The Triplet Alphas' Secret Mate

Chapter 38: Back Home

Scarlett’s POV

​"Leave for where?" I asked, my voice thick with panic. "Is he taking me back to the rogues? To my real buyer?"

​She didn’t answer. She simply set the tray down and gestured toward the bathroom. A cold dread settled deep in my stomach. In sixty minutes, I would be back in that black SUV... heading toward a destination only the Goddess knew.

​I forced myself to eat, knowing I would need the strength. Every bite tasted sour in my mouth.

I showered quickly, dressing in a fresh set of clothes the maid had left—a thick sweater and sturdy boots. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The bruises on my cheek were healed, but my eyes... my eyes looked different. There was a flicker of something in them. Not hope, exactly, but a desperate need to survive.

​Exactly one hour later, the door opened. Ethan stood there, dressed in a sharp charcoal shirt, looking every bit the breathtaking man I remembered.

​"Ready?" he asked, his gray eyes scanning my face.

​"Do I have a choice?" I countered.

​A devilish smirk played on his lips. "None at all."

​He led me downstairs and out to the gravel driveway. The SUVs were lined up again, engines already idling. I climbed into the backseat, expecting him to join me, but he stayed outside for a moment, talking into his phone.

​"They’re already at the gate?" I heard him say, his voice vibrating with dark amusement. "Impatient."

​My heart skipped. They? Who was at the gate?

down the long, winding drive toward the massive iron entrance of the Obsidian estate. As we rounded the final curve, I saw them. Three familiar SUVs were blocked by a line of Ethan’s

​Liam, Leo, and Leon.

looked like they had been through a war. Their hair was disheveled, their clothes were wrinkled, and even from this distance, I could see the raw,

my hand reaching for

stepped out

see me through the dark film, but I felt their gaze like a burning heat against my skin. My wolf, Zoe, began to pace frantically in my mind. Even after everything they had done—the rejections, the coldness,

words, but the tension was thick enough to choke on. Liam looked like he hadn’t slept in a week; Leo was practically vibrating with a restrained need to shift and tear someone apart;

to my horror, I saw them nod. They didn’t move toward the car. They didn’t demand to see me. Instead, they

by the soundproof interior. I lunged for the door handle, but it was locked from the

their cruelty...It was far better than this. Better than whatever

got back into the

​"Drive," he commanded.

road, I realized the triplets weren’t leaving. Their cars pulled out from the shoulder of the road, forming a tight,

the rear window at the three black SUVs trailing us

is happening?" I demanded, my voice trembling with confusion and fear. "Why

leaned back, crossing one

mine. "We are going to

my eyes widening. "The Alphas sent me away. They told me never

sounding certain. "This time, the

my brow furrowing in deep confusion. "What do you mean, my stay? I was ordered to

watching the blur of green trees as we crossed the official boundary

back into the leather seat, my hands