Mated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 39: Something of My Own

“You want to do what?” Levi had gaped, halfway through a bite of toast. Liam and Lucas paused in their movements as well to stare at me in surprise.

It was a strange thing to wake up and have nothing to do.

For years, I woke up before the sun rose to finish all sorts of chores. I was also the last one to head to bed. But after mating with the Sullivan triplets, I found myself with more free time on my hands than I had ever hoped for.

It was nice for the first few days—blissful, even. I finally got the rest I needed. But that novelty quickly wore off.

The triplets had their duties to tend to. Lucas was being prepped by Alpha Henry to take over. Liam was helping reorganize border patrol schedules. Levi was being taught negotiation and diplomacy skills.

As such, I found myself alone most of the time. The handful of dollar bills and coins were all I could think about. I didn’t even have the money to buy my mates a Lunar Solstice present after all they had given me!

That was when I made the decision to find myself a job to preoccupy my time.

“Work,” I said evenly, setting down my mug. “At the diner near the southern road.”

Lucas, seated at the head of the breakfast table, lowered his newspaper with a slow blink. “Hazel... you don’t need to do that.”

“I know,” I poured myself tea like I wasn’t dropping a grenade on their perfectly planned pamper-Hazel-forever agenda. “But I want to.”

“You have everything you need here,” Liam added gently from across the table. “We can give you more, if you want. What do you need? Money? Another car?”

Levi leaned forward. “Wait, is this because we bought you that SUV? Did that freak you out? Because we can totally return it. Get you something smaller. A bike, maybe. Or a horse. You like horses?”

I put down my teacup with a soft sigh. “It’s not about things. It’s about me. I’ve never made a choice for myself. Not really. I want to do something I choose. Something that’s mine.”

That shut them up—for about three seconds.

Lucas was the first to recover. “How much are they even paying you? Because if it’s anything less than—”

“Lucas,” I said flatly.

“I just think it’s worth discussing.”

“Can we discuss the fact that waitressing uniforms are notoriously unflattering?” Levi cut in. “They’ll probably make you wear some stiff apron and a hideous name tag. You’re too hot for that.”

“And the location,” Lucas added, already pulling up something on his phone. “It’s not exactly central. Are there even security cameras in the lot? What’s their emergency response time? Who runs the place?”

“I heard Greta does,” Liam mumbled. “She used to be a warrior, you know. Kind of scary, actually.”

“She is,” I admitted with a small smile. I could still remember the firm but kindly look she gave me when I was hired. “But she’s fair.”

“Hazel, come on,” Levi said, voice softer now. “Why deal with rude customers and greasy floors when you could literally be in my lap feeding me strawberries all day?”

I laughed. “Because even that gets old, Levi.”

He clutched his chest like I’d stabbed him. “Ouch.”

Lucas sighed. “You really won’t change your mind?”

“No,” I said. “I love you guys, but I need something of my own. Just for me.”

They were quiet again. Processing. Their silence wasn’t angry—it was the kind that came when people were slowly, reluctantly, learning to let go. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Finally, Liam reached over and squeezed my hand. “Okay. But we’re still picking you up.”

+++

When we pulled into the lot, the diner was already busy. The neon sign flickered overhead, and I could see Greta inside, hollering something about coffee filters.

Levi turned to me, his expression suddenly serious. “You sure about this?”

“I need to do something on my own, Levi,” I said quietly. “You guys are amazing, but I can’t just... orbit around you. I need to know who I am when you’re not looking.”

His jaw ticked. But after a moment, he nodded. “Alright. But you text me the second anything feels off. And we’ll be back to pick you up when we are done with training. No arguments.”

“No arguments,” I agreed.

He leaned over, kissed my forehead, then pulled back and gave me one last look. “Go get them, waitress girl. I’ll pick you up after.”

The bell above the diner door jingled loudly as I stepped in, nerves fluttering in my stomach. The inside of Greta’s was warm and bustling, filled with the scent of bacon, maple syrup, and coffee. The morning rush had just ended, but the place still had a steady stream of customers.

Greta, my manager—a stocky woman with silver-streaked black hair and arms that looked like they could wrestle a bear—gave me a once-over and nodded.

“Apron’s on the hook. Name tag’s in the drawer. You’re shadowing me until I say otherwise. Clear?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“None of that ma’am stuff. It’s just Greta. Let’s go.”

The next hour was a blur of instructions. Greta showed me how to punch in orders, where the clean mugs went, and how to handle picky customers without losing my mind.

“They’re not always polite,” she warned, handing me a tray with two coffee cups. “But you smile anyway. You’re not smiling for them—you’re smiling for the tip.”

Eventually, she let me handle a few tables. Simple orders. Refill the coffee. Drop off some pancakes. I fumbled with the tray a bit but found my rhythm. I was even beginning to enjoy it.

Until the bell over the door jingled again. I could smell the wave of overdosed perfume even over the combined smell of grease and syrup.

I looked up from my notepad, and my heart dropped. That was a face I had almost forgotten about between the island escape and Lunar Solstice.

Liam’s ex.

Annie.