Jade's POV

"Oops, I'm sorry I didn't mean to direct that at you" Linda said dramatically.

Of course. Sure it was a mistake.

"Why are you apologizing" Ronan butted in. "She's no more useful than a bin so she is meant to take all our shit"

Linda laughed hysterically, "You are right Ronan."

Then she stood up and began to wear her clothes.

"You know my mating ceremony is tomorrow so I have to go out with my Dad to finalize the dress I'll be wearing." She said and suddenly looked at me. "Oh wait, your eighteenth birthday is tomorrow too isn't it?" she stated her voice dripping with sweetness and mockery.

"I wonder who will be cursed enough to be mated to you" Ryder muttered and even though I didn't want to admit it, it hurt hearing that from him.

I used to like these boys, and they liked me too. Up until my father was framed, everyone thought one of them was going to be my mate, if not all three.

But ever since my Dad was taking out of the picture, I returned to school and they had all changed.

They barely spared Linda a glance before but now Linda parades herself everywhere as their "soon to be mate". And they are all over her too, protecting her and being her knights in shining armor.

I hated to admit it but it hurts to see.

"I can't wait to be officially announced as your mate you guys" Linda squealed happily as she bent over the sofa to get her purse and I noticed her grab something shine from the table.

"See you for our big day tomorrow guys." Linda said happily and then she turned to me, her smiles now disappearing "And I hope you have a fun time cleaning."

The boys tenderly wished her goodbye, standing up to hug and kiss her before she finally left.

"And you? What are you looking at? You should be halfway through cleaning by now" Ronan said turning to me, his face filled with disgust.

Ronan is the youngest of the triplets, he has always been loud and outspoken. He used to always proclaim how he was the one that adored me the most amongst his brothers, and now.... I guess he seemed to be the one that hates me the most.

Renzo is the eldest, usually quiet and composed with a cold stare. He is the most mature, always trying to keep his brothers in line. But this time around, he didn't try to keep them in line, he followed suit instead.

Ryder is the second twin and the playful one, or was, because ever since they started this hateful parade towards me, he seemed to have lost his goofiness and everything about him now points at one thing, his hatred for me.

"I need to clean my body" I said to them. My hair and dress was still dripping off Linda's squirt.

"You have the audacity to...." Ronan was saying but Renzo stopped him and looked at me.

"Go and clean yourself up, you can trash your dress too, I'll get someone to get you some new clothes" Renzo stated.

"You mean that?!" The surprise was written all over my face.

"Go into the bathroom before I change my mind" He said and I quickly waltz off to the bathroom.

I made sure I locked the bathroom door before removing my dress, dropping it on the floor and stepping under the shower.

I let the water wash Linda's filth off me.

My mind drifted back to Renzo, that was the softest tone he has ever spoke to me in almost a year. Is he slowly turning back to the Renzo I used to know? I hope so.

I was done washing my body and I stepped out of the shower.

I noticed my dress was wet on the floor and I looked around, the only thing I could use to cover my body is a small towel that barely covered my bum.

Renzo said he was going to get me new clothes, I should ask him for it.

I grabbed the short towel, tied it, opened the bathroom door and peeped out into the room.

Renzo was on the study table, his attention focused on a book.

Ronan was on the couch watching TV.

And Ryder was on the bed, his attention on his phone.

I cleared my throat nervously before I spoke.

"I'm done cleaning up Renzo, please if I could have the clothes you said you would get for me"

"I couldn't find any cloth befitting of a low and disgusting person like you to wear." Renzo said not even looking up from his book and I heard Ryder chuckle.

"What?!" I stepped out of the bathroom doors forgetting I was only on a short towel.

"You promised to get me clothes, how could you go back on your words like that?!"

Renzo finally tore his eyes from his book and looked at me.

The hatred on his face disappeared for a moment as his gaze lingered on my body.

It seemed he had to remind himself that he hated as he shook his head and stood up.

Ronan and Ryder looked at me too.

"Is this your flimsy attempt to seduce us and try to get us back on your side?" Ronan said and I realized he was talking about the short towel I tied on.

"What? No, this was the only towel I could find in the bathroom."

Renzo brushed past me and walked into the bathroom. I watched as he opened one of the drawers below the mirror and big towels were neatly folded inside.

"You saw all these and you decided to take the short hair towel didn't you?" Renzo said

"You keep proving that you really are a slut" Ryder stated, his voice dripping with disgust.

"No, I swear on my father's life, I didn't see those towels, I didn't know they were there" I tried to explain but they were barely listening.

"You disgust me Jade" Ronan said.

"But I didn't do anything..."

"Since you like to act like a slut, you'll be treated like one. It's time for your punishment don't you think? Go to the bed and bend over it with your slutty ass up in the air." Renzo commanded as he came to stand in front of me.

"No, I'm not doing that"

"Don't start acting holy now cause we all know that you are not." Ronan said

"What are you talking about?!"

"Do as I've said Jade, or suffer the consequence of disobeying us" Renzo said and I immediately knew he was talking about my mother. They will make her life a living hell if I dared to go against their words.

I slowly moved towards the bed, where Ryder laid, his never leaving mine.

I bent over the edge of the bed frame. My bare ass up in air. Ryder held my gaze in front while I could feel Ronan and Renzo's piercing gaze from behind.

They were staring at my naked ass, and that realization did something to me.

My stomach clenched and I could feel the heat between my legs.

Ryder finally stood up and went to join his brothers behind me.

"Get the ruler" Renzo said and I saw Ronan moving forward to get a long thick ruler on the table across the room.

"What is going on? What are you guys doing?" I was starting to panic.

"We are punishing you, you slut." Ryder stated.

Slut? Why the hell do they keep calling me that.

Before I could even think, the ruler landed hard on my bum producing a smacking hard sound.

The pain immediately spread through my ass. I couldn't even make out exactly who was hitting my bum. All I knew was that they took turns and then continued. Spanking my ass cheeks harder and harder.

Each spank made me stand on my toes, trying to lean forward to lessen the impact. But it never worked.

Each hit was harder than the last. My ass tingled. It was painful. But.....

.... It felt a little nice too.

I don't know exactly why. They were spanking my bum with a ruler, it is supposed to be painful, and it was but the sensation didn't come with pain alone. The tingles on my ass migrated from there to my core. I can literally feel my vagina throbbing.

This spanking thing, my body liked it, and I hated that my body liked it.

My ass was in pain at the back, and in the front, my folds were wet and I was trying hard to fight back a fucking moan.

They finally stopped and I was able to relax my toes.

I made to stand up but Renzo pushed my head back to the bed, forcing my ass to still be up in the air.

"Remain still in this position, one movement without our permission and your punishment will not end here." Renzo warned.

"Are those her pussy juice flowing down her legs?. Were you turned on by us spanking you Jade? Is that how horny you are now?" I heard Ryder say.

"You really are a slut" Ronan said from behind me and I immediately turned around and met their eyes.

"A slut?"

Renzo moved a step closer to me and the other two followed suit, closing in on me.

"What did we say about moving without permission?" Ryder said and I realized that I had actually broken that rule.

"I'm.... I'm sorry" I tried to apologize.

Ronan grabbed my hair and pulled it up in an attempt to move me up with it. But the motion of my hair being pulled and my body moving so fast sent a splitting pain across my skull again, the pain was so intense that my vision became disoriented, dizzy and.... I was losing my balance, I was falling.

"Jade!!!" I heard their voices scream my name in unison, but this time, their voices were not filled with hatred and disgust, it was filled something that sounded like panic, horror, dread.

Renzo's POV

"JADE!"

Her name ripped out of my throat before I even understood what was happening.

She toppled backward, her knees buckling, her eyes unfocused, her lips parting in a soft, strangled gasp. And before my mind could catch up, my body moved.

I lunged forward.

My chest collided with hers just as the side of her head nearly slammed into the hard floor. I caught her, barely. Her head dropped against my shoulder, her limbs limp, her skin cold.

"Fuck, Renzo, is she....?!" Ryder's voice cracked.

"I don't know," I snapped, lowering her carefully, "I have no idea what is wrong with her."

Ronan stood frozen for a split second, horror and guilt twisting his usually arrogant expression.

"Get the physician. NOW!" I barked at him.

Ronan jolted as if electrocuted and dashed out of the room.

My heart hammered violently, too violently. I laid Jade gently on the bed, pulling the blanket over her trembling body. Her breathing was shallow. Her lashes fluttered weakly, but she didn't wake.

Ryder hovered near the bedside, voice low and tight. "Brother.. what's wrong with her? Is she alright?"

I didn't answer.

Couldn't answer.

My wolf was pacing, no, growling, circling inside me like a caged animal ready to tear down walls. Every time Jade's chest rose too slowly, my wolf snapped. Every time her breath hitched, he snarled.

It made no sense.

I hate her. I despise everything about her.

She betrayed us. She ruined us. She broke us.

The sight of her disgusts me.

So why does my chest feel like someone is squeezing it?

Why does my throat feel tight?

Why am I terrified?

I leaned closer. Her face looked.. peaceful. Innocent. Too innocent. It pissed me off just looking at it.

"That's not real," I muttered under my breath. "Don't act like you're harmless. You're not."

My wolf disagreed by growling loudly in my chest.

Damn him.

The door burst open. Ronan rushed back in with the physician, a middle aged man with graying sideburns, a balding crown, and sharp worried eyes. He smelled of herbs, antiseptic, and old books. His hands trembled slightly as he took in the sight before him.

Ryder immediately stepped forward, sounding breathless. "She just collapsed, we don't know what's wrong with her. She won't wake up."

The physician's gaze flicked from Ryder to Jade. "How did she collapse?"

Ronan swallowed hard. His voice was stoic, but I heard the guilt under it. "I. I yanked her head up by her hair. She was being spanked. Then she just.. fell."

The physician shot him a look, part shock, part frustration, but I stepped forward, cutting off whatever judgment he was about to spit.

"Listen carefully," I said, my voice iced steel. "I don't know what's wrong with her, and I don't care. What I know is that if she dies right now.." I leaned closer, my eyes narrowing, ".you die with her. Immediately."

The man froze. He swallowed once. Twice.

Then he nodded briskly and rushed to her side.

He examined her, pulse, pupil reaction, her head, her breathing. His hands moved quickly, muttering small observations under his breath.

"Step out," he said firmly. "I need space."

At first, I wanted to refuse. My wolf growled again.

But I forced myself to move.

We stepped out of the room, and the door clicked shut.

Instantly, Ronan began pacing, long strides back and forth, running his hands through his hair until it stood on end. Ryder leaned against the wall, staring at the floor with unfocused eyes.

For three boys who supposedly hated Jade Knight.

we looked like we were waiting to hear if our hearts would restart.

Ryder finally muttered, "We look pathetic. She's just unconscious, it's not like...."

"She's not 'just anything,'" Ronan snapped. "She... she fucking collapsed, Ryder. What if..."

"Shut it," I said sharply. "Both of you."

They grew quiet, but the tension was suffocating.

Minutes passed. Or maybe it was hours. My wolf hadn't stopped pacing once.

Finally, the door opened. The doctor stepped out, wiping his hands on his coat.

"Well?" I demanded.

"She seemed to have had a recent trauma to her head," he said.

My jaw tightened.

When we went to inspect the hall we had told her to clean earlier in school, we met her on the floor, she claimed she slipped while cleaning the hall. But we didn't listen. We thought she was just being dramatic as usual. We ignored her.

"And?" Ryder pressed.

"She's extremely stressed," the physician continued. "Overworked, sleep deprived, and severely hypoglycemic. Her body collapsed because it couldn't keep up. I've administered IV fluids. She should wake up soon, but we need to take her for an MRI scan to ensure the head trauma didn't cause lasting damage."

He bowed slightly and hurried off, as if afraid we'd ask more questions he didn't want to answer.

Silence filled the hallway we stood as he left.

Ronan finally whispered, "What if she dies?"

"She's not dying," I said flatly.

Ryder looked at me, eyebrows furrowed. "You sound. sure."

"I am."

"Why?" Ronan asked. "Why are you so certain?"

I stepped toward them, my voice low. "Because she owes us."

They both stared at me.

"She is indebted to us for what she did," I continued. "She cannot die until we say she can. She cannot leave this world without our permission."

Ryder exhaled slowly. "We shouldn't feel. this unsettled."

"No," I said firmly. "We shouldn't."

Ronan lowered his gaze briefly. "But. we do."

My teeth clenched. I hated hearing that out loud. Hated feeling it. Hated knowing my wolf reacted to her pain more violently than to any threat we've ever faced.

"She is nothing," I forced out. "She is a liar. A betrayer. A stain on this pack."

"Then why did we panic when she collapsed?" Ryder whispered.

No one answered.

Because none of us had an answer.

Because deep down, buried under everything we built up to hate her..

the old bond wasn't dead.

It was wounded, bleeding, but not gone.

Ronan let out a shaky breath. "Brother. what do we do when she wakes?"

My jaw flexed. I inhaled deeply once. Twice.

"When she wakes," I said in a cold, controlled voice, "we remind ourselves who she is. What she's done. The pain she caused us."

I met both their eyes, firm.

"There is no room for pity here."

Ryder nodded slowly. "Understood."

Ronan choked down whatever emotion lingered in his throat. "Right."

I turned back toward the closed door.

"She will wake," I murmured.

"And when she does, we will not falter again, cause she doesn't deserve to see us like this."

Jade's POV

When I think about the triplets and how close we used to be, I always return to that day in the Alpha's garden, when the world was nothing but sunlight, giggles, and the smell of lavender drifting in the breeze.

I must have been about eight. Small enough that my legs were too short to run as fast as the boys, but stubborn enough to try anyway.

"Jade! Ready or not, here we come!" Renzo shouted, his voice already deeper than any nine year old's had the right to be.

I clamped a hand over my mouth, trying not to laugh as I crouched behind the tall rose bushes. The flowers were taller than me back then, thick petals brushing my cheeks while I tried to be perfectly still. The sun filtered through the leaves, golden and warm, painting everything with what felt like magic.

I peeked through the branches.

Young Alpha Dante, Renzo, Ronan, and Ryder's father, stood near the stone pathway, talking quietly with my father. They looked serious, discussing territory lines or training schedules or whatever adults found more important than hide and seek.

But even from across the garden, my father kept glancing over with that soft smile he always wore when watching me play. I didn't know it then, but that would become one of my most cherished memories.

Footsteps pounded on the grass.

"I heard something this way!" Ryder yelled.

"No, you idiot, she's definitely over here!" Ronan countered.

I bit back a laugh. They were all terrible at hiding but excellent at arguing.

The footsteps grew louder, closer....

Then Renzo crashed through the bushes like a wild boar, triumphant.

"Aha! Found..."

I didn't let him finish. I bolted.

"Hey!!" all three of them shouted at once.

Their voices dissolved into laughter as they chased after me. I ran as fast as I could, my hair bouncing behind me, heart pounding with pure childish joy. My feet slapped against the soft grass until...

"Got you!" Ryder tackled me first, wrapping his arms around my waist. A second later Ronan flopped onto both of us, making me squeal, and Renzo dove in last, determined not to miss the dog pile.

We rolled across the lawn in a tangle of limbs and giggles, none of us caring whose elbow was in whose stomach.

When we finally stopped, all four of us lay sprawled on the warm grass, staring up at the sky, breathless and happy.

It was Ronan who spoke first.

"When we grow up." he declared, turning his head toward me, "I'm going to marry Jade."

"No way!" Ryder shoved him lightly. "I'm marrying Jade!"

Renzo sat up, chest puffed out with an Alpha in training's confidence. "You both are idiots. I sm the eldest here, Jade will marry me. Obviously."

They all started arguing, loudly, passionately, dramatically, each claiming they liked me more, that they could run fastest with me, that they shared their snacks more, that they were strongest.

I sat up between them, my tiny hands grabbing all three of theirs at once.

"Stop fighting," I said with the authority of someone who believed life was simple. "I'll just marry all three of you."

They froze.

The triplets blinked at me like I'd just solved world peace with a single sentence.

Ryder grinned first. "Yeah! That works!"

Ronan happily nodded. "I'll be the husband who takes you on adventures."

"I'll be the husband who protects you," Ryder added proudly.

Renzo crossed his arms, trying to act older and more important. "And I'll be the husband who leads the pack with you by my side."

They all spoke at once after that, excited, hopeful, promising me everything their little hearts could imagine. And I believed every word. We were four children in a sunlit garden, making promises we didn't know life would tear to shreds.

Back then..

Back then they loved me.

And I loved them.

Before everything changed.

Before everything broke.

The memory shimmered, then dissolved.

A sharp ache pulsed through my temples.

My chest tightened.

And suddenly....

I gasped.

My eyes jerked open.

The world tilted violently, spinning around me like I'd been dropped back into my body too fast.

The ceiling above me wasn't mine.

The scent, cedar, smoke, masculine, wasn't mine.

My head throbbed, and I groaned softly, lifting a hand to my forehead.

I was lying on a bed.

This is the triplets' room.

And then all the memories came flushing in.

The triplets having sex with Linda, Linda squirting all over me like it was a mistake, the triplets spanking me and then.... nothing.

I tried to sit up and I felt really dizzy. Then the door suddenly opened and Ronan stepped in first, followed by Ryder, then Renzo.

"As expected of a lazy ass like you, you sure took your time to wake up" Ronan stated

"I'm sure she was trying to fake being unconscious so she could get some special treatment from us" Ryder said as he walked over to the couch without sparing me a glance.

"Now that your little drama is over, get your old and tattered dress from the bathroom and get the fuck out of our faces." Renzo stated coldly, his face hardened like steel.

I stared at the three of them for a moment without saying a word.

The memories of our childhood flashed in my head again.

We used to be so close. Just how did we end up like this?

I dragged my feet from the bed and silently made my way to the bathroom.

To my surprise, I met my dress hanged in the bathroom, and someone had helped me dry it.

But who?

Cause I know it's definitely not any of these boys that will jump at any chance to ridicule me.

"Whoever helped me dry my dress, I am super grateful." I muttered as I slipped on the dress.

I took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom.

"I'll take my leave now" I said and none of them even spared me a glance.

Fine, suit yourselves.

I walked towards the door and just before I turned the handle, Renzo spoke.

"Go to the pack's hospital tomorrow and get an MRI scan" he said without even looking at me.

I scoffed silently but I nodded and walked out.

Finally!

I took a deep breath as I walked out of the mansion.

It was already getting dark and I needed to get home before mum returned.

I got home and luckily, I arrived before Mum. I changed my dress and laid on the bed as memories of the day flushed through my head yet again.

The triplets spanked me. I could still feel the pain from the spanks on my ass cheeks.

How cruel those boys were, I hate them, I fucking hate them!

But then again.... they spanked me, and I got wet right in front of them!

What the hell is wrong with you Jade, how could you embarrass yourself like that.

I heaved a sigh in an attempt to calm myself.

Let's forget everything that has happened today.

It's a new day tomorrow and it's my birthday.

But unfortunately, I had to share my special day with that cunning snake Linda.

And as the popular girl of the pack and daughter of the beta, a birthday celebration is being held for her and almost everyone is treating it like it's some kind of national pack celebration.

Thinking about Linda always gets me furious, so furious that I didn't realize when I dozed off.

The next day, I woke up to the sound of a loud bang on the door.

Mum was beside me, asleep, she must have returned late last night, tired and exhausted.

The banging on the door repeated and before I could say anything, the door was broken down with brute force and several royal guards barged in.

Mum sprang up looking confused.

"What is going on?" She asked as the royal guards began to ransack our room throwing everything around.

I sprang up Immediately.

"What is the meaning of this, at least give us an explanation before disrespecting our privacy like this"

Mum immediately held me back from getting too close to them.

"Calm down Jade"

I saw one of the guards go for my school bag pack and he brought out three pieces of shiny rings I didn't even know existed.

"Found it" The guard stated.

Before I could gather my thoughts, one of the guards roughly grabbed my arm and yanked me away from Mum.

"You are under arrest for stealing the princes' diamond rings" he declared and I looked at him wide eyed.

"What?!!!"