Helen's POV
I was back at home. They were singing. Mommy and daddy. Their faces so close to my mine.
Daddy was strumming the guitar out of tune—again—and Mommy clapped off-beat, her voice high and loud, like she wanted the whole world to hear. I sat in the middle of the living room, a makeshift crown on my head, cake icing on my chin, grinning so wide my cheeks hurt.
"Happy birthday to you—!"
I laughed. "You're singing it wrong again, Daddy!"
He winked. "That's because I'm making it extra special."
Mommy leaned in and kissed my forehead. "Our baby is eight today."
I felt warm. Safe. Loved.
And then—
I gasped, sitting up in bed with a jolt. My gaze colliding with the painful environment in my room. My heart thudded wildly in my chest, the fading notes of the song ringing in my ears.
It was just a dream.
A dream that hadn't happened in ten years.
The sunlight streaming through the cracked window painted golden streaks across my room. I blinked, trying to slow my breathing. Then I remembered—today.
The triplets were returning. Oh, no!
I scrambled out of bed like the mattress had caught fire, rushed into the tiny bathroom, and turned on the cold water. My birthday. My shift. Their return. All on the same day.
There was so much to do. Too much.
I scrubbed fast, ignoring the cold, ignoring the ache in my back from sleeping on worn-out foam. When I stepped out, my skin was still damp, but I didn't care. I grabbed my plain uniform dress and threw it on. My hair was still wet when I slipped on my flats and dashed toward the door.
No "Happy Birthday" from Laura.
Of course not.
She probably didn't even remember. She never did. I was just a shadow in her house, a walking reminder of a sister she wished never mated with my father.
Still, my chest ached. Just a little.
I shook the feeling off and rushed to the Alpha's estate.
⸻
As I neared the large house, I saw Nara already dusting the flower vases by the door.
She looked up and smirked. "Almost late. Again." She whispered.
I let out a breath. "I overslept."
"You? Miss 'I'm always early'? Something must be in the air."
"Yeah," I mumbled. "Something like the return of the Alpha triplets."
Her eyes widened. "C'mon."
I nodded.
We didn't say anything more. Not right then. We just slipped into the rhythm of our chores like we always did.
Veronica spotted me five minutes later.
Her eyes scanned me from head to toe, sharp like knives. She said nothing—Luna Flora was standing nearby, talking with a few omegas.
But the look Veronica gave me?
It was a promise. A silent threat that said: You'll pay for being late.
And I knew I would.
I kept my head low and worked fast, moving from task to task. Dusting. Polishing. Folding. Smiling when spoken to. Blending in when not.
It was all I had learned to do in this life.
⸻
We were alone in the kitchen when Nara finally leaned close and whispered, "Happy birthday, Helen."
I blinked, startled. I thought no one—
She smiled. "I remembered."
Something warm bloomed in my chest. "Thank you."
"You excited?" she asked, leaning against the counter. "You'll shift tonight. Meet your wolf. Maybe even your mate." Her eyes twinkled. "What if it's one of the triplets?"
I froze. There was no way in the world I would be mated to any of them!
She laughed at my horrified expression. "Okay, maybe not them. But still… what do you think they look like now? Hot? Handsome? I mean, they were already tall and mean before. Now they're fully trained Alphas—" She trailed off, rattling off about some fantasy of being mated to any one of them. How fantastic the sex would be!
Nara never shied away from sex talks. She was no virgin. She had told me she gave it to a guard she didn't know. That was who she was. Wild and untamed.
And I? Well, nothing.
I say nothing response to what she said.
"I hope they don't recognize me," I whispered, turning away.
Her smile faded a little. "That bad?"
I nodded. I didn't need to explain further. She was quite aware of the throes of humiliation I had faced in the hands of these triplets. How they made me work for every penny I earned.
"But do you think they could have changed?" She asked, her gaze now saddened.
I shrugged. I didn't care whether or not they did. All I cared about was that I have no relations with them.
The memories were still too fresh. The cruel jokes. The spilled trays. The laughs behind my back. The time they told everyone I howled in my sleep like a mutt.
I just wanted today to go by quietly.
But the Goddess rarely listens to girls like me.
⸻
The hours passed, and the pack house transformed into a hum of movement and excitement. The entire pack was buzzing. Omegas and Gammas moved like ants preparing for a feast. There were flowers, wine barrels, and food being carried in and out of the great hall.
Every time I passed the corridor leading to the east wing—their wing—my heartbeat doubled.
Luna Flora kept sending me on errands, requesting I deliver towels, polished shoes, and refreshments to their suite.
That's when I first felt it—the shift in the air. The power.
The door to the suite had been cracked slightly open. I didn't look in. I didn't dare. But I felt them.
Were they back? Or am I hallucinating?
Three distinct scents. Wild, heady, dominant. Like smoke and pine and something darker.
And something in me… shivered.
⸻
By evening, the pack house was filled with laughter, chatter, and the clinking of glasses. The grand ballroom glowed with golden lights. Members of the pack dressed in finery moved about, greeting and drinking and waiting for the Alpha's sons to arrive.
I stayed close to the back wall, my uniform plain and my head low. I didn't want anyone to look at me. I could already feel the shift humming beneath my skin, my wolf stirring for the first time.
She was close.
Too close.
I needed to leave before it happened in front of everyone.
My fingers brushed the edge of the exit door. Just one step, and I'd be gone. I'd run into the woods, let the moonlight guide me through the shift. Alone. Quiet. Safe.
Then they entered.
The doors to the ballroom opened wide—and the room fell silent for a heartbeat.
And in they came.
King. Kael. Kaden.
Older. Taller. Their presence filled the room like a wave crashing over the crowd. All three dressed in deep black with silver embroidery, sharp jaws, powerful builds, and eyes that burned with command.
My legs refused to move.
King's eyes locked onto mine first—sharp and stormy.
Then Kaden. Then Kael.
They stared.
I froze.
The air around me grew heavy, my wolf clawing beneath my skin like she recognized them.
No, no, no—
Then a soft giggle broke the moment.
A tall, curvy girl stepped out from behind them and hooked her arm around Kaden's with a possessive grin. She leaned into him like she'd done it a hundred times before.
He didn't move away.
Didn't even blink.
"Mine," the girl said loud enough for those nearby to hear. When she noticed he was not looking at her, she followed his gaze and her eyes landed on me with bored disinterest.
Something in my chest ached.
Before I could process it, Alpha Rowan stepped forward with a wide smile, arms open.
"My sons!" he declared. "Welcome home."
And just like that, the moment was gone.
But their eyes still lingered.
And I…
I still couldn't breathe.