The Triplet Alphas' Secret Mate

Chapter 87: Against Each Other

Scarlett’s POV

​I looked at the center of the field. Five circular wooden platforms had been raised. They weren’t stable; they were mounted on massive iron gears.

​"Each pair will stand back-to-back," the Elder continued. "The platforms will spin. You will be given ten silver-tipped arrows. You must hit the moving targets released from the treeline. If you fall off the platform, or if you miss more than three targets, you are finished."

​Ethan led me toward the third platform. He didn’t say a word, but his movements were stiff, his jaw tight. He was still reeling from the fact that I’d found him so quickly in the woods.

​"Back-to-back, Scarlett," he commanded, stepping onto the wood.

​I climbed up and pressed my spine against his. He was a pillar of heat. I could feel the steady thrum of his heart through his shoulder blades. My skin prickled where we touched.

​"Don’t lean away," he muttered. "If you shift your weight, we both go down. Trust my balance."

​"Trust is a heavy word, Alpha," I whispered back, my fingers tightening around the grip of my bow. "Maybe just focus on the targets."

​I looked to my left. Leo and Tessa were already in position. Leo was standing perfectly still, but his eyes were fixed on us.

​To my right, Leon and Elara were mounting their platform. Leon looked exhausted, but his focus had shifted. He wasn’t looking at me anymore; he was looking at the woods with a grim, determined stare. Elara stood behind him, her face a mask of quiet concentration. She reached out to steady herself by grabbing Leon’s belt, and he nodded once, anchoring his feet into the wood.

​"Begin!"

​The gears beneath us groaned, and the world began to spin.

​The movement was slow at first, then faster. The trees, the crowd, and the sky blurred into a dizzying circle of color. My stomach lurched. I felt Ethan’s weight shift, his heels digging in to keep us centered.

​"Targets! Mark!" Ethan shouted.

​From the woods, wooden discs were launched into the air. They flew fast, zig-zagging through the wind.

​"Three o’clock!" Ethan barked.

spun my torso slightly, and fired. The silver tip whistled through the air

target soared over his side. Thwack.

forward to aim low, I leaned back to balance him. When the platform jerked, his hand reached back blindly, his fingers brushing

were holding their own. The platform was spinning fast, but Leon was a rock. He timed his shots perfectly, his arrows splitting the air with a deadly hiss. Elara, though she looked pale, didn’t miss. She moved with him, her eyes sharp

crack. One of the warrior pairs had lost their balance

out!"

Three targets were launched at once

​"Now!" Ethan roared.

pivoted on my heel, and released it.

stopped spinning, leaving me

Leon and Elara were still standing. They had hit every mark.

Tessa were also flawless. They stepped

cheering pack. "The final trial is here... The three Alphas and their partners will face each other in the Combat Ring. Only

a contest anymore. This was a

is next!" the Elder shouted. "Ethan and Scarlett. Leo and Tessa. Leon and Elara.

drawn. Leo and Leon moved like lightning. The three cousins crashed together in the center of the ring. They weren’t just fighting for a prize; they

behind me!" Ethan barked, parrying a heavy blow from

to be protected. I gripped

circle around to hit Ethan’s blind side. She was fast, moving with the silent grace of a hunter. I lunged. The tip of my spear whistled through the air, forcing her to skip

fighting me, Tessa!" I

swung a short mace, aiming for my ribs. I spun the spear, blocking the heavy hit with the shaft. The vibration rattled my teeth, but I didn’t buckle. I stepped into her space, swept her legs with the

out!" the Elder

desperate power. While Leo was distracted by Ethan, Leon delivered a punishing kick to Leo’s chest and followed up

​"Leo is out!"

us. Ethan and I

I saw the moment Leon lost. His eyes flickered toward me for a split second—a moment of distraction, a flash of that

was just me and

take the prize with Ethan.

wasn’t quiet or kind anymore. Her eyes were wide, burning with a hidden rage I didn’t understand. She lunged at me with a speed I didn’t know

​Slash.

my bicep. I looked down. My shirt was torn, and blood