The Triplet Alphas' Forbidden Temptation

Kieran, Kaden and Killian exchanged brief glances, their eyes meeting in silent confirmation. Then they answered together.

”We understand and accept all responsibilities resulting from our decision,” Kieran and Kaden’s voices chorused.

Their voices echoed through the chamber, steady and unified. A few people in the crowd shifted uncomfortably.

Yuki’s stomach twisted. She could feel every word sinking into her like stones. They were really going through with it. Her gaze drifted towards Eloise. The woman’s lips had curved into a victorious smile, her eyes bright with satisfaction. Yuki’s chest tightened. She almost scoffed. Eloise looked like she had already won. A small, almost imperceptible tremor ran through Yuki’s hands.

’Don’t regret this later.’ Alexander’s voice entered the minds of his sons alone.

Killian’s expression remained unchanged, though his shoulders squared a fraction more. Kieran’s eyes flickered briefly towards his father, a brief flash of something unreadable crossing his face. Kaden simply stared ahead, his jaw set. Alexander looked towards Maddox and gave him a subtle nod. The Beta’s fingers tightened around the decree.

Maddox straightened.

”Very well,” he announced. ”With the understanding and approval of the three Alpha heirs, we shall proceed.”

Yuki’s heartbeat quickened, a rapid flutter against her ribs. Maddox turned towards Killian.

”Lord Killian Ravencourt, considering the sacred mate bond between you and Miss Miyuki Donovan, what is your decision?”

Yuki felt the weight of the man’s gaze shift towards her. Suddenly, the entire room seemed to disappear. She could feel hundreds of eyes watching her. Her palms became damp, the moisture seeping into the fabric of her dress. Cold sweat gathered along her back, tracing a slow path down her spine. She forced her shoulders straight. She would not bend. She would not cry. She would not let them see her break. Her chin lifted a fraction higher.

Killian stepped forward. Yuki looked at him. For one brief second, their eyes met. Something unreadable flickered in his gaze before it vanished. Then Killian looked away.

”I refuse to accept the bond,” he declared, his voice firm and unwavering. ”I wish to reject Miss Miyuki Donovan as my mate.”

The words struck her harder than she expected. Yuki’s fingers curled into fists so tightly her nails bit into her palms. Her wolf trembled inside her, a faint shiver running through their shared senses. Not from anger. From fear. The wound from yesterday’s incident had barely healed, and now the same terror came rushing back. Her breath caught for half a second before she forced it out evenly.

’So they will never want us.’

Her wolf’s voice was small and fragile, almost a whisper. Yuki’s heart clenched.

’This is for the best.’

She tried to reassure her. But her wolf already knew. They shared the same mind. The same heart. The same pain.

’They don’t want us.’

A faint ache bloomed behind Yuki’s sternum.

Yuki swallowed hard, the motion visible in her throat. She forced her gaze back towards Killian.

Alexander’s voice cut through the silence. ”And what is your reason?” he asked calmly. Killian’s eyes shifted towards him. ”Let the court hear it.”

Killian remained perfectly straight, his posture rigid. ”We are a bad fit,” he said calmly. ”We are not compatible. It would be better for both of us to let each other go.”

A soft murmur rippled through the nearest rows of seats.

Something inside Yuki shifted. She had expected him to say he loved someone else. She had expected Eloise’s name. Instead, he had said they were simply incompatible. Yuki’s eyes lowered slightly, her lashes casting faint shadows on her cheeks.

Not compatible.

The words repeated in her mind. If they had been fated to someone else, would things have been different? Would they have treated that woman differently? Would they have accepted her without hesitation? Or would they have looked at her, rejected her for Eloise? Yuki’s chest tightened until each breath felt shallow.

Alexander’s voice broke through her thoughts. ”You believe you are incompatible with the woman the Goddess herself chose for you?” he asked, arching a brow at Killian.

Killian’s jaw tightened, a muscle jumping once. ”You know of the curse,” Alexander continued. ”You know the consequences of refusing a fated bond. And yet you have chosen this path.”

”I am aware of the repercussions,” Killian answered. His voice remained calm, though a faint tension tightened the corners of his mouth. ”The curse states that only a fated mate can continue the sacred bloodline. It does not state that a person can only have one fated mate in their lifetime.”

Silence. Alexander’s expression changed. Only slightly. But Yuki noticed. The Alpha’s fingers stilled on the armrest. Killian had cornered him with his own words. The Alpha leaned back against his throne.

”So your decision is final?” he asked again.

”Yes, Alpha.”

Maddox nodded slowly. His gaze shifted towards the other two brothers. ”Lord Kieran. Lord Kaden. Do you share the same decision as Lord Killian?”

Kieran stepped forward. Yuki’s heartbeat stumbled, a single uneven thud. He did not look at her. His eyes remained fixed somewhere past her shoulder.

”I do.”

His voice was quiet, controlled, almost too soft for the size of the hall. Maddox waited.

”And your reason?”

Kieran’s expression remained unreadable, though a faint line appeared between his brows.

”I agree with my brother. We are not compatible. It would be better for all of us if the bond were rejected and we were given the opportunity to find mates who are better suited to us.”

His hands remained still at his sides, but the tendons in his wrists stood out faintly.

Better suited. Yuki’s lips curved faintly. It was almost a smile. Almost. The words should not have hurt. But somehow, they did. She looked down briefly before forcing her expression back into place. A small tremor passed through her lower lip before she pressed it flat.

Maddox turned towards the final brother.

”Lord Kaden.”

Kaden stepped forward. His dark eyes swept across the room before settling on Alexander. A few people in the front rows leaned forward slightly.

”I share the same decision as my brothers,” he said without hesitation.

Maddox’s brows lifted slightly. ”And your reason?”

Kaden’s mouth curved into a cold smile.

”My reason is simple.” He paused, letting the silence stretch. ”I refuse to allow the Goddess to make a joke of my life. I would rather reject the throne than play Nyxoria’s games.”

A murmur swept through the court, louder this time. Several heads turned toward one another. Yuki’s eyes widened slightly. Kaden had not simply rejected the bond. He had challenged the Goddess herself. Across the room, Eloise’s smile widened until it almost reached her eyes. She looked almost radiant.

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