300 Days With The Alpha Beta Triplets

Bella:

The triplets got down from the car at once, glancing at Halle and me as we walked towards them, then they turned to Hazel, who kept struggling to stand but fell with every attempt.

"Pick her up," Halle said. Hazel tried to crawl away, but she didn't get far before Finn grabbed her, slinging her over his shoulder. Hazel slammed her fists hard on his back, kicking her legs in the air, but Finn held her firmly, ignoring her struggles.

"Let go of me! Why are you doing this to me? I hate you all! How could you, Bella?" Hazel screamed at the top of her lungs, yelling for help as Finn carried her toward the door. Halle and I reached them, and Halle paused with a blank expression on her face.

"There's no point in screaming. No one can hear you."

I tried not to look at Hazel because it hurt seeing her like that. All I wanted was my best friend back to normal, and I couldn't wait.

After Halle spoke, she walked into the house. "Bring her to me."

Finn moved quickly, carrying Hazel inside the house, which was eerily quiet. Everyone else was in a deep sleep.

"What the hell happened here?" Hazel asked, her voice shrill as she spotted the servants all asleep around the corners of the house. "Are you going to kill me?"

Her questions filled the silence, but Halle didn't bother answering. It was obvious Hazel wasn't in her right mind. Her questions stretched on as we made our way into the living room.

"I need a secluded space to do the ritual, and-"

"Hello! I need answers!" Hazel's voice rang out again, cutting off Halle, who frowned in irritation. She snapped her fingers, and suddenly Hazel's mouth moved, but no sound came out.

I stood there, shocked, watching Hazel's silent pleas. Halle's power amazed me. She was over a hundred years old, so it made sense that she was this powerful, which made me wonder how many years it took her to master her powers.

"I need a secluded area where I can conduct the spell. It will take time to make her immune to any further magic and awaken the witch within her." Halle's voice was calm, but the words sent a ripple of surprise through the room. The triplets turned to me, their eyes wide with shock.

"I might have left out a tiny detail about Hazel," I said, rubbing the back of my neck, feeling awkward under their stares.

Ryder stepped forward, breaking the tension. "I know a room you can use." He led the way down a dark, long hallway in the basement. "Follow me."

He flicked a switch, and the hallway lit up, revealing sculptures and paintings like the ones in Howlstone. It wasn't surprising, because Howlstone belonged to the Ashcrofts.

After a few minutes, we reached a door. Ryder pushed it open, revealing a large, empty room. It was clean, with no sign of dust. I had lived in this house for a while, but I had never known this room existed.

"It used to be my nursery, and I preserved it because of the memory of my mum, but I got it cleaned out after I found out the truth." His voice was low and heavy.

Halle walked in, inspecting the space as if searching for any faults. She paced around, arms behind her back. "Perfect. You may leave," she said in a dismissive tone.

Finn dropped Hazel onto the floor, and at that moment, she regained her voice.

"What the hell are you doing to me? You're all crazy!" Hazel shouted, trying to sound brave, but merely looking at her, I could tell she was scared from the look in her eyes.

I instinctively reached out to her, but Halle stopped me with a glance.

"Leave," she commanded.

I hesitated, but eventually obeyed, joining the triplets in the hallway. The door closed behind us. Before I could say anything, I was engulfed in a hug; the triplets squeezing me from all sides until I could barely breathe.

"We missed you," Ryder said as they finally let go, giving me some space to catch my breath.

"I've missed you guys, too. It's only been two days, but it feels longer. I have no idea what these next twelve days will be like."

"We'll manage," Finn said, offering a reassuring smile.

"We're going to be here until tomorrow, so if you think about it, that's only eleven days left..." Kai started, but stopped when he noticed everyone staring at him. "I really need to stop talking."

I chuckled, then my stomach growled loudly.

"Shoot! I forgot I haven't had anything solid to eat. I was supposed to test out my stomach about an hour ago." "I'll fix you something," Finn and Ryder said at the same time, glancing at each other with a slight rivalry in their eyes. "Perfect. Two chefs." I smiled, kissing each of them on the lips. Then I grabbed Kai's hand. "You'll keep me company." Ryder and Finn headed to the kitchen, while Kai and I stayed in the living room. We turned on a movie to distract ourselves from the amazing aroma that soon wafted in from the kitchen. I knew Finn was behind the delicious scent, but I gave Ryder credit for trying.

In no time, they were done, and they brought out a bowl of creamy pasta with meat. My mouth watered just looking at it.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, digging into the dish. The taste melted in my mouth.

I had expected a simple sandwich, but Finn had gone all out, showing off his culinary skills. After a few bites, I paused, waiting to see if my stomach would reject it, but it felt fine. I continued eating.

"I wouldn't trade you guys for anything," I said between bites, but the triplets were too engrossed in the movie to respond.

When I finished the last bite, the lights flickered and went out.

"Does the power always have to go out at the worst times?" I groaned, as Kai turned on the flashlight on his phone, helping me gather my things.

"What's happening?" Finn asked, his voice tense.

"The ritual has begun," I answered, a knot forming in my stomach.