The next day felt… different.
Heavier.
Like something was waiting to happen.
I tried to ignore it as I stepped into the school hallway, keeping my head straight and my expression calm.
No one here needed to know what happened last night.
But the moment I walked in—
The whispers started.
"That's her…"
"The new girl…"
"She's living with them…"
My steps slowed slightly.
Them.
Of course, everyone knew about the triplet Alphas.
And now… somehow, they knew about me too.
I kept walking.
I wasn't going to let it get to me.
"Well, well…"
I stopped.
A girl stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
Tall. Confident. The kind of girl who knew exactly where she stood in the pack.
Her eyes scanned me slowly—judging.
"So you're the one," she said, crossing her arms.
I frowned slightly. "Excuse me?"
She let out a small laugh. "Don't act clueless. The girl living in the Alpha house."
More people started watching now.
Great.
"I don't see how that concerns you," I replied calmly.
Her smile dropped.
"It concerns me," she said sharply, "because you don't belong there."
A few people murmured in agreement.
My chest tightened—but I didn't back down.
"And you do?" I asked.
That hit a nerve.
Her eyes flashed.
"At least I'm not some nobody who just walked in and started clinging to them," she snapped.
Clinging?
I almost laughed.
"Trust me," I said, my voice steady, "I'm not interested in your precious Alphas."
The moment the words left my mouth…
I felt it.
That pull.
Strong. Sudden.
My body stiffened.
And then—
The hallway went quiet.
I didn't need to turn around to know why.
They were here.
Leo.
Kai.
Evan.
The air shifted instantly, heavy with authority.
My heart started racing again.
"Is there a problem?"
Leo's voice. Cold. Controlled.
The girl in front of me straightened immediately.
"No, Alpha," she said quickly, her tone completely different now.
Of course.
I clenched my jaw.
"We were just talking," she added, shooting me a look.
Kai's gaze flicked between us, his expression darkening slightly.
"Didn't look like talking," he muttered.
The girl hesitated.
Evan, as usual, said nothing.
But his eyes were on me.
Watching.
Waiting.
I exhaled slowly.
"It's nothing," I said before it could turn into something bigger.
I wasn't about to be the reason for a scene.
Leo's gaze shifted to me.
Sharp. Searching.
Like he didn't believe me.
"If there's a problem," he said, his voice low, "you handle it properly."
I blinked.
Properly?
Before I could respond, Kai stepped forward slightly—his presence suddenly too close.
"Or we handle it," he added.
The words were casual.
But the meaning wasn't.
My heart skipped.
The girl in front of me went pale.
Interesting.
I glanced between them, confused.
Weren't they the ones who didn't want me?
So why did this feel like…
Protection?
I shook the thought off immediately.
No.
I wasn't going to read into it.
Without another word, I stepped around the girl and walked past them.
But as I passed—
My arm brushed against Kai's.
And the bond snapped again.
Stronger.
My breath caught.
His hand twitched slightly—like he almost reached for me.
But he stopped himself.
I didn't look back.
I couldn't.
Because one thing was becoming painfully clear—
No matter how much they tried to deny it…
They weren't the only ones losing control.