01

Valeria

The forest stretched out before me, every tree and shadow carrying memories that I both longed for and dreaded. The familiar scent of pine and earth filled my lungs as the car rode towards the heart of the pack’s territory. The sun dipped low in the sky, casting golden light on the path ahead, but I knew the real celebration would begin when the full moon rose. The pull of the wolf pack had been growing stronger with every mile, tugging me back to where I belonged, yet a strange apprehension settled deep in my chest.

After my painful rejection by Prince Darius, the Alpha Prince, I had been away from the wolf pack for years—long enough for things to change, long enough for me to change. As the border came into view, the feeling of crossing into the wolf pack’s territory washed over me, a sense of relief mixed with the uncertainty of what lay ahead. I wasn’t the same girl who had left; I had seen the world outside, and now I was returning to face whatever destiny awaited me here.

The festivities had already begun. I could hear the distant hum of laughter and excitement, the air alive with the scent of cooking meat and the unmistakable energy of a pack preparing for the full moon celebration. Wolves in their human forms moved about, stringing lanterns and preparing for the night ahead, their anticipation palpable. The sight was comforting in its familiarity, yet something felt different tonight, something more intense than the usual buzz of a gathering.

As I entered deeper into the pack’s territory, past the edge of the forest and into the clearing where the packhouse stood, my pulse quickened. The packhouse loomed ahead, a towering structure surrounded by lush greenery, its wooden beams glowing warm in the setting sun. The closer I got, the more my heartbeat drummed in my ears, the energy around me intensifying. The car slowed down as we approached the gates, and that’s when I saw him.

Mate! Mate! Mate!

My wolf growled excitedly as I alighted from the vehicle. He stood at the entrance of the packhouse, his presence was impossible to ignore. My heart beat faster as I alighted the car and walked towards him. His scent is clean and sharp, like a crisp pine forest after a fresh rain. It carries the tang of cedar and the faintest hint of smoky embers, grounding him in strength and authority. It’s the scent of the wilderness—untamed, but with an underlying control that mirrors his dominant nature. Whenever I catch his scent, it brings a sense of stability and protection, yet with a dangerous edge that keeps me on high alert.

He raised his face and his eyes locked on mine, I recognized him immediately. Alpha Kade of Shadowfang Pack.

“You…” he voiced out.

Of course he recognized him. The rejected mate of Prince Darius who was banished from the wolf Pack simply because I didn’t deem fit to be his mate, but I didn’t come back for revenge— no, I returned for redemption and acceptance.

“I… I…” I was short of words to say.

My skin began to tingle, every nerve on high alert as my eyes locked onto his without having any words to say—tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair that swept across his forehead. His stance was authoritative, his eyes sharp and assessing as they met mine. Kade. There was no mistaking the dominance that radiated from him, the way his gaze seemed to pierce right through me.

I was still trying to make out what I was going to say when another captivating scent caught my nostrils. His scent is deep and mysterious, a mix of rich sandalwood, musk, and dark amber, with a faint trace of leather. It’s an intoxicating, brooding aroma that lingers long after he’s gone. There’s a complexity to it—dark and sensual, drawing me into his enigmatic presence. My heart skipped a beat, and I tore my eyes away, only to land on the second figure.

Mate… a slow purr came from my wolf. She was so sure anymore, just like I was confused about the whole situation.

“I believe you are with my mate, Kade,” he said, his voice deep.

This one had an air of danger about him— Alpha Rylan of Blackridge. His dark hair, longer than Kade’s, framed a brooding face, his eyes shadowed by something I couldn’t quite place. A mystery that pulled at me, his intensity palpable even from a distance. His arms were crossed, his expression unreadable, but there was a tension in his body, a coil ready to spring. My pulse quickened again, a strange mix of attraction and wariness stirring inside me.

But how was it possible that I have two mates at the same time?

The tense atmosphere was already creating room for a controversy, which is not how I had intended for my night to have been. Kade locked eyes with Rylan briefly, their quick exchange of glances sending different signals to me— intense, disapproving, defiant, provocative, unwavering. And I wondered how these two Alphas would deal with having me as their mate.

“Our… mate, Rylan, our mate,” Kade sounded like he was forced to admit that I was mated to them. He tore his gaze away from Rylan and fixed them on me again.

I opened my mouth to say something again. After all, they recognized me from the past and I have not yet completed my banishment terms, but I was tired of being isolated in the wild. This undeniable force that pulled me back to my home, was it to meet my fated mates?

Speaking of fated mates, the sudden tingling of my nose sent my heart down to my stomach. I had caught a whiff of another scent. This scent is warm and inviting, like sun-warmed earth with a touch of spiced cinnamon and citrus. It’s comforting, familiar, and evokes a sense of ease and happiness, like the first breath of a summer morning. His scent makes me feel safe, wrapping me in a sense of lighthearted joy, but there’s an underlying heat that hints at passion and fire beneath his playful exterior.

Mate!

And then my gaze fell on the third man. Alpha Aiden of Stormclaw. His sandy blond hair caught the last rays of the moon, and his lips curved into a confident smile that sent a shiver down my spine. His eyes, bright and mischievous, lingered on me longer than the others, as though he already knew something I didn’t. There was something about him that felt playful, but the intensity behind his gaze was undeniable, as if he could see through every layer of me.

I could feel it in my bones, in the way my heart pounded and my skin burned—these men were my mates. My mind reeled at the realisation, my instincts pulling me toward each of them in ways I didn’t understand, yet couldn’t deny. The bond thrummed between us, stronger than anything I had ever felt. But the air between us was thick with tension, as if none of us had expected this.

Was this some sort of a joke to the moon goddess? If she wanted to play some kind of drama with a werewolf, why should it be me?

Kade’s eyes narrowed when he realised what was going on, his expression shifting from curiosity to something harder, more guarded. Without warning, he took a step forward, and the weight of his gaze made it hard to breathe.

“Did you know?” His voice was low but sharp, cutting through the silence that had settled around us. “Did you know you were coming back as our mate?”

How would I know? I snapped back in my mind. My heart stuttered in my chest. I opened my mouth, but no words came. How could I explain the pull I’d felt, the way I had been drawn back here by something beyond my control? I didn’t even fully understand it myself. Now, I don’t even understand how I’m paired to three men at the same time.

Before I could gather my thoughts, Aiden, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, his hand lifting slightly as though to calm the situation. “She couldn’t have known,” he said, his tone gentler, more understanding. His eyes flicked to mine, softening for a brief moment. “This is as much a surprise to her as it is to us.”

But when he returned his gaze to Kade, his facial expression hardened. These three Alphas controlled the most powerful packs in the wolf pack, and they were sworn enemies right from the moment they became Alphas. Three sworn enemies, mated to one she-wolf. What a funny story!

Kade didn’t seem convinced. His jaw clenched, and I could feel the tension radiating off him.

Rylan, who had been standing still, suddenly moved, his posture tense. “This is a mistake,” he muttered under his breath, but his voice carried enough weight that I heard every word. His eyes flicked between Kade and Aiden, then back to me, his expression dark. “It has to be.”

A mistake. My stomach twisted at the word. The pull I felt toward them was anything but a mistake, yet I understood his frustration. How could the bond between us, something so powerful, be so unexpected? How could the moon goddess have paired three rivals to one woman? Maybe she wanted to have some fun, or she was asleep and her apprentice was doing the pairing… either way, this was a huge mistake.

I swallowed, the words finally forming in my throat. “Then reject me.” My voice was quieter than I intended, but the defiance behind it was clear. “If you don’t want this, if you think it’s a mistake, then reject me.”

I didn’t know what I expected in response—anger, maybe, or indifference. But what I didn’t expect was the vehement disagreement that followed.

“No.” Kade’s voice was firm, a finality in it that left no room for argument. His eyes bored into mine, his expression unreadable but intense. “I won’t reject you.”

Aiden nodded in agreement, his eyes locked on me with something akin to determination. “Neither will I.”

Rylan looked between them, his frustration evident. “You two can’t be serious,” he growled, but even as he spoke, I could sense the conflict within him, the way his body tensed as though fighting against the very bond he claimed to reject. “I’m not rejecting you either.”

The tension between the three of them was palpable now, and I stood frozen in the middle of it, unsure of what to do. The pull I felt toward each of them was undeniable, but the situation was spiralling out of control faster than I could process. The argument between them grew louder, attracting more attention than necessary, their voices overlapping as they disagreed, each of them determined to have their say— and to have me.

Before the tension could escalate further, a sudden movement caught my attention. My head snapped toward the packhouse, where the Alpha King stormed towards us, his gaze locked on me, his expression dark. His presence alone was enough to command attention, and the argument between the Alphas fell silent as his eyes narrowed, assessing the situation.

“Enough!”