The Wolf Princess Takes A Mate

06 Not Humam

"Annallee! Annallee! Your Big Brother Xenon is here!" Xenon cheerfully announces in a sing-song voice as he slams the door open.

However, suddenly he remembered that Golden Rule Mom and Dad told them in order for them to come and visit me. And that's only if and when they don't slam open or close the door so I won't be startled just in case I'm sleeping.

Thanks to that, I can see through the slats of my crib where Xenon quickly rushes over to catch the door before it smacks against the wall.

Not that I care if it slams the wall or not.

I already know whenever he's done with his lessons and is on his way over to come to visit me.

And whenever Xenon comes over...

"You are a stupid i***t, you know that?" Yale tells him acidly, a frown marring his face as he shakes his head with disapproval at Xenon while passing by to enter my room.

Yep. The gang will all be here.

"Hey, shut up! I caught it before it made a noise, didn't I?" Xenon defends himself angrily.

"Well, there's no use in doing that when you are already bellowing your lungs out while entering Annallee's room," Yale huffs. "It's worse than the door slamming."

Sorry, Xenon but Yale has a point.

Though...it wasn't technically Xenon's bellowing that tipped me off of his arrival. And don't worry, you're not exactly entirely at fault since you actually have accomplices in that regard.

"Guys, can you please stop fighting whenever we visit, Annallee?" Zach's soft voice sounded like a piercing arrow as he cuts through cleanly between Xenon and Yale's bickering before it escalates.

"Remember what Mom and Dad said? Annallee is a genius and a brilliant baby. She'll know whenever we are fighting. And remember the last time we fought while in her presence?" he adds sagely.

And that effectively stopped the other two from continuing on with their bickering.

Ah, Zach, despite being the youngest of the triplets, is actually the mediator and voice of reason between his overly cheerful and hot-headed first brother, Xenon, and the cold and aloof second brother, Yale.

Sighing in relief, Zach shakes his head at his brothers and proceeds to head toward my crib first. Xenon and Yale follow him meekly.

I sigh in relief with Zach and didn't mind the interaction now that I got used to it.

It's been a week since I woke up and met the triplets. And to be honest, I think that was one of the most memorable moments in my life because of how amusing and entertaining that was.

Why? Well...here's how it went down after I tried to charm them.

One week ago...

After my best attempt to give them my brightest most adorable smile and cutest coo, the stretch of silence went longer. I am slowly starting to feel that I failed and just ended up embarrassing myself.

Despite having crystal clear memories of this happening to me even when I grow up, I was already planning to play dumb. I also decided to pretend that I have zero clue as to what I did when I was a baby if, and when, my parents or my brothers bring this particular situation in the future.

I was THIS close to calling it quits and resigning myself to a fate where I am once again hated by my siblings.

Then all of a sudden, Xenon starts to hiccup, making me blink in surprise. And as if that wasn't enough, Yale started hiccuping too. Then Zach followed suit!

Blinking rapidly, I look up at my parents, worried about what on Earth was happening to my brothers. They looked surprised as well but it didn't take long for them to recover.

"Oh, hahaha."

Mom giggles and ups her support of me with one arm while she reaches out to ruffle the three boys' heads. Seconds later, Dad joins in with the chuckling and the patting of heads.

What--what is happening here? Why are Mom and Dad just laughing? Are they not going to give them water or something?

I mean...well, Zach was already drinking from his baby bottle and he still got the hiccups.

So, is this just a normal occurrence for the boys to suddenly hiccup one after the other until all three of them are hiccuping at the same time?

"This is surprising. Who would have thought that you boys would actually have the rug pulled under your feet by your own little sister?" Dad says in an amused tone of voice.

At his words, the boys seem to have snapped out of their sudden bouts of hiccups and they all rushed out of the room without another word.

"Ah, I forgot," Dad huffs and stands up, shaking his head at the door where the three boys just made their hasty exit. "I guess there goes the rattle for Annallee. But at least, that went well."

I blink. Excuse me? What went well?

I'm sorry but, to me, I don't think what just happened was something that 'went well'.

"Indeed, it did," Mom agrees and stands up as well, resuming her rocking of me. "I'm glad that the boys liked their little sister."

Uhm, Mom? I don't think that's what's going to happen, though? That didn't look like my brothers are going to like me any time soon.

Dad nods. "Hahaha. I can't say that I blame them. Our little Annallee is just too precious. What's not to like about her?"

Even you, Dad? Really?

No matter how much I analyze the situation, I really don't know if I can say that it 'went well' or that meant that my brothers liked me.

However, I never get to think about it any further because the way how Mom rocks me in her arms is making my eyelids go heavier with every sway. My last thoughts before falling asleep were thinking if I can still do something about the triplets so they'll warm up to me.

And wondered how soon I can meet with them again. Therefore, I can study what each of them likes so I can prepare to bribe them with their favorite item in exchange for their affection and favor.

I know that it might sound like I'm just trying something one would do if we are in a simulation or role-playing game.

However, that doesn't mean that it won't work.

I mean, who doesn't want to receive something they like?

However, the next day, it seems that my worries were all for naught.

Because the triplets suddenly barged into my room again just right after Mom fed me and was in the process of burping me.

Even though they barged into my room yet again, they didn't run inside and made loud obnoxious noises like the day before. Based on the guilty look on their faces, it seems that Dad had given them the what for before they were permitted inside my room once again.

Mom asked them what was up and they all put the toys they were hiding behind them inside my crib.

"Aww, is that an apology gift for your little sister for being rude and noisy yesterday?" Mom asks, trying so hard to compose her expression so she won't look too pleased by the sweet gesture.

The three boys look away, all three don't seem to want to admit what they're really doing. However, the fact that they were sneaking glances at me every now and again didn't escape my notice.

Were they...shy?

They certainly weren't shy around me yesterday. And not only that but it looks like they're waiting for something. It seems like they're expecting me to do something for them.

My brain buffers for a moment, wondering what they want from me when all of a sudden, something clicks and comes to mind.

Could it be...? No. Nah.

There's no way they're here for that. But...well, I don't have any other explanations for why they are acting this way in the first place.

Unless it's THAT.

Well, as the saying goes, I won't know something unless I try it.

Here goes nothing then.

Fully turning in my mother's arms, I stare at my brothers and watch them stare back at me unabashedly now that they noticed my attention was on them.

I look towards the crib and saw the toys there.

I'm surprised to see that they are actually real toys in there and not some stuff they picked up from outside. Like leaves or flowers or something.

There's a stuffed bear, a small doll, and a ball that is small enough for me to play with but big enough that I won't accidentally swallow it.

Not that I would try to put it in my mouth. I am not a little kid any--oh, okay, there's no use trying to play it off.

Despite how many lifetimes I've been through, there is no denying that I am nothing but a literal child right now. And no matter the amount of knowledge or experience I've had in my past lives, I am back to zero with every reincarnation.

Therefore, I cannot resist a nap or putting that delectable-looking ball in my mouth one way or another.

It's not my fault they make it look so chewable.

But anyway, before I got distracted by the toys, I was about to bestow my heartfelt thanks to my triplet brothers.

"Byah!"

I coo, lifting my arms as high as I can make them and beaming with all my heart at the three boys looking up expectantly at me.

And it seemed like it really was what they were waiting for from me when I see their faces brighten at my expression.

Their wariness and their shyness instantly disappeared and...

That's the start of a week with having the triplets come visit me as soon as they're done with their classes. And whenever they do, they always come bearing gifts or stories to tell me where it was about school, what they saw outside today, and many more.

With every gift they gave me, and every story they told me, I always react appropriately since I notice that they look so happy to see me doing so.

And since my 'genius' isn't shocking to any of the people here, I make it a point to pay attention to each and every gift or tale they give me as a means of entertainment and information.

Thanks to that, I think I learned more from them in the short period of time than I would have learned on my own as I wait for myself to be old enough to leave my room.

I don't know why but Mom and Dad never let me out of my crib whenever they're not on the premises.

And it's not that they leave me on my lonesome in my crib, too. I have a feeling they leave me there when I'm asleep or something because whenever I hear that the triplets are coming to visit, I wake up and find that Mom or Dad or both of them aren't here anymore.

Which leads us back to the now...

"Annallee, sorry about that. We promise not to fight like last time." Zach glances at Xenon and Yale before they step forward toward my crib, looking apologetic.

"We promise not to fight again in front of you," Xenon promises after a while when Zach pierces him and Yale a glare.

Yale nods and vows, "Though, admittedly, I cannot promise that I won't bicker with Xenon anymore since his idiocy is irritating. However, I shall endeavor to stick to verbal sparring rather than resorting to transforming to beat our blockhead of a brother."

"Hey!"

Xenon reddens in anger and was about to charge at a bored-looking Yale only to be stopped when Zach went in between them.

Again.

"Guys, I told you to cut it out! Don't make me tell Mom and Dad!"

Sighing, I decided that yes, my sleep is well-disturbed now and it seems that it will take some time before they settle down. Whatever it is that happened out there, it must have put them on the edge for them to pick on each other more often now than usual.

Especially Xenon and Yale.

Hup!

Huffing, I lift myself up from lying down on my back and crawled to the edge. Wrapping my chubby fingers on the smooth wooden slats, I watch my brothers do a 'verbal spar', as Brother Yale put it.

"It's not my fault that Xenon is just too slow to understand ANYTHING," Yale snarls.

Pop!

There goes Brother Yale's ears turning into furry red ones, pointing down in agitation.

"Oh, yeah? Why not put that mouth to better use by meeting with my fists?!" Xenon growls.

Pop! Pop!

Ah, and there goes Brother Xenon's tail, fluffing up with anger and tiny claws that are more than ready to scratch someone's eye out. Probably Brother Yale's.

"Guys! Stop! Please!" Zach begs desperately, the only one between the three who still looks like a normal human and not a cross between a wolf and a human like the other two.

And yes. Y'all heard me right.

They're not human. And since they're my brothers and I'm part of their family as their little sister, we share the same blood.

That could only mean one thing.

I am not human as well.