The Triplet Alphas' Regret

Chapter 110: Underweight

[ROWAN POV]

It was strange. Even though she was the textbook image of pitiful, I did not feel a single ounce of guilt. If anything, the weepy expression on her face merely caused my stomach to roll in disgust and irritation.

I was never in love with Violet. She was merely someone Willow wanted to protect. Considering none of us bore any hatred for her, and she was of good breeding, she was a suitable candidate to lead the pack as its Luna.

However, recently, her presence was starting to irritate me. Merely looking at her caused ire to grow in my chest. Even though this look would’ve easily garnered our pity just two months ago, right now, it did nothing to me. If anything, it made me want to roll my eyes at her sorrowful and pathetic act.

One look at Soren and I knew that he felt the exact same way.

"Of course not!" Cassian said, walking over to hug Violet. He carefully cradled her in his arms as though to assure her. "If anyone is to be rejected, it’s Briar!"

Even though she was unconscious, Briar still pursed her lips slightly, almost as though her body was reacting automatically to his words. I held Briar a little tighter towards my body, frowning.

"That’s not going to happen," Soren said, his voice firm.

The tone of finality in his voice made me raise an eyebrow in surprise. I didn’t think he would say such a thing, especially head-on against Cassian. Soren had always been meek, and I thought this time would be the same, especially with Violet present.

Likewise, Cassian also seemed surprised that Soren dared talk back to him. His eyes widened slightly, his eyebrows rising to the top of his forehead with every passing second that Soren held firm.

"What did you just say?" Cassian asked, frowning. He took a step forward, as if threatened by the ridiculousness of Soren’s words. He couldn’t fathom that the spineless brother of ours had finally grown a backbone.

"Alpha Cassian..." Violet said, suddenly stepping in between Cassian and Soren. She placed her hand on Cassian’s chest to gently hold him back, looking at him with wide, watery eyes. She bit her bottom lip, looking down sorrowfully before stifling a sob.

In a softer voice, she continued, "Please don’t fight here because of me. I understand that circumstances have made it... difficult for them to be in such a position. After all, I know that it’s difficult to withstand the pull of fated mates."

"It’s not that difficult when she is a disgusting, filthy murderer," Cassian muttered venomously under his breath. He shot us a glare.

I had had enough. Carefully, I lifted Briar off the forest ground and walked off.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Cassian yelled after me.

"Back to Shadowclaw," I said without stopping or looking back. "Unless you’re planning on spending the night in the forest?"

***

[BRIAR POV]

"She’s not waking up yet," I heard an authoritative, masculine voice echo in my ear. "What’s the matter with her?"

"Alpha Rowan, she just needs more rest and nutrients," Another voice replied, sounding much meeker than the first. "Her body is severely malnourished, and yet she has also donated a huge amount of blood. It’s a miracle she is even alive―"

"Is she awake yet?" a new voice said.

"Alpha Soren," the man whom I assumed was a healer said. "As I was explaining to Alpha Rowan, Miss Briar will need time to recuperate. Her health was already poor to begin with, even for a human. She is underweight, and upon examination, her bone density is also lighter than what it should be for an ordinary human. Her body is missing essential nutrients to keep herself healthy, merely doing its best to keep her alive. Giving such a huge amount of blood is a shock to her weakened system."

"How could this happen?" Soren asked, his voice filled with worry. "I thought..."

There was a small pause, and the healer said, "Alphas, I believe you should know the reason better than anyone else, including me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will check on Miss Willow."

I heard the sound of feet shuffling away. I guessed that the two Alphas would follow him, but to my surprise, they stood rooted to my bedside, as though they were tied down by an invisible force. If I had enough strength, I would crack open my eyelids and demand that they get lost. I didn’t need them hovering around me as I tried to rest.

"Briar, it’s me, Soren. Can you hear me?" I had never heard Soren sound so gentle in my life.

I felt something warm touch my hand, and I instinctively knew it must be his own hand, cradling mine so tenderly as though it was a priceless artifact. A brief sense of warmth flitted through my body, giving me comfort.

Subconsciously, I wanted to curl my fingers around his hand, but a stronger part of me disdained his display of affection.

He was only doing this because I wasn’t in any state to push him away. If I reciprocated, he would once again call it a mistake the moment someone questioned his actions. I wasn’t going to be fooled twice.

I let my body lie there, still and unmoving.

"She is underweight," Soren muttered forlornly, his tone sounding wretched. "This isn’t something that’s caused by just a day or two without food. Is there a lack of food among the omegas?"

There wasn’t. Omegas had enough food to last them through a day of hard labor, if their names weren’t Briar Argyris. Being suspected by everyone of poisoning your own sister did not endear anyone to me. Paired with my laundry list of chores, I barely even got to taste leftovers most of the time.

If not for Jessie, I would have collapsed from starvation a long time ago.

Of course, the Alphas didn’t care about my lack of food. They didn’t even bat an eye when Violet locked me up and starved me, even punishing Jessie for sneaking me pieces of bread. What right did they have to act upset at my bedside?

That very thought incensed me so much that I managed to pry my eyelids open with every ounce of spite in my body.

"Briar!" Rowan and Soren’s faces immediately swam into view, lined with identical looks of concern. "How are you feeling?"

"Get lost," I spat out. "Don’t... pretend... to care."

I slipped my hand away from Soren’s grasp. His grip had gone slack when he heard my words.

"I do care!" Soren said pleadingly, reaching out for my hand again. "We’re going to make sure of your nutrients. Do you have any food cravings?"

"None of you do," I hissed out, making sure to glare at them with vitriol in my eyes. Their faces seem to pale slightly. "I have starved for years already, and I’m still alive. I don’t need or want your help."

"Don’t be stubborn―" This time, it was Rowan who spoke up.

My mark twinged in recognition, but I ignored it, letting out a scoff.

"So you finally realize that you were wrong about me?" I asked Rowan coldly. "It’s too late for apologies. If not for you not believing me the first time, Willow wouldn’t be in such a state, and neither would I. You are entirely responsible for this turn of events, Rowan Hadeon. If I die, it’s on you. You killed me, your own fated mate."

Rowan looked like I had slapped him, but I wasn’t done.

"But then again, it doesn’t matter to you, does it? You didn’t care when you were willing to stab me over Willow’s empty grave? You didn’t care to save me from a rogue attack. You didn’t care when Violet imprisoned and starved me, and you also did the same when you brought me to the safehouse. Did you think malnutrition just happens, like a sudden rainstorm?"

My words were like knives, cutting through his skin. I wanted them to pierce through the iron muscle that was his heart, just to feel some vindication for how they treated me through the years.

"Now you’re only behaving like this... because you’re scared Willow wouldn’t want you after she hears about your behavior."

As the words escaped my lips, I realized it made a lot of sense. Now that Willow has returned, they would want her as their chosen mate, but that also meant Willow had to choose them.

And I highly doubted Willow would choose three spineless alphas with barely a brain cell to rub together to be her chosen mates. They let her languish in the wilderness for months. They were ready to let her die if it meant caging me.

If I opened my mouth to let Willow know just how well they treated me, their chances were in hell. That’s why they were so desperate to make amends now, to sweeten the deal and seal my mouth. I let out a deranged laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" Rowan demanded.

"I look forward to hearing you explain your actions to my sister," I said, leaning against my pillow with a smug smile on my face. "Now, why are you still here?"