my body tossed against the silk sheets, the phantom scent of pine, rain, and musk enveloping my senses.

"Mason... Ryder... Dallas..." I whispered into the empty darkness of the room, my voice tight with a desperate, subconscious longing.