Violet Ashburn’s heart and mind are dark places to be. Almost all of her life she has been plagued by insecurity, anxiety, and depression. She tries her best to hide it from others, but as the days pass three very important men are starting to rip away the mask she has hidden behind for so long.  

Collin, Kyle, and Cody Nicolson are werewolf triplets who stumbled upon their mate in their new town’s local library. She is everything to them, but with her comes many obstacles and one totally unexpected surprise.

"We don't know anything about her," Cody tried to reason gently with his two older brothers as they stood huddled together inside the town library. Cody had always been the one to think things through before acting, using his mind before his heart. Being the most sensitive brother, he couldn't help but think of her feelings before his own."We can't just go up to her and say she's ours and take her home! We have to be slow and cautious about approaching her. She is human and will not understand our ways."
Collin, the oldest of the three was starting to lose his patience and he had only been in the same room as his mate for ten minutes. "She looks miserable, Cody," Collin snapped, the most aggressive and impatient of the triplets. He ran his hand roughly through his thick blond hair, knowing Cody was right, but angry about the sad expression on the woman's face across the room.
Her blue eyes were dull as she focused on the book in her hands. Her brown hair was pulled into a sloppy ponytail, and the wheelchair she sat in looked more than a little uncomfortable. Collin couldn't see much more detail since she was looking down, but he wanted nothing more than to go over there and learn about her. After all, she was destined to spend the rest of her life with Collin and his brother's.
"Good thing we came to this library," Kyle stated, smiling. He punched Cody on the shoulder playfully, "I guess it isn't so bad that you're a nerd. I'll go over and talk to her." When his brothers appeared ready to argue, Kyle sighed.Pointing at Collin he said, "You're too pushy." Locking eyes with Cody, the same shade of green as Collin's and his, he explained, "And you are too emotional."
Both brothers grumbled under their breath, not liking the idea of the second oldest being in control of something so vital in all four of their lives. Kyle was impulsive and cocky; a player so to speak. He constantly talked about how once they found their mate that easy it would be to win her over with his irresistible charm.
Kyle walked over to the table his mate was sitting under and tapped her on the shoulder, not wanting to startle the seemingly fragile girl. She looked up from her book and her pale blue eyes went wide as she took in his features. He was the shortest of the triplets, his height measuring only to five nine. He had a wide smile across his firm lips, and his green eyes were filled with curiosity and wonder as he stared down at her. He wasn't overly muscular, but he definitely had some. He had a buzz cut that showed off a bit of the color of his blond hair, while his brothers preferred to keep their hair at longer lengths.
"Mind if I sit here?" Kyle asked, pulling out the chair beside her when she nodded. He frowned when she immediately turned her eyes back to her book, looking as if she was nervous and not truly concentrating on the words. "I'm Kyle. What's your name?" Kyle had always hated beating around the bush, and usually always went straight to the point, much like Collin, when and if he opened his mouth. He usually stayed quiet unless something was very important and he grew impatient and then he would speak his mind instead of walking on eggshells like Cody.
"Um, I'm Violet," she said quietly.
Kyle noticed right away that she avoided eye contact when speaking. Violet. It was a beautiful name to match the beautiful girl he was sitting beside. He'd only caught a short view of her face, but he knew she was gorgeous. If only he could get her to look at him again.
"Don't you think you should look at someone while they're talking to you?" Kyle's tone wasn't accusatory or harsh, he said the words in an almost casual way.
"If it was that easy, I would be," Violet murmured, gasping at her own words, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red in embarrassment. Her head whipped around to his face, shocked to see him smirking at her.
Kyle was sure the mate pull was working already. It didn't take a genius to see that what she had just said wasn't something that Violet would say to just anybody. Now that he could see her face clearly, he tried to memorize all of her beauty. He had already seen from across the room that she had blue eyes and black rimmed rectangular shaped classes falling off her tiny little nose. He had also seen her thick brown hair that was full of static, but it only added to her innocent appeal that Kyle was already starting to love. Her lips were full and enticing, Kyle's wolf making it hard not to keep staring at them. Kyle saw the wheelchair, but he didn't really see it. He was too focused on her as a person, and not what a lot of people would call "the elephant in the room."
Shaking himself from his thoughts, Kyle looked back at his brothers and signaled for them to come over. Violet still looked embarrassed, and he thought maybe meeting Collin and Cody would help. 'Especially Cody, the sappy ass wimp', he thought to himself, rolling his eyes just thinking about it.
"Don't tell them to come over here! I'm already having enough trouble with just you," she yelled, causing people to stare in their direction. Her face paled this time as the librarian gave her a glare for her outburst.
"They are my brothers, I promise you'll like them," the look on his face told her that he knew something she didn't, and it made her all the more nervous.
The men headed in the tables direction, and Violet physically shook, hiding her hands under the table on her lap so no one would see. Violet had never been good with meeting new people. Her anxiety always went through the roof. Always worried someone was staring. Always worried someone was judging. Then, a horde of negative thoughts would fill her mind about herself, and she'd freeze completely, no words coming out of her mouth.
Collin and Cody sat down, Collin on the other side of her and Cody across the table a little disappointed that he wasn't closer to her. Collin spoke first, clearly irritated with how his brother had approached her, as he knew he would be. He hadn't figured out anything about her except the obvious facts. One, she was a nervous wreck. Two, she didn't speak up for herself often and had surprised herself with how she had reacted to Kyle.
"I'm Collin, the oldest triplet,"
Violet nodded, finding herself soothed by his strong voice. She could tell from where he sat that he was extremely tall. He had strong solid features that told people without even having to speak to him that he was a very respected man that you did not mess with if you knew what was good for you. He had the same color eyes as his brothers, but they held an intensity that was not seen in Kyle's.
Collin also had shoulder length hair. Violet thought about how nice it would be to run her fingers through it and cursed herself, 'I just met these people! What the hell is wrong with me?'
Violet focused her attention on the other twin that she had not been introduced to. "I'm Violet," she said, this time above a whisper. She saw something in this man's eyes that was warm and gentle. For some reason she knew she could talk to him and he would be kind. He was tall as well, but the biggest difference between the triplets could be seen in him. He had jet black hair that was spiked with gel. She found it incredibly sexy, and couldn't help but giggle when he smiled at her. It was almost like he was proud of her for speaking up from the look he had on his face.
"Cody. It's a nice to meet you," he said.
Just then, Violet's mother entered the library. She looked flustered and irritated. "Vi, we have to go. I'm late picking up your brother again." Violet sighed, clearly not ready to leave.
"See you at school on Monday," Kyle whispered in her ear, having seen her Snider High School bag with a planner inside of it on the back of her chair. Kyle's breath against her ear made her shiver and not in a bad way.

Violet hated school. She was sick of all the pity filled looks, the jokes and teasing that seemed to never end. She didn’t think it would be as bad as it was if she didn’t have so much social anxiety. Every time someone tried to be nice and talk to her, her throat would lock up and she’d just stare at them like an idiot.
Violet had always felt like she never fit in. Her disability brought her down. She didn’t like being different, and it was even harder for her since she didn’t have any confidence. At home though she played the part and pretended to be happy, but most of the time it was fake. Almost every day when Violet got home from school she’d shut herself in her room and cry. She couldn’t stand being so weak, but ever since she could remember her heart had been soft, sensitive. What she really wished she could do was give the world a big screw you and not care about what others thought but at the age of almost eighteen it still hadn’t happened. She thanked God she only had a year left in that prison.
 Violet’s bedroom door opened to reveal her nurse, Alicia. Violet’s mother, Tamara had severe back problems, and decided to get a nursing agency involved in their lives to help. Violet’s father had left when Violet was five, so Tamara had a lot on her plate as a single mother to a disabled daughter on top of caring for Violet’s fifteen year old little brother, Oliver and her own medical issues. Alicia came five days a week two hours in the morning and two hours at night. Besides her best friends outside of school, Brooklynn and Taylor, Alicia was the only other person that Violet opened up to.
Brooklynn and Taylor had come over and spent the weekend with her but she didn’t bring up her encounter with the triplets. For some reason Violet felt she should wait until she knew them better, which she was sure she would. There was no doubt in her mind that they were seniors as well, and they were bound to have a class or two together. It was crazy to her how comfortable she was with all three boys. That was the most Violet had ever spoken up in as long as she could remember. She loved all three of their personalities, each of them so different and unique. She wondered what they thought of her, and immediately her thoughts darkened.
‘They were probably just talking to me out of pity. I can’t even speak a whole sentence without over thinking it. They probably won’t even speak to me at school. I made a fool out of myself.’ Violet tried to push those thoughts out of her mind as Alicia helped her get ready for school. Even if they didn’t talk to her, at least she would get to see them again.
As Violet got on the bus, all she could think about were three pairs of green eyes. She felt no darkness, no dread only peace.
**
 Collin, Kyle, and Cody scarfed down the breakfast Cody had made, eager to get to school and see Violet. The boys lived on their own in a three bedroom apartment. They had the money for a house and much more, seeing as how their father was the Alpha of the pack they belonged too, but the triplets weren’t materialistic, and they didn’t want to draw attention to themselves in this small town.
They all climbed in to the Jeep they had brought with them from the pack house back home. It had been difficult to leave everyone behind, but for weeks the three of them had dreams of coming here, and they finally decided that it was a sign and they needed to go.
“Well, we can’t be mad at dad anymore for ordering us to enroll in high school again. Now we get to see our little mate every day. I think I’m gonna ask her for her number,” Kyle mused.
Cody and Collin didn’t know if that was a good idea or not, but they decided they would see how the day panned out before making a decision. They pulled up to the school and jumped out ready to get this day started.
Collin was a little annoyed since he’d been in high school so many times, but like Kyle said they did get to see Violet.
Cody loved school and being around other people, so he wasn’t bothered by it much. The boys entered the building, stunned at how many students occupied the halls. “I wonder where Violet starts her day,” Cody thought aloud.
“Hopefully with at least one of us. You could tell yesterday she really doesn’t do well around others,” Collin replied. It had been so hard for her to talk to even them, and he was extremely pleased with her progress in the short amount of time the four of them got to spend together.
 The trio got directions to the main office from a teacher and made their way there. They got their schedules and were relieved to see that out of the six classes they had, four of them were the same, plus lunch. Collin and Cody had period one together, and Kyle left the two to find his way to his own.
“English is first on the list. My favorite,” Cody said cheerfully.
“You’re enjoying this way too much, brother,” Collin responded, rolling his eyes, similar to the way Kyle had Friday at the library.
“Might as well. You don’t want Violet to think you’re annoyed, do you? She’ll be hesitant with you if you act like a grump,” Cody pointed out. Collin stayed silent, once again Cody getting under his skin. He swore his little brother was almost always right. He would never admit that to him, though.
Entering the classroom both sets of eyes immediately went to Violet. She was the only student in the room, and again she had a book in her hand. Cody noticed she was reading romances when he browsed the titles of her small stack of books on the table in the library. He assumed that his mate was indeed a hopeless romantic.
“Hey, Violet,” Cody said, plopping down in the seat beside her. Collin sat next to him, wanting a to see her and glad in the moment that his brother was happy almost all the time.
Violet’s eyes lit up at seeing them both her first class of the day, but also a little bummed that Kyle wasn’t with them. He was funny in a weird way and she liked him. “Hi, guys,” Violet answered, making a conscious effort to make eye contact with them both. The two noticed and gave her an encouraging smile for trying. There was still fifteen minutes before the bell. Plenty of time to talk to Violet before too many other students started crowding in the area.
“Why do you come to class so early?” Collin questioned.
“My bus comes a half hour early every day,” she enlightened them. “They let the other special needs kids and me in before everyone else, so we have plenty of time before the crowd comes.” Violet had been wrong that morning when she had thought the brothers wouldn’t want to talk to her any more.They still wanted to talk to her and get to know her and she was loving every second of it.
“So, do you have someone push you or do you do it yourself?” Cody asked.
“Um, I can do it myself, but I prefer not to because I’m slow and it wastes time. Not to say that I won’t,” she said quickly, getting nervous. She didn’t want them to think she was lazy.
“It is not a waste of time to earn strength. The more you do it the faster you’ll get,” Collin said gently.
Violet nodded, wishing she had just kept her mouth shut. Cody eyed Collin with a scowl on his face when Violet became very fascinated with the desktop. She was doing so great and one slip of the tongue had messed it up. Then again, it was kind of a good thing because they got to see just how fragile their mate truthfully was.
With a new determination she looked back up, “Let me see your schedules.” They handed the slips over to her and she skimmed over them quickly before smiling, “You guys are with me almost all day!” she said brightly. “I hope Kyle is, too.”
“He is,” Collin said.
Violet smiled, “This year is going to be fun.”
‘Hell yeah it is,’ the brothers thought in unison.