MATED TO THREE DESPISED BY ALL

MELISSA.

"Wakey, wakey!!" Bella's voice rang out, sharp and insistent, slicing straight through my sleep like an alarm I hadn't set.

I groaned and buried my face deeper into the pillow, the fabric muffling my next words. "Can't you just let me sleep..." I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

My body felt heavy, limbs sluggish as I curled in on myself, drawing my knees to my chest and rolling from one side of the bed to the other like a restless child refusing to wake up. Sleep clung to me stubbornly, warm and tempting, and I wanted nothing more than to sink back into it.

"Dummy," Bella scoffed, completely unimpressed by my struggle. "It's the Alphas' coronation today. Wouldn't you want to take a closer look at your lovers?"

That did it.

The moment the words Alpha triplets slipped from her mouth, my body reacted before my mind could catch up. I shot upright as though invisible strings had yanked me from the mattress. Sleep evaporated instantly. Panic flared hot and fast. I lunged toward Bella and clamped a hand over her mouth, my heart hammering violently against my ribs.

"Are you crazy?" I hissed under my breath, eyes darting around the room as if the walls themselves might be listening. My grip tightened just enough to silence her completely.

No one-no one-knew about my secret admiration for the Alpha triplets except Bella, and it had to stay that way. It had to.

Slowly, memories crept in, unwelcome and sharp. Amelia. My twin sister. Beautiful, adored Amelia. She had always been possessive of the Alphas, as if they were something she owned. I could still remember the way she had bullied girls who dared to openly confess their feelings for them, how ruthless she had been, how cruel. I had already endured enough living in her shadow, always compared, always lacking. I wouldn't survive her wrath if she ever found out about my feelings for the Alpha triplets.

Amelia was lucky-painfully lucky. The Alphas were always at her beck and call, their attention effortlessly drawn to her. Every time I saw them together, laughter shared so easily, something twisted painfully in my chest. My heart ached in ways I never dared speak aloud. And yet, despite everything, despite knowing how foolish it was, my heart still beat for them. Quietly. Hopelessly. I wished, with every fiber of my being, that the Moon Goddess would choose me as their mate.

"Hey," Bella said gently once I finally released her, her tone softer now, more careful. "Get ready. Remember, they're choosing their mate today. It's tradition."

Her words snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. My breath caught.

Oh. Right.

How could I forget something so important? My hands trembled slightly as reality settled in. Today wasn't just a coronation-it was that day. The day everything could change.

Moon Goddess, I prayed silently, closing my eyes as my heart thudded wildly. Please... choose me.

Because I wasn't sure I could