Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One

Nathan's POV

We were in the jet, heading back home. For the past hours, my eyes had been fixed on them. The boys sat across from me, small, quiet, pretending to be braver than they were. Oscar leaned against the window, his green eyes following the clouds outside, though I knew he wasn't really seeing them. Oliver fidgeted with the seatbelt, his lips pressed together, his curiosity sparking every few minutes as if he wanted to ask me something but didn't dare. And Ozzy—calm, watchful—sat still as stone, his brown eyes locked on me like he was trying to read every move I made.

I told myself to look away. I told myself to stop. But my gaze always drifted back, especially to Oscar. Every breath he took, every twitch of his small hands, echoed inside me like thunder. My wolf paced, restless, clawing, whispering over and over: Mine. Mine. Mine.

I clenched my fists. It didn't make sense. If he was mine, then why not the other two? They were born together—triplets. If one carried my blood, the others should too. But my instincts didn't roar for them the way they did for Oscar. And that confusion—it was driving me insane.

I leaned back in my seat, dragging a hand down my face. Across from me, Hailee sat stiffly, her red hair falling over her shoulder. She didn't look at me, not once. As if I was air. As if I didn't exist. Ten years. Ten years of chasing her ghost. And now she sat a few feet away, alive, breathing, beautiful, and yet I couldn't touch her.

I shifted my gaze back to the boys. They didn't shrink away under my stare. No, they held it, each in their own way. Brave little things. Too brave. Oscar blinked, and, for a moment, his eyes met mine. My chest tightened painfully. Goddess. He had to be mine.

"We are landing in five minutes," the pilot announced. I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes. After ten long years, I was finally bringing Hailee home—but not the way I had always imagined. For years, I had dreamt of this moment: returning with her to the pack, greeted by a grand celebration, a triumph. I had imagined it, envisioned it, even fantasized about it. And now… now it was happening, but nothing like I had hoped.

"Don't be scared," I overheard Hailee whispering to her sons, and my brow furrowed. Were they scared of my pack? Or me?

"What are you going to do to us, sir?" Oliver suddenly asked, his sharp, inquisitive eyes locked on mine.

"Nothing," I responded without hesitation.

He didn't seem to believe me. Rather, he glared at me with hate a child his age was not supposed to have in his eyes, which made me wonder—what had Hailee told them about me?

The plane stopped. The doors opened. Cold air rushed inside. Through the window I saw the cars lined up outside, black and shining, engines humming. My men stood ready. At the front was Leo—my Beta, my right hand. When his eyes landed on Hailee, his lips parted in shock. He hadn't known. I never told him I'd found her. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Yes," I said, answering his silent question. My voice was low. "I found her."

Leo blinked hard, then straightened, forcing himself back into control. He gave a short nod and stepped forward to meet us.

As Hailee appeared at the jet's doorway, holding her sons close, I felt the whole world tilt. She looked older, smaller, tired—but still her. Always her.

I entered a separate car while Hailee and her sons got into the car behind me. As the engines began, I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes again. So many things were running through my head… Hailee, her sons, what to do with her, what to do with them, what would become of both of us. Even after everything, I still loved her. I still wanted her, even though she had made it painfully clear that she no longer had feelings for me. But I refused to accept that. Hailee was mine. And soon, she would remember it.

"But are you sure making her a domestic staff is the right choice?" My wolf asked, sounding like he didn't like the idea of it.

I opened my eyes, staring out the window at the blur of streetlights. "That way she'll be close," I muttered under my breath, the words tasting bitter even as I said them. "I can keep her near. Watch her. Make sure she doesn't run again."

My wolf growled low, not fully convinced. "That's not closeness, Nathan. That's chains. Do you want her to hate you more?"

I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists on my lap. "I don't care if she hates me," I answered silently, fiercely. "At least she'll be where I can see her. At least she won't vanish like last time. This way—this way she won't leave me again."

My wolf fell quiet, but I could still feel his disapproval. Maybe he was right. Maybe I was wrong. But right now, it was all I could think of.

The mansion gates opened as the convoy drove in. When we stopped, I stepped out first. Cold air slapped my face. My men moved to the car behind me, opening the door for Hailee and the boys. They came out together, the children clinging tightly to her hands, their eyes darting everywhere.

Inside, the housekeeper—an older woman named Marla—hurried forward. She bowed quickly, then froze when her eyes landed on Hailee. Recognition flared in her face. She covered her mouth, whispering, "Hailee…"

My chest clenched, but I cut her off with a sharp tone. "From this day, Hailee works here as only my personal maid. Nothing more. Nothing else."

Marla flinched and bowed her head quickly. "Yes, Alpha."

I turned to one of the maids. "Prepare one of the guest rooms for her and the boys."

At that, Hailee finally spoke. "A maid shouldn't be in the guest wing. Shouldn't I be in the maid quarters, Alpha Nathan?"

My jaw tightened. Even now, she found a way to annoy me. I turned, my eyes narrowing on her. "If it were just you," I growled, stepping closer, "I'd throw you in the maid quarters and leave you there to rot. Don't test me, Hailee. The only reason you're being given a guest room is because of your innocent sons. Don't mistake my mercy for you as anything more than that."

She flinched, her lips pressing tight, but she didn't answer. Instead, she lowered her head, her hair falling like a curtain around her face. The boys glared at me, their lips parting as though they wanted to snap back, but they held themselves back.

"Take them," I ordered a maid. My voice came out harsher than I intended, but I didn't care. "Settle them in the room. Tomorrow begins her work."

Hailee cast me one last look, her eyes unreadable, before turning with the boys and following the maid up the stairs.