Madeline.
"How did it get to these?" I asked my wolf, as I stood in front of the triplets, staring at them puzzled.
A girl.
She stood comfortably among the three of them, as if she had always belonged there, as if that space beside them had been waiting for her all along.
The triplets stood around her naturally, their hands firmly wrapped around her waist, as she leaned into them, their attention centered on her in a way that made something inside my chest tighten painfully.
Just two days ago, they had made a promise to me. Memories came flooding into my mind, as I bent my head down in defeat.
***
"Mate!" The moment the words left my mouth, my wolf had jumped up in excitement.
I couldn't believe it, the Alpha triplets were my mate.
I was born an Omega.
In our world, Omegas rarely held positions of importance. We lived quietly on the edges of pack life, rarely drawing attention, rarely being noticed by those who held power.
But somehow…things had never quite felt that way with them.
With the triplets, I had never truly felt like an Omega.
For the past five years, I had taken care of their personal needs whenever the Luna or my mother required assistance. Running errands, organizing their things, helping with small tasks—little things that slowly turned into daily interactions.
And during those five years, something inside my heart had quietly grown, something I could no longer pretend didn't exist.
Every time I saw them, my chest tightened in a way I couldn't explain. My heart raced, warmth spreading through me like sunlight breaking through heavy clouds.
At first, I had told myself it was nothing, just admiration and gratitude but over time, the truth became impossible to ignore.
I loved them.
All three of them.
And somewhere deep inside my heart, a foolish little hope had begun to bloom—that maybe… just maybe… they cared about me too.
"Moon goodness," I prayed silently, my gaze still fixed upward as if the Moon Goddess herself might hear my quiet plea. "I wish you would make them my mates."
The thought alone made my heart skip.
But now, it was happening, they were really my mate. I stared at them for a long time, waiting for them to react, say something.
"Maddy, Can we keep this a secret?" Matteo said casually. "I mean till the day of my coronation, we would announce you to the world ourself."
I bit my lower lips.
A secret!
Where they ashamed of me?
"Maddy!" Mason's voice echoed in my head.
"I really don't know what I would have done without you," he had said with a soft laugh, his hand resting briefly on my shoulder before he leaned forward and placed a light kiss against my forehead.
"You are the best."
With him just saying it, I forget the doubt that crept in my mind earlier, as it sent a rush of warmth through my entire body.
But Mason hadn't been the only one.
"Don't think he's the only one, Maddy," Matteo had quickly added, his playful grin lighting up his entire face as he reached for my hands.
His fingers had wrapped around mine gently before he lifted them, pressing a soft kiss to the back of my hand.
"I appreciate your presence in my life too," he had said sincerely. "Honestly, I'm not sure I could live without you."
My heart had nearly exploded in that moment.
"Move aside."
Maverick's deep voice had cut through the moment as he pushed his brothers away with mild impatience.
Before I could even react, he had stepped closer. I could feel the warmth of his breath brushing against my skin as he leaned near my ear, his presence overwhelming in the most intoxicating way.
"Maddy," he murmured softly, his voice low and serious, "we will protect you with our lives."
"So just keep it a secret, It is just a matter of two days. The world will know you are ours." Mason said, wrapping his arms around my waist as he sniffed my scent in.
***
I lifted my head slowly, as I fought back the tears threatening to spill down my cheek. I bit my lower lips tightly, as I tried to form words in my head.
I needed to ask them what changed but Maverick beat me to it.
"What are you doing here, Madeline?" Maverick asked, his face masked with disgust as he stared at me, his brows pulling together as if my presence itself had irritated him.
Madeline?
The name echoed strangely in my ears, and for a second I thought I had misheard him.
He had always called me Maddy. It had been natural for him, effortless even. The nickname had once carried warmth whenever it left his lips.
So why… why was he suddenly calling me Madeline?
My mind struggled to catch up with the sudden shift, before I could say anything, the girl beside them spoke.
"Is she the little maid you were telling me about?" she said, her voice light, laced with curious.
She tilted her head slightly as her eyes studied me with open interest, as though she were examining something unusual.
Before I could react, her fingers reached out, brushing softly against a strand of my hair.
The casual touch made my body stiffen.
"We really do have the same color of eyes and hair," she said thoughtfully, letting her fingers linger for a moment before pulling them away. "Were you thinking of me whenever you looked at her?"
My breath caught in my throat.
"She isn't worth your time, Maddy."
Mason's voice interrupted quickly.
He gently removed the girl's hand from my hair, almost protectively, before looking at her with a softness I had never seen directed at anyone else.
But it wasn't that action that made my chest ache, It was the name.
Maddy.
He had called her Maddy too.
"She can never be you," Mason continued firmly. "We see only you and think about only you."
Everything inside me seemed to freeze.My fingers slowly curled into tight fists behind the folds of my dress, hidden from their view.
The resemblance between us suddenly became impossible to ignore, her eyes, her hair, they were the exact same color as mine.
The words the triplets had spoken to me just two days ago, were they ever really meant for me?
Or had they been meant for her all along?
"We would never think of anyone as you, Maddy," Matteo said softly.
He lifted her hand with careful gentleness before pressing a kiss against it, his expression filled with devotion.
"You will forever hold our hearts," he continued. "We have waited a long time for your return."
Return.
The word echoed loudly in my mind.
"What exactly do you want, Madeline?" Maverick asked again, his voice sharper this time, laced with clear impatience.
But before I could force myself to speak, another voice suddenly broke through the moment.
"Madison, my baby girl."
Several people turned as Beta Donald stepped forward, his face lighting up with joy.
I had forgotten I was currently in the Alpha triplets coronation ceremony, filled with a lot of people.
"How could you come back without coming to meet your father first?"
The words struck me like a sudden slap.
Father?
The truth hit me instantly, she wasn't just any girl—She was Madison.
The Beta's daughter.
The triplets' first love.
The very same girl who had broken their hearts five years ago.
And now…She was back.