Mated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 138: Ready to Begin

“If you’re going to be such a wimp about it, I’ll say it,” Leo announced, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over us.

Callum sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat as he said nothing.

I glanced between them, confusion growing. “Say what?”

Leo rolled his eyes dramatically. “There have been reports of a certain blonde vampire lurking around near Emberfang territory.” His voice dripped with disdain. “Thought you should know, considering it’s your wedding day.”

My stomach dropped as the realization hit. “Cassandra?”

Lucas, Liam, and Levi tried sending out search parties to sift out the remaining members of the Vox Solis in the last month. Leo helped to identify them. However, among those found, dead or alive, Cassandra wasn’t one of them.

I looked at Callum worriedly, searching his face for confirmation.

He nodded grimly, avoiding my eyes. “And as for your question, I think Kendra is coming too.”

“You think?” Leo scoffed, crossing his arms. “She’s your mate. How can you ‘think’ she’s coming and not know for sure?”

Callum ran a hand through his hair, messing up the careful styling he’d done for the wedding. “I’ve been avoiding her for the past month, okay? While I try to figure things out.”

“Figure what out?” I asked gently. “I thought you accepted that Cassandra wasn’t really your mate?”

“We didn’t mark each other,” Callum admitted. “But I still have feelings for her. It’s not as simple as attraction because of a fated—” he winced, “artificial bond.”

Leo made a disgusted noise. “Man up and stop avoiding the situation. You need to choose between the fake-blonde vampire and your actual mate. If you’re not planning on having Kendra as your mate, reject her properly. Don’t string her along.”

“I will handle it,” Callum snapped. “I just need more time.”

“Callum,” I said softly, careful not to mess up my wedding dress as I reached for his hand. “Leo’s right about one thing. You should make a decision soon. It’s good that Kendra is understanding, but it’s not fair for her to wait like this.”

Callum’s shoulders slumped. “I know.”

The door swung open, revealing Sophia in her bridesmaid dress. “The wedding is starting in ten minutes!” she announced cheerfully, before narrowing her eyes at the tense atmosphere. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” Leo said smoothly. “Callum and I need to go take our positions. Groomsmen duties and all that.”

Callum nodded, clearly relieved for the escape. “We’ll see you out there, Hazel.”

Leo squeezed my hand once before following Callum out, leaving me alone with Sophia.

“What was that about?” she asked, helping me adjust my veil.

“Just some minor drama,” I replied, not wanting to get into Callum’s complicated love life right before my wedding. “Nothing that can’t wait.”

Sophia frowned but didn’t push. Instead, she busied herself with smoothing out my dress. “You look absolutely breathtaking. The triplets are going to lose their minds when they see you.”

I smiled, looking at my reflection in the mirror. The white dress hugged my figure perfectly before flaring out in a cascade of delicate lace. My blonde hair was artfully arranged with tiny pearl pins, and the veil added a soft, ethereal quality.

“And Leo too, of course,” Sophia added with a wink. “Though I still can’t believe you’re mated to all four of them.”

“Neither can I sometimes,” I admitted with a laugh. “But it feels right.”

It had been a whirlwind month of preparations. Three alphas planning a wedding was exactly as chaotic as it sounded. Lucas micromanaged every detail, Liam charmed all the vendors, and Levi kept suggesting increasingly outlandish additions.

Even Leo pretended not to care while secretly ensuring everything was perfect. He was a mere groomsman today, but even so, he helped the triplets with the wedding preparations whenever they weren’t looking. I had caught him a few times, sneakily running about and watching over the decorations.

It greatly warmed my heart that even though their relationship had been stiff and awkward at the start, Leo had seemed to integrate pretty well into the family.

“Ready?” Sophia asked, offering me my bouquet of white roses and baby’s breath.

I took a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

We stepped out of the bridal room and into the hallway of the grand cathedral. At the end of the corridor stood my grandfather, looking distinguished in a perfectly tailored suit.

“Hazel,” he said, his eyes softening at the sight of me. “You look just like your mother on her wedding day.”

Tears threatened to spill, but I blinked them back. “Thank you for coming, Grandpa.”

“I wouldn’t miss it.” He offered me his arm. “Though I must say, you’re only marrying three of them today. When’s the fourth?” There was a playful glint in his eyes.

I laughed softly. “One step at a time, Grandpa.”

Sophia gave my hand one last squeeze. “I’m going to take my place. See you in there!”

As she hurried inside, I could hear the soft music playing behind the closed cathedral doors. My heart began to race.

“Nervous?” Percival asked.

“A little,” I admitted. “But mostly excited.”

He nodded sagely. “Marriage is a serious commitment, especially for our kind. But I’ve seen how those boys look at you. All four of them would die for you without hesitation.”

“I know,” I whispered, remembering all we had been through together. The fights, the fears, the moments of tenderness that had gradually rebuilt my trust in the triplets who once tormented me. And Leo, who had gone from enemy to protector to something much more.

The music changed, signaling it was almost time. The wedding march would begin any moment.

“Are you ready, my dear?” Percival asked, his voice gentle. “Once those doors open, your new life begins.”

I thought about everything waiting for me on the other side. From orphaned maid to alphas’ mate. The Moon Goddess certainly had a strange sense of humor.

“Yes,” I said firmly, squeezing my grandfather’s arm. “I’m ready.”

As if on cue, the massive cathedral doors slowly began to open.