Resisting the Alpha Triplets by Cara Anderson

Ch. 36 Give Us Time

Cary’s POV

I couldn’t sleep. Sleeping next to one’s mate was supposed to bring the deepest, most relaxing night’s sleep imaginable. From the one night I’d spent in Mallory’s bed, I knew this to be true, and we didn’t even have the mate bond between us at the time. But not tonight. Not for me.

Clay, on the other hand, had no such problem. The bastard slept with a satisfied grin on his face the entire night. Mallory laid across his chest, making an adorable purring sound as she slept peacefully. Anytime she made even the slightest shift, Clay’s arms unconsciously tightened around her, fearing her escape even in his sleep.

When we’d come to Mal’s room last night, we had no plan in mind other than to be there for whatever she needed after the difficult conversation with her mom. If she had come in and collapsed into a puddle of tears, either or both of us would have been content to just hold her and whisper comforting words in her ear. But when she walked in the door and her eyes locked with ours, her arousal filling the room, all bets were off.

Clay immediately took the lead and I let him, happy just to be involved in some way. After the events of the evening, Colton’s dismissal of our mate and the trauma of learning Mallory’s truth, he needed to be in control. It was something buried deep inside him that flared to life at times in ways I could never understand but respected all the same.

He’d tried to explain it to me once, saying that as the middle triplet, he never quite knew where he fit. Colton was always the leader and I was always attracting attention with my antics. So being dominant in the bedroom was the only time he felt truly in charge. After what I witnessed tonight, I had a feeling that was only the tip of the iceberg.

Nothing had the power to make you feel less in control than worrying about your mate. Especially when there was a danger of losing that bond to your idiot older brother’s choices or your mate’s inability to fully forgive your past. For my part, I would be happy to give her all the power. She could have me any way she wanted me. But Mallory had responded well to Clay’s bossy attitude and I could tell that had settled him.

My brother had drifted off shortly after Mal did last night. But not before we’d exchanged a few words about the euphoric experience we’d just had or what we needed to do next. We’d both agreed that Mallory was it for us but if we couldn’t get Colton on board, where would that leave us?

“I can’t lose her, Clay.” I’d linked him once Mallory dozed off. “I’m jealous as fuck that she’s in your arms and not mine, that you got to be inside her and I didn’t. But I’m willing to share as long as I know there will be another opportunity. We can’t let Colton and his fucked up sense of duty ruin this for us.”.

“He won’t Cary. He’ll come around.” Clay insisted, ever the optimist. “I know he will. Because this there is nothing in the world worth giving this up for.”

He looked down at the woman in his arms adoringly then buried his face in her hair, taking deep drags of her scent. I knew he was pulling on the bond to calm himself, because as cocksure as he acted, Clay was just as worried as I was that Colton could destroy this for all of us.

“Let me hold her for a while.” I tried but he wasn’t going to give her up easily.

“Next time.” He linked back flatly, not bothering to entertain my request.

“Fine. But next time shit goes down, just remember what a greedy bastard you were because I’ll be the one inside her while you watch and I’ll be the one holding her afterwards.” I goaded.

“It felt like spun silk, her pussy. And she was so soaking wet, my fingers just glided over her walls even though she was so tight I could barely fit two inside her.” He taunted.

“You’re a fucking prick.” I grunted, palming my suddenly throbbing cock.

“I know!” He boasted, then suddenly turned serious. “We need to talk to Colt tomorrow. Find out where his head is and make him listen to reason.”

“We will.” I said, with more certainty than I felt.

Clay laid there silently for a few more minutes before he fell asleep but I could feel his turmoil through our triplet bond. Still, having Mallory so close, being able to feel her soft skin and breathe in her mouthwatering scent was enough to coax him into sleep.

Scooting in close behind her, I let the warmth of her body soothe me, but it didn’t help me sleep. It only made me obsess more about what I had to lose. So I propped up on my elbow and rested my head in my hand, letting my eyes roam over her naked form.

I took in every detail I could, a glutton feasting on an extravagant banquet.

Everything about the woman captivated me. Her long, silky-soft hair tumbling down her back, the hard- earned definition in her lean muscles, the perfectly round globes of her ass and the smooth lines of her toned legs, sculpted from years of training.

I watched as she nuzzled deeper into Clay’s chest, noted the way one of her legs snaked between the two of his, her bare pussy pressed against his thigh. And I ached with the need for it to be me holding her that way.

“Need mate.” My wolf whimpered in my head.

“Soon.” I promised him, and hoped fate wouldn’t make a liar out of me.

I thought maybe at some point, it would get old watching her sleep, and maybe I would just drift off out of boredom. But that never happened. I just drank in every line and curve of her gorgeous body and beautiful face, reflecting on what an ass I’d been to her and all the shit I had to make up for. I’d been studying the way her impossibly long lashes brushed against her cheeks when her eyes fluttered open.

“Good morning.” she rasped, her voice rough with sleep. “Why are you staring at me while I sleep? It’s creepy.

“Good morning, darling.” I leaned forward and pecked her plump lips, fighting the urge to sink my teeth into the bottom one. “I can’t help myself. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you’re always the most beautiful thing in the room.”

“Pfft.” She scoffed, cupping her hands over her reddening face.

“What did we tell you about hiding last night?” I teased, pulling her hands away and watching with fascination as she blushed even deeper.

I leaned over to plant sloppy kisses all over her face, making her giggle and squirm.

“Cary!” She squealed when I pulled her on top of me, wishing she was screaming my name for a whole other reason.

I was just about to grind my hard cock into her pussy, showing her exactly what all her squirming was doing to me, when my brother ruined it all.

“Mine!” He growled sleepily, attempting to steal Mal back from me.

But his spoken claim, the reminder of our bond, broke the spell we’d been under and catapulted her back to reality.

“Fuck!” She blared, scrambling out of bed.

“Mal!” I reached for her, needing to feel her next to me again, but she stepped out of my reach.

“We-, you-, I-” She stammered in confusion, then looked down, realizing for the first time that she was still naked. “Shit!”

She stomped around the room, pulling clothes out of drawers while we watched her, stupefied. Once she’d gathered her chosen wardrobe, she stalked to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. Clay was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, trying to catch up with what was happening. And maybe my brain was too sleep deprived but I had to admit, I had no clue either.

Five minutes later, Mallory exited the bathroom looking much calmer. She had combed her hair and her face glowed, looking fresh and clean and breathtaking as usual. She stared back at us for a minute, wearing a confused expression like she still couldn’t quite work out how we’d gotten there. Then she said the last thing either of us wanted to hear.

“I have to go see Nathan.” She announced, gathering up her bag and heading for the door. But Clay was faster.

“The fuck you do!” He barked, jumping in her path.

“He’s not your mate Mallory. We are!” I added, joining him.

Mallory put her hands on her hips and glared at us defiantly. Mate or not, there was no way she was going to cower to us. A fact I vaguely noted would beg further discussion at a later time.

“Mate or not, he’s the one who has been by my side for the last year, unfailingly and unquestioningly. He accepted my Omega status without judgment and never made me feel less than because of it.” She railed, reminding us of all the ways we’d wronged her.

“He has done nothing but love me, encourage me, build me up and help me grow. While the three of you, one of whom isn’t even here for this bond, did nothing but tear me down. And how have I repaid him? Apparently by eschewing all self-respect and cheating on him repeatedly.”

“What we did last night wasn’t cheating!” Clay boomed. “A mate bond trumps any previous relationship and as an Alpha, he knows that. You don’t owe him anything.”

“I owe him everything!” Mallory shouted. “The very least of which is a face-to-face conversation explaining what has happened in the last twenty- four hours. He deserves that much from me.”

“Please, little wolf.” Clay softened, willing to beg if that’s what it took to keep her. “Don’t make any decisions yet. Give us a chance to make it up to you, to prove we can be the mates you deserve.”

Mallory walked back to us, gently placing her hand on each of our faces. The starburst in her hazel eyes shined with some emotion I couldn’t name, something between desire and regret.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“The Goddess may not have chosen him for me, but he’s already the mate I deserve. I feel the pull between us and it’s powerful. I’m just not sure it’s worth overlooking the one person who loved me for who I was without the bond.” Her voice was hushed, sad. ” Besides, Colton has made his choice and I don’t think this works without him.”

“He wants you, Mal. Please just give him time, give us time.” I pleaded. But she wasn’t moved.

“I’m going now. You can let yourselves out the way you came in.” Then she was gone.