Bound to the Triplet Alphas Chapter 54: Training Grounds

ARIA POV

I hit the ground hard, pain shooting through my back. Again.

"Get up," Jaxon ordered, circling like an animal. "An enemy won’t give you ti to catch your breath."

I struggled to my feet, dirt and sweat covering my skin. We’d been training since sunrise, and my muscles scread in anger.

"I’m trying," I growled, anger building inside .

"Trying isn’t good enough," Jaxon snapped. "If this was a real fight, you’d be dead five tis over."

My anger flared. Without thinking, I let my Moon Alpha power rush through . Silver light flashed from my eyes as I lunged at Jaxon with supernatural speed, catching him off guard. In seconds, I had him pinned to the ground, my hand at his throat.

His eyes opened in surprise, then he grinned. "Now that’s more like it."

I backed away, shocked at my own anger. My hands shook slightly as the power faded.

"I don’t like feeling that way," I admitted quietly. "So... angry. Ready to hurt soone."

Jaxon sat up, his playful face turning serious. "That’s what fighting is, Aria. You can’t hold back against soone who wants to kill you."

After the bombshell that my mother was living and behind the challenge, I had insisted on training imdiately. With only two days left before the challenge, I needed all the help I could get.

"Take a break," Jaxon said, throwing a water bottle. "You’re overthinking every move."

I drank gladly, watching as other pack mbers trained nearby. Many stopped to stare at when they thought I wasn’t looking. I could feel their doubts through our pack ties.

"They don’t think I can win," I said.

Jaxon shrugged. "Prove them wrong."

"It’s not that easy. If I lose, what happens to the pack? To the changes we’ve started making?"

"Then don’t lose," he said simply.

I sighed. Of all the triplets, Jaxon was the most straightforward boxer – quick, aggressive, and fearless. Perfect for teaching fighting skills, but not so great at understanding my inner struggle.

"Let’s try sothing different," Jaxon offered, leading to a quieter corner of the training field. "Stop thinking like an Oga trying to fight. You’re a Moon Alpha now."

"What does that an?"

"It ans you have power most dogs can only dream of. Use it."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blindfold. "Put this on."

"How am I supposed to fight blind?" I protested.

"You’re not. You’re going to feel." He tied the cloth around my eyes. "Your connection to the pack gives you benefits. Feel the energy around you."

In darkness, my other senses heightened. I could hear Jaxon’s steady breathing, sll his familiar scent.

"I’m going to attack," he threatened. "Don’t try to see . Feel ."

I stood perfectly still, focused on the air around . Suddenly, I felt a shift – almost like a disturbance in an unseen web. I stepped sideways just as Jaxon rushed past where I had been standing.

"Good!" he cried. "Again."

For the next hour, we practiced this way. With each try, I got better at sensing movent before it happened. By the ti Jaxon removed my blindfold, I was dodging nine out of ten attacks.

"You’re a natural," he said, real pride in his voice. "But detecting attacks isn’t enough. You need to finish the fight."

His expression grew serious. "Tomorrow we work on killing blows."

The words sent a chill through . "Killing blows?"

"This task is to the death, Aria. There’s no safe way out."

I thought of my mother – a woman I’d never known, who was now trying to kill . How could I prepare to kill her in return?

That evening, I sat alone by the small pond behind the pack house, trying to clear my thoughts. My image stared back at from the still water – a face I’d always thought was ordinary now marked by the silver glow in my eyes that never fully faded.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Lucien’s voice ca from behind .

I smiled weakly as he sat beside . "Just wondering how I went from invisible Oga to fighting for my life as Alpha in a few short weeks."

"Destiny has a way of surprising us," he said, taking my hand. "How was training with Jaxon?"

"Physical training went well," I admitted. "It’s the ntal part I’m struggling with."

Lucien nodded understanding. "You don’t want to kill."

"Is that weakness? Jaxon thinks so."

"No," Lucien said strongly. "Compassion is never weakness. But sotis saving those you love ans doing things that are hard."

I leaned against his shoulder, drawing comfort from his presence. "What if she really is my mother? How can I fight her?"

"We still don’t know if your sister was telling the truth," Lucien reminded . "But if she is your mother, rember she abandoned you and has now threatened your pack. Your family."

He gestured to the pack grounds where wolves were going about their evening routines. "They’re counting on you."

I knew he was right. These wolves were my duty now. My family in a way my birth mother had never been.

"I need to talk to my sister," I decided suddenly. "She might know more about our mother’s fighting style, her weaknesses."

Lucien looked worried. "Are you sure that’s safe? We still don’t know if we can trust her."

"No, but she’s our best chance at information," I said, standing up. "Where is she being kept?"

"The guest house on the north side. Kael has guards watching her."

When I arrived at the cabin, my twin sister was sitting quietly by the window. The similarity between us was uncanny – like looking in a mirror, except for her eyes. Where mine glowed silver, hers had flecks of amber.

"Finally," she said without turning. "I was wondering when you’d co."

"I need information about our mother," I said, getting straight to the point.

My sister – who called herself Luna – smiled coldly. "What makes you think I’ll help you?"

"Because if I lose, you lose too. She wants both of us."

This got her attention. She turned to face fully. "You don’t understand what she’s capable of. She’s not just challenging you for the pack. She wants the Moon Alpha power."

"How is that possible? The power is passed by genes."

"Or taken," Luna said grimly. "With the right dark ritual and the blood of her offspring."

I felt sick. "She wants to kill us both?"

"Not necessarily both. Just whoever has the strongest link to the Moon Goddess." Luna’s eyes narrowed. "Right now, that’s you."

"Why are you telling this?"

"Self-preservation," she shrugged. "I’ve spent my life with her. Trust , we’re both better off if you win."

A knock at the door stopped us. Jaxon poked his head in.

"Aria, you need to co quickly. There’s sothing you should see."

Outside, a crowd had gathered at the main gates. As we approached, they split to let through. On the ground lay a dead dog – one of our border guards. Around his neck was a black ribbon with a letter attached.

With shaking hands, I unfolded the paper.

"A taste of what’s to co," it read. "Unless you surrender now."

But it wasn’t the ssage that made my blood freeze. It was the small object wrapped inside the note – a silver moon charm identical to one I’d seen in my dreams. I’d always thought it was just my fantasy.

"What is it?" Jaxon asked, seeing my face.

I held up the ring. "I’ve seen this before. In dreams I’ve had since I was a child."

Luna appeared beside , her face pale as she stared at the ring.

"That’s impossible," she whispered. "Mother always wears that. She never takes it off."

"Then how is it here?" I asked.

Luna’s eyes t mine, real fear in them for the first ti.

"It ans she’s not coming for the challenge tomorrow," she said, her voice barely audible. "She’s already here. Among us. And she’s been watching you your entire life."