Chapter 256

Chapter 256
Isabella

I stared at Kevin, trying to process what he'd just said. My phone—my personal fucking phone—had been hacked. Someone had been watching me, listening to me, tracking every message I sent. The violation hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving my skin crawling with goosebumps.

"That's... that's impossible," I whispered, though I knew it was true. Acid churned in my stomach as images flashed through my mind—me changing clothes, showering, crying myself to sleep while some perverted voyeur watched it all through my own damn camera. God, all those nights I'd slept in just my underwear...

"How long?" I managed to ask, my voice breaking. "How long has this shit been going on?"

Kevin's eyes, usually cold and distant, now burned with an intensity that sent chills down my spine. "Unknown. Tech specialists still analyzing. But sophisticated software—not something an amateur would use."

I hugged myself, feeling exposed and dirty. My skin felt wrong, like it didn't belong to me anymore. How could I have been so fucking stupid? All the warning signs had been there. The stalker knowing exactly where I was. The perfectly timed texts. How he seemed to anticipate my every move.

"I should have known," I muttered, "God, I should have fucking known."

"This isn't your fault," Michael said gently from across the table, his hazel eyes filled with concern. "Most people wouldn't suspect their phone had been hacked."

"I need a list," Kevin said, his voice brooking no argument. "Everyone who's had access to your phone. Anyone who might have touched it, even briefly."

I nodded, trying to pierce through the fog of shock and violation clouding my thoughts. My inner wolf paced anxiously, alternating between fearful whimpers and angry growls.

"Including Julian," Kevin added, watching my expression carefully.

That statement snapped me out of my daze like a slap. "Julian? You can't seriously think—"

"Everyone, Isabella," Kevin interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind. "We need to consider every possibility."

"Julian would never hurt me," I insisted, heat rising to my cheeks with indignation. "Never. I trust him completely." How dare they suggest Julian would do something like this? Julian, who had held me while I cried, who had made me laugh on my worst days, who was the only person in this entire damn town who had ever put me first.

Richard leaned forward, his amber eyes searching mine. "People can surprise you, little wolf. Jealousy is a powerful motivator."

"Jealousy?" I repeated incredulously. "Jealousy of what?"

"Of us," Richard said simply. "Of the attention you now give to us instead of him."

I shook my head violently, protective anger filling me. "That's ridiculous. Julian was one of the first people to encourage me to give you guys a chance. He's been nothing but supportive."

My voice rose with each word. "And besides, he has a boyfriend—Taylor. They're happy together. They're fucking in love!"

But what if they're right? a small traitorous voice whispered in my head. What if you don't know Julian as well as you think? What if all this time...

I pushed the thought away forcefully. No. Fucking impossible. Julian had been genuine with me from day one. He'd been there for me in my darkest moments, always ready with a joke to make me smile or a shoulder to cry on. He wouldn't betray me like this. He couldn't.

Would he?

Shut up, I told the doubtful voice in my head. Just shut the fuck up.

"Alright," Richard conceded, raising his hands in surrender. "I understand loyalty to friends. But please at least keep an open mind. Consider everyone who's had access to your phone."

I sighed, deflating slightly as anger gave way to exhaustion. "Fine. I'll make a list of everyone who might have touched my phone. But I'm telling you right now, Julian has nothing to do with this."

"Fair," Richard nodded slightly. "We'll investigate everyone equally."

"Why are you doing all this?" I suddenly asked, the question bursting out before I could stop it. "Going to all this trouble for me?"

The question seemed to catch them off guard. They exchanged glances, passing some silent communication between them that made me feel like an outsider.

"Because you matter to us," Michael finally said, his voice gentle.

"But why?" I pressed, needing to understand. "I'm just... me. An ordinary Omega from nowhere special. What am I to you three? Why do you care so much?"

What are we to each other? I wanted to ask, but couldn't quite form the words. What is this thing between us that makes my heart race and my skin burn?

"You're our mate," Kevin said simply, the word sending electricity down my spine.

Mate. The word hung in the air between us, loaded with meaning. I felt my cheeks flush and my chest tighten, caught somewhere between panic and longing. Shit. Shit shit shit.

I hadn't meant to go there, to acknowledge this relationship between us. We'd never formally discussed it, never labeled what we were. And now I'd practically invited them to do just that, like an idiot.

I looked up to find all three watching me, their gazes intense in different ways. Kevin's gaze was dark and possessive, involuntarily making my thighs clench. Richard's was warm and knowing, as if he could see right through me. Michael's was soft and patient, making my heart flutter in my chest. They didn't seem surprised or put off by the suggestion we might be mates. If anything, the heat in their eyes suggested they welcomed the acknowledgment.

Don't make things more complicated than they already are, I warned myself. You're already in over your head with these three Alphas. Don't add feelings to the mix too.

"I mean..." I stammered, trying to backtrack as heat spread across my face and neck. "You've all been so good to me. Better than anyone else." The words came out more vulnerable than I'd intended, filled with emotion I couldn't fully suppress.

"Is that true?" Michael asked quietly, his hazel eyes searching mine.

I nodded, an unexpected lump forming in my throat with the emotion. "Yes," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "No other wolves have ever treated me the way you three do. Never."

The admission cost me—a piece of the armor I'd built for myself through years of disappointment and mistreatment. But seeing their expressions soften, the tension in their shoulders ease, made it worth it. They cared what I thought. They actually cared how I felt.

"You deserve it," Richard said, his accent thickening with emotion.

I looked down at my half-eaten meal, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment and the realization blooming in my chest. The truth was, they had given me something no one else ever had. Not just materially, though there was plenty of that too. More importantly, they'd given me confidence. They encouraged me to try new things, to step outside my comfort zone. They'd helped me shed the anxiety that had plagued me. They made me feel, perhaps for the first time in my life, genuinely happy.

The realization hit me with unexpected force, stealing my breath. I was falling in love with them. With all three of them. Fuck me. God help me.

Michael's smile was radiant, his hazel eyes sparkling with a warmth that made my heart skip. Richard's expression was open, his amber eyes filled with relief and happiness that made my inner wolf almost purr. Even Kevin, typically so closed off, seemed to relax, his deep blue eyes shining with what suspiciously looked like contentment.

I suddenly realized they'd been uncertain too—wondering where they stood with me, if I felt the same inexplicable pull drawing me to them. The discovery was both comforting and terrifying. If they cared for me as much as their expressions suggested, what did that mean for us? For our future?

I'm falling in love with three Alpha werewolves, I thought, the idea sending a spike of panic through me. The falling was scary enough, but the concept of love was even more terrifying.

Love was a gamble, a leap of faith with no guarantee of a soft landing. And I wasn't sure I was ready to take that risk, not when the stakes were so high. Not when I stood to lose not just one person I cared about, but three. I'd already lost too much in my life. I couldn't lose them too.