Resisting the Alpha Triplets by Cara Anderson

Ch. 61 Broken BondThis content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

Cary’s POV

I’d heard it said that multiples have stronger bonds than single born siblings and the more in the birth litter, the stronger the bonds. Quads were closer than triplets who were closer than twins, etc. I’d only ever been a triplet so I couldn’t confirm the veracity of that theory but I could say my bond with my brothers had always been extremely tight.

Some might resent the life of a triplet, always sharing everything. Hell, even my face wasn’t my own. But I never once felt sorry for myself. In fact, I loved everything about having two ready-made best friends. At least that was true until just a few minutes ago.

When Clay left to confront Colton, he was fuming and I couldn’t blame him.

After what he’d put Mallory through, I wouldn’t have minded going a few rounds with him myself. But as time wore on, Clay’s rage intensified. And thanks to our bond, I felt every bit of it as if it were my own.

Mallory’s body still shook from the aftershocks of Colton’s betrayal. I did my best to hold her close while she shuddered against me, offering her the safety of my arms and the warmth of my body. But Clay’s fury burned like fire in my veins. Blocking all my brother’s malignant energy from bleeding into the mate bond with Mal took a lot of fucking effort.

“Shh. Sleep, darling. I’ve got you.” I cooed to Mallory, threading my fingers through her hair in soothing strokes.

She kept her face buried in my chest, hiccuping in the aftermath of her wracking sobs. I clenched my teeth against the profanity threatening to escape as Clay’s anger skyrocketed, breathing through my nose and letting Mallory’s calming lavender scent wash over me.

I couldn’t tell whose pain was whose. All I knew for sure was the two of them had come to blows. Guilt, shock, misery, resignation, and savage rage all assaulted me through the bond as I worked to block them out, to protect Mallory from the tumultuous emotions

blasting me from all sides.

“Fuck!” I grunted, caught off guard by a fierce crack of pain, probably somebody’s nose breaking.

“What? What’s wrong?” Mal’s head snapped up, her watery gaze searching mine.

“Sorry, love. My brothers are sharing some intense feelings through our bond and it took me a bit by surprise.

Everything’s fine.” I considered lying to her but what good would that do?

Our little mate possessed more intelligence in her little finger than the three of us put together. She would smell a lie a mile away and it would only piss her off. Colton had already told her enough of those. Adding insult to injury by hiding the truth would mean stooping to his level, something I had no interest in doing.

“I hate this.” Mallory confessed, dropping her forehead back to my chest.

“What do you hate, love?” I tipped her chin up gently and bit back a gasp at the ache reflected in her eyes.

“Everything, all of it.” She answered vaguely. “Do you ever think the Goddess simply got it wrong?”

A growing sense of unease trickled through me at the direction this conversation seemed to be headed.

“No!” I answered unequivocally. “She always has a plan!”

“Then please explain this grand plan!” Her volume escalated. “Was it her plan to have my parents murdered? To allow me to grow up unable to remember them, my entire life a lie, all while being tormented by the three of you? Oh but then it gets even better! Fast forward a few years and boom! I’m mated to the very men who bullied me, made me feel lower than the dirt on your shoes!”

Her maniacal laugh punctuated the tirade which put my wolf on edge. Our mate sounded more and more unhinged by the minute, driving him to push forward. He insisted his presence would help calm Raven, her wolf, but I shoved him back, worried his intensity would agitate her further.

“What the fuck am I even doing here, Cary?” Her shoulders drooped, all the fight leaving her. “If this is all part of the Moon Goddess’ plan, it’s a stupid one. I’m no Alpha. I’m still the weak Omega you always claimed I was.”

“Mallory, you-,” My argument died on my lips when she put up her hand to silence me.

“No, Cary! No matter what I do, it’s never going to be good enough, is it? I made history at the academy by earning all three designations. I had a man who loved me unconditionally. But no matter how much I’d accomplished, I still wanted more.

“The one thing I’d never managed to earn was the approval of the famous Collins Triplets. Then the goddess seemingly served you up on a silver platter. So what did I do? I tossed aside a good man without a second thought to fill some selfish, irrational need. What kind of Alpha does that?

“But the joke’s on me, isn’t it? Not all of my Goddess-given mates want me. And the really scary part is, I actually believed Colton loved me. I’m too dumb to know the difference. How could a true Alpha be so easily fooled?”

A growing sense of unease trickled through me at the direction this conversation seemed to be headed. My eyes traced the way her expression changed from anger to shame to pained resignation. Something told me I was going to hate the thing she said next.

“I’m sorry, Cary. I’ve made a huge fucking mess of things. But you have to admit it’s ironic, isn’t it?” She let out a self-deprecating laugh, dropping her gaze to the floor and shaking her head ruefully.

“What’s ironic, Mal?” Her comment made no sense to my scrambled brain.

“I can’t ignore what I know about Alpha Quade. He’ll have to be removed. Hopefully we can find someone decent to take over the Alpha post.” She mumbled to herself, ignoring my question.

“What’s ironic, Mallory?” I asked more forcefully this time.

“What?” Her head snapped up as if she just realized I was still standing there. ” Oh! That you and your brothers were right all along. You deserve someone better.”

Fat tears started rolling down her face and she wiped at them furiously. An incredulous stare settled over my features while her words rattled around in my head, never quite making sense to me. I should have argued with her but I was too stunned.

This incredible woman thought I could possibly find someone better than her? How could that be? Didn’t she realize it didn’t get any better than her? I was so lost in thought, I barely noticed when Mallory spoke again.

“I’m going to go now.” She said, picking up her tattered clothes as she edged toward the door,

I stood there watching her like an idiot. Mute. Transfixed. It wasn’t until I heard the door snick open that reality came crashing in. She was leaving me and I couldn’t let that happen.

“Stop!” I thundered, Alpha command spilling into the order unintentionally.

I crossed the room in three strides, slamming the door closed and pinning her to it. She met my angry gaze with defiance in her eyes, her chin jutting out and her jaw clenched in a stubborn display. I let Roan come forward, showing her in no uncertain terms who was really in charge.

“Cary, let me go!” She hissed, attempting to push me away.

I held my ground, glaring at her while she squirmed and shoved beneath me.

“Where do you think you’re going, little mate?” My voice held the rough- hewn timbre of my wolf.

“Please, just let me go. You know this isn’t going to work. Colton doesn’t want me. He and Clay are probably trying to kill each other right now. I’m telling you the Moon Goddess got it wrong. I’m not worth all the trouble I’ve caused.”

“Trouble? You haven’t seen trouble yet!” I rumbled out. “But you will if you try walking out on me again. You’re MINE little mate.”

“Cary.” She said my name on an exhale, circling her arms around my waist and dropping her forehead to my chest.

The small act of affection was like a balm to Roan, allowing him to take a step back. I returned her embrace and cupped the back of her head, holding her to my chest. And letting the closeness soothe my soul.

“Stop trying to leave me, darling. My heart can’t take it.” I pleaded. “I get it! This shit’s complicated and it sucks. But we’ll figure it out together. And don’t ever let me hear you say you aren’t good enough ever again! Do you understand me?”

“Mmmhmm.” She hummed in agreement, sniffling quietly.

I swept Mallory off her feet and carried her bridal style back to bed. But I’d only gone a few steps when I felt a sudden crushing pain in my chest, there and gone again before I could register what happened. Mallory sucked in a sharp breath at the exact same time, telling me she felt it too.

She reached up reflexively to rub her chest and if she hadn’t been in my arms, I probably would have done the same. The pain was gone but the memory of it hung in the air between us, a gaping emptiness in its place.

It felt like a loss. Not a death exactly. More like a broken bond. But Mallory was in my arms and that kind of bond breaking would have brought me to my knees.

I felt along the strands of my other bonds, those of my family, when the cold realization set in. I couldn’t feel Colton anymore. The only remaining sentiment from the earlier emotional thunderstorm was the simmering rage of my angry middle brother but nothing from our oldest triplet. I voiced my next thought out loud before I could think better of it.

“Clay, what have you done?”.