The Triplet Alphas' Secret Mate

Chapter 83: Why Him

​Scarlett’s POV.

​My heart didn’t just sink; it felt like it had been submerged in ice water. Of all the names in the pack—hundreds of warriors, scouts, and males—the universe had a sick sense of humor.

​Alpha Ethan.

​The man I had just had a fight with.

​I looked at the triplets on the dais. Leo was leaning forward, his sea-blue eyes burning with a desperate hope that I had pulled his name. Leon was watching me through narrowed lids, his tongue darting out to touch the scab on his lip where I’d bitten him. They were all waiting. The silence of the field was deafening.

​I looked down at the slip of paper again, hoping the ink would change, but the name stared back at me in his arrogant, bold scrawl. Why was his name even in the box? As a high Alpha, he was supposed to be overseeing the event, not running through the mud and blood with the rest of us.

​The Elder cleared his throat, the sound booming in the expectant silence of the field. "Scarlett? Who is the male the Goddess has chosen for you?"

​I opened my mouth to speak, to announce that my partner wasn’t even present—hoping, praying that his absence would force a redraw. I could pick a scout. A warrior. Anyone that I wouldn’t feel awkward being around. But before I could, Ethan strolled in, looking devastatingly composed. He wasn’t in his usual tailored suit; he was dressed for the hunt in dark, tactical gear that hugged his broad shoulders and powerful thighs. Two of his personal guards walked a respectful distance behind him, but his eyes—cold, sharp, and lingering with the fury of last night—found mine instantly.

​He didn’t look like a man who had walked out of my room in a fit of guilt. He looked like an Alpha ready for the hunt.

​I swallowed hard, my fingers crushing the parchment. The Elder gestured for me to speak. I had to do it. I had to claim him in front of the whole pack, including Elara, who was watching me with a look that could kill.

​I took a shaky step forward, my voice barely audible at first. "I have drawn..." I cleared my throat, forcing my gaze to stay level. "Alpha Ethan."

​A collective gasp rippled through the large field. I heard a low, pained growl from the dais—Leo. I didn’t have to look to know he was vibrating with jealousy.

didn’t stop until he was standing directly in front of me. The scent of him—expensive cologne

my knees wanted to give out. "You’re in the box, Alpha?" I whispered, my voice laced with a bitter edge. "I thought you were too busy with your...

muscle jumping in his cheek. He didn’t answer. Instead, he reached out, his large hand wrapping

a low vibration that only I could hear. He leaned in closer, his nose brushing against the high collar of my shirt, inhaling deeply as if searching for the scent of his cousin or

he wanted.

his eyes full of seriousness. "I expect my partners to keep

turned, practically dragging me toward

high platform. He looked like a king, but his eyes were dark with a temper he was barely

how well you know your partner’s shadow. If both of

he was trying to wipe away a headache. Elara was draped over his arm, wearing a red leather outfit that looked more like a costume than combat gear. She caught me looking and blew a bubble with her gum, her eyes cold. She thought she had won because she was with a triplet, but I could see Leon’s wolf

me his property flashing in my mind. "Stop looking at them. Look at the ring. We are up

weren’t Alphas, but they were fast, and they had spent their

don’t need your instructions, Ethan," I said,

yourself," Ethan corrected, his grip on my arm sliding down until his large hand was wrapped around mine. His palm was calloused and hot. "But in the ring, you have to move with me. If you try to be a hero on your own, they will

I didn’t want to move with him at all. But the Elder stepped forward and pointed a long wooden staff at

Seven! Alpha Ethan and Scarlett! Against Mark and Mira

led me into a large circle drawn in the white chalk and

other side. They looked like mirrors of each other—short hair, lean muscles, and hungry smiles. They didn’t see me as a threat. They saw me as the

rules are simple," the Elder shouted.

​The horn blew.

Ethan. He wasn’t trying to knock him out; he was trying to tie him up. Mira, the sister, darted around the side, her eyes

​"Scarlett, back!" Ethan commanded.