Fated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 71: The Twist

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Chapter 70

~Jade’s POV~

By the time I finished showering, my body finally felt like mine again.

Warm water had helped ease the soreness between my thighs, though every movement still reminded me very clearly of what had happened the night before. My cheeks heated at the memory, and I quickly pushed the thoughts away before my brain betrayed me again.

I pulled on the black joggers Xade had left folded on the chair for me and slipped into the white tank top he had also bought. The fabric clung softly to my skin, and only when I stepped out of the bathroom did I realize I had not worn a bra underneath.

Too late now.

I took a steady breath and walked toward the kitchen.

The moment I stepped in, all three heads lifted at once. Xavier, Xander, and Xade froze mid-movement.

Their eyes dragged slowly over me.

From my damp hair... down my shoulders... lingering far too long on my chest before continuing downward.

Momentarily, the room went silent. It genuinely felt like they stopped breathing.

My throat felt parched from all the stares I was getting, and I wasn’t even sure how I should react or what I should have done next. Instead, I cleared it awkwardly.

All three of them immediately looked away like guilty teenagers caught doing something illegal.

Xavier covered his mouth, clearly trying not to laugh.

I narrowed my eyes. "Do I even want to know?"

He failed to hold back his smile and pushed away from the counter before walking toward me. "Come and join us for breakfast."

The smell finally reached me then.

Eggs, toasted bread, grilled sausages, chicken sauce, and something sweet that smelled like pancakes filled the kitchen. My stomach betrayed me instantly with a loud growl.

Xade smirked, sitting straight. "Perfect timing."

I walked toward the counter stools slowly, still feeling oddly self-conscious under their attention, and sat down between Xavier and Xander.

A plate was placed in front of me almost immediately—scrambled eggs, fluffy pancakes drizzled with honey, sausages, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

I blinked. Then my eyes did a 270-degree glance in search of the maid. When I found none, I had to ask. "You guys... cooked?"

"Eat first," Xander said calmly. "You need to replenish your strength after yesterday’s activities."

Xander elbowed him lightly in the ribs. Xade muttered something under his breath that I could not catch. My cheeks warmed again at what he meant by that. I picked up the fork and took a bite.

The moment the food touched my tongue, my eyes widened. "This is actually delicious."

The three of them exchanged a suspicious look.

"Suspects," Javelin cooed.

I glanced between them. "Okay... who made this?"

Xade tried to look uninterested, but I looked at Xavier for answers.

He only leaned casually against the counter, looking completely relaxed, like nothing monumental had happened between us less than twelve hours ago.

"That would be Xade," Xavier finally said.

I turned to him in shock. "You cooked this?"

Xade shrugged. "You’re that surprised? Please, I know my way around a kitchen."

"Well," I admitted honestly, taking another bite, "this is amazing."

Something soft flickered across his face before he quickly masked it. He loved compliments, but from what I noticed, he was usually the one who seemed, detached.

The kitchen settled into silence while we ate, but my mind refused to stay still. They were each seated on the stool, dressed in sweatpants, joggers and cargo pants, but only Xavier had bothered putting on a black tank top.

The other two had their chest as bare as the day they were born, reflexing their muscles and tattoos.

It did not take long for last night’s images to return without permission. Xander cuming inside me, the overwhelming rush of warmth that followed as their teeth sank into my skin, and the bond igniting so violently that it had stolen my breath.

My hand moved instinctively to my neck.

After shooing them out earlier so I could bathe, I had seen it clearly in the mirror — the mark.

It was beautiful, possessive, and permanent. My fingers brushed over it gently while my fork dabbed into my pancakes.

A deep warmth spread through my chest.

"Do not worry," Xander said softly beside me. "Even in danger, we will always be able to find you thanks to the mark."

My breath hitched slightly at being caught.

I gave a small nod. "I felt you... all of you. Your pleasure. Your emotions. Everything."

Xavier reached across the counter and took my hand in his. "We felt yours too," he said quietly.

I smiled faintly, though something inside me still felt unsettled. I focused on my food instead, but then it hit me.

No one had mentioned the reason we did any of this in the first place — the curse.

Javelin stirred inside my mind, purring lazily. "You are overthinking," she murmured. "They want you to rest."

Maybe, but something felt... off.

I set my fork down, cleared my throat and focused. "So," I began carefully, looking between them, "how does it feel now that the curse is broken and you are finally free men?"

Deadpan silence followed my question. The three brothers exchanged looks, but none of them answered.

My stomach dropped. "Huh?" I frowned. "Excuse me? Can someone please give me the good news?"

"It was good," Xander said quickly, too quickly in fact.

I stared at him. No doubt he was hiding something. I could feel it through the bond.

Yesterday had been perfect. Magical. Powerful. There was no way it had failed. Right?

Then Xavier answered, "We failed."

The words hit me like a physical blow. My chest tightened violently, and I inhaled wrong, choking as air refused to enter my lungs properly.

I coughed hard.

Xander was instantly beside me, handing me a glass of water he had snatched from Xavier’s hand before Xavier could even pass it.

"Slowly," Xander said, steadying me. I drank, forcing myself to breathe until the tightness eased.

Then I looked at them again. "What?"

Xade sighed quietly. "You heard him."

"It did not work," Xavier added gently. "The curse did not break."

Everything inside me went hollow. "No," I whispered. "That... that cannot be right. We did everything. We made love, you marked me, we followed everything exactly. I even..." My voice trembled. "I gave you my first time."

Panic began creeping in before I could stop it. Had I not been enough? Was this what they feared that I may not have been powerful? Had I done something wrong?

As though noticing my spiralling, Xavier squeezed my hand firmly.

"Hey," he said softly. "Look at me." I did but fear must have been written all over my face. "You did everything right," he assured me. "And so did we. But we think we missed something important."

I swallowed. "What else is there? What more could we possibly do?"

He exchanged a glance with his brothers before looking back at me. "What if I told you," Xavier said carefully, "that breaking the curse comes with a twist?"

"Then tell me," I replied immediately. "Shouldn’t we be figuring this out instead of sitting here pretending everything is normal?"

He exhaled slowly. "It is not as simple as mating," he explained and my heart pounded. "It requires something more."

"More like...?" I asked impatiently. Xavier’s gaze softened as he held mine.

"We need to fall in love with you," he said quietly. "And you need to fall in love with us."