The Triplet Alphas' Secret Mate

Chapter 211: Hurt

Scarlett’s POV

​I swallowed hard, waiting for him to explode. I braced myself for shattered glass, roared threats, or the violent flare of his Alpha aura that would bring the rest of the pack running to my door.

​But the explosion never came. Instead, the silence grew heavier, thicker, stretching out until it felt like a physical weight crushing the air right out of my lungs.

​Liam didn’t move. He stood perfectly still in the center of my dimly lit room. His chest was heaving, his breath hitching painfully as he stared at me. The golden glow of his inner wolf flared behind his dark eyes—not in fury, but in deep, agonizing sorrow. The beast inside him was mourning.

​"A one-night thing," Liam repeated. His voice didn’t shake, but it was hollow, completely stripped of the warmth and affection he had showered me with all evening. "While you were on the run... with a stranger."

​Every single word felt like a dagger dipped in poison because I knew the truth. It wasn’t a stranger. It was his own blood.

​"Liam, please," I whispered, tears finally stinging the corners of my eyes. The guilt was eating me alive. Seeing him look so broken—so utterly defeated—was worse than seeing him angry. "I was gone for years. I thought you all hated me. I thought the bond was a curse."

​"I stayed pure for you, Scarlett," he choked out, the raw heartbreak finally cracking through his cold mask. He took a single, agonizing step backward, away from me, away from the bed. "For five years, I didn’t let another woman touch me. My wolf wouldn’t even allow me to look at anyone else."

​A tear slipped down my cheek, hot and heavy. "I’m sorry," I sobbed, gripping the navy fabric tighter against my chest. "I’m so sorry, Liam."

​He closed his eyes, tilting his head back as he took a deep, shuddering breath. I could hear the low, painful whine of his inner wolf vibrating in his chest. The possessive Alpha instincts inside him were tearing him apart from the inside out—wanting to claim me, wanting to erase the scent of another man, yet shattered by the knowledge that he wasn’t my first.

​When he opened his eyes again, the golden light was gone, replaced by a dull, dead look that terrified me more than anything else.

he?"

I told you, it

windows of my room. The raw authority in his command made my legs tremble, but he instantly reined it in, clamping

floors of this mansion before the sun rose. I had to stick to the

It was dark. I was weak, Liam. I just wanted to forget the prophecy, forget the pack, forget everything for just one night. Please, let

face. He was incredibly smart, a master strategist, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He knew something wasn’t right.

sigh that sounded like a man giving up his last

to me, his broad shoulders slumped in a way I had never seen before.

walked toward the door, his movements stiff and robotic. He paused with his hand on the doorknob,

​"Good night."

that, he opened the door and stepped out, closing it firmly behind

bed, pulled my knees to my chest,

Liam’s pain. He had kept himself pure for me, guarding his heart for a fated mate he wasn’t even sure was still alive. Now, I was back, but I carried the secrets of someone else’s touch. The guilt felt like

couldn’t just sit alone with my terrifying thoughts. I got up, took a long, hot bath, and let the warm water wash away the tension of the night. Once I dried off, I slid into a simple, comfy night set—a loose black

I was way too worried about him. The sad, defeated look in Liam’s eyes before he walked

that. Not after how sweet he

house was fast asleep. The hallways were dark, lit only by the silver moonlight coming through the big windows. I closed my eyes, took

I hesitated for a second, my heart

passed. Then, the

was completely shirtless, showing off his broad chest and muscular body. The dark tattoos wrapping around his arms and shoulders moved