Rejected and Claimed by her Alpha Triplets Chapter 240 - like me

240

~Thorne’s POV

I was about to drift off to sleep when it hit , a sudden, sharp burn along the crescent tattoo on my back. My eyes shot open, heart thudding. What the hell...?

The pain was strange, different from anything I had ever felt. It wasn’t just pai, —it was power. Sothing ancient and raw surged through , spreading through my veins like fire. I gasped, clutching my back, feeling energy I hadn’t known existed.

Then I slled it. A scent, sharp and strange, pulling at sothing deep inside . My wolf instincts flared instantly. It wasn’t normal, not like anything I’d tracked before. Sothing, or soone, was calling to .

I swung my legs off the bed, standing as the power continued to pulse through . "Damn... what is going on?" I muttered, voice low, rough with the strain of the sensation.

I didn’t have ti to think. I pulled on my clothes quickly, the energy inside refusing to calm. My soldiers noticed the sudden urgency.

"Your Majesty? Are you all right?" the head of soldiers asked, concern in his voice.

"I’m fine," I snapped, though my voice trembled slightly. "Get dressed. We’re moving."

"Moving? Where?" another soldier asked.

"Follow my lead," I said, ignoring their questions. I could sll it stronger now, the scent. Soone... sothing... calling . It led to the palace of the ruthless triplets. Rowan, Damon, and Kael.

I slowed as we reached the gates, the scent intensifying. It was coming from inside. I frowned. Why here?

A mory flashed, one of the maids I had seen the last ti I was there. I felt the scent that day too but not this strong. Could it be connected? I had to know.

I approached the guards at the gate. "I need to see the Alphas," I said firmly. "It’s urgent."

The guard hesitated, bowing slightly. "Alpha Thorne... this is highly unusual..."

"Do it," I said sharply. "I will not wait. It’s urgent."

He nodded quickly, disappearing inside. After a few tense minutes, another guard returned. "Alpha Thorne... we will lead you to the Alphas’ eting room. Your soldiers will have to wait right here. Please, follow ."

I glanced back at my n, their faces tense, eyes sharp. "Stay alert," I told them quietly. "I don’t know what’s waiting inside, but sothing isn’t right."

They nodded, their hands resting near their weapons, ready if needed. My chest tightened as the strange scent pressed harder against , filling my lungs, tugging at like an invisible chain. It wasn’t just any scent, it was powerful, strange, unlike anything I had ever tracked before. My wolf was restless, pacing inside , urging forward.

The guards at the palace gate had done as I asked, and now one of them walked down the long, dim corridors. His boots echoed against the marble floor, his posture stiff with duty. He stopped at a tall door, bowing respectfully. "Alpha Thorne," he said, "this is the eting chamber. Please wait here. The Alphas will join you soon."

I nodded, but my body wouldn’t stay still. That scent, so strong now it almost burned in my chest, kept calling . I couldn’t ignore it. I barely even heard the guard leave as I pushed the door open, stepping inside.

The room was empty. Silent. But the scent was everywhere, thick and heavy, like whoever it belonged to had just been here. My wolf snarled low, impatient. My heart hamred.

I moved back into the corridor, nose lifted slightly as I traced the path. Every step pulled deeper into the palace, away from my n, away from where I was supposed to wait. I didn’t care. Sothing was here, soone, and I had to find them.

I turned a corner and stopped dead.

There she was.

I froze the mont my eyes landed on her. Hidden away in the corner of the palace, crouched low, her body shaking. Her hair clung to her sweaty face, her lips pale. She looked fragile... but there was sothing powerful in her too. Sothing I could feel deep in my bones.

For a second, I couldn’t move. My wolf stirred inside , growling low, not out of anger but recognition.

"I... I finally found you," I whispered without aning to.

Her head snapped up, her wide eyes locking onto mine. Fear filled them instantly. She tried to pull herself back further into the shadows. "Stay away," she rasped, her voice trembling. "Leave alone."

I blinked, surprised. "I’m not here to hurt you," I said quickly, my hands raised in peace. "I promise you that."

She shook her head violently, wrapping her arms around herself. "No... no. You don’t understand. You’re not supposed to be here. You shouldn’t have found ."

Her words stung, but I pushed them aside. I could feel the pull between us, stronger than anything I’d ever experienced. "Listen," I said softly, stepping a little closer. "I didn’t choose this. I felt you. The power, the scent, it dragged here. I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to."

Her eyes narrowed, though her body still trembled. "That’s exactly why you should leave. If you stay, you’ll regret it."

"Or maybe," I countered, my voice low but steady, "I’ll regret leaving. You’re suffering. I can see it. I can feel it. Let help you."

Her lip trembled. She turned her face away, hiding her expression. "No one can help ," she whispered.

Sothing broke in at that. I crouched lower, trying to catch her eyes again. "Then let at least try. If you push away, fine, I’ll walk. But you can’t sit here alone, shaking, dying inside. I can’t walk away from that. Not tonight."

She finally looked at then. Tears glistened in her eyes, her chest heaving with uneven breaths. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, almost angry. "You don’t even know who I am."

"You’re right," I admitted. "I don’t know your na. I don’t know your story. But I know you’re not supposed to be here, broken and hiding like this. And sothing in , my wolf, my blood, my very bones, is telling I was ant to find you."

Her mouth opened slightly, as though she wanted to argue, but no words ca. She looked exhausted, torn between fear and sothing else... sothing softer.

Slowly, I reached out my hand toward her. Not touching, just offering. "Co with ," I said gently. "I won’t hurt you. I won’t let anyone else hurt you either. Please... trust , just for this mont."

She stared at my hand, her whole body stiff. For a long ti, she didn’t move. My heart pounded, each second stretching painfully.

Then, finally, her trembling hand lifted. Hesitant. Shaking. She placed her palm in mine.

The mont our skin touched, a jolt of energy ripped through . My wolf roared inside, not in anger but in recognition, like I had been missing a piece of myself, and suddenly it was back.

Her eyes widened, the sa shock flashing across her face. And then we both froze.

Because as we stared at each other up close, we saw it. The resemblance. Mad and undeniable. The sa sharp jawline. The sa shape of eyes. Even the sa faint scar near the brow.

Her lips parted, her voice a faint whisper. "No... this can’t be..."

My throat went dry. "What the hell..." I breathed, stunned. "You... you look like ."