ARIA POV
"Keep running!" I shouted as rocks crashed behind us. The tunnel shook with every boom and crash coming from the cave where Lyra faced Alpha Darius and his wolves.
My heart pounded so hard I could barely breathe. Mira stumbled beside , and I grabbed her arm to settle her. The triplets ran ahead, Lucien’s crystal lighting our way through the darkness.
"It’s collapsing!" Jaxon yelled as dirt started raining from the ceiling.
We raced forward just as the tunnel behind us caved in with a deafening roar. The dust choked , and I pulled my shirt over my mouth.
"Lyra..." I whispered. Was she hidden under all that rock? Or worse?
"She knew what she was doing," Kael said, his voice tight. "We need to keep moving."
But I couldn’t stop thinking about the woman who knew my parents, who called my mother her best friend. Another link to my past, gone just as quickly as I’d found it.
The tunnel finally opened into a small clearing surrounded by old oak trees. In the middle stood a circle of stones with strange marks carved into them. The air felt different here—charged, alive.
"The Sacred Grove," Lucien said softly. "I’ve only heard stories."
"What do we do now?" Mira asked, looking around uncomfortably. "Lyra was supposed to help us with the ritual."
"I can help you."
We spun around. Lyra stepped out from between two trees, her clothes torn and bloody but very much alive.
"How did you—" I started.
"Secret passage," she said with a tired smile. "I sealed the main tunnel behind ."
Relief flooded through . I ran to her and threw my arms around her. She stiffened for a mont, then hugged back.
"You’re so much like her," Lyra whispered. "Your mother would be proud."
She pulled away and looked at the sky. Through the trees, I could see the moon starting to rise—already tinged with red.
"We don’t have much ti," Lyra said. "The blood moon will reach its peak in less than an hour."
"Then tell us what to do," Kael ordered.
Lyra walked to the stone circle and motioned for us to follow. "First, you need to understand why this is happening. Why you three"—she pointed at the triplets—"are connected to Aria. It’s not random. It’s because of the curse."
"What curse?" Jaxon asked.
Lyra took a deep breath. "Your father made a deal with a dark spirit before you were born. He wanted power—more than any Alpha had ever held. The spirit gave it to him, but at a price."
"Us," Lucien said quietly. "We’re the price."
Lyra nodded. "The curse bound you three together. One mind split into three bodies. That’s why you can feel each other’s feelings, why you’re stronger together than apart. But it also ans one of you must die for the others to live fully."
The triplets traded looks. I couldn’t imagine what they were feeling.
"That’s horrible," Mira whispered.
"But what does this have to do with ?" I asked.
"That’s where it gets complicated," Lyra said. "The curse can only be broken by the daughter of the woman Darius truly loved—not your mother." She looked at the triplets. "Not their mother either."
"Who then?" I asked.
"My sister," Lyra said, pain in her voice. "Your mother, Aria."
I felt like I’d been hit. "What? But that would an—"
"Alpha Darius was in love with your mother," Lyra verified. "But she picked your father instead. Darius never forgave either of them."
"So I’m supposed to break this curse?" I asked. "How?"
"By binding with your true mate," Lyra explained. "One of these three is your true mate, Aria. But the curse has hidden which one."
I looked at Kael, Jaxon, and Lucien. One of them was my true mate? My head spun with the thought.
"But we feel a connection to all three," I said.
"The guardian bonds mask the mate bond," Lyra said. "It’s why you can’t tell which one is your true mate. And they can’t tell either."
"So how do we figure it out?" Mira asked.
Lyra pointed to the stone circle. "The ritual of the Awakening will show the truth. As your power awakens, so will the true mate tie."
"And if we don’t find out?" Kael asked.
"Then when the three guardian bonds are complete, one of you will die," Lyra said frankly. "The curse demands it." The triplets fell silent. I couldn’t picture losing any of them. Despite everything, they had beco important to .
"There has to be another way," I urged.
"There isn’t," Lyra said. "Not unless you want Alpha Darius to win. Not unless you want to spend your life running."
She began making symbols on the ground with a stick. "Each of you will stand at a point in the circle. When the blood moon hits its peak, Aria will call on her power. The truth will be exposed."
"And then what?" Lucien asked.
"Then you choose," Lyra said, looking at . "Accept the mate bond and break the curse, or complete the guardian bonds and fulfill the prophecy—but lose one of them forever."
My stomach twisted. How could I choose? How could I be guilty for one of them dying?
"This isn’t fair," I said, tears burning my eyes.
"Power never is," Lyra answered softly.
We took our places in the circle. Mira stood outside, watching nervously. The moon climbed higher, its red glow washing over us.
Lyra began chanting words I didn’t understand. The figures on the ground started to glow silver, just like the light that had surrounded at the waterfall.
"Focus on your heart, Aria," Lyra directed. "Feel for the truth beneath the bonds."
I closed my eyes and tried to feel the connections between us. Three golden threads stretched from my chest to each of the triplets—Kael’s thread was steady and strong, Jaxon’s wild and bright, Lucien’s deep and warm. But which was the true mate bond?
The moon reached its peak. Power rushed through , making gasp. The silver light burst from my skin again, brighter than before.
"It’s working!" Lyra cried.
Then suddenly, a sharp pain tore through my chest. I scread and fell to my knees.
"Aria!" three voices called at once.
I looked up to see all three triplets bleeding from identical cuts on their chests—directly over their hearts.
"What’s happening?" I gasped to Lyra. "This isn’t right!"
Lyra’s face had gone pale. "Soone’s interfering with the ritual."
A cold laugh echoed through the clearing. Elira stepped out from behind a tree, holding a knife dripping with blood.
"Did you really think it would be that easy?" she teased. "Did you think I wouldn’t find you?"
"How did you get here?" Lyra wanted.
"I followed the Moon Alpha’s power," Elira said, pointing at . "It shines like a beacon to those who know how to look."
More wolves erged from the trees, surrounding us. Among them was Alpha Darius, now in human form, his eyes burning with hate.
"The ritual isn’t complete," Lyra warned quietly. "If we stop now, the bonds will be damaged forever."
"What do I do?" I whispered desperately.
The triplets were on their knees now, blood soaking their shirts. Whatever Elira had done was killing them.
"Choose," Lyra pushed. "You must choose your true mate now, before it’s too late."
I looked at each of their faces—Kael, strong even in pain; Jaxon, stubborn to the end; Lucien, his eyes full of sothing that made my heart skip.
Alpha Darius stepped forward. "Stop this nonsense, Aria. Co with freely, and I’ll let your friends live."
"Don’t listen to him," Mira called.
"Ten seconds," Alpha Darius said. "Or I give the order to kill them all."
The silver light around flickered. The ties were weakening.
I had to choose—not just which triplet was my true mate, but whether to save them or fulfill my fate.
As I opened my mouth to speak, sothing strange happened. The light from my skin shot toward one of the triplets, wrapping around him like a cage.
"No!" Elira scread, lunging forward with her knife.
Ti seed to slow as I realized the truth—I knew who my true mate was.
But was it already too late?
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