Chapter 5 Unwanted Answers
1208 Words
Lillian paced outside Theo’s study, biting her lip. This was ridiculous. How could she, a single person, have three mates?
She had no intention of going to Jace for answers—he’d flirt his way around the topic until she forgot why she was even asking in the first place. And Ryker? He barely seemed to understand his own emotions, let alone the complexities of their bond.
That left Theo.
The most frustrating, serious, and unreadable of the triplets.
Taking a deep breath, she knocked.
A clipped, "Come in," was her response.
Lillian hesitated. Not because she was intimidated—she didn’t do intimidation—but because talking to Theo was like walking into a courtroom unprepared.
Still, she pushed open the door.
Theo sat at his desk, a stack of documents in front of him. His sharp silver eyes lifted to hers, expression unreadable. "Lillian," he greeted, voice calm but firm.
She stepped inside, arms crossed. "I need answers."
He leaned back slightly, resting his elbows on the armrests. "And you assume I have them?"
"Don’t act dumb. You’re the ‘leader’ out of you three." She narrowed her eyes. "Why do I have three mates? That’s not normal, right?"
Theo’s jaw tightened. "No, it’s not."
Lillian frowned. "So what’s wrong with me?"
"Nothing is wrong with you." His voice was sharp. "It’s rare, but not impossible."
She crossed her arms, waiting for him to explain.
Theo let out a slow breath, fingers tapping against the desk. "Mates are connected by fate, yes. But sometimes, fate… overcompensates."
Lillian raised a brow. "Overcompensates?"
Theo’s gaze held hers. "Sometimes, when a person is exceptional, fate ties them to more than one mate. It’s rare, but it happens. Usually, it’s because that person is meant to shift the course of something. A war. A prophecy. A balance that fate deems important."
Lillian blinked. "That… is a lot of pressure."
Theo nodded. "It is."
Silence stretched between them.
Lillian’s mind raced. So fate saw her as something ‘exceptional’? That didn’t explain why. She was just… her. A witch who got thrown into this mess.
"Does this mean I have to choose?" she asked, voice quieter now.
Theo’s expression didn’t change. "Eventually."
Something in her chest twisted.
She cleared her throat. "And what if I don’t?"
Theo didn’t immediately respond. He stood up, walking around his desk until he was standing in front of her. Close. Too close.
His silver eyes held an intensity that made her breath hitch. "Then the bond will choose for you."
Lillian stiffened. "What does that mean?"
Theo lifted a hand, brushing a stray piece of hair from her face. The touch was brief—so brief she might’ve imagined it. "It means… that eventually, you’ll be drawn to one of us stronger than the others."
Lillian swallowed. "And what happens to the other two?"
Theo’s gaze darkened. "They suffer."
Her heart pounded.
Before she could say anything else, Theo stepped back, the warmth between them vanishing. "If that’s all, you should leave."
Lillian clenched her fists, hating that he could just dismiss the conversation like that while she was stuck with more questions than before.
But she didn’t argue.
She turned on her heel and walked out.
The only problem?
She wasn’t sure if she felt relieved or terrified.
Lillian stormed out of Theo’s study, her mind a tangled mess of frustration and confusion. She hated the way he got under her skin. He always spoke like he knew everything, and worse—he never gave her the whole truth.
The cool night air hit her as she stepped outside. She needed space. Needed to breathe.
And, apparently, needed someone to complain to.
She pulled out her phone.
Lillian: Meet me at the courtyard. Bring snacks. Don’t ask why.
Mia: Bold of you to assume I have snacks to spare.
Lillian: You literally have a stash under your bed.
Mia: ……give me five minutes.
She smiled despite herself.
By the time she reached the courtyard, Mia was already there, sitting cross-legged on the stone bench with a bag of chips. She popped one into her mouth and raised an eyebrow.
"So, which one of your tall, brooding wolfboys pissed you off this time?"
Lillian groaned, plopping down beside her. "Theo."
Mia gasped. "No. Not Mr. Emotionless? How dare he?"
Lillian shot her a look, but Mia only grinned, shoving the bag toward her. She grabbed a handful of chips and crunched aggressively.
"He told me something weird," Lillian muttered after a moment.
Mia leaned in dramatically. "Weird like oh-no-you’re-secretly-married weird or the-werewolf-gods-hate-you weird?"
Lillian sighed. "He said that the bond will eventually choose for me. That I’ll be drawn to one of them more than the others."
Mia blinked. "And the rest?"
"They suffer."
Mia whistled. "Yikes. That’s… heavy."
Lillian tossed a chip at her. "Gee, thanks for your deep emotional insight."
Mia snorted. "Okay, okay, let’s break this down. Have you felt anything different around any of them?"
Lillian hesitated.
She thought of Jace, how his playful smirks always made her heart skip. How he knew exactly how to push her buttons, teasing her until she was flustered and breathless.
She thought of Ryker, his quiet warmth. The way he made her feel safe without needing to say much at all. How he just… understood her without trying.
And then there was Theo. Unshakable. Unreadable. He barely touched her, barely showed anything—yet one glance, one brush of his fingers, set her entire body on fire.
Lillian buried her face in her hands. "I’m doomed."
Mia patted her back with zero sympathy. "You are. But on the bright side, at least you have options. Some of us are single and thriving—"
She was cut off by a loud snap behind them.
Both girls jumped.
Lillian turned, heart racing, only to see—
Ryker.
Standing a few feet away. Holding a book. Wearing his stupidly cute glasses.
Mia nudged Lillian. "Speaking of options."
Lillian elbowed her.
Ryker blinked at them, clearly unsure if he was interrupting something. "I… didn’t mean to eavesdrop."
Mia smirked. "Sure you didn’t."
Lillian glared at her.
Ryker cleared his throat. "I was just… reading. And I heard voices."
Mia leaned in toward Lillian, whispering loudly, "Do you think he actually reads, or does he just stare at books dramatically?"
Lillian fought a smile. "He actually reads."
Mia gasped. "Impossible."
Ryker sighed. "You two are exhausting."
Lillian grinned. "You love us."
He didn’t answer, but his lips twitched. Just slightly.
Mia nudged Lillian. "Well, I’ll leave you two alone. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do."
"That’s… not comforting," Lillian called after her, but Mia was already skipping away.
Now it was just her and Ryker.
The silence stretched between them—not uncomfortable, just… there.
He glanced down at the book in his hands.
Lillian tilted her head. "What are you reading?"
He hesitated, then handed it to her.
She skimmed the cover and raised an eyebrow. Witch History and Their Lost Lineages.
Her stomach twisted.
When she looked up, Ryker was already watching her.
"I just wanted to know more," he admitted quietly. "About… you."
Lillian’s breath caught.
She had no idea what to say to that.
- Writer
