The Triplet Alphas's Christmas Gift

Chapter 54 - Discussion and aftermath

Ryan's POV

I watched Teira carefully as she sat surrounded by blankets, her neck marked with bruises that made my blood boil. My wolf paced restlessly inside me, demanding retribution. *Mother or not, no one touches what's ours.*

"I should get back to my rounds," Kyle said reluctantly, his eyes fixed on his sister's bruised throat. "But I'm just a text away if you need me."

"I'll be fine," Teira assured him, her voice still raspy. "Val and the guys are here."

Kyle pulled Teira into a gentle hug, careful of her injuries, before turning to Val. He cupped her face tenderly and gave her a soft kiss. "I'll see you after training," he told her with a smile that was reserved only for Val.

"Don't work the warriors too hard," Val replied with a fond grin.

I waited until Kyle left before settling on the edge of the bed beside Teira. Matt leaned against the desk, arms crossed, his analytical mind clearly working through everything we'd learned. Tyler paced by the window, his energy impossible to contain when he was this agitated.

"We need a plan," I said finally. "Mom's going to push forward with this Sarah arrangement at the Christmas party."

"Over my dead body," Tyler growled.

Matt nodded. "Mine too."

"Mine three," I added, taking Teira's hand. Her skin was still cold from her time in the snow, and I rubbed gentle circles with my thumb to warm her. Tingles erupted where our skin met, sending pleasant warmth up my arm. Every touch between us created this reaction, making it increasingly difficult to deny what was happening between us. "But we need to be smart about this. A direct confrontation with our parents right now would only make things worse."

"Worse than Mom trying to strangle Teira?" Tyler snapped, gesturing toward her bruised neck.

I felt a flash of guilt. This was partly my fault. I should have gone with her to meet my mother. I should have known better.

"Ryan," Teira said softly, as if sensing my thoughts. "This isn't your fault."

I squeezed her hand gently. "We should have warned you. Mom's been... different lately. More aggressive about pack politics, more insistent about our futures."

"It's like she's possessed," Tyler muttered.

Matt's expression turned thoughtful. "Or being pressured by someone else."

"Dad?" Val suggested from her spot beside Teira.

I shook my head. "No way. Dad's nothing like Mom in that regard. He's always believed in the mate bond, in letting wolves find their true partners. He would never force us into an arranged mating."

Before anyone could respond, there was a soft knock at the door. Tyler immediately moved into a protective stance, his body tense.

"It's Sarah," came a female voice from the other side.

Tyler glanced at me, and I nodded. He opened the door cautiously, revealing Sarah standing nervously in the hallway. Her fiery red hair was pulled back in a practical braid, and her green eyes darted around the room anxiously.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

Tyler stepped aside, allowing her to enter. Her gaze immediately went to Teira's bruised neck, then back to me with a question in her eyes.

"What happened?" she asked.

"My mother," I replied simply.

Sarah's expression hardened. "I'm not surprised. I overheard her talking to my parents again about speeding up the 'arrangement.'" She made air quotes around the word, her distaste obvious.

"You know about that?" Matt asked, studying her carefully.

Sarah sighed and leaned against the wall. "I've been trying to talk my parents out of it for weeks. They won't listen. They're so dazzled by the idea of being connected to the Alpha family of the Dark Moon Pack that they can't see straight."

"But you've been hanging around us for months," Tyler pointed out.

Val snorted. "Because we brought her in from Moon Valley to act as your fake girlfriend, remember? It was the only way to get your mom to back off about setting you guys up."

"And I agreed because it gave me space from my parents' constant matchmaking," Sarah added. "They're old school—believe pack alliances are more important than waiting for a true mate."

"And you don't?" Teira asked quietly.

Sarah's expression softened. "No. I want what my parents have never had—a true mate bond. Someone who completes me." She glanced meaningfully at Teira and then back to us. "Not a political arrangement."

My phone buzzed again. Another text from Dad. *Meeting in 30 minutes. Your mother is upset. What did you do?*

I showed the message to my brothers.

"She hasn't told him," Matt observed. "Interesting."

Tyler's laugh was bitter. "Of course not. Can't have Dad knowing she physically attacked a pack member."

"Or that she's trying to force an arranged mating," Sarah added. "Your father would never stand for it."

I nodded, thinking about the growing tension between my parents over the past few months. "Things have been strained between them ever since Mom's lies about Teira came to light. Dad was furious when he found out the truth."

Matt's eyes darkened. "Remember that dinner at David's house years ago? When Teira managed to escape from her locked room?"

I grimaced at the memory. Teira had been just five years old, tiny and frightened, appearing suddenly in the dining room. David had smoothly lied to our father, claiming he and Isabelle had found her wandering in the woods as a rogue pup and taken her in. None of us knew then that they kept her locked in an attic room whenever company came over.

"Dad had no idea what happened to her after he left that night," Tyler growled, his hands clenching into fists.

We'd only learned years later that David had been furious about Teira being seen and had punished her severely in the basement—the first of many such punishments.

Teira let out an involuntary yawn, making all of us look her way.

"You need to rest," I said immediately, concerned by the dark circles under her eyes.

She nodded sleepily. "It's been... a lot."

"I'll bring dinner up here," Val volunteered. "So you won't have to deal with questions about..." she gestured toward Teira's bruised neck.

Teira gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks. Some girl time sounds good right now."

Tyler moved toward the door. "I need to go find Morgana and get some answers about how she got onto pack lands."

He closed his eyes briefly, and I knew he was using the mind link. *Liam, Drew, I need you to guard Ryan's room. No one but us gets in.*

*On it,* came the immediate response.

Val huffed, crossing her arms. "You know I'm here, right? Fully trained warrior and all that."

Teira giggled at Val's indignation, and the sound lightened something in my chest.

"Double protection," Tyler said with a shrug. "Can't be too careful."

"I need to meet with Dad," I decided. "Before dinner."

"What are you going to tell him?" Matt asked.

"Not about this," I said, nodding toward Teira. "Not yet. But I'm going to feel him out, see if he knows anything about Melinda or Crystal Lake that he hasn't shared."

Matt stood. "I'll go with you to meet Dad," he said to me, then turned to Teira. "And I'll do more digging on Crystal Lake and this Shadow reference. There has to be a connection."

"I should go," Sarah said. "My parents will be looking for me. But I wanted you to know you're not alone in this. I'll keep working on my parents."

After Sarah left, I stood reluctantly, not wanting to leave Teira but knowing we needed answers. "We'll figure this out," I promised her. "Whatever's happening, whatever secrets Mom's keeping about your mother – we'll uncover them. Together."

I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, letting my lips linger for just a moment. The familiar tingles coursed through me at the contact, a sensation I'd never experienced with anyone else. It was one of the signs of a potential mate bond, along with sensing each other's emotions as we could now do. But we wouldn't know for certain until my brothers and I turned eighteen in January. Still, my wolf had already made his choice clear.

Through our bond, I could feel the conflicting emotions from my brothers – Tyler's fierce protectiveness, Matt's deep concern. And something else, something growing stronger each day: a connection between the four of us that defied explanation.

As Matt and I headed toward the door, Teira called out, "Ryan?"

I turned back.

"Be careful," she said. "Your mother... there was something in her eyes when the shadows gathered. She wasn't just angry. She was afraid."

That gave me pause. My mother had been many things in her life – calculating, ambitious, determined – but I'd rarely seen her afraid.

"What would the Luna of the Dark Moon Pack have to fear from shadows?" I wondered aloud.

"Maybe," Matt said as we stepped into the hall, "the better question is: what would she fear from the daughter of Shadow?"

That thought accompanied us as we headed toward our father's office, both of us silent with the weight of unanswered questions. One thing was certain – nothing about our family or this pack was what it seemed. And the girl with the shadows might be the key to unraveling it all.

As we approached Dad's office, I sensed Matt's hesitation through our bond.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I'm worried about how much we should tell him," he said quietly. "Dad's always been fair and honest with us, but he's also loyal to Mom, despite their differences."

"We need to be strategic," I agreed. "Get information without revealing too much until we're sure how he'll react."

A chill ran down my spine as we knocked on our father's door. Whatever was coming, it would be here soon. And we needed to be ready.

"Enter," came Dad's voice from inside.

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, praying I'd find answers rather than more questions.