Arin floated in darkness. Distant voices echoed around her, but she couldn't make out the words. Three silver threads pulled at her heart, each tugging in a different direction. The pain was unbearable.
"Wake up," a gentle voice whispered. "It's time."
Arin's eyes fluttered open. She found herself in an unfamiliar room, lying on a soft bed with white sheets. Rowan sat beside her, his blue eyes filled with concern.
"You're back," he said, relief washing over his face.
"What happened?" Arin's throat felt dry, her voice barely a whisper.
"You've been unconscious for three days." Rowan helped her sit up and handed her a glass of water. "The Moonwell... it changed everything."
Memories flooded back—the silvery water, the blinding light, the three threads connecting her to the triplets. Arin's hand flew to her neck, finding her pendant. It felt heavier now, and when she looked down, she gasped. Three gemstones gleamed in the silver—one green, one amber, one blue.
"The colors of our eyes," Rowan explained, watching her closely. "The bond formed with all three of us. Something that's never happened before."
A knock at the door made them both jump. Kael entered, his face lighting up when he saw Arin awake.
"You're back," he said, echoing his brother's words. But when their eyes met, Arin felt a powerful surge in her chest—stronger than before. Kael clearly felt it too, as he pressed his hand to his heart.
"What's happening?" Arin whispered, feeling the pull toward him grow stronger by the second.
"The bond is trying to settle," Rowan explained, his voice tight. "Elder Mava says it's unstable. It keeps shifting between us."
The door burst open again, and Jaxon rushed in. "Is it true? She's awake?" His eyes found Arin, and another surge hit her chest. The pendant grew hot against her skin.
"Stop!" Arin cried out as pain shot through her. "It hurts!"
Elder Mava hobbled into the room, her bone jewelry clicking with each step. "Separate!" she commanded the triplets. "You're tearing her apart!"
Reluctantly, Kael and Jaxon backed away toward opposite corners of the room. Rowan remained seated but leaned back, giving Arin space. The pain subsided, but the pulling sensation remained.
"What's wrong with me?" Arin asked Elder Mava.
The old woman studied her with ancient eyes. "Nothing is wrong with you, child. But everything is wrong with the bond." She touched the pendant with one gnarled finger. "The Moon Goddess split one soul into three bodies when these boys were born. Now she demands balance be restored."
"What does that mean?" Kael asked, his deep voice filled with worry.
Elder Mava's expression darkened. "One must live as her true mate. One must die. One must sacrifice their bond."
Silence fell over the room. The triplets exchanged glances—equal parts fear and determination in their eyes.
"I won't let my brothers die," all three said in unison, then looked at each other in surprise.
A laugh came from the doorway—cold and bitter. Luna Calista stood there, her silver-blonde hair perfectly styled despite the tension in her face.
"This is what comes from allowing an omega into our sacred rituals," she sneered. "Chaos."
"She is no omega," Elder Mava countered. "The Moonwell revealed her true bloodline. She carries the blood of the High Luna."
Luna Calista's face drained of color. "Impossible. That line ended twenty years ago."
"Apparently not." Alpha Vaughn appeared behind his mate, his powerful presence filling the room. "The Council is gathering to discuss this development." His eyes fell on Arin. "You will attend."
"She needs rest," Kael argued, stepping forward protectively.
"The Council won't wait," Alpha Vaughn replied firmly. "Be ready in an hour." He left, Luna Calista following with one last venomous glare.
Arin's head spun. "High Luna? Council? I don't understand any of this."
"The High Luna was the most powerful Luna in the Northern territories," Rowan explained. "She disappeared during the Great Pack War, along with her infant daughter."
"Me?" Arin whispered, touching her pendant.
"It appears so," Elder Mava said. "That pendant has been hiding your true identity all these years. The key unlocked it."
"The key!" Arin remembered suddenly. "What happened to it?"
The triplets looked at each other, then at Elder Mava.
"It vanished in the Moonwell," the old woman said, though something in her eyes made Arin wonder if she was telling the whole truth.
An hour later, Arin walked down the grand staircase of the pack house, flanked by the triplets. She wore clothes provided by Elder Mava—a simple silver dress that complemented her eyes. Pack members stopped to stare as they passed, whispers following in their wake.
The Council chamber was a circular room with a large round table. Alpha leaders from neighboring packs filled most of the seats, their expressions ranging from curiosity to outright hostility.
"So this is the supposed heir," one Alpha sneered. "Looks like an omega to me."
"The Moonwell doesn't lie," Alpha Vaughn said, gesturing for Arin to take a seat between him and Elder Mava. The triplets stood behind her, a united front of protection.
"Tell us what happened," a female Alpha demanded, her sharp eyes fixed on Arin.
Before she could speak, the doors flew open. A woman in a white cloak entered, her ageless beauty commanding attention. A golden crown with runes rested on her head.
"Queen Althara," gasped several Council members, rising from their seats.
The queen's eyes found Arin immediately. "So it's true. You have your mother's eyes."
"My mother?" Arin's voice trembled.
"My dearest friend, and my greatest rival," Queen Althara said, approaching slowly. "I've been searching for you for eighteen years."
The room fell silent as the queen stood before Arin. She reached out, touching the pendant. "May I?"
Hesitantly, Arin nodded. Queen Althara lifted the pendant, studying the three gemstones.
"The triple bond," she murmured. "Just as the prophecy foretold." She looked up at the triplets. "The Goddess has chosen, but she demands a price."
"We know," Kael said grimly. "One must die."
"That's not the full prophecy," Queen Althara said, releasing the pendant. "One must live as her mate, yes. One must die, true. But one must sacrifice not just the bond, but everything they hold dear."
The queen turned to address the Council. "This girl is the rightful heir to the High Luna throne. Her bond with these three sons of Alpha Vaughn will determine the fate of all our packs."
A commotion at the door interrupted her. Siena burst in, her face flushed with anger.
"This is all lies!" she shouted. "Arin is nothing but an omega! She's tricked you all!"
"Siena!" Her father, Beta Callen, moved to restrain her.
But Siena pulled something from her pocket—the silver key, now attached to a cord around her neck. "I found the truth! This key doesn't belong to Arin. It belongs to anyone with the will to use it!"
"Put that down," Elder Mava warned, rising from her seat. "You don't understand what you're playing with."
"I understand perfectly," Siena snarled. She turned to Kael. "I was supposed to be your Luna! We all knew it!"
Before anyone could stop her, Siena pressed the key to her chest. A flash of light burst from it, momentarily blinding everyone in the room. When Arin could see again, she gasped in horror.
A silver thread—just like the ones that connected her to the triplets—now stretched from Siena to Kael.
"No!" Arin cried as pain tore through her chest. The green stone in her pendant cracked, and the thread connecting her to Kael snapped.
Kael fell to his knees, clutching his chest. His agonized scream echoed through the chamber as Siena smiled in triumph.
"Now I am his mate," she declared, her eyes gleaming with victory. "And the prophecy changes."
Queen Althara's face had gone white. "What have you done, foolish girl? You've interfered with the Goddess's will!"
The ground beneath them trembled. Outside, clouds covered the moon, plunging the room into darkness. When the emergency lights flickered on, Arin saw blood dripping from Kael's mouth.
"What's happening to him?" she cried, rushing to his side.
"The bond was torn, not relinquished," Elder Mava said, her voice filled with dread. "His wolf is dying."
Rowan and Jaxon knelt beside their brother, their faces masks of horror. The bonds connecting them to Arin pulsed wildly, as if seeking the broken third.
And in the midst of the chaos, Queen Althara's voice cut through like a blade.
"The Moonwell will fall. War will come. And blood will flow like rivers through the pack lands."
She fixed her gaze on Arin. "Only you can save him now. But the price..." Her voice trailed off as tears filled her eyes.
"Tell me," Arin begged, holding Kael's hand as he writhed in pain.
"Your life for his," Queen Althara whispered. "That is the sacrifice the Goddess demands."
Siena's triumphant smile faltered as she realized what she had done. The key around her neck began to glow again, burning her skin as the Moon Goddess made her displeasure known.