The Triplet Alphas' Secret Mate-Chapter 52: Why?

Scarlett’s POV

I ​didn’t know why it hurt this much—but it did. My chest felt heavy, like something was pressing down on it, stealing my breath.

"Okay," I whispered, my voice flat... empty. "Goodnight, Alpha Ethan."

​I didn’t wait for him to explain. I didn’t want to hear who she was or why he had her lipstick smeared on his face. I turned on my heel and walked away, my legs moving as fast as they could without actually running. I felt his eyes on my back the entire way, but I didn’t look back. Not once.

​I reached my room and slammed the door, leaning my back against the wood. I sat down on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor as the silence of the room closed in on me.

​"Why do you even care, Scarlett?" I hissed to myself, gripping the edge of the mattress. "Why does it hurt?"

​I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force the image of that red lipstick out of my head. I didn’t like him. I barely knew him. He was just a way out—a ticket to a new life where I wouldn’t have to be a servant anymore. He was supposed to be my escape, not someone I actually caught feelings for.

​"You don’t like him," I reminded myself, my voice trembling. "You are just confused... lonely and..." I paused and inhaled deeply, trying to calm my nerves. My wolf, Zoe, was silent, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

​A sudden knock came on the door. Even without opening it, the scent told me exactly who it was. My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to stay calm. I composed my face, wiped any trace of hurt from my eyes, and opened the door.

​Alpha Ethan stepped inside without waiting for an invitation and shut the door behind him. I acted like everything was okay, keeping my voice light. "Do you need anything, Alpha Ethan?" I asked, already planning how to dismiss him so I could be alone with my thoughts.

​But he didn’t answer. Instead, he moved with a speed that blurred my vision. He walked right up to me, his hands reaching out to cup my face. Before I could even gasp, he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine.

​My eyes widened, and I froze. He didn’t stop, though. He kept kissing me, his touch firm and possessive. Slowly, my resistance crumbled. I closed my eyes and kissed him back, my wolf, Zoe, howling disapprovingly in the back of my mind. It was wrong—I knew the triplets would feel it. Our bond was suppressed, but something like this would echo through them. They would know I was with him.

​But in that moment, I didn’t care. I felt a desperate need to be wanted...to be desired. I kissed him back, even though I knew this wasn’t right.

Suddenly, Ethan pulled away, his breathing ragged. He shook his head, looking almost pained as he stepped back.

​"No," he rasped, his voice thick. "I can’t."

​I stared at him, my lips still tingling from the kiss. "Is it because I’m your cousins’ mate?" I whispered, already sensing that was the reason.

​He scoffed, a dark, bitter sound escaping his throat. "Hell no. That’s not it."

​I frowned, my confusion deepening. "Then what? What is it, Alpha Ethan?"

​His lips parted as if he were about to spill a secret that had been burning a hole in his chest. He looked at me with an intensity that made my knees weak, but then he hesitated. He looked away, his jaw tightening, as the words seemed to die in his throat.

After a moment of awkward silence, he inhaled deeply, his shoulders sagging.

​"I’m sorry about the kiss," he said, his voice dropping to a low, guilty whisper.

​I looked at him, my heart still racing in my ears. The words felt wrong...

Completely out of place.

"You don’t have to apologize," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt.

​He gave me a stiff nod, his gray eyes unreadable as he stepped back toward the door. "Goodnight, Scarlett."

​He didn’t spare me another glance as he walked to the door, pushed it open, stepped out, and softly shut it.

I collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the white ceiling. My mind was a mess. What was that? Why did he kiss me if he was just going to pull away? And why did it feel like he wanted to tell me something but couldn’t?

​I didn’t have long to think because a sudden rustle from the balcony caught my attention. Before I could even react, a dark figure jumped onto the balcony. I jumped off the bed, my heart in my throat, my wolf Zoe standing on high alert. The dim light of the room hit his face, and my breath hitched. By the flash of those familiar green eyes and the raw, untamed scent of the forest, I knew exactly who it was.

​Liam.

​He didn’t look like the composed Alpha-to-be I had seen earlier. His hair was messy, his clothes were wrinkled, and his eyes were glowing with a terrifying, restless anger. He looked like he was vibrating with a rage he couldn’t contain.

​"You let him touch you," he growled, the sound vibrating through the walls of the room. "I felt it, Scarlett. I felt his lips on you."

​He took a step toward me, and I took a step back, my heels hitting the edge of the bed. He smelled like sweat and old anger, so intense that for a moment, I froze in fear.

​"What are you doing here, Liam?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Tomorrow is your coronation. You shouldn’t be in a servant’s room."

​"Don’t call yourself that," he snapped, his jaw tightening. "And don’t talk to me about the coronation. I don’t give a damn about it."

​He was inches from me now, his heat radiating off him. He looked down at my lips, and his eyes darkened.

His jaw clenched. His chest rose and fell like he was barely holding himself together.

​"Did you like it?" he whispered, his voice furiously low. "Did you like his touch more than mine?"

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