The Alpha Triplets And The Rogue
Chapter 44

Erica’s POV

I walk into the dining room with Ace on one side and Bryce on the other. My heart thuds heavily in my chest as I lay eyes on Luna Alice and Chris. He is sitting beside his mother holding her hand gently. When I walk into the dining room he doesn’t even turn his eyes to greet me.

Bryce nudges me gently with his elbow trying to get me to smile. But without Chris with us I don’t feel like smiling. I know that Luna Alice is his mother but this feels like a betrayal.

I quietly take my seat between Ace and Bryce and keep my eyes glued to the plate in front of me.

“It is nice of you three to finally join us for dinner,” Alpha Devin says with a smile on his face. “I haven’t had a chance to congratulate the four of you on finding your mates.”

Luna Alice scoffs blatantly at her mate’s words.

I dare to look up from my plate. Chris is still refusing to look in my direction even though I am sitting directly across from him.

Luna Alice, on the other hand, is staring daggers in my direction with a sneer on her lips. As soon as I catch her glaze I look back at the plate in front of me.

Ace squeezes my hand under the table and tingles spread through my body. It gives me the boost of confidence that I need in order to square my shoulders and hold my head high.

“Thank you, Alpha Devin,” I say pointedly. “It is truly a gift to be mated to all three of your sons.”

Scoffing loudly again, Luna Alice looks at me with great disdain. “You would think that wouldn’t you.”

Confusion crosses my face as I look between Luna Alice and Chris. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I mean being mated to my sons really improves your current rank, does it not?” Luna Alice has a scowl on her face.

“I would love your sons no matter what rank they held,” I say confidently.

“But their rank is an important one,” Luna Alice says proudly and pats Chris on the shoulder. “And the rank you hold is… well… nothing.”

I am seeing red. How dare she imply that I am nothing?

“Speaking of my current rank and the rank of my parents-” I begin.

“Or lack thereof.” Luna Alice snorts.

“Alice,” Alpha Devin finally butts in and gives his mate a warning look.

But it doesn’t appear that Luna Alice is planning on letting the subject die any time soon.

“I have been speaking with my dear Chris and it would seem you think that I had something to do with the unfortunate situation your parents have found themselves in.” Luna Alice says with a smile on her face.

My eyes dart from Luna Alice to Chris and feel betrayed. He had no right to speak with his mother about a personal conversation that we had. That should have stayed between my mates and me until I said otherwise.

Luna Alice is looking at me like she has just won a fight. “By the look on your face you didn’t think that I knew about your little theory. Did you?”

I swallow hard and place my napkin on top of my plate. “If you will excuse me,” I say to Ace and Bryce. “I am no longer feeling well.”

Pulling back my seat I stare hard at Chris and he finally glances in my direction. There is guilt swimming in his eyes and his face is turning red, in anger.

Holding my head as high as I can I walk out of the dining room. None of the triplets follow me out of the dining room and that feels like another betrayal. I expected at least Ace and Bryce to storm out with me but they didn’t. Maybe none of my mates believe that their mother was part of my parents’ situation. But I refuse to stop searching until I reach the truth. If there is so much a hint that Luna Alice had something to do with this I will make sure she dies a slow and painful death.

I storm up the stairs before I realize that I don’t know where I am supposed to go. I haven’t asked Ace or Bryce if I can stay in their rooms and I am not sure if Chris wants me in his space any longer. Not knowing what to do I head down to the end of the hall and knock on Ashley’s door. She wasn’t at dinner.

I knock on her door and wait but there is no response. I knock again but there is still no response. Of course she is out when I need her the most.

Walking back down the hall I pause in front of Chris’s room. All of my things are in there but I no longer feel welcome in the space. Leaning up against the hall on the opposite side of the door, I slide down the wall and pull my knees to my chest. I feel nothing but sadness at this moment. Resting my head on my knees, I let the tears fall from my eyes that had been threatening to fall all evening.

I don’t look up when the sound of footsteps echo through the hall or the smell of hot chocolate and peppermint fills my senses. I turn my back to Chris as he approaches me.

“I don’t want to talk to you, Chris,” I tell him quietly.

Instead of walking away, Chris sits down on the floor beside me. “How did you know it was me?” He asks curiously. “We all smell the same.”

“Not exactly,” I sniff. “You all smell like hot chocolate but you each have different undertones.”

Chris lays his hand on my shoulder and I shrug it off. “You can’t ask me to choose between you and my mother,” he says quietly. “That’s not fair.”

“I wasn’t asking you to choose between us,” I hiss at him.

“You wanted me to investigate my mother,” he sounds exasperated. “That is not something you can ask me to do.”

“Ace and Bryce don’t seem to have an issue with it,” I pout.

“They don’t have the same relationship with her that I do,” Chris tells me. “I have always been her favorite.”

“So you refuse to help me because you don’t want to lose your favorite son status?” I yell at him.

“Little Fox,” Chris says as he reaches for me again. “That’s not what I was trying to say.”

“Don’t call me that,” I hiss at him. I get up from the floor and storm into Chris’s bedroom. “Don’t follow me,” I scream as I slam the door in his face.