Mated to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: The First Meeting

Third POV, Flashback

Helena’s lungs burned as she sprinted through the dense forest. Twigs snapped beneath her feet, branches whipped against her face, but she didn’t slow down.

She couldn’t. The snarls and howls behind her grew closer with each passing second.

“Shit,” she gasped to herself when she cast one look behind. “Oh no no no no.”

The moon hung high above, casting just enough light for her to navigate through the trees.

She’d been on her own since she had escaped the rogues when the Eclipse Pack was attacked. She slept in abandoned buildings and stole food when necessary. But through the years, she’d never been in danger like this before.

Her foot caught on an exposed root, and she tumbled forward. Pain shot through her ankle as she crashed into the dirt. Panic seized her chest as she tried to scramble back to her feet, but her ankle gave way beneath her.

“There she is!” a gruff voice called out.

Three men emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with predatory satisfaction. They weren’t shifted, but it wasn’t difficult to sniff them out.

Rogues. The worst kind of werewolves—those who had either left their packs or been banished.

“Nowhere left to run, little girl,” the tallest one sneered. His face was scarred, his teeth yellowed when he grinned.

Helena backed away, dragging her injured ankle. “What do you want from me?”

The second rogue, a stocky man with a shaved head, laughed. “You’ll fetch a nice price at the auction. Young, pretty, unclaimed. Easy pickings.”

“No pack, no friends, no family,” the third one taunted. “No one to miss you.”

Helena’s blood ran cold. She’d heard about these auctions before. Victims from every supernatural pool—especially she-wolves—were sold to the highest bidder. Men became slaves, females breeding stock.

She’d rather die.

“Like hell,” she spat, summoning her courage.

When the first rogue moved closer, Helena struck. She lashed out with her good leg, catching him square in the face. His nose crunched under her boot, blood spurting as he howled in pain. The second rogue lunged for her, but she drove her fist upward, connecting with his groin. He doubled over, wheezing.

The third rogue wasn’t as easily caught off guard. His eyes narrowed, and with a sickening sound of cracking bones, he began to shift. noveldrama

Terror gripped Helena’s heart. She was only seventeen—she hadn’t even received her wolf yet. She couldn’t shift to defend herself.

The first two rogues, recovered from her attacks, began shifting as well. Three massive wolves now surrounded her, lips pulled back to reveal razor-sharp teeth, saliva dripping onto the forest floor.

Helena backed up until her spine hit a tree trunk. This was it. She was done for.

The largest wolf lunged. Helena threw her arm up in defense, feeling teeth sink into her forearm. She screamed in pain as blood flowed from the wound. She tried to run again but collapsed as her injured ankle gave way.

That was when a savage growl cut through the night. Helena’s eyes shot open. This howl came from a distance away. It was deeper, more powerful than the others.

A black blur crashed into the wolves attacking her. Helena watched in shock as a massive black wolf, at least twice the size of the rogues, tore into them with frightening efficiency. He moved with deadly precision, jaws snapping, claws slashing.

The rogues fought back, but they were clearly outmatched.

After a brief, bloody struggle, the three rogues retreated into the darkness, yelping in pain and defeat.

The black wolf stood still, chest heaving from exertion. Then he turned to face Helena.

She froze, terrified he might attack her next. She tried to scramble backward, wincing as pain shot through her arm and ankle.

To her surprise, the wolf’s form began to shift. Bones cracked and realigned, fur receded, and within seconds, a man stood before her.

A very naked man.

Helena averted her eyes, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.

“You’re—you’re not wearing anything.”

“That tends to happen when you shift,” he replied, his voice deep and tinged with amusement. He didn’t seem the least bit concerned about the fact that he was parading himself in front of a stranger in his birthday suit.

Despite her embarrassment, she couldn’t help but notice his impressive physique—tall, muscular, with broad shoulders and—

Helena gulped, quickly averting her eyes again. She shouldn’t look down any further. But it didn’t stop her imagination from running wild.

He extended his hand to her. “Can you stand?”

Helena hesitantly took his hand, still trying not to look at him directly.

“Thank you,” she mumbled. “For saving me.”

“You’ve got guts,” he said, helping her to her feet. “Not many would take on three rogues with nothing but a sharp tongue and quick fists.”

“Didn’t have much choice,” she replied, wincing as she put weight on her ankle. “I wasn’t the one that picked a fight with them.”

Helena watched as realization dawned in his eyes. Rogues often only attacked for a handful of things. It wasn’t difficult to piece the puzzle when their prey was someone young and attractive.

He studied her injuries with a frown. “Those need cleaning. There’s a stream nearby.”

“I’ll be fine,” Helena insisted. “I don’t even know who you are.”

“Someone who just saved your ass,” he pointed out with a raised eyebrow. “But sure, hobble around the forest bleeding. I’m sure that won’t attract more rogues. You know, injured woman and all.” He waved his hand nonchalantly. “It would be too easy to pluck you off the forest floor and chuck you into the next auction hall.”

Helena glared at him. “Do you always insult people you rescue?”

A smile tugged at his lips. “Only the pretty ones who run straight into trouble.” He shifted back into his wolf form, nudging her leg with his nose before turning to leave.

“Wait!” Helena called after him. “What’s your name?”

The wolf paused, glancing back at her with intelligent eyes. Then he continued into the forest, disappearing among the trees.

+++

Hazel’s POV

“Then? What happened?” I asked, completely absorbed in Leo’s story.

Leo leaned back in his chair, a distant look in his eyes.

“The second time we met was in a bar in a whole different country. In Croatia, if I remember correctly.”

He shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Helena seemed to always find trouble wherever she went.”