Page 5 of The Alpha's Triplets

Ever since he’d found out that the seal had awakened, he’d done everything he could to put the matter on hold. He’d thrown himself into other more productive pack business, hopeful that by ignoring the problem it would miraculously disappear. It hadn’t.

There was no putting it off anymore. Blake knew that better than anyone, he just struggled to accept it. There was simply no getting out of what was perceived as a civil responsibility.

So, he’d gone out to do the one thing he could still control, an early-morning hunt in the quiet of the forest. No duties or responsibilities, no arranged marriages. Nothing but the hunt.

He’d felt better after the hunt, but now he was back to feeling unsettled all over again. Unsettled may have been an understatement. He was livid. He hated how powerless he felt.

His mood was still foul when he got into his truck and left for Twin Moon. Xander was supposed to meet him there with information on who his new wife was going to be. Their other friends were going to be present as well.

Over the years, the group had become a sort of support group for when they had personal problems. The group had been created as a countermeasure against security threats, but it had grown into something bigger.

That was the only positive that Blake could see, from where he was standing. He got to meet his friends. In the pack, he was the alpha and was expected to always have it figured out. With his friends, he could lean back and enjoy a cold beer while getting stuff off his chest.

Still, he didn’t see how his friends could help him right now. He tried to see it, but it wasn’t happening. Regardless, he would be happy for the company at least.

He glanced at his watch. It was half an hour before noon. He had some time to spare, so he made a detour into town to grab some coffee. He’d eaten a lot more than he probably should have, and could do with a cup or two of coffee…or more.Definitely more.

“Hello, Blake,” Mrs. Whitaker said when he entered the coffee shop. “Fine, cold Sunday morning, don’t you think?” She had on one of her characteristic maternal smiles that Blake loved and he returned it with a warmer one of his own.

“Sure is, Mrs. Whitaker. Sure is.” He sat down on a bar stool and laced his fingers on the counter. “An espresso. Make it as strong and as black as you can manage, please.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Rough night?”

Blake shook his head. “Better. Early morning hunt.”

She groaned regretfully. “Oh, bite me.” She spun around to make his coffee and kept speaking over her shoulder. “You have no idea how easy you have it. I’d give anything to run around in the woods again just once. Sally and I are tired, though. Too tired for young people’s games.”

Blake laughed. “I’m not exactly young. I’m thirty-seven.”

Mrs. Whitaker stopped blending coffee beans abruptly and gave him a flat look. “Yeah? Try being seventy-one.” She snorted. “I’m constantly torn between reminiscing about my glory days, and just dropping dead.”

Blake laughed harder. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t make such jokes.”

“Why not?” she retorted. “You can’t. I can. Sue me.” She placed a steaming cup of black coffee before him and leaned on the counter. “My advice? Enjoy and embrace your youth. Live every single day. Even if your people force you to marry a complete stranger from a different pack.”

Blake looked up at her sharply and she winked. He chuckled and shook his head. He had no idea why he was even surprised. Mrs. Whitaker had a habit of knowing everything that happened in the town. Oftentimes, before it even happened at all.

He wished it were that simple, but he let it go. She did have a point, of course, it just wasn’t what he wanted to hear at the moment.

He sipped his coffee slowly as she went about her other tasks, washing surfaces and mugs. He felt more alive afterward and thanked her for the coffee and conversation. As usual, he left a hefty tip in the jar as he left.

The town was usually quiet this time of day on Sunday. He looked at the shops, businesses, and houses as he drove past. This was his town. He had spent his entire life here and couldn’t think of a reason why he would ever want to leave.

There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his people. There was nothing he wouldn’t attempt for their peace and prosperity. He just wished the circumstances were different.

Twin Moon was usually forty-five minutes away, but Blake made the journey in thirty minutes. He was eager to hear what Xander had to say. While he wasn’t excited about the prospect of getting married, he hoped that the seal had chosen a woman he could be compatible with.

His biggest aversion to the entire arrangement was that he’d never planned to get married or have children of his own. He loved kids, he loved playing with them and teaching them, he’d just never considered having any.

Thoughts of matrimony had never crossed his mind before. He liked to think of himself as a visionary who had big plans for the future of the pack and its growth. However, being a family man was not on that list.

He didn’t know the first thing about being a husband. He felt like a rookie pilot flying a plane in bad weather. He was ill-equipped for what they were requesting of him, but all his objections had fallen on deaf ears. It was no longer a question ofifbut had become a question ofwho.

There were a few trucks parked outside the bar. He recognized Articus’s and Rowan’s trucks first. The yellow sports car belonged to Callahan. The man knew nothing about subtlety.

He didn’t see Xander’s gray Ram truck, though, and his impatience rose. He took a moment to compose himself before he got out of his car and walked into the half-crowded barroom. He found his friends sitting in their usual table at the rear of the room, at a table with a good view of the room and the road.

Only the Yeti and Xander were yet to arrive, which was weird. Xander was obsessively punctual. Blake ran through a series of scenarios, searching for the best reason why his best friend was running late.

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