Mated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 70: Hot Soup

Time seemed to freeze as the bowl of hot minestrone soup slid off the tray, tipping directly toward Cassandra. The scalding liquid splashed across her pale forearm, and she let out a startled cry.

“Oh my god!” Callum jumped up instantly, panic flashing across his face. “Are you okay?”

Cassandra automatically pulled back, but she wasn’t fast enough to avoid the soup completely. The hot liquid had already soaked through the sleeve of her light blue sundress, leaving an angry red stain spreading across the fabric.

“I’m so incredibly sorry, miss!” The waiter’s face had gone pale with horror. He frantically grabbed napkins from the table, offering them to Cassandra. “Please, let me help—”

“It’s fine,” Cassandra said, though her voice was tight with pain. She pressed the napkins against her arm, wincing slightly.

Callum was already on his feet, hovering over her with concern etched into every line of his face. “Let me see, Cass. You might need burn cream.”

He reached for her arm, gently pushing up her sleeve to check the damage. I watched as the wet fabric slid up, revealing angry red skin underneath—but something else caught my eye. Just below her elbow was what looked like a dark mark or scar. It was partially hidden, but I could make out what appeared to be four leg-like lines, almost like part of an animal.

Cassandra noticed my gaze and quickly tugged her sleeve back down. “It’s really nothing,” she insisted, her movements just a little too hurried.

“Are you sure?” Sophia asked. “That soup was steaming hot. We should at least get some ice on it.”

The commotion had drawn attention from nearby tables. A harried-looking woman rushed over, pulling two sheepish children behind her.

“I am so sorry,” she began, her tone irritated. “My boys were supposed to be—” She stopped abruptly when her eyes landed on me, her expression shifting instantly. “Oh! I didn’t realize—I’m so sorry for not watching my kids better. Come on, boys, let’s go.”

She hurried away with her children before I could even respond, leaving me confused by the sudden change in her demeanor. Was she intimidated because of my connection to the Sullivan triplets? I still wasn’t used to how differently some pack members treated me now.

The waiter returned, his forehead beaded with sweat. “Again, I sincerely apologize. The restaurant would like to comp your entire meal as compensation for the accident.”

“That’s really not necessary,” Cassandra said, her sweet smile back in place. “It was an accident. I’ll heal soon enough.” Her voice was light, but I noticed she kept her arm carefully angled away from view.

“At least let me bring you an ice pack,” the waiter insisted.

Cassandra nodded. “That would be nice, thank you.”

As the waiter rushed off, Sophia leaned forward. “Are you sure you don’t want to see one of the pack healers? There’s a clinic just a few stores down from here.”

“No, really, I’m fine.” Cassandra’s voice was soft but firm. “Wolf healing, remember? It’ll be gone in a few hours.”

Callum didn’t look convinced, but he settled back into his seat, keeping a protective arm around her shoulders. “If you’re sure...”

“Completely sure,” she replied, before turning to me with that same serene smile. “Now, where were we before all this excitement?”

The waiter returned with an ice pack wrapped in a clean cloth, which Cassandra pressed gently against her arm. The rest of our food arrived shortly after, and the conversation gradually returned to normal. Sophia talked about her studies, Callum shared stories from his job, and Cassandra listened attentively, asking thoughtful questions.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about Cassandra’s reaction. I looked at her. Everything about her seemed normal, every much the loving, infatuated she-wolf who had just found her mate. Yet, there was an unsettling feeling in my stomach.

I tried to shrug it off. Maybe the unsettling feeling wasn’t mine. Maybe the triplets had met an issue at their meeting.

“Hazel? Earth to Hazel?” Sophia nudged me gently.

I blinked, realizing everyone was looking at me expectantly. “Sorry, what?”

“Cassandra was asking if you’re planning to attend the spring festival next month,” Callum explained, eyebrows raised in concern. “You okay? You zoned out for a minute there.”

“Yeah, just thinking about some pack stuff I need to take care of,” I lied, forcing a smile. “The spring festival? I’m not sure yet. It depends on how things go with the... current situation.”

Cassandra tilted her head. “Current situation?”

Sophia and Callum exchanged glances, clearly unsure how much to share about the Annie investigation.

“Just some pack business,” I said vaguely. “Nothing too exciting.”

“I understand,” Cassandra replied, though something in her eyes made me wonder if she actually knew more than she was letting on. “Pack politics can be so complicated.”

As we finished our meals, I tried to push away my suspicions. Maybe I was being paranoid after everything that had happened.

When we finally said our goodbyes in the parking lot, Cassandra hugged me with surprising strength for someone so delicate-looking.

“It was lovely meeting you, Hazel,” she whispered, her breath cool against my ear. “I hope we’ll be seeing much more of each other.”

A shiver ran down my spine, though I couldn’t explain why.

“Me too,” I replied automatically.

As Callum drove away with Cassandra in the passenger seat, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right about her.

+++

Third POV

Lucas Sullivan paced the length of his father’s office, tension evident in every line of his body. His brothers sat nearby, equally on edge as they listened to the reports.

“All the evidence points to Annie working alone,” Beta Cohen was saying, gesturing to the documents spread across Alpha Henry’s desk. “The items found in her room match exactly with what was used in the attacks against Hazel.”

“But why?” Liam asked, frustration clear in his voice. “I know she was upset about our relationship ending, but to go that far?”

Levi shook his head and shrugged. “I don’t know, man. She always seemed like a bitch to me.”

Alpha Henry frowned, examining the photographs of the evidence. “Sometimes we never truly know what others are capable of until they’re pushed to their limits.”

Lucas stopped pacing. “We need to talk to Samuel Williams about this. He has always been protective of his daughter. I don’t believe that he didn’t have a single clue about her plans.” freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

“I agree,” Alpha Henry nodded. “I’ve always valued Samuel as an advisor, but in this case, his loyalty to his daughter might be clouding his judgment.”

The door burst open suddenly, and a young warrior rushed in, breathing hard. The triplets immediately tensed, recognizing the panic on his face.

“Alpha Henry, young alphas,” the warrior said, bowing quickly. “I apologize for the interruption, but I thought you should know immediately—Annie Williams is missing.”