Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-75. I am fine

[Ezra]

I still remember the first time Asher visited the Aile castle after his long absence. He came to us with his brand new toys.

'I didn't unbox them. I thought we could play with them together,' Asher said.

I don't remember if Asher said that with a smile or not, because I was busy observing his eyes that looked dull, tired and pained, as if he had not slept for months. Something Raven failed to notice beyond himself.

'Huh! Show off!' Raven scoffed. 'Trying to act all cool, showing off your petty toys after becoming father's favorite? But let me tell you one thing, Asher: you didn't work for any of this. You don't deserve them. You got it all for free. In fact! You stole all this from us. And we don't talk to thieves!'

Raven smacked the toys from Asher's hands, grabbed my hand, and pulled me away with him.

I had a choice back then: I could have stayed behind and collected those broken toys with Asher, or I could have ignored him.

To this day, I regret the choice I made that day. It was probably then that Asher realized he was all alone, because after that, he never came to us again.

We began ignoring Asher even when he came home for his rare visits, making him feel like something was wrong with him when everything was wrong with us.

We thought Asher was having an easy life, not even realizing that his life was the hardest.

Asher was born perfect - I still loathe myself for believing those words back then.

The pressure on Asher was far more than any of us.

I understood it when Asher visited the Aile castle again and was spending time with mother.

'No! You can't be yourself! No one will accept you as you are. You are my last hope, Asher. Don't disappoint your father. You can't be anything less than perfect. You'll have to change. Why don't you understand?'

I heard mother's trembling voice and when I peeped inside; I saw her grabbing Asher's upper arms, her claws digging into his skin. Blood stained his shirt as he stood impassively before her.

I still can't decide if what I saw that day was a horror or something insignificant because I remember Asher looking into our mother's tearful eyes with blank eyes, as if hope could never touch them again.

When mother realized she had hurt Asher, she fell to her knees and hugged him tightly. The same thing she did with me.

'You'll have to change. You'll have to keep on changing, adapting differently for different people. You'll have to understand their minds, their thoughts, their emotions. Please, son. You'll have to save us. You'll have to do better. Ok? You'll have to become perfect, just the way your father wants. Become the perfect alpha. Maybe then he'll hurt us less. Please hide our failure with your success. Please, son.'

On every visit to the castle, Asher was burdened more and more with my mother's words, our father's increasing expectations, and our insensitivity.

Ever since, he had been shouldering everything himself and every time I recall his childhood, I can't help but wonder how lonely he must have been.

his age because he had no other option, we thought he was adult enough to handle everything on

a little when Raven had

Raven too, but it was an intimate, family-only

everything back and prove to father that

ahead of him. There was no catching up with him. Raven kept trying, regardless. He couldn't beat Asher at the big tasks and trainings father planned for them, so he began taking small things from Asher. Things

understood he could no longer please our father by reaching the standards Asher had already crossed, so he rebelled and chose a completely

attention, but his bitterness for Asher remained. Although I

to a mysterious curse of unknown origin. His condition deteriorated, and he became incapable

finally took over as the

often unavailable. Eventually, he stopped coming home. He took care of our family from afar, yet whenever we needed him, he stood by

family were always his priority, even

me with kindness, even when I

something for him, it was already too late and Asher was far out of my reach. Only when the things got a bit more stable did I have the courage to ask Asher if we could share his Alpha duties. Asher being Asher agreed to what we

it wasn't enough to redeem myself, but something was better than nothing. Even if I

respect for him and perhaps out of

was then we found out that the curse father suffered from was a

enduring what

I

part all for myself. I don't want to see Asher or Raven

curse, but dealing

when the curse would fully activate and manifest in its horrifying form was getting closer. And when that happens, there might not be an escape for the three

be hurting deeply, he would come to us with ways to soothe our pain and tell us that everything

***

Just like right now.

I not learnt to read his silence, I would have almost believed him

"I am fine, Ezra."

say?" I smiled and

a meaning more complex to decipher than the most sophisticated poetry ever written. It could mean so much and nothing at the same time. It could hold and hide traumas while also reflecting a terrifying

sonnet, a deceptive lie people often told themselves before anyone else when

hand on his shoulder. "If you are fine, then I don't think you should have a

shut his eyes, taking a deep

and go to her. Talk to her and hear what

Asher raised his voice and then turned

him

right people will stay, Asher. They will stay with all your flaws and imperfections." I said. He looked at me, his brows drawing together slightly. "With those people, you can be your worst and still become a better person. I don't know if I'm one

as though I had said