Trap of the King Alpha Triplet
Chapter 41 Awakening

Emily.

I came to slowly, feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. A really big, magical truck. My whole body ached, and my head felt like it was stuffed with cotton balls. "Ugh," I groaned, trying to open my eyes. "Did anyone get the license plate of that troll?"

"She's awake." Luca's voice, filled with relief, cut through the fog in my brain.

I blinked, my vision slowly coming into focus. The triplets were hovering over me, their faces a mixture of concern and something else... something warmer. "Hey there," Logan said softly, his hand gently brushing a strand of hair from my face. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got into a fistfight with the moon and lost," I mumbled, trying to sit up. Immediately, Leo's strong arm was behind my back, supporting me. "Easy there, little witch," he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. "You've been out for a while."

I leaned into him, grateful for the support. "How long?"

"About twelve hours," Luca answered, perching on the edge of my bed. "You really gave us a scare, Em."

I felt a pang of guilt at the worry in his voice. "Sorry," I said, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "I didn't mean to go all Gandalf on everyone."

Logan snorted. "Please, you were way more badass than Gandalf. More like... I don't know, Jean Grey going full Phoenix."

"Ooh, does that make you guys my Cyclops, Wolverine, and... uh... Beast?" I teased, feeling a bit more like myself.

Leo rolled his eyes, but I could see the smile tugging at his lips. "I think we're a little better looking than Beast, thank you very much."

The warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest was growing. Here I was, surrounded by these three gorgeous, powerful werewolves, and they were looking at me like... like I was something precious. Something worth protecting. But before I could dwell on that thought too much, the hospital wing doors burst open with a bang.

"Oh. My. GODDESS!" A high-pitched squeal pierced the air, making me wince. "It's really you guys!"

A blur of designer clothes and perfectly styled hair came barreling towards us. Before I could blink, a tall, stunning girl had practically launched herself at the triplets, wrapping them in an enthusiastic group hug.

"I can't believe I'm finally meeting the famous King triplets!" she gushed, her voice so sugary sweet it made my teeth hurt. "I'm like, your biggest fan!"

I stared at the scene before me, my jaw dropped. This girl was like Jasmine 2.0 - all long legs, flawless skin, and an air of entitlement that you could practically smell.

The triplets looked uncomfortable, trying to extricate themselves from her grip without being too rude.

"Uh, thanks," Logan said, managing to free one arm. "It's always nice to meet a fan, but we're kind of in the middle of something here..."

The girl finally seemed to notice me, her perfectly plucked eyebrows rising. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you had company." She didn't sound sorry at all. "I'm Celeste, Prince Alaric's cousin. And you are...?" "Emily," I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. "The triplets' mate." I added.

Celeste's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before her megawatt smile was back in place. "Oh, of course! The hybrid everyone's been talking about. How... quaint."

I felt my hackles rise. Before I could say something I'd probably regret, Leo stepped in.

"Celeste, it's nice to meet you, but Emily's just woken up after a pretty intense magical ordeal. Maybe we could catch up later?"

"Oh, absolutely!" Celeste chirped, not moving an inch. "I'd love to hear all about your heroic exploits. I bet you were just amazing out there, protecting everyone with your big, strong wolf powers..."

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "Yeah, they were real heroes. Especially when Leo tripped over his own paws and face-planted into that decorative fountain."

Logan and Luca burst out laughing, while Leo shot me a betrayed look.

"I was creating a tactical diversion," he muttered.

Celeste looked between us, her smile faltering slightly. "Well, I'm sure you boys have lots of adoring fans here in Lunaris. If you ever want a tour of the city, I'd be more than happy to show you around. I know all the best spots." She winked, and I swear I saw her flutter her eyelashes. Who even does that in real life?

"Thanks, but we're good," Luca said firmly.

Finally taking the hint, Celeste backed towards the door. "Of course, of course. I'll catch you later, then! Toodles!"

As soon as the door closed behind her, I turned to the triplets, my eyes narrowed. "Okay, what the hell was that? And don't tell me you don't know her, because she seemed pretty familiar with you guys." The boys exchanged guilty looks.

"She's, uh, kind of been blowing up our social media for a while," Logan admitted. "Ever since we won the Shapeshifter Hockey League championship last year."

"Yeah, she's got some kind of wolf-athlete fetish or something," Luca added. "It's honestly a little creepy."

I raised an eyebrow. "A little creepy? She was practically drooling on you. And you didn't think to mention you had a stalker?"

Leo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We didn't think it was a big deal. Lots of people get excited about meeting their favorite athletes. We didn't expect her to show up here and go full fangirl." I was about to retort when the door opened again, this time revealing Prince Alaric. Great. Just what I needed.

"Emily!" he said, his face lighting up. "I heard you were awake. How are you feeling?"

I felt the triplets tense around me, their protective instincts kicking into overdrive.

"I'm fine," I said, trying to sound casual. "Just a little tired. You know how it is, turning trolls to stone really takes it out of you."

Prince Alaric laughed, the sound rich and warm. "I can only imagine. What you did was truly incredible, Emily. I've never seen anything like it."

I smiled "Oh, um, thanks. It was just instinct, really."

"Instinct backed by raw power," he said, his eyes intense. "You're even more remarkable than I initially thought."

The triplets growled lowly, almost in unison. It would have been funny if it wasn't so primal.

"Was there something you needed, Your Highness?" Leo asked, his voice tight.

Prince Alaric seemed to remember we weren't alone. "Ah, yes. My father has called for a debriefing on last night's attack. He requests your presence as soon as Emily is feeling up to it."

I nodded, already pushing back the covers. "I'm good to go now. The sooner we figure out what's going on, the better."

As I stood, a wave of dizziness hit me. Immediately, three pairs of hands reached out to steady me.

"Whoa there, Sabrina," Luca said, his arm around my waist. "No need to go full teen witch on us again. Take it easy."

I leaned into him, grateful for the support. "I'm fine, really. Just got up too fast."

Prince Alaric watched our interaction with barely concealed interest. "Perhaps one of you should stay with Emily, to ensure she doesn't overexert herself. I'd be happy to escort her to the meeting myself." The growls from the triplets grew louder.

"That won't be necessary," Leo said firmly. "We've got it covered."

Prince Alaric held up his hands in surrender, but I could see the glint of challenge in his eyes. "Of course. I'll let my father know you're on your way."

As he left, I couldn't help but feel like I'd just witnessed some kind of wolfy pissing contest.

"Okay, what was that about?" I asked as soon as the door closed. "You guys were one step away from peeing on my leg to mark your territory."

Logan had the grace to look sheepish. "Sorry, Em. It's just... Prince Alaric's been sniffing around you since we got here. It's making our wolves a little... edgy."

I blinked, surprised. "Wait, you think he likes me? Like, likes me likes me?"

Luca snorted. "Um, duh. He's been looking at you like you're the last slice of pizza at pack movie night."

"Oh." I wasn't sure how to process that. On one hand, it was kind of flattering. On the other... "Well, you guys don't need to worry. I'm not interested in Prince Charming over there. I've got my hands full with you three knuckleheads." The tension in the room eased a bit at that.

"Good," Leo said, pressing a kiss to my temple. "Because you're ours, little witch. And we don't share."

A shiver ran down my spine at his words. Before I could respond, though, a strange tingling sensation started in my fingertips.

"Uh, guys?" I said, holding up my hands. They were starting to glow with a soft, silvery light. "Is this normal?"

The triplets' eyes widened.

"That's... new," Logan said, staring at my glowing hands.

Suddenly, the light intensified, and I felt a surge of power rush through me. Objects around the room started to float, defying gravity.

"Holy crap!" I yelped, watching as a vase of flowers drifted past my head. "How do I make it stop?"

"Try to focus," Leo said, his voice calm despite the chaos. "Remember your training. Breathe and center yourself."

I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths. In my mind, I pictured the moon, cool and serene. Slowly, I felt the power ebb, the tingling in my hands fading.

When I opened my eyes, everything had settled back into place. Well, mostly. Luca was hanging upside down from the ceiling, a bemused expression on his face. "Um, a little help?" he asked.