Chapter 9

Ayla’s POV

What a day! Everywhere I went, they were there. It’s like I had my bodyguards. The only place I went alone was the bathroom, and that wasn’t without a fight.

Aiden followed me when I went after third period; I had to push him back out. It was a bit funny; I had to admit.

Stacy spent the day glaring at me and skulking around. Her face looked as if she was permanently sucking on a lemon. Luckily, she was only in three of my lessons today, so I have a few hours of peace from that kind of bitchiness.

Axel was so chatty today too. It was as if he was determined to know everything about me all at once. The fact that I had lessons annoyed him as he had to stop talking during them.

“Where to next” he bounced on the balls of his feet.

“Lunch…. I guess,” I answered; it took me ages to get used to having these gorgeous men constantly around me.

Aiden mainly was quiet, and Archer looked moody, but I could tell it wasn’t at me. Axel wouldn’t shut up, but he was adorable. I couldn’t ignore it, even though I kept trying.

“Lead the way, my lady. We will go get lunch,” Axel said with very flamboyant hand gestures.

I laughed; he was so funny.

“Uh, I don’t normally eat at school, well, not unless I bring something with me,” I confessed. Their faces were a trio of matching shocked expressions.

“Why the hell not” Aiden piped in.

“It’s more hassle than it’s worth if I go in the cafeteria, Stacy and her…. Friends make it hell for me, so I choose to steer clear of there,” I explained.

“Ugh, she’s such a bitch. Someone needs to teach her a lesson or two,” Archer growled.

“Maybe so, but that someone isn’t you…. Or Titan,” Aiden told him.

“Titan?” I didn’t know who he was on about.

“Titan is my wolf, he’s dying to meet you, but I can’t let him out right now as he’s ready to rip everyone to shreds who even looks you wrong,” Archer explained.

“I’m nothing special, though,” I mutter and look away.

“We will see,” they all said together; all of them fell silent; one coughed to clear the tension in the air, which one, though, I couldn’t tell.

“Right, lunch, come on. You are eating today, without fear, as I’m starving,” Aiden says.

He placed his hand on the small of my back to lead me on. Electricity ran up my back exactly where his fingers touched me. I’m sure he felt it two as he gasped simultaneously as I jumped.

Looking back at Aiden, I see something new behind his eyes, something I didn’t understand; my stomach did a three-sixty flip.

“What are these boys doing to me,” I thought.

The cafeteria was stupidly busy. I couldn’t stand it in here, but I didn’t feel half as bad with my triplet guardians with me. However, the number of eyes on me bothered me a bit. I hated being the centre of attention, always preferring to sink into the shadows and hide.

“Pizza?” Axel asked, shoving a couple of slices on his plate.

“Umm, yeah, okay, I’ll have a slice; I smile.

He picked an extra couple up and popped them on his plate. As we move down the line, I hear loads of people muttering, so I try to drown them out. Archer must have seen and heard it, too, as he stepped closer to me, placed his hand on my elbow, and rubbed little circles with his thumb; surprisingly, it calmed me.

“Ayla. Ignore it; it’s just because we are new. Everyone is staring, nothing else okay,” he cooed soothingly in my ear.

Just like Aiden, electricity sparked where Archer had touched me. It was so weird. But I liked it.

“Aiden, grab some water, will you” Axel calls to his brother. Archer had grabbed the chips; he had a whole plate piled up. It seemed like we would be eating off the same plates then.

“Anywhere, in particular, Ayla, that you don’t wanna sit,” Axel asked me

I scanned the room; I didn’t want to sit anywhere. Everyone was watching me, and it was uncomfortable, but I guess Stacy’s group was the worst.

“Not over there,” I say and point out the far corner; Stacy wasn’t looking, so she couldn’t accuse me of pointing at her at least.

We make our way over to an empty table on the left side.

I sat down first, and the boys just fell in around me. It was like they knew exactly where they needed to be. I liked it even though it made me feel odd; I had no idea what was happening here, not one bit. Why would three stunning men have any interest in me?

Everything was going great; I even ate a couple of slices of pizza before things went south. Mason came strutting into the cafeteria with his gang around him. Nothing good could come of this. He only went to the high school if he wanted to cause trouble.

I watched him walk over to Stacy. She hopped up and had a sad face. She looked over to me and then put her hand up to her cheek. Mason’s face looked like thunder.

He turned and glared at me; what had I done, though?

Aiden, Archer, and Axel all stand up as one. I hadn’t said anything, and they hadn’t seen Mason’s glare either. The Testosterone that was flying around the room right now was massive.

Archer was growling; Aiden had to put his hand on his brother’s arm and hold him back. I think if he didn’t, his wolf would show himself.

“What’s going on,” I say, still seated.

“That tool Mason has an issue; we can tell,” Axel answered, never taking his eyes off Mason.

I look over my shoulder, never had I seen Mason’s face pale so quickly. The triplets did look intimidating; I’ll give them that. I had to hide a smile as I turned back around.

Archers POV

Titan was raging; as soon as that fool Mason walked into the cafeteria, he wouldn’t chill out. I could tell Aiden’s wolf Blaze and Axel’s wolf Ace was restless too. Neither of us trusted Mason.

As soon as we met him, we knew he was trouble, even more so when he returned, smelling like Ayla mixed with fear.

Today I could feel his hostility, knowing it wasn’t towards us but Ayla. There was no way in hell I would let him anywhere near her.

I felt my brothers through our link, and they felt the same. We haven’t used our link much since we arrived here. Not every wolf has a connection with others, but we do.

Being almost identical triplets meant we had a special bond. We can talk to each other through our minds, sense the emotions of the other, and send images to each other. It’s how wolves communicate; just ours can do it when we aren’t in wolf form too!

Aiden felt Titan flare up, causing Blaze to take note, leading to Ace joining in. Titan had been so highly strung since Stacy tried to slap Ayla. That he was picking up on everything, we would have to stay as close to Ayla as we could all day. As I could feel, this idiot wanted to cause trouble, but not when we were around; he wouldn’t.

Titan was growling so loudly inside I had to suppress the growl from escaping my lips. Mason got the picture pretty quickly. As soon as my brothers and I stood up and focused our stares on him, he backed away. And he calls himself an Alpha in waiting; what a joke.

“Right decision…. Mate!” Axel growls

“What’s going on,” Ayla asks

I reach over and touch her shoulder

“Whoa,” I mumble; electricity raced through my hand. This girl was something special that I knew for sure.

“That tool Mason has an issue; we can tell,” Axel had answered.

I was going to answer but was still shocked by the sparks I got from touching her.

“Right, where next Beautiful,” I say casually, loving how her cheeks flamed red from the simple compliment. My mind raced at this. I wonder what else I could do to make her blush; this would be fun!

Mason’s POV

So, what, they are her guards now then? What the fuck did she do to get that to happen. It would be lies that have brought them to flock around her. And I had such high hopes for us being friends; I guess not then.

When I saw them all stand up simultaneously and go on the defence immediately, I could see their wolfs trying to force their way through. Not that I couldn’t take them, I could. I’m a year older, after all, and an Alpha’s son. But I didn’t fancy making a scene in the high school cafeteria, it was my choice to walk away, and I’ll make sure they know it later.

I won’t have them thinking I’m scared of people like them. Then I’ll teach that little bitch a lesson too. It’s one thing to make me look weak and another for slapping one of my best friend’s brother’s girlfriends; she’s such a sweet girl, a little annoying at times but harmless.

I’ll get Ayla for this, and she will regret spreading her poison to the new guys.