Three Alphas Beg For the Triplets They Never Wanted

Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Child’s Simple Question

Bella’s POV

When we entered my suite, the scene before me was exactly what I had anticipated. Parker sat cross-legged on the floor, building block towers with the children while they giggled with pure delight. The sight warmed something deep in my chest.

What caught me completely off guard was Hugo. He knelt beside Zack, patiently showing him how to stack the colorful pieces without toppling the entire structure. His usual stern expression had softened into something I barely recognized.

This wasn’t the Hugo I knew. The man who had always kept his distance from anything resembling family life was now genuinely engaged with my children.

Derek’s voice cut through the domestic tranquility like a blade. "You two need to stop hanging around here. Go fix your relationships."

Both men looked up at him with matching expressions of barely concealed irritation. Their eyes seemed to say what their mouths wouldn’t dare speak aloud about Derek’s own crumbling situation with Serena.

Parker straightened, his curiosity evident. "Where have you two been?"

Derek answered while I remained silent, my thoughts spinning in dangerous circles. "We were in the lobby, talking about the case."

If Hugo truly harbored feelings for me, as Derek had suggested, then why had he treated me with such coldness for so long? The contradiction gnawed at me.

Parker’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Are you sure that’s all you two have been doing?"

Exhaustion suddenly crashed over me like a wave. I couldn’t handle another interrogation, another probing look, another unspoken question hanging in the air between us all. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

"Alright, little ones, time for your nap," I announced, reaching down to scoop Tara into my arms as she tried to climb higher on her block tower. "Let’s go get some rest."

When I saw them starting to gather their scattered toys, I waved them off. "Leave everything. I’ll clean up later."

Usually I insisted they tidy up after themselves, but today felt different. They were already past their usual nap time, and I could see the telltale signs of crankiness beginning to surface. If I didn’t get them down soon, bedtime would become a battle I wasn’t prepared to fight.

Parker rose to his feet, awkwardness radiating from every line of his body. "We’ll head out too then."

I managed only a brief nod before turning toward the bedrooms. That’s when Tara’s small hand slipped into mine, and she asked the question that made everyone in the room freeze.

"Mommy, why can’t you marry Uncle Hugo?"

The innocent words hit the room like a thunderbolt. Every conversation stopped. Every breath seemed to catch.

Zack nodded solemnly as if this was a topic they had discussed extensively among themselves. Leah’s expression suggested she found the question perfectly reasonable.

My gaze swept across the room, taking in each reaction. Hugo looked genuinely stunned, probably because he had never shown much interest in the children before today. Yet somehow, my daughter had formed an attachment to him in the span of a few hours.

Parker appeared personally offended by the suggestion.

Derek’s face darkened with obvious displeasure.

I knelt down to Tara’s level, gently touching her chin. "Because Mommy is already married, sweetheart. Remember?"

I guided her toward the bedroom before any of the men could respond to her question.

Once I had all three children tucked into their beds, I made sure to explain that they shouldn’t ask such questions in front of other people. They nodded sleepily, already drifting off.

I lingered in the bedroom longer than necessary, dreading the conversation that surely awaited me outside. When I finally gathered the courage to emerge, I discovered the men were preparing to leave.

They must have waited for a while before realizing I wasn’t coming back out.

But before they could exit completely, I overheard Parker confronting Hugo in the hallway.

"You need to stop spending so much time around the kids. It’s not fair," Parker’s voice carried clear irritation.

Hugo’s response surprised me with its sincerity. "I didn’t do anything wrong. And please don’t ruin this for me. It’s the first time the children have actually looked up to me."

There was no mockery in his tone, no hint of manipulation. He sounded genuinely moved by their acceptance.

The realization hit me hard. These men who had once wanted nothing to do with children were now competing for their affection. I didn’t want them doing it for my sake, but seeing them care about my kids meant everything.

With the mysterious illness threatening us and danger lurking everywhere, I needed to know my children had protectors.

After they left, I changed into comfortable jeans and a soft pink top, braided my hair back, and sent Chloe to rest. Work still demanded my attention.

I spread the case files across the table, studying both Derek’s research and my own findings. Someone was definitely orchestrating the children’s illness, but their identity remained frustratingly elusive.

The library books I had grabbed earlier focused on werewolves with supernatural abilities, particularly those connected to fire magic. Such powers were extraordinarily rare among our kind.

As I read deeper, I learned that the ancient werewolf tribes, our earliest ancestors, had possessed various magical gifts. They weren’t simply shapeshifters.

One particular tribe had commanded fire, but most believed that bloodline had vanished centuries ago. Perhaps our mysterious enemy was the last survivor.

Then I found the disturbing legends about that tribe. They allegedly consumed infant blood to maintain their youth and power.

The pieces were starting to fit together, but critical questions remained. Who had found this ancient werewolf? Why had they chosen to target our children specifically?

I fell asleep at the table, surrounded by research papers and half-formed theories.

A loud slam jolted me awake. I sat up in the chair, heart pounding, and rushed toward the sound. freewebnσvel.cøm

The door to the children’s room stood slightly ajar. Terror gripped me.

I sprinted inside, and my worst fears materialized. Empty beds. No sign of my babies anywhere.

"My kids are missing!" I screamed, but Chloe didn’t respond.

I searched frantically, panic consuming me completely. When I opened the suite’s main door, the hallway beyond looked wrong, distorted, unfamiliar.

My breathing became ragged, desperate gasps for air.

Then a warm hand touched my shoulder, and suddenly I was awake.

"It’s alright. You’re safe. Your kids are fine," Derek’s voice anchored me to reality.

I must have been crying out in my sleep. The nightmare had felt so terrifyingly real.

"Just relax," he murmured, his hand moving to rub gentle circles on my back.

But something in his touch felt different, more intimate than comforting. When he leaned closer, I jerked away instinctively.

"No, Derek, I don’t have feelings for you," I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.