ARIA POV
I awoke with a gasp and cold water running down my cheeks. My eyes widened to see Beta Marcus standing over , an empty bucket in hand.
"Get up, Oga," he growled. "The Alpha wants you."
As I attempted to sit up, a sharp pain rushed through my head. I was in a small stone room without windows, the pack’s holding cell. The mories of the ceremony flooded back. The moonlight. The gold eyes. The Triplets.
The anguish in my chest persisted, tugging in three directions at once.
"Move!" Beta Marcus grabbed my arm and pulled to my feet.
My legs shook as he dragged through the packed grounds. Wolves paused to watch, murmuring behind their hands. I kept my gaze down, but I could sense their judgnt.
We arrived at the Alpha’s residence, which ogas had never entered except to clean or serve. Beta Marcus shoved through the door, into a spacious room where Alpha Darius was waiting. Elder Malin stood alongside him, seeming concerned. All three triplets were lined up against the wall.
The pull on my chest beca almost excruciating. It was as if three ropes were fastened around my heart, each pulling toward a separate brother.
"Approach," Alpha Darius ordered.
I took modest steps forward, maintaining my gaze on the ground.
"Look at them," he instructed.
Slowly, I lifted my head. First I looked at Kael. He stood with his arms crossed and face as rigid as stone. His black eyes locked on mine, and the first rope tightened, making my breath hitch.
Next, I looked at Jaxon. Unlike his somber brother, he leaned against the wall, half-smiling. When our gazes t, his smirk widened, and the second rope yanked violently.
I finally turned to Lucien. The quietest triplet. He looked closely, his expression saying nothing. But when our gazes collided, the third rope nearly yanked off my feet. I stumbled forward till I caught myself.
"It’s not possible," Alpha Darius banged his fist against the table. "Each wolf has one mate. "That is the law of the Moon Goddess."
"And yet," Elder Malin added slowly, "here we are."
"It’s a trick," Beta Marcus hissed from behind . "The oga girl has done sothing to fool us all."
"I haven’t done anything," I muttered. It was risky to talk without permission, yet I could not remain silent. "I don’t understand what’s happening either."
"She speaks to her Alpha without permission," Beta Marcus snarled.
To my amazent, Kael stepped forward. "Father, it’s not her fault. "The Moon Goddess has chosen."
Jaxon pushed off the wall. "For once, I agree with my brother." Can’t you feel it? "The link is real.
Lucien remained mute, but his eyes never left mine.
"Then which one of you is her mate?" Alpha Darius requested. "It can’t be all three!"
"There is a way to test it," Elder Malin added. He took sothing from his pocket: a little bottle of clear liquid. "Moon tears." "They reveal true bonds."
Alpha Darius nodded. "Do it."
Elder Malin approached and uncorked the vial. "Your hand, child."
I extended my shaking hand. He poured a single drop on my hand. It felt like fire, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out.
"Now," he instructed, "touch each of them." A true mate’s touch will turn the tear silver.
With my heart thumping, I approached Kael first. As I reached out, his expression remained unchanged. When our fingers touched, the drop sizzled and turned a brilliant silver.
Gasps filled the room.
"Impossible," Beta Marcus murmured.
But Elder Malin simply nodded. "Now Jaxon."
I moved to the middle triplet. His lighthearted smile was gone, replaced by an intensity I had never seen before. When our fingertips connected, the silver drop shone even brighter.
The room was so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat.
"Lucien," Elder Malin stated.
I confronted the third brother. Unlike the others, he appeared scared. When our fingertips touched, the drop didn’t just turn silver; it shined so brightly that everyone had to cover their eyes.
"What does it an?" Alpha Darius demanded as the light faded.
Elder Malin’s voice was shaky. "The prophecy is correct. "Three flas, one heart. Aria is bonded to all three of your sons."
"No!" Alpha Darius roared. "I will not allow it! One of my boys will be Alpha, and one Luna. Not this, this atrocity!"
The word cut like a knife. Abomination. That is who I was to them.
"Father," Lucien said for the first ti, his tone quiet yet forceful. "The Moon Goddess made a decision. We cannot oppose this."
"Watch ," Alpha Darius hissed. He turned to , his eyes filled with hatred. "You will select. One mate. Now."
The ache in my chest went throughout my entire body. "I can’t," I exclaid, doubling over. "The bond—it’s with all of them."
"Then I’ll choose for you," he stated coldly. "Kael will beco the next Alpha. He needs a genuine Luna, not an oga nothing. The bond with him lasts. "The others must be broken."
"Breaking a mate bond can kill her," Elder Malin cautioned.
"Then she better be strong," Alpha Darius stated without hesitation.
Kael walked forward, shocking everyone. "I won’t let you hurt her."
"Neither will I," Jaxon replied, moving to stand beside his brother.
Lucien joined them, creating a barrier between and their father. "Father, the bond is sacred." "Even you are aware of this."
Alpha Darius’ face beca dark with wrath. "Would you defy ? Your Alpha? "Your father?"
"For her?" Yes." Kael’s voice was composed but confident.
I couldn’t believe what I heard. The three most strong wolves in the pack defend —an oga.
"Take her to the ritual grounds," Alpha Darius told his guards. "We’ll perform the severing at midnight."
"No!" I cried as hands grasped . The triplets attempted to stop them, but Beta Marcus and his troops barred their way.
"Lock my sons in their rooms," Alpha Darius ordered. "They’ll thank when this oga spell is broken."
As they hauled away, I locked eyes with Lucien for the last ti. His lips moved silently, making words that only I could see: "Run."
Then the door slamd shut, and I was dragged into the darkness, knowing that in a few hours, they would attempt to tear my soul apart.
Reviews
All reviews (0)