CHAPTER 56: SO WHAT HAPPENS TO ME?

Liora’s POV

Ever since Iris had been identified as the Mother of Wolves, my life had spiraled into nothing but pain. The title alone left me depressed every day, enough to break the foundation of everything I’d built with the triplets. Though , physically, I wasn’t losing them, not exactly. Their affection hadn’t changed towards me. We still enjoy the same intimate relationship we’ve always had. In fact, last night, we had a threesome and it was amazing. But the specter of Iris being a threat to me passed each day as the future Supreme Luna. Well they hadn’t said outright that she would be their Luna, but the possibility was thin and I wasn’t comfortable with it every day.

I am seated by the riverbank, the cool evening breeze tugging at my hair as the water lapped gently against the mossy stones. My emotions felt like they were in a cage as I couldn’t shake the fear that I was losing them, that my dreams of standing beside the triplets as their mate, my white gown trailing behind me as I walked down the aisle, were slipping through my fingers without doing anything to stop it, feeling helpless.

Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts. My head whipped around, and there they were, Cade, Zane and Kael, approaching as I forced a smile, brushing my hands against my skirt to smooth it out as I stood, facing them while they got closer.

"Hey," I called out, injecting a calmness into my voice that I didn’t feel.

They stopped a few feet away, close enough that I could see the tension in their faces as I wondered what’s wrong.

"We need to talk, Liora," Cade said, his voice casual. His eyes met mine, and all I could see in them was worries, as if something was troubling him, all of them.

I tilted my head, forcing a playful lilt into my tone despite the unease curling inside me. "Oh, come on, don’t look so serious. You’re scaring me." I stepped closer, reaching out to brush my fingers against Cade’s arm but he didn’t respond the playful way I thought he would.

"Liora," Zane said, his voice softer than Cade’s. "We love you. You know that, right? We’ve always loved you." He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. "We want to see you as our mate, walking down the aisle in that gown you always talk about, looking like you stepped out of a dream."

My heart leapt at his words. I had just pictured it some moments ago clearly, my white dress flowing as I walked, the triplets waiting for me at the alter, their eyes full of adoration. But their faces didn’t match the picture they painted in my head now. Zane still wouldn’t look at me with love as he always did. The butterflies in my stomach turned to fear and confusion.

"Why do you all look like you’re about to deliver a death sentence?" I asked as I crossed my arms, mirroring Kael’s stance. "What’s wrong?"

They exchanged glances as my pulse quickened. Finally, Cade stepped forward and stopped just short of touching me, his hands flexing at his sides as if he wanted to reach out but held back himself.

"Father has made a decision," he said. "He wants us to marry Iris."

The world tilted beneath me, rendering me speechless and hurt but not surprised and for a moment, I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think too as the surge of anger rushed through me.

"What... What do you mean?" I stuttered.

"What about me? What about all those nights we spent together? The promises, the way you too pleasured yourself with me" My voice broke, tears forming my eyes and I hated the way I showed weakness. I took a step back, my eyes darting between them. "You laid with me, all of you, and now you’re just going to toss me aside like I’m nothing?"

"No, Liora, that’s not it," Kael said quickly, his hands raised as if to calm me. His face softened. "You’re still our mate. That hasn’t changed. It’ll never change."

"Then what the hell are you saying?" I demanded, my voice rising. "You can’t just stand there and tell me you love me, then say you’re marrying her!"

Zane took a step closer, his eyes meeting mine. "Iris is the Mother of Wolves," he said. "Father believes mating with her will strengthen the pack. Her bloodline, her power, it’s supposed to bring us closer to the Moon Goddess’s favor. He says it’s for the good of the pack, and we can’t question him."

I choked out a laugh. "For the good of the pack? What about me? What about us?" I gestured wildly between us. "You’re just going to let him dictate your lives like that? You’re going to let him throw me away?"

"Liora, listen," Cade said, his voice cutting through my outburst. He stepped closer, and this time he did touch me, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder but it didn’t calm the panic clawing at my chest. "This isn’t about throwing you away. We don’t want her, not like that. We’re doing this because we have to."

"Have to?" I echoed, jerking away from his touch. My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I refused to let them fall. "You’re the future Alphas. You don’t have to do anything."

Kael sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. "It’s not that simple. Father’s word is law, and Iris... her power is real. If we mate with her, the pack gains strength, protection and many more. It’s not just about us, it’s about everyone we’re responsible for."

"So what happens to me? Am I supposed to just wait while I grow old?"

"No," Kael said. He stepped forward, closing the distance between us. His hand reached for mine, his fingers curling around mine.

"This is for your good too, Liora. Once we’ve secured the pack’s future, once we’ve gained the power we need, we’ll set her aside and marry you, just like we always planned. She’s a means to an end, nothing more."