Desired by the Alpha Triplets

Oldcastle was buzzing with gossip, as the shocking news of the Lunar family’s marriage arrangement spread like wildfire. "Did you hear? The Lunar have arranged a marriage for one of their sons!" a woman exclaimed, leaning over her garden fence to speak to her neighbor. "What? Are you serious?" the neighbor replied, her eyes wide with disbelief. "With who?" "Some girl from the countryside! Can you believe it?" the first woman said, her voice dripping with disdain. "They say she’s a tanned, plump Tomboy. Just imagine!" "That can’t be right," the neighbor muttered, shaking her head. "Those Lunar boys are all so handsome. Why would they pick someone like that?" "It’s all over the news," the first woman insisted. "Look, they even found a photo of her. Poor thing looks so out of place." "How could they do this?" another voice chimed in, joining the conversation. "It’s like they’re throwing one of those boys away!" "Exactly! None of them deserve a girl like that," the first woman agreed, crossing her arms. "They’ve got money, looks, everything. And they pick her? What are they thinking?" "The whole thing is ridiculous," the neighbor said, her voice rising with indignation. "People are saying she doesn’t deserve any of them. They could’ve had anyone, and they chose her?" "Must be some kind of joke," another person added as they walked by, overhearing the conversation. "Or maybe the Lunar have lost their minds." Everyone had an opinion, and none of them were kind. "She doesn’t belong with them. No way," the first woman concluded, shaking her head. "This is going to be a disaster." "Do we really have to go?" Bane Lunar grumbled, staring out the window of the sleek black car. "This place is in the middle of nowhere." "Unfortunately, yes," Sean, the second oldest, replied, his tone laced with irritation. "Dad wasn't exactly giving us a choice, remember?" "Right," Hugo, the fourth brother, sighed, adjusting his sunglasses. "If we didn’t come, he said he'd stop taking his blood pressure medicine. Can you believe that?" "He knows how to get his way," Henry, the eldest, said from the front seat, his voice stern. "We don’t have to like it, but we have to do it." "Still, a bumpkin?" Bane scoffed. "And we’re supposed to be grateful?" "Grateful? Please," Hugo added, glancing out the window at the dusty road. "Look at this place. It’s hot, dirty, and—" "—a far cry from Oldcastle," Sean finished, shaking his head. "This is ridiculous." "We should be back in the city," Bane muttered, slumping in his seat. "Not out here fetching some girl who probably can’t even spell 'fiancé'." "Enough, all of you," Henry said sharply, cutting through their complaints. "We’re here now, so let’s just get this over with. Knock on the door, Bane." "Fine, fine," Bane grumbled, stepping out of the car reluctantly. He walked up to the small, self built house, its faded paint and simple structure a stark contrast to the luxurious vehicles parked outside. He knocked on the door, shooting a glance back at his brothers, who stood waiting with bored expressions. "I still can’t believe we’re doing this," Hugo muttered under his breath. "Neither can I," Sean agreed. "But here we are." "Just play along," Henry advised, trying to maintain some sense of control over the situation. The door creaked open, and Bane turned back, preparing to meet the socalled "Tomboy." He couldn’t have been more displeased to be there. Instead, he found himself staring at a woman with delicate features, her skin fair and smooth. Her wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders, and the simple white Tshirt she wore gave her an effortless, refined look. "Uh... hi," Bane stammered, caught off guard. "We're, um, looking for Mia Blaze. Is she here?" The woman tilted her head slightly, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I’m Mia Blaze." Bane blinked, still processing what he was seeing. "You're... Mia?" he repeated, his voice sounding unsure. He quickly turned back to his brothers, his expression a mix of confusion and surprise. "Damn, she's not like the photo Dad showed us," Sean muttered, stepping forward to get a better look. "No kidding," Hugo added, his eyes widening. "She's nothing like what we expected." Henry, maintaining his composure, cleared his throat and stepped closer. "Miss Blaze, I’m Henry Lunar, and these are my brothers, Sean, Hugo, and Bane," he introduced them, his tone polite but cautious. Mia glanced at each of them, her expression unreadable. "Nice to meet you all," she said simply. "Give me a moment. I'll grab my luggage." She turned and disappeared back into the house, leaving the brothers standing in stunned silence. They exchanged glances, each of them trying to reconcile the woman they’d just met with the image they had in their heads. "Okay, so she’s pretty," Bane finally said, his voice low. "But she’s still from the countryside. That doesn’t change anything." "Maybe not," Henry replied thoughtfully, "but it’s clear we misjudged her. She’s not what we were led to believe." "Still," Bane persisted, "she’s just a—" "Just a what?" Sean interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "We don’t even know her yet. Maybe we should reserve judgment." Bane frowned, but didn’t argue. The unexpected encounter had left him unsettled, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that Mia Blaze was going to be more complicated than they had anticipated. The door opened again, and Mia emerged, carrying a modest suitcase. She paused for a moment, her eyes meeting each of theirs briefly before she walked towards the cars. "Well, gentlemen," she said calmly, "shall we go?" As Mia carried her suitcase toward the car, Bane couldn’t resist making a snide remark. “You know,” he muttered just loud enough for her to hear, “being pretty doesn’t change the fact that you’re just an uneducated bumpkin.” Mia stopped in her tracks, slowly turning to face him wearing a cold expression. "Is that so?” she replied, her voice icy. “Don’t worry, I won’t fall for a kid like you either.” Bane’s face turned red, and he opened his mouth to say something back, but no words came out. He just stared at her, shocked that she had so easily brushed off his insult. “Bane, let it go,” Sean warned, stepping closer. He looked at Mia with a mixture of respect and surprise. “We’re all a bit tense, but there’s no need for insults.” Mia nodded slightly, acknowledging Sean’s words. “I’m here because your father asked me to come,” she said evenly. “But let’s be clear—I’m not here to please any of you.” Henry, who had been watching the exchange silently, stepped forward. “We understand,” he said calmly. “Our father insisted on this arrangement, and we’re honoring his wishes. That doesn’t mean we can’t be civil.” “Civil?” Mia repeated, her gaze moving between the brothers. “I’m fine with civil. But don’t mistake my civility for weakness.” Hugo, who had been quietly observing from the side, couldn’t help but chuckle. “She’s got more backbone than I expected,” he said, half to himself. Mia shot him a glance, her expression softening just a fraction. “I’ve had to be strong,” she said, her voice softer now but still firm. “Life hasn’t exactly been easy, but that doesn’t mean I’m less than anyone else.” Henry nodded, respecting her honesty. “Fair enough,” he said. “Shall we go, then?” Without another word, Mia turned and walked to one of the luxury cars, placing her suitcase in the trunk. She opened the door and got in, settling into the backseat without waiting for any help. The Lunar brothers exchanged looks. Sean shook his head slightly as he walked to the car. “This is going to be interesting,” he murmured. Bane, still flustered, climbed into the car behind Mia, his earlier confidence shaken. “I wasn’t expecting her to be like that,” he admitted quietly to himself. As the cars began to pull away from the small village, Mia looked out the window, her face unreadable. She was leaving behind the only life she had known, but she wasn’t afraid.