Nicola’s breath was still coming in uneven gasps, her skin burning from their touch, but her body wasn’t nearly satisfied. Not yet. The air between them was thick, charged, and her pulse thrummed with anticipation as she lay beneath them, completely bare, completely theirs.Dean’s golden eyes locked onto hers, molten and possessive. He traced a single finger down her spine, his touch featherlight, yet it sent shivers cascading through her body.“You’re trembling,” he murmured, his voice a mixture of control and dark promise. “Is it from pleasure… or from the thought of what we’re going to do to you next?”Nicola swallowed hard, but she didn’t look away. “Maybe both.”A slow, wicked smile curved his lips. “Good answer.”Dylan leaned in, his hands gripping her thighs as he dragged her back toward him with delicious ease. His strength, his control - it always left her breathless. He pressed a heated kiss just above her knee, his lips lingering as he murmured against her skin, “Then let’s
The golden morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the suite. Nicola stirred, the weight of exhaustion still heavy in her limbs. She wasn’t sure what time it was, but she knew she had barely gotten any sleep. Not because of the triplets - though last night had been nothing short of unforgettable - but because her mind refused to settle.Even as she lay tangled between their warm bodies, the reality of what lay ahead pressed into her like a vice.The blood magic ritual.The impossible odds stacked against her.The prophecy that whispered of a destiny she still didn’t fully understand.Nicola inhaled deeply, trying to ground herself. Dean’s arms tightened around her instinctively in his sleep, while Dylan’s breath was slow and steady against the crook of her neck. Damien, always the lightest sleeper, shifted slightly beside her, his fingers brushing against her hip before stilling.For a moment, she let herself stay there, surrounded by them, by their war
Nicola's POV Nicola’s pulse was still hammering in her ears, her breath uneven as Elias’ words settled over her like a suffocating weight.To the place where you were born.The implications clawed at the edges of her mind, demanding attention she wasn’t ready to give. She had never known her true birthplace.“You’re wrong,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I was raised in the Pack. I was made there, in the Order ground .”Elias exhaled slowly, his ancient eyes watching her with quiet patience. “You were forged there, child, but you were not born there.”A chill ran down her spine, despite the warmth of the night.Elias took a step closer, his presence a looming force even in stillness. “You feel it, don’t you?” His voice was softer now, less of a command and more of an invitation. “Something is calling to you.”Nicola clenched her jaw. He wasn’t wrong.Ever since the talk of the ritual had begun, she had felt it - that gnawing pull in her gut, a whisper in the depths of her mind that
Nicola’s breath came fast and uneven as she staggered to her feet. The ground beneath her was rough, uneven stone, cold enough that it sent a sharp chill up her spine. The air here was different - dense, thick with something she couldn’t name. It pressed against her skin like an unseen force, tingling at the edges of her senses.Her pulse pounded as she turned on Elias, anger and confusion swirling together in a volatile mix.“You took me,” she hissed. “Without warning. Without my consent.”Elias met her fury with unwavering calm, his hands clasped behind his back. “Because you wouldn’t have come willingly.”Nicola clenched her fists. “Damn right I wouldn’t have.”She took a step toward him, rage crackling in her veins like live electricity. “You severed my bond with them.” The words tasted bitter on her tongue, fear laced beneath the anger. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”Elias tilted his head slightly, studying her like she was a puzzle he had already solved. “It is no
They walked out of the rocks formations. Nicola followed Elias through the dense, mist-shrouded forest, the ancient trees towering above them like silent sentinels. The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth and moss, a strange stillness settling over the world around them. Every step she took felt heavier, as if unseen forces in the ground beneath her feet were pulling her deeper into something far older than she could comprehend.Elias moved with an ease that unsettled her, his steps sure and unhurried. The glow of the moon barely touched his silver-streaked hair, and his golden eyes shimmered in the darkness like a predator perfectly at home in the shadows."Where are we going?" Nicola finally asked, breaking the silence."You'll see soon enough," Elias said, his voice calm but firm. "This is not just a place. It is… a memory of something long forgotten. A part of your story waiting to be reclaimed."Nicola frowned but kept walking. The air around them grew heavier, tinge
Nicola’s mind reeled as the cavern around her trembled, the echoes of the vision still thrumming through her veins. Her breath came fast, shallow, as she tried to process the truth laid before her.The ritual wouldn’t destroy the darkness. It never had.It had only contained it, delaying the inevitable.She clenched her hands into fists, the phantom sensation of blood on her palms still lingering from the vision. The First Lycan Queen - her ancestor - had given everything to trap the darkness before. But time had weakened the chains. And now, it would fall to her to decide whether to do it again.Or to find another way.A hand on her shoulder grounded her.Elias."You look like you're going to be sick," he observed, voice calm but watchful.Nicola swallowed hard, shaking her head. "I just..." She exhaled sharply. "I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this."The Keeper stood motionless beside the altar, their silver eyes unreadable beneath the hood. "You came seeking answer
The Forgotten Sanctuary loomed before Nicola, an ancient ruin carved into the mountainside, its jagged silhouette barely visible beneath the pale moonlight. The air was thick with an eerie stillness, broken only by the distant howl of the wind. The stone walls, cracked and weathered by time, pulsed faintly with traces of old magic - power that had long since faded but never truly vanished.She took a slow breath, inhaling the scent of damp stone and something deeper, something familiar yet unsettling. This was where she had been born. Where her mother, Lyra, had brought her into the world.It didn’t feel like a place of beginnings.It felt like an ending.Elias walked ahead of her, his golden eyes scanning the ruins with an intensity she had come to recognize as something between reverence and calculation. He moved like a shadow, his presence blending into the ancient magic, as if he belonged here in a way she never could.Nicola’s steps faltered as she reached the entrance. The tower
The wind howled through the Forgotten Sanctuary, whipping through the stone ruins like a restless spirit. Nicola’s breath came in uneven puffs, her heart still hammering from the shock of seeing Lucas standing before her.He was real. Not a vision, not a trick of the shadows.Lucas.Her childhood friend. Her almost-mate. The one who had vanished without a word.Now, after all these time, he was here - standing in the very place where she was meant to face her fate.The silence between them stretched, taut with tension and unanswered questions.Elias shifted beside her, his golden eyes sharp and assessing. His entire stance screamed distrust, his fingers hovering near the dagger at his waist. He was ready to act at the slightest provocation.Lucas, on the other hand, looked at ease. Too at ease. He stood with his hands resting at his sides, his expression unreadable, but there was something in his gaze - something heavy. He looked to calm, to stedy. He was diffrent than the boy he was
When with a deep groan, the far wall shifted. Stone scraped against stone, and slowly, an ancient engraving peeled away, revealing a hidden passage cloaked in shadow.A hush fell over the room.Nicola’s heartbeat thundered in her ears as she stepped forward, drawn by something deeper than curiosity - something primal, something written in her soul. The sanctuary was speaking. And it was time to listen.Lucas was at her side in an instant, his golden eyes locked onto the revealed passage. The triplets weren’t far behind, their wolves stirred by the shift in energy. Elias, ever composed, stood still for a long moment before exhaling quietly."Listen," her wolf whispered.A deep voice, not of this world, echoed through the chamber."The bonded protectors have been chosen. The path ahead is fraught with darkness, but you shall stand as one. The Moon’s power flows through you, but it is not enough. You must unlock the final truth of the sanctuary."Nicola swallowed hard, her fingers tighten
Nicola and Lucas came back inside and sat in one of the common rooms. The air in the sanctuary felt charged, expectant, as if the ancient walls were listening, waiting.Neither of them spoke for a long moment. Then, Lucas let out a slow breath."So... this is it, then," he murmured, his voice quiet but steady. "We’re not breaking the bond."Nicola met his gaze, searching for any doubt in his storm-gray eyes. But she found none. Only quiet acceptance.“No,” she said, her voice stronger than she expected. “We’re not.”The words left her lips, and the moment they did, something shifted.A sudden, invisible force rippled through the room, like the very air was inhaling. The flames in the fireplace flared high, throwing long shadows across the stone walls. A deep hum vibrated beneath them, resonating through the sanctuary itself, as if the ancient structure had awakened.Lucas tensed beside her, his fingers curling into fists. “What the hell...”Then the power hit.A surge of something - v
The sanctuary was vast, stretching beyond what Nicola had initially thought. The deeper they explored, the more she realized this place held more than just history - it held purpose.The morning air was crisp as she wandered through the ancient corridors, sunlight streaming in through arched windows. Despite the newfound knowledge of their bonds, the weight of it still pressed against her chest.Lucas.Even though she had spent the last night discussing the truth with the triplets and him, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something about this arrangement was wrong.Not for her. For him.The triplets had each been chosen as her mates in a way that made sense. The connection between them was unshakable. But Lucas… he hadn’t been given a choice.Fated mates were meant to be everything to each other. They were supposed to build a life together, to love without hesitation.And yet, Lucas had been given a fate that denied him that chance.Nicola ran a hand through her hair, frustration b
Nicola wandered through the vast halls of the sanctuary, searching for the triplets and Lucas. The flickering torchlight cast long shadows along the ancient stone walls, and the faint echoes of her footsteps were the only sounds accompanying her. She had expected to find them in one of the training halls or perhaps in the great hall, but each room she checked was empty. The night was growing late, and an odd sense of urgency pressed against her chest.Finally, a muffled laugh drifted through the corridor, drawing her toward a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron. Raising an eyebrow, she pushed it open and descended into the cool, dimly lit space of the wine cellar. The scent of oak barrels and aged liquor filled the air, and there, gathered around an old wooden table, were the triplets and Lucas.The sight nearly made her laugh. Damien leaned back in his chair, a dark bottle of wine in his grip, smirking at something Dylan had just said. Dylan, ever the troublemaker, was in the midd
Nicola POV The moon hung high in the sky, casting its silver glow over the sanctuary gardens. Nicola sat on a smooth stone bench, the ancient book resting on her lap. The scent of night-blooming flowers filled the air, blending with the crisp freshness of the restored sanctuary. Here, beneath the vast sky, she could breathe - yet her thoughts felt tangled.She traced her fingers over the runes on the book’s cover, feeling the pulse of ancient magic beneath her touch. The pages were filled with knowledge lost to time, wisdom hidden from those who had been caged by fate. Somewhere in these words was the answer to the bond with Lucas, and she was determined to find it.She flipped through the delicate pages, her eyes skimming over old scripts detailing the history of mate bonds. Most were simple - sacred connections meant to strengthen wolves and their packs. But then she found something different, something that sent a shiver down her spine."There are bonds woven by the gods themselve
Lucas POV The air inside the sanctuary still carried the lingering scent of roasted meat and warm bread, but outside, the crisp night air held a different kind of energy - charged, restless. The stone corridors stretched in quiet elegance, their once-faded carvings now sharp and defined, almost humming with life.Lucas walked alongside the triplets, feeling the weight of their unspoken thoughts pressing against his back like a tangible force. The tension between them had not dissipated, despite the shared meal and the Moon Goddess’s blessing. If anything, it had thickened, an undercurrent of possessiveness laced with grudging acceptance.Dean was the first to break the silence. "You realize you still haven’t answered our question."Lucas kept his pace even. "Which one?"Dylan scoffed. "Don’t play dumb." He glanced at his brothers before turning his sharp gaze back to Lucas. "Why were you here? When Nicola and Elias arrived at the sanctuary, you were already waiting. That’s one hell o
Steam curled through the air as Nicola stepped out of the bath, wrapping herself in a thick, soft robe. The sanctuary provided everything they needed, and the water had been soothing, washing away the exhaustion and tension in her muscles.She had bathed quickly, knowing the triplets were waiting to talk. They had settled in their rooms, but the interconnected living space gave them an easy way to gather. As she stepped into the common area, she found them already lounging - Dean stretched out on one of the furs, Damien seated near the fire, and Dylan, as usual, restless, flipping a small dagger between his fingers.Nicola took a seat across from them, exhaling. “Alright. What’s on your minds?”Damien was the first to speak. “You, mostly.” His golden eyes studied her carefully. “You’ve had a lot thrown at you, and yet you keep pushing forward. We just want to make sure you’re actually processing all of it.”She gave a small, tired smile. “I don’t think I’ve had the luxury of processin
The warmth of the meal still lingered in Nicola’s chest, but the weight of everything that had happened pressed down on her shoulders. The Moon Goddess had spoken to her. Blessed her. Given her a purpose greater than she had ever imagined.Now, standing in the vast, ancient halls of the restored sanctuary, she felt something she hadn't dared to in a long time. Safety.Dylan stretched his arms above his head, letting out a satisfied groan. "I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m about two bites away from passing out."Dean smirked. "Two? You’ve already eaten enough to put a normal man into a food coma."Dylan shrugged unapologetically. "What can I say? Near-death experiences and divine encounters work up an appetite."Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. “That meal was good, but what I really need is a real bed.”Damien shot a glance down the corridor. "Then let's find one. This place seems... aware of us. It wouldn’t surprise me if it already had rooms waiting."Nicola nodded, finge
Nicola’s fingers brushed over the book’s leather cover, the runes on it glowing faintly beneath her touch. She exhaled slowly, trying to steady her racing heart.A presence gathered around her, unseen yet impossibly close. Her wolf pressed forward, drawn to the call of something greater. Nicola’s breath hitched as a soft, silvery mist curled around her feet. It swirled, moving with a purpose, until it coalesced into a radiant figure before them.The Moon Goddess.She stood in a form both ethereal and solid, her gown woven from the very fabric of the cosmos, shimmering with shifting constellations. Her silver eyes, endless and knowing, settled on Nicola. A profound warmth washed over her, reverent and overwhelming all at once.Nicola sank to her knees instinctively, head bowed. The others followed, their expressions a mix of awe and quiet reverence.“Rise, my child,” the Moon Goddess’s voice resonated, neither loud nor soft, but carrying the weight of eternity.Nicola obeyed, swallowin