Chapter 61: Her objection
"Alpha I request an audience. " Eloise’s voice cut through the room
Eloise stepped into the grand study with the calm grace of a queen. She wore a tailored navy sheath dress that fit her perfectly. Classic pearls rested at her throat and small diamond studs shone in her ears. The outfit exuded quiet wealth and elegance, reminiscent of old-money families or British royalty.
Her makeup was flawless, but it could not fully hide the shadows under her eyes from a sleepless night. No one could tell she had spent the whole night thinking about the mate bond
Every detail of her outfit is polished and intentional to make a statement
The room smelled of rich whiskey from Killian’s glass and fresh bitter coffee. Tension grew thick the moment she entered.
Eloise carried herself with the strong aura she had built over ten years. She stood like a Luna who needed no fate to claim her place. She could not let them see any weakness.
Alexander’s sharp instincts prickled the moment she crossed the threshold. A bad feeling coiled in his gut. Even though Eloise was no fated triplet mate, she was still Maddox’s daughter, his beta, his steadfast second in command, and a good friend whose family wielded undeniable influence across the pack. Rejecting her outright was not an option. The political ripples would be too costly.
Kaden stood rigidly by the tall windows, his broad shoulders tensed up immediately. His gaze flicked toward her for a fraction of a second before dropping away. His heart twisted with an ache he could not name. It felt like betrayal, even though his hands remained clean of any true crime. He could not face her, not after what had happened last night.
Kieran and Killian observed her from their seats with keen interest. Killian’s stormy eyes tracked her every movement as he carefully set his crystal tumbler on the low coffee table. The soft clink of glass against wood cut through the silence. Kieran, ever the picture of composed detachment, continued sipping his coffee. The porcelain cup remained steady in his grip, though his mind replayed fragments of the festival chaos.
Eloise did not spare them a glance. Images from the previous night were still in her mind, flashes of glowing bonds, heated touches, and the way they held Yuki remained carved into her thoughts like fresh scars. The tension in the room grew palpable, pressing against her skin like an invisible weight.
She glided past Kaden without pause. Her heels clicked authoritatively on the floor. He barely offered her a glance. His jaw clenched so tightly that a muscle under his jaw ached. Eloise halted before Alexander’s imposing desk and offered a curt, respectful bow that seemed more like ingrained protocol of respect rather than submission.
"I apologise for my rude entrance earlier, Alpha," she chimed. Her voice was smooth laced with the cultivated confidence of someone who had prepared for this moment all her life. "But I hope you will hear me out."
Alexander studied her with those discerning sapphire eyes, the kind of gaze that could strip away illusions and pierce straight to the soul. Eloise held her breath. Her pulse hammered in her ears as nerves twisted her stomach into knots. She feared he might dismiss her with a single word.
After what felt like an eternity, the Alpha nodded slowly. His voice rumbled low with authority, carrying the weight of decades of command. "You may leave," he said, glancing at his sons with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"You do not have to send them away," Eloise interjected quickly. Her tone was firm yet respectful, stopping Killian and Kieran before they could even shift in their seats. Alexander’s brows pulled together in a deep furrow. His expression darkened with intrigue.
Eloise pressed on. Her fingers subtly curled into fists at her sides, nails biting into her palms. "This is about the events of last night concerning the mate bond formed between the Alphas during the coming of age ceremony. Their presence is important for what I am about to say."
Alexander’s confusion deepened, etching lines across his forehead. The triplets exchanged sharp glances. A silent current of unease passed between them. Kaden quietly lowered himself into a lounge chair beside his brothers. The leather creaked under his weight. Eloise remained standing tall with her back straight.
"So what is it about the bond that you wish to discuss?" Alexander pried. He leaned back in his chair with a measured calm that contradicted the intensity in his eyes. His voice carried a probing edge.
Eloise steadied herself. She drew in a slow breath that tasted of the room’s woody undertones and faint cigar smoke. She met his sapphire gaze head-on, though the weight of four Alphas in one space pressed down on her shoulders like a heavy weight. For the first time, she truly felt the crushing presence of their combined power. She cleared her throat. Her voice emerged steady despite the tremor beneath. "I believe there are some irregularities in what happened last night. From the way they behaved, it did not feel natural."
Alexander looked momentarily dumbfounded. His lips parted in surprise. Kieran’s grip on his coffee cup tightened audibly. The porcelain protested under his fingers. In his mind, vivid images resurfaced, of how he had held Yuki close amid the chaos, the pull that had surged like wildfire. Was there something wrong? The intensity of their reactions had felt extra, even for the circumstances.
"What do you mean by irregularities?" Alexander asked. His voice was a deep, probing baritone as he leaned forward slightly, studying her with renewed scrutiny. To him, their fierce response might have seemed heightened, but Yuki had been in mortal danger. His sons were no ordinary Alphas. The Ravencourt bloodline pulsed with ancient royal lycan heritage, a legacy that amplified every instinct to protect what was theirs.
Eloise did not wilt under the pressure. She lifted her chin. Her voice gained strength, laced with quiet conviction. "Before the festival, we were all certain I would be their mate." She glanced briefly at the brothers. Her eyes flicked with a mix of longing and quiet resolve. "But it did not happen. I refuse to believe it was a simple mistake, Alpha. I know what I felt for them. It was not shallow affection. We share a deep bond, forged over years. Yuki cannot be their mate. It is no secret that they hate her, and before the festival, there was no attraction whatsoever. Mate bonds do not simply appear out of nowhere. There must have been signs."
A heavy silence blanketed the room, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioner in the corner. The triplets turned the question over in their minds. Were there signs? It was an answer they dreaded confronting, yet her words rang with uncomfortable logic.
Alexander fell into deep thought. His fingers drummed once against the arm of his chair. Eloise had raised a fair point. True mate bonds never materialised from thin air without warning. His gaze shifted to his sons, who had gone very quiet.
His lips parted, and he asked hesitantly. His voice carried a note of reluctant curiosity. "Before the first festival did any of you feel anything toward Yuki?"
A deep, bitter chuckle escaped Kaden first breaking the tension. His lips curled into a sadistic smirk. Amusement twisted his features into something sharp. "Of course I felt something for Yuki," he said. His voice dripped with dark irony edged with venom. Eloise felt the air squeeze from her lungs. Her chest tightened painfully.
Alexander’s gaze darkened like gathering thunderclouds. Killian and Kieran’s heads snapped toward their brother in unison.
Kaden’s smirk widened, though it held no joy. "What else would you expect us to feel for your mistress’s sister?" He arched his brow. His tone sharpened. "I hated her from the moment I saw her. Maybe Nyxoria is playing a fucking joke by forcing this bond, because I can never feel genuine attraction to her." His words spat out like acid. Anger boiled visibly in his chest. His nails dug into the arms of the chair, knuckles whitening as fresh wounds tore up in his mind. "If it comes down to the throne and accepting her I would rather keep my dignity intact."
His brothers shot him with meaningful looks. Their shared understanding was clear in the subtle nods and clenched jaws. The hatred radiating from Kaden was raw and unfiltered. They felt it echoing in their own veins, Kaden didn’t bother blocking it from their bond.
The bond with Yuki was a cruel twist of fate, a mockery of everything they had anticipated.
Alexander pressed his eyes shut for a long moment, then massaged his temples with calloused fingers. A low grumble escaped his throat. "I understand," he said in a tired voice. It carried the heavy weight of being Alpha. "But there is not much we can do about the bond."
Eloise’s eyes lit up with a spark of hope. Her posture straightened further as determination flooded her features. "Alpha," she declared. Her voice rang with quiet triumph. "I believe there is something we can do."
