Offered to the Triplet Alphas

[Xanthea]

I froze as a tremble rushed to the tips of my cold fingers. My breaths grew shallow and quick as the blade pressed harder against my skin.

My mind raced, but my thoughts weren't coherent enough to come up with something that could get me out of this situation. All I could think of were the kids and how stupid I was to think that I could protect them. Vish and Lana were still too far away to notice what had happened.

I clenched my jaw, battling my panic.

Focus, Xanthea. Focus.

I had been in dangerous situations before, but this was different. This time, my life wasn't the only one at stake.

Mother always said that even in the most hopeless situation, one can find hope deep within themselves.

I need to stay strong for the children and use everything at my disposal and if I can't find hope deep within me then, I'll just fake it.

Wearing a fake confidence, I took a deep breath and loosened my body as a gesture of surrender.

"Under arrest? And may I know what crime have I committed, officer?" I asked calmly.

He didn't reply, just pressed the blade harder against my neck.

"I'll cooperate, officer, but could you please lower your weapon, so we can talk," I stretched out my hand, holding the fit-it-all as casually as I could. "I have nothing to hide. I am just a normal student here. But if you still wish to check me, go ahead."

A heavy churn twisted in my stomach as I continued.

"However, you must have already sensed it in my aura. I belong to the demon lords. Touch me only if you are prepared to face them. I am not someone you can casually threaten with a dagger at the throat and walk away unscathed. So, if I were you... I would choose my next words and actions carefully because... there will be consequences."

The man behind me let out a silent chuckle.

"Trust me, I can't wait to face those consequences..."

I widened my eyes slightly.

That voice.

"The consequences of getting close to you - of touching you. I've been watching you, studying you. You're... fascinating. Do you know why? Because you have undone my brothers, and you will be their ultimate undoing," Cedric leaned closer to my neck as he whispered slowly.

I took a quick gulp, and Cedric lowered his weapon.

As soon as the metallic touch prodding against my throat vanished, I distanced myself from him and turned around to face him.

Cedric smirked, lifting his hand, showing off the harmless metal ruler he had used to trick me into thinking it was a blade against my neck.

"You should've seen your face! Priceless. I almost wish I'd had a real blade... imagine how fun it would have been when I would've slit your throat. Covered you in the bright red color of your blood and gifted your corpse to my brothers." A shudder ran down my body at his words, but his grin widened with his cheeks flushing at the idea of killing me.

"How wonderful and romantic that would have been!? And tragic. Of course, tragic. But what is love if not tragedy, right?" He smiled, his starry eyes holding my gaze.

The muse of his words didn't reach the darkness that loomed in his eyes.

I stepped away from him.

"But I can't kill you because I want you as my Luna when I claim the Alpha's throne. You're such a clever girl. Had it been a real officer instead of me, what you said would have made him back off immediately," he said. "Beauty with a brain is such a sensual combination."

I frowned, peering at him.

Cedric studied in the assassination department at Helxton. I expected to run into him on campus someday, but today was the worst possible day for it to happen.

He stretched out his hand before me.

I glanced at his hand and then into his eyes.

"Let's go," he said.

"W-where?" I asked.

"On a date where we play hide and seek with my brothers..." he said.

"Umm... uh... actually... I-I can't. I have backlog classes in the evening. That's where I was heading to right now. I'm sorry, prince. I... I need to go-"

I turned, but before I could even take a step, Cedric teleported before me, blocking my path.

"I think you don't understand, sis-in-law, 'I'm going to take you with me.' My brothers have been busy with their council meetings all day long. They aren't monitoring you. Right now is the perfect time to... kidnap you." Meeting? Kidnap?

A sickening sense of relief flooded through me. If the demon lords weren't watching me today, maybe there's still hope.

But before I could think any further, a sharp, high-pitched cry pierced the air as a crow appeared out of nowhere and began hovering above my head.

Cedric frowned, grunting in frustration.

He reached out to hold my arm, his fingers inches away from my skin. His voice was eerily calm and disturbingly hasty at the same time.

"May I?" he asked in a velvety tone.

I gaped at his hand in disbelief as I gathered myself and took a small step away from it.

"What?" The word trembled out of my lips.

"May I kidnap you?" he asked warmly, as though he was proposing to someone for marriage.

I shook my head. "No!"

Cedric sighed, withdrawing his hand. "Appreciate your honesty..."

Then, without a warning, he seized my wrist.

"I think we both knew that wouldn't stop me, didn't we? Well, we gave it a try. Mom always says to be extra polite with women. So, I don't easily kill them. I torture them politely and then make them kill themselves. Haha," he broke into a bone- chilling laughter and then instantly turned impassive. "But I don't wanna kill you. So stay silent and come with me."

I yelped, almost colliding with him as he yanked me in, but right then I felt someone hold my other wrist from behind.

"Let go of her right now or I'll pull your tongue out. Then you can stay silent forever. How's that idea, Ced?"

My head snapped to my right, and I met Nesryn's eyes.

"Nes! Where the hell did you pop out from?" Cedric growled, irked.

"I don't know? Air," Nesryn said.

"This wasn't in the script," Cedric grumbled.

"Whose script? What script?" Nesryn asked annoyingly.

"My script!"

"You script!?" Nesryn looked shocked.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

"I plan! Duuuh! Her video that I sent to brother Raven created a storm in his life and here she is - a bride - in Helxton; never happened before."

Cedric's grip tightened around my wrist, pulling me sharply toward him. My body stumbled forward, but Nesryn pulled me back. I felt the tension in both directions. The skin on my wrists was burning from their tight holds.

I stifled a moan when Cedric yanked harder, but Nesryn's grip was just as firm.

"And the news blog I posted online brought a full-fledged hurricane to Ez-bro's life. Now, I need to kidnap her and see how far brother Asher can go to protect her. He has always been the toughest nut to crack," Cedric boasted proudly. "And if you don't want me to crack your nuts, back off. She's coming with me. And this is more important than your lame kidnapping," Nesryn said, glaring at Cedric.

"Don't lame my kidnapping!"

I wish I had an idea of what was going on, but maybe this was my chance. I could use this chaos to get out of the campus without being caught.

Students couldn't teleport out of here, but Nesryn teleported inside just fine. Maybe she can teleport out as well and they wouldn't dare track the magic trace left by the demon princess.

Yeah, and she is someone I can trust.

That's right! Nesryn, you are my hope!

But...

I looked at Cedric, who looked determined to kidnap me. There was no way he was backing off.

"Umm... p-prince... princess is here, and she has seen you try to kidnap me... so this isn't k-kidnapping anymore..." I said, forcing a fake smile.

Cedric's grip loosened on my wrist. He narrowed his eyes, confused.

"What?" He frowned.

My hands trembled, and I forced myself to take a slow breath.

Focus. Think. Bluff.

Do something, Xanthea.

"Well..." My tone was shaky, but I kept going. "You see, in a successful kidnapping attempt, the kidnappers shouldn't get caught, but my husbands will know you kidnapped me because Nesryn will tell them, and then there will be no air of mystery and fear around you. And that wouldn't be cool... that would be a very lousy kidnapping."

I didn't know if this rubbish was making any sense. Hopefully, it did to him.

"She's got a point," Nesryn backed me up.

Cedric glared at me and then at Nesryn.

Ok, that didn't work. What was I even think-

Cedric's eyes widened in shock, as though the wind of realization had just hit him. Letting go of my wrist, he gasped, covering his mouth with his hands, stepping back as though the arrows of my words had finally pierced his chest. That freaking worked!!!?

I held my breath as Cedric's eyes flicked between me and Nesryn, narrowing with calculation. His lips twitched; his face burdened with irritation.

"You know," he muttered to himself. "If it wasn't for that extra politeness and formality, I wouldn't be caught this easily..." He glanced at his hand and then curled it into a tight fist. "Damn it... I botched the basics of abduction. I wasn't supposed to be caught in the act." He grunted, gritting his teeth. "What use was my perfect stealth?"

Oh, boy!

Cedric puckered his face, and it seemed he was just about to break into sobs, but he held himself together.

My racing heart finally relaxed as I let out a subtle sigh of relief. This worked. Thank goodness!

"There. There," Lana said sympathetically as she stood beside me.

I looked at Lana and by the time I looked at Cedric again; he had teleported away.

"Be prepared! Next time I won't mess up..." His words lingered in the air until they drowned in Nesryn's laughter.

"Oh, I love you, Xanthea. You're smart-ass crazy. You know that?" Nesryn said, her laughter faltering as we faced each other.

I shrugged.

"I guess I am," I smiled back at her.

Nesryn tilted her head towards Vish, who stood at some distance from us.

"Your friend?" Nesryn asked.

"Umm... classmate. She helped me with lectures," I said.

Vish and the others didn't have to get involved, especially when the royal family was around.

"By the way! There are teleportation blockers everywhere around the campus. So how did you and Prince Cedric..." I asked, trying to take Nesryn's attention off Vish.

"Oh! I'm a spy, and Cedric is training to be an assassin. Tricking our way through the teleportation blockers is the first thing we learn. Child's play for us. Our pure alpha blood certainly helps. Though lower demons can't do it so easily," Nesryn said. "Oh," I nodded, pursing my lips together.

"Why do you ask?" Nesryn asked.

"Just curious," I said, lowering my voice and adding a bit of a sad tone. "Everyone has so many powers and abilities here. You guys can teleport and that's so cool. I wish I could be like you. I'm sorry." I blinked fast, licking my lips as I lowered my gaze. "I just feel a bit out of place sometimes..."

Lana shifted closer to me, hugging the side of my leg as Nesryn held my hand in both of hers.

I knew emotional vulnerability didn't work that well on other demons, but with Nesryn, I knew it would and it did-

When I lifted my gaze, I was standing outside the campus with Nesryn and Lana near two cars - one was Nesryn's car and the other had Mavka on the driving seat.

Seeing me, Mavka came out of the car and bowed before me.

"Look, I know that feeling," Nesryn said, lowering her gaze.

Her voice softened; her eyes distant as she spoke again after the brief pause.

"I had my insecurities too. I'm not as strong as my brothers. I felt out of place all my life as long as I was in the castle. My father never wanted a girl. He made sure I knew it, too." Her chuckle was hollow and haunted.

Guilt washed over me. I didn't know I'd trigger Nesryn's childhood trauma-

She looked at me with a piercing gaze filled with determination.

"But my mother taught me to say fuck it all and urged me to find my place in this world. And eventually, I did! One day, you'll find your place as well!"

I blinked as her words settled in the silence between us and then nodded, reciprocating her determination. "Hmm!"

Caw! Caw!

All of us looked at the crow that was flying in circles over my head.

"And that day might just be today," Nesryn said, smirking menacingly, peering at the crow. "You won't just find your place! You'll show some bitches their place!" With a swift motion of her hand, she grabbed my backpack and fit-it-all and tossed it to Mavka.

I had my heart in my throat until Mavka caught the fit-it-all safely.

"T-that. My pouch-"

"Want me to toss you as well?" Nesryn asked Lana.

"Meh," Lana shrugged. "Wopiieee!" she giggled as Nesryn grabbed her arms and tossed her to Mavka in less than a second.

"Lana!" I exclaimed, reaching out to her.

Mavka caught Lana safely in her arms while balancing the other stuff.

"Don't worry. Your maid will take them back to the castle. Let's go!" Nesryn held my hand and dragged me to her car.

"W-w-where? Where are we going?"

"The council crow is here to summon you. So, obviously, we're going to the council," Nesryn said, making me sit in her car and strapping the seatbelt across my chest. "C-c-council? B-but why? What did I do?" I panicked.

Nesryn sat in the driver's seat and before I could even process the whole situation, we were on our way to the council.