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.

was he?"

I told you, it was just a

me, Scarlett!" he suddenly roared, the sheer power of his Alpha voice rattling the glass windows of my room. The raw authority in his command made my legs tremble, but he instantly reined it in, clamping his

had to stick to the lie. I had to protect the fragile peace, even if it meant

was in a crowded club. It was dark. I was weak, Liam. I just wanted to forget the prophecy, forget the pack, forget everything

me for a long, agonizing moment, searching my face. He was incredibly smart, a master strategist, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He knew something wasn’t right. He could smell the deep terror and guilt rolling off me, but he attributed

out a long, defeated sigh that sounded like a man giving

Liam murmured, his voice barely a whisper. He turned his back to me, his broad shoulders slumped in a way I had never seen before.

and robotic. He paused with his hand on

​"Good night."

the door and stepped

pulled my knees to my chest, and took a deep, shaky breath

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

and let the warm water wash away the tension of the night.

him. The sad, defeated look in Liam’s eyes before he walked out kept playing in my mind. He was carrying the weight of the whole pack, the prophecy, and now, a

after

dim, quiet hallway and shut my door softly. The whole pack house was fast asleep. The hallways were dark, lit only by the silver moonlight coming through the big windows. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and scented the air. His scent of cedarwood and winter frost was faint, but

a heavy wooden door. I hesitated for a second, my heart beating fast, before I

few moments passed.

fancy clothes and was only wearing loose, dark grey sweatpants that hung low on his hips. He was completely shirtless, showing off his broad chest and muscular body.