Alpha Triplets Claim

Chapter 52.

“Yes, you did. And that’s my failure, Phera. I underestimated you. I underestimated them. And I thought that by keeping you apart, I was somehow doing you a favor. I was wrong.”

I chewed on her admission, contemplating the sincerity in her eyes. It was a bitter pill to swallow, realizing that sometimes the ones who love us could hurt us the most.

“And now? Now that years have passed, and they’ve proven themselves worthy Alphas, what’s your sage advice?”

“Now,” she finally looked me in the eyes again, “I say you should give them a chance. Let them show you how much they have changed, how much they can love you. They’ve waited for you, Phera, and they are ready to face any challenge, any ‘snake in the garden, as long as they can do it with you.”

My heart pounded in my chest as I absorbed her words. I thought about Damon’s fervor, Axel’s relentless support, and Zane’s quiet strength. Each of them had woven themselves into

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the jobric of my heart in their unique ways, and pulling away now would mean unraveling the threads of a future that I was just beginning to envision.

“Thank you for being honest, Newmara. I still don’t know what my future holds, but it’s comforting to know I have your support, however late it may be,” I finally said, feeling an odd sense of relief.

Newmara squeezed my hand across the table, her own eyes misty.

ever too late to write a new chapter, Phera. Don’t let our past mistakes cloud your future happiness. They love you; that’s the one thing time hasn’t changed. And that love can be the strongest shield against any ‘snake’ that might come your way.”

The words hung in the air as we left the café, each of us lost in our thoughts but bound by a renewed, if fragile, sense of understanding. As I walked away, I couldn’t help but ponder her words. Love as a shield. Was I ready to wield it, or would I continue to use it as a sword, keeping everyone-especially my mates-at bay? Only time would tell, and the clock was ticking.

Just

the warmth of sisterly reconciliation began to envelop me, it as abruptly shattered. The pack attack alarms blared through the atmosphere, reverberating in every fiber of my being. The sound was jarring, a call to immediate and

instinctual action that turned my blood to ice. The undercurrent of urgency surged through me, solidifying the precariousness of our existence within seconds.

Simultaneously, the triplets’ voices came through the pack mindlink, as unified as their physical beings but laced with unmistakable tension.

“All women, children, and elders, proceed to the bunkers immediately. Warriors, assemble at the east and south borders. This is not a drill.”

The gravity of their combined voices hit like a wave, pulling us toward survival and battle, toward fear and bravery. My heart pounded, not just with my own anxiety but the collective dread of our pack.

Newmara and I locked eyes, the lingering warmth of our earlier conversation suddenly overlaid by a chilling sense of foreboding. She opened her mouth as if to speak but closed it

again as there were no words that could appropriately address the sitation.

“We should go,” she finally said, the heaviness of the moment settling around us like a shroud.

“I know,”

I agreed, but despite the urgency, my feet felt like lead. Thoughts raced through my head. The pack, my family, my mates-the triplets who had been weaving themselves back into my life, filling spaces I didn’t even know were empty. What did this mean for us? For me?

A ripple of shivers cascaded down my spine as I pondered Newmara’s words from our conversation. Love as a shield, she had said. As we hurried toward the designated bunkers, her counsel reverberated in my mind, I felt a momentary twinge of guilt; while I had been preoccupied with the complexities of love and mating, the safety of our pack was jeopardized.

“We’ll talk later,” Newmara promised, her eyes reflecting the mingling of regret and determination that churned within both

of us

I nodded, knowing that ‘later’ was a precarious term in times like these. In this world, moments were stolen, lives were lost, and futures were rewritten in the blink of an eye. As we reached the entrance to the bunker, Newmara turned to me, her expression a blend of worry and sternness.

“Phera, you need to go in. You’re the Luna of this pack, mated or not. It’s where you belong right now.”

Her words hung heavily in the air, begging for my agreement. But I couldn’t.

“I am the Luna, yes,” I affirmed, my voice thick with conflicting emotions. “But that also makes me a warrior for this pack. I can’t just hide.”

Newmara’s hands gripped my arms, an attempt to physically move me into the safety of the bunker. But in a swift motion, guided by adrenaline and conviction, I reversed our positions. With a surprising burst of strength, I pushed her inside instead.

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“And as a warrior, you should know that each role in a battle is important, including inspiring hope and assurance. You’re going to be a mother; your place is here, safe.”

I slammed my palm against the control panel, the steel doors beginning to close. As they did, our eyes met, a silent exchange in a noisy world.

me, Newmara,” I mouthed just as the doors sealed ocking her away from the chaos that was about to unfold.

My back against the cold steel of the sealed door, I took a moment to collect myself. Duty and love, both equally persuasive, waged a war within me. Yet, as I turned away, I knew I had just made a choice-one that would echo in the days to come, for better or for worse.