Alpha Triplets Claim

Chapter 58.

“I appreciate that, but the only one who can make decisions for my wellbeing is me.”

“And you’re doing a bang-up job so far, aren’t you?” The edge in his voice returned.

“Josh, don’t.”

“Fine. Look, if now’s not a good time for a visit, I understand. Just promise me you’ll take care, okay? That you won’t run. headlong into another dangerous situation.”

“I can’t promise that, you know how life is. But I can promise to be careful.”

Another pause, shorter this time.

“Alright, Phera. Be careful, then.”

“I will be. Take care, Josh.”

Just as I was about to hit the ‘end call’ button, he added softly,

“I’ll always care about you, you know. No matter what happens.”

Me too, Josh,” I replied, my voice softening despite myself. “Me too.”

Finally, I ended the call. The screen went dark, and I was left staring at my own reflection, wondering how a single conversation could make me question so many things I thought I had figured out.

Lying back down, I realized I was at the crossroads of my past and my future. It was disconcerting, the power those from our past have to unsettle our present. But as I lay there, I found some semblance of clarity. The triplets, my pack, my

responsibilities-they were my present, perhaps my future. Josh was a part of my past, a chapter that had closed.

Or so I thought, until the door swung open. It was Nate, his face a mask of concern and urgency.

“We need to talk,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “We found something.”

My heart sank, the weight of his words pulling me back to the harsh reality. For better or worse, it seemed like my past and future were still entangled, their threads weaving an intricate tapestry that I was yet to fully understand. And for the first time, 1 wondered if I ever would.

“Where are the triplets? And why do I sense so much anger from them?” I asked

Nate’s eyes met mine, filled with a gravity that instantly told me this wasn’t going to be easy listening.

“Phen are you certain you want the detailed version? Because, trust, it involves the kind of carnage that would make a season d warrior’s stomach chum.”

“Stop beating around the bush, Nate. Tell me where they are and what’s happening,” I insisted, my voice strained with urgency.

He sighed, as if coming to a difficult resolution.

“Fine. They’re in the Council’s chamber. You know as well as I do that it’s only for the most grave and serious matters. They’re meeting with the pack elders, hashing out details and debating security protocols.”

I felt a chill crawl up my spine. The Council’s chamber was a place of last resort, where dire issues were sorted out-life- altering decisions made.

“Why would they leave me here to attend a Council meeting? What’s so important?”

2

Nate

emed to hesitate, and then, as if ripping off a Band-Aid, he let out.

“Phera, the attack was orchestrated with a very specific target in mind. And that target was you. They intended to either severely injure or kill you, to send the pack into a state of chaos.”

The air in the room thickened, each word from Nate landing like a stone in my stomach.

“They were after me? Why would someone want to do that? Who would want to do that?”

“We’re not certain yet,” Nate admitted, his eyes darkening. “But this attack was calculated, down to the last detail. It was a deliberate effort to destabilize the pack from the inside. You have to understand, the moment you were injured, the pack’s entire emotional state fluctuated. The bonds were stressed, and not just because of the triplets. You’re crucial to the pack’s unity, and our enemies know it.”

“So, I was the pawn in this sadistic game,” I muttered, my voice

tinged with disbelief and burgeoning fear.

“Incorrect,” Nate interjected sharply. “You’re not a pawn; you’re more like the queen on a chessboard, incredibly powerful and pivotal to winning the game. They tried to take you off the board, but they’ve only succeeded in uniting us in ways they never anticipated. If anything, they’ve unleashed a storm.”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words, grappling with the heavy, uncomfortable truth of what he was saying. I was the target. My well-being affected not just my family and the triplets but the entire pack. The burden felt immense, almost too much to bear.

“And Phera,” Nate’s voice took on an even graver tone, breaking through my contemplative silence. “We found something at the site where the rogues attacked. A kind of… message.”

“A message?” My curiosity piqued despite the dread swirling in my gut.

“It was encrypted, complex, but the part we could make out… It had instructions. Instructions that centered around

inctating you.”

As he spoke, he unfolded a piece of paper, heavily creased and marred with splotches of dirt and blood. My eyes scanned the visible words, and what little I could read tightened the knot of tension in my stomach into an agonizing cramp.

“Recognize this handwriting?” he asked.

“No I don’t.” I said

And before I could press him for more details, he left the room, leaving me mired in a sea of questions, suspicions, and most disturbingly, doubts.