The Triplet Alphas' Forbidden Temptation

"There is nothing between us."

The moment the words left her lips, Yuki regretted them. She hated the way Terence looked at her, but what bothered her more was the fact that she had felt the need to defend herself in front of them. Why did it matter what Kaden thought? Why did she care whether Kieran believed her?

She pushed the thought aside and looked towards Kaden. "It doesn’t look like nothing," he remarked with a crooked smile, clearly enjoying the way her discomfort grew.

Yuki’s patience snapped. She stopped trying to pull her wrist from Terence’s grasp and met Kaden’s gaze head-on. "Believe whatever you want," she said sharply. "It has nothing to do with me."

Before any of them could respond, she reached for Terence’s hand and pulled him away from the wall. He stumbled half a step before following her, his expression unreadable. She didn’t spare the three brothers another glance. She could feel their eyes following her as she dragged Terence down the corridor, but she refused to look back. Not once.

The moment they turned the corner, Yuki increased her pace. Her walking stick struck the polished floor in quick taps as she hurried along, her grip tightening around Terence’s hand. She didn’t even realise she was still holding him until he glanced down at their joined hands. His jaw tightened.

Yuki finally stopped when they were far enough from the dining room. She released a sharp breath and let go of him, turning to face him. Terence remained quiet for a moment, watching her. Then his voice came from behind her, low and careful. "You like the youngest one too."

Yuki’s head whipped around. "What?" she blurted, taken aback.

"Kaden," he clarified, watching her face carefully. "You like him too."

"No, I don’t," she retorted. The denial came so quickly that Terence’s mouth twitched. A short laugh escaped him.

"You do have a type," he said, almost thoughtfully. "They look alike." Terry hissed, not bothering to hide the distaste in his voice.

Her eyes narrowed. "It isn’t like that. I don’t like Kaden that way." Yuki pressed her fingers against her temple. This conversation was giving her a headache. Kaden was the last person she could imagine having feelings for under normal circumstances. He was arrogant, irritating and seemed to enjoy getting under her skin whenever they crossed paths.

"I don’t know what you think you saw," she muttered. Terence studied her for a moment but didn’t push further. He knew what he had seen.

Kaden had been joking, but there had been something beneath the sarcasm. Terence recognised something in Kaden’s expression. He couldn’t explain it, but there had been a flicker in the man’s eyes that felt strangely familiar.

He knew that look too well. Yuki was hiding something.

The silence stretched between them. Yuki’s stomach tightened beneath his stare. She adjusted her grip on the walking stick before forcing a casual expression onto her face.

"I think I’m tired," she said, her voice carefully even. "If you need anything, ask one of the maids. They’ll show you around."

Before Terence could respond, she turned and walked away. He watched her slender figure disappear around the corner. His fingers curled at his sides.

What was she hiding?

*******

For the rest of the day, Yuki did everything she could to avoid Terence and the Ravencourt brothers. She remained in her room, claiming exhaustion whenever anyone came to check on her. She didn’t want another conversation about Kieran, and she certainly didn’t want to face Kaden after the spectacle in the corridor.

By evening, the household had become busier with preparations for the wedding. Servants moved through the halls carrying folded fabrics, trays and boxes, while voices drifted from the reception rooms as arrangements were discussed.

It wasn’t until dinner that Aevia noticed Yuki’s absence. The dishes were already being placed on the table when she looked towards the empty chair.

"Where is Yuki?" she asked, glancing around the room. "Did no one call her down?"

Alexander frowned and looked towards the nearest maid. "Go and tell her dinner is ready."

The maid immediately stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, Lady Yuki asked to skip dinner tonight. She said her legs were exhausted and she wanted to rest."

Alexander’s expression tightened. The Ravencourt family had always had one simple rule when they were under the same roof: meals were taken together. But Yuki was still recovering, and he couldn’t very well force her downstairs when she was struggling to walk.

Alexander’s gaze moved towards his sons. None of them enjoyed these forced family dinners, and he knew they would have moved into their private residences in Raven City long ago if the proximity to the Obsidian Hall hadn’t made the Alpha’s residence more convenient. "I thought she was close to a full recovery," he remarked, his voice thoughtful.

Kieran’s brows drew together. "I don’t know for certain," he answered carefully. "I wasn’t her attending physician."

Terence’s attention sharpened at once. Lydia, who had been quietly listening, also frowned. Both of them had noticed the walking stick, but no one had explained why Yuki still needed it. Alexander’s gaze shifted towards Kieran.

"The regenerative drug was developed by you," he said, his tone calm but pointed. "Aren’t you supposed to know how effective it is?"

Kieran’s heart gave a hard beat. He kept his face composed.

"Regenerative drugs?" Kaden interrupted, his brows pulling together. "What are you talking about?"

Kieran glanced at him. "It’s nothing important," he replied before Alexander could answer, keeping his tone casual. "It’s a drug I recently finalised. Yuki happened to be one of the first recipients."

He kept his voice even, but Kaden noticed the brief tension around his eyes. That answer raised more questions than it answered. Kaden leaned back in his chair, studying Kieran.

"First recipients?" he repeated, a note of suspicion entering his voice. "Why was Yuki given an experimental drug?"

Killian, who was fully aware of what was happening, remained quiet. Kieran returned his attention to Alexander. "As I said, I can’t tell you when she’ll make a full recovery. Everyone responds differently."

Alexander released a heavy sigh. "Fine, then."

The conversation appeared to end there, but Kaden remained quiet, his mind turning over everything he had just heard. Terence was just as curious. He had spent the entire evening wondering about Yuki, and the unanswered questions were beginning to pile up. As the servants continued placing food on the table, he finally gathered enough courage to speak.

"Aevia?" he called out.

Aevia looked up from her plate. "What is it, Terry?"

Terence swallowed when he felt Alexander’s gaze settle on him. "I was wondering what happened to Yuki," he admitted, his voice careful. "She barely ever got sick when we were younger, so I was curious about what caused the accident."

Aevia’s expression changed. Her fingers paused around the stem of her glass. Before she could answer, Killian spoke, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable edge.

"Since you’re so curious, ask Yuki yourself."

Terence looked towards him. Killian’s expression remained composed. "I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate you asking about her behind her back."

Terence’s brows furrowed. "I wasn’t trying to pry," he blurted.

"Then don’t," Killian replied simply.

The table fell quiet. Terence looked down at his untouched plate, but the questions in his mind only grew louder.

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