Trap of the King Alpha Triplet -
Chapter 44 Make Our Move
Leo's POV.
The full moon hung heavy in the night sky, its silvery light filtering through the ornate windows of our guest quarters in the Lunaris royal palace. I paced back and forth, my wolf restless beneath my skin, clawing to get out. It had been days since our last proper run, and the confinement was starting to get to all of us.
Logan sprawled across an overstuffed armchair, his nose buried in yet another dusty tome from the royal library. Luca was perched on the windowsill, absently tossing a baseball from hand to hand as he stared out at the moonlit gardens below.
"Will you stop pacing?" Logan growled, not looking up from his book. "You're making me dizzy."
I shot him a glare but complied, flopping down onto the plush carpet instead. "I can't help it," I grumbled. "Something feels off. About this whole situation."
Luca caught the baseball one last time before turning to face us. "You mean besides the fact that our little Emily is some prophesied magical hybrid who's supposed to either save or destroy the world? Yeah, totally normal Tuesday for us." I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm, "I'm serious," I insisted. "Haven't you noticed how... eager Alpha King and Luna Queen are about Emily? It's like they're more invested in her powers than in her safety."
Logan finally looked up from his book, his brow furrowed. "Okay. I have to say Leo's got a point. They've been pushing for her to train non-stop, to tap into powers she barely understands. It's... unsettling."
"Not to mention Prince Charming and his constant 'invitations' to spend time with Emily," Luca added, his voice taking on a mocking tone as he mimicked Prince Alaric's posh accent. "Oh, Emily, do let me show you the secret gardens. Oh, Emily, I simply must give you a private tour of the royal menagerie.""
A low growl rumbled in my chest at the mention of Prince Alaric. The mere thought of him anywhere near our Emily made my blood boil. "If that pretty boy tries to get any closer to her, I swear I'll-"
"You'll what?" Logan interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "Pee on her to mark your territory?"
I felt my cheeks heat up, embarrassed by my own possessiveness. "No! I just... I don't trust him. Any of them, really."
Luca hopped down from the windowsill, his expression turning serious for once. "Look, we all feel it. This protective, possessive urge. It's the mate bond. But we can't let it cloud our judgment. Emily's not some damsel in distress. She can handle herself."
"I know that," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "But this isn't just about Emily. There's something bigger going on here, I can feel it."
Logan nodded, closing his book with a soft thud. "Agreed. But where do we start? It's not like we can just walk up to Alpha King and ask, 'Hey, are you secretly plotting to use our mate for some nefarious purpose? Just curious.""
I couldn't help but snort at that mental image. "No, we need to be smart about this. Subtle."
Luca burst out laughing. "Us? Subtle? Have you met us, Leo?"
I threw a nearby cushion at his head, which he dodged easily. "Fine, smartass. What's your brilliant plan then?"
Luca's eyes lit up with that mischievous glint that usually meant trouble. "Well, since you asked... I may have overheard some of the palace staff talking about a secret archive in the east wing. Supposedly, it's where all the really juicy historical records are kept."
Logan leaned forward, intrigued. "And you're just mentioning this now because...?"
Luca shrugged, a grin spreading across his face. "I was waiting for the right moment. Dramatic timing and all that."
I shook my head, but I could feel the excitement building in my chest. Finally, a lead. "Okay, so we break into this archive and see what we can dig up. But we need to be careful. If we get caught snooping around, it could cause a diplomatic incident."
"Please," Luca scoffed. "We're the King triplets. Masters of stealth and cunning."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Need I remind you of the Great Chicken Coop Incident of 2018?"
I winced at the memory. That had not been our finest moment. "Okay, so maybe we need to work on our stealth skills. But we don't have a choice. We need answers, and we need them soon."
As if on cue, a soft knock on the door interrupted our plotting. We exchanged wary glances before I called out, "Come in."
The door creaked open, revealing a flustered-looking Emily. Her curls were wilder than usual, and there was a smudge of what looked like ash on her cheek. But it was the slightly manic gleam in her eyes that really caught my attention. "Em?" I said, immediately on alert. "What's wrong?"
She let out a somewhat hysterical laugh. "Oh, nothing much. Just accidentally set Prince Alaric's sleeves on fire during training. You know, typical Tuesday stuff."
There was a moment of stunned silence before Luca burst into laughter. "Oh man, I would have paid good money to see that! Please tell me someone got it on video."
Emily groaned, collapsing onto the bed next to me. I instinctively wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. She smelled like smoke and ozone, with an underlying current of that unique Emily scent that never failed to make my wolf sit up and take notice.
"It's not funny," she mumbled into my shoulder. "I could have seriously hurt him. These powers... they're so unpredictable. One minute I'm fine, the next I'm basically a walking disaster zone."
Logan moved to sit on her other side, his hand coming to rest on her knee. "Hey, accidents happen. Especially when you're dealing with new abilities. Remember when I first started shifting? I got stuck halfway between human and wolf for like, three hours. Had a tail for days."
That got a small chuckle out of Emily, which I counted as a win. "Yeah, but your tail didn't try to barbecue the crown prince of werewolves."
"More's the pity," Luca quipped, earning him a half-hearted glare from Emily.
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in her scent. "It'll get easier, Em. You just need time and practice."
She sighed, pulling back to look at me. "That's what everyone keeps saying. But what if it doesn't? What if I'm just a ticking time bomb of magical destruction?"
"Then we'll invest in a really good fire extinguisher," Luca said solemnly. "And maybe some flame-retardant underwear for Prince Alaric."
Emily snorted, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "You're ridiculous."
"You love it," Luca shot back with a wink.
I felt a twinge of jealousy at the easy banter between them, which I immediately felt guilty about. These were my brothers, for Moon's sake. And Emily was our mate. There was no room for petty jealousy here.
But then I remembered the way Prince Alaric looked at Emily, like she was some rare, precious artifact he couldn't wait to get his hands on. The growl escaped before I could stop it.
Emily turned to me, concern etched on her face. "Leo? You okay?"
I forced a smile, not wanting to worry her. "I am Fine, honey."
Logan caught my eye over Emily's head, his expression knowing. We'd have to be careful. Our bond with Emily was still new, fragile. The last thing we needed was for our own insecurities to drive her away. "So," Luca said, clearly trying to lighten the mood. "Who's up for a little late-night adventure?"
Emily perked up, her earlier distress forgotten. "Adventure? What kind of adventure?"
I shot Luca a warning look, which he pointedly ignored. "Oh, you know, just a bit of exploring. This place is huge, and we've barely scratched the surface. Who knows what kind of secrets we might uncover? This place has so many secrets. I can smell it."
I could practically see the wheels turning in Emily's head. Her curiosity was one of the things I loved most about her, but right now, it was a liability. We couldn't risk her getting caught up in our investigation. Not when we didn't know who we could trust.
"Maybe we should wait until tomorrow," I suggested, trying to sound casual. "It's been a long day, and we could all use some rest."
Emily's face fell slightly, but she nodded. "Yeah. I guess I should probably go apologize to Prince Alaric anyway. Make sure he's not, you know, permanently disfigured or anything."
The thought of Emily alone with Prince Alaric made my wolf snarl. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "I'll go with you."
Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at me in surprise.
"Uh, I mean," I backpedaled, "just to make sure everything's okay. You know, diplomatic relations and all that."
Logan snorted. "Right. Because you're known for your stellar diplomatic skills."
I shot him a glare, but Emily just looked amused. "It's okay, Leo. I can handle a slightly singed prince on my own. But thanks for the offer."
She stood up, stretching in a way that made my mouth go dry. "I should probably go clean up first, though. I smell like a bonfire."
As she headed for the door, she paused, turning back to us with a soft smile. "Thanks, guys. For everything."
And then she was gone, leaving behind the lingering scent of smoke and magic.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Luca turned to me with a shit-eating grin. "Smooth, bro. Real smooth."
I groaned. "Shut up."
Logan's hand came to rest on my shoulder. "Look, we get it. The mate bond, it's intense. Especially with everything else going on. But we need to keep our heads on straight if we're going to figure out what's really going on here." I nodded, taking a deep breath to center myself. He was right. We had a mission, and we couldn't let our hormones or our wolves distract us.
"Okay," I said, straightening up. "So, this secret archive. What's our plan?"
Luca's grin turned wicked. "Well, funny you should ask. I may have... acquired a set of master keys from one of the cleaning staff." Logan's eyebrows shot up. "Do I even want to know how you managed that?"
Luca winked. "A magician never reveals his secrets, dear brother."
I shook my head, torn between exasperation and admiration. "Alright, so we have a way in. But what exactly are we looking for?"
"Anything suspicious," Logan said, slipping into research mode. "Records of past prophecies, information about Lunar Wolves, maybe something about Emily's father. We need to figure out where this whole 'moon's daughter' thing came from and what it really means."
I nodded, feeling a spark of determination. "And we need to find out what Alpha King and Luna Queen's endgame is. Why they're so interested in Emily's powers."
"Don't forget Prince Charming," Luca added. "I've got a feeling he's not just interested in Emily for her sparkling personality. No offense to our mate's many charms, of course."
"None taken," I growled. "Alright, so when do we do this?"
Logan glanced at the ornate clock on the wall. "It's nearly midnight now. Most of the palace staff should be done for the night. I say we wait another hour, then make our move."
I nodded, adrenaline already starting to pump through my veins. "Sounds like a plan. But we need to be careful. If we get caught..."
"We won't," Luca said confidently. "Trust me, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."
I raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"
He grinned. "Probably not. Plausible deniability and all that."
I shook my head, but I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips.
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