The dawn came slowly, its golden light filtering through the forest canopy and casting long shadows over the pack’s sprawling territory. Nicola stretched lazily, the events of the night before lingering in her mind like a pleasant dream. The triplets were still asleep beside her, their breaths slow and steady, their presence a comforting warmth. For a moment, she let herself enjoy the serenity of the morning.But the peace was short-lived.A sharp knock at the door jolted her fully awake. Before she could answer, the door creaked open, revealing Chloe’s wide-eyed face.“Nicola, you need to come,” she said urgently. “Something’s happened.”Nicola shot up, instantly alert. “What is it?”“It’s one of the prisoners,” Chloe said, her voice tight. “He’s... well, you need to see for yourself.”The triplets stirred as she slipped out of bed, quickly pulling on clothes. Damien was the first to sit up, his sharp eyes narrowing. “What’s going on?”“I’ll find out,” Nicola replied, pressing a hand
The morning after the celebratory escapade by the lake, the pack was still basking in the afterglow of the night’s festivities. Yet, the shadows of unanswered questions lingered. Nicola, alongside the triplets and Lucas, had been increasingly unsettled by the events surrounding the rogue attacks and the strange beast they had fought.Lucas had been uncharacteristically quiet since the battle. The connection he’d felt during the fight gnawed at him, leaving him restless. That morning, he decided he needed answers.Lucas approached the clearing where the body of the beast had been preserved, placed in a magically fortified enclosure to prevent decay. The creature’s grotesque features, once terrifying in battle, now appeared eerily human under the soft morning light. His heart sank as he moved closer, crouching near its head. There was something heartbreakingly familiar in its lifeless, deformed face.He froze. The eyes - though clouded in death - were unmistakable.“No,” Lucas whispered
The air was thick with urgency as Nicola rushed through the village toward her mother’s house. Time felt like it was slipping away, and the mystery surrounding the Forsaken weighed heavily on her. If there was any hope of finding answers, it lay in the legacy her father had left behind.Her boots crunched against the gravel path as she approached the modest, yet cozy, home she had grown up in. The warm yellow glow of the porch light greeted her, a comforting reminder of simpler times. But Nicola had no time to linger on nostalgia.She pushed the door open, the familiar creak of its hinges making her pause for a moment. The house was silent, save for the faint ticking of the clock in the living room. Clara and Cedric were still at the packhouse, no doubt basking in the glow of their new bond. That left Nicola alone to search.She inhaled deeply, her resolve hardening as she stepped inside.The living room looked exactly as it had when she was a child. The well-worn couch, the bookshelf
Nicola, the triplets, Lucas and Cedric stood at the edge of the northern forest as dawn's first light cast a pale glow over the treetops. The ancient woods stretched before them, dense and cloaked in an eerie stillness. Nicola clutched the leather journal tightly against her chest, the key tucked safely in her pocket.“This is where he said it would be,” Nicola murmured, glancing back at the group.“Your father hid something out here, protected by runes?” Lucas asked, his expression skeptical yet intrigued.Nicola nodded, her gaze unwavering. “Something he thought could help. We need to find it.”“Then let’s not waste time,” Damien said, stepping forward. “Whatever’s watching us, we can handle it.”The group moved into the forest, their footsteps muffled by the soft bed of moss and leaves. The trees loomed tall and ancient, their gnarled branches forming a canopy that filtered the sunlight into fractured patterns on the ground.Nicola led the way, the journal open in her hands. Her fa
The sun had fully risen by the time Nicola and her companions returned to the pack’s compound. The triplets walked close beside her, their protectiveness evident in the way they scanned their surroundings, even in the safety of their own territory. Cedric and Lucas trailed behind, their expressions somber.Nicola clutched the small box containing the vial to her chest, her thoughts a tangled mess. Her father’s notes swirled in her mind, the weight of his warnings pressing heavily on her.The rogue in the cells. The beasts in the forest. The vial of moonstone energy. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together, but the picture it formed was far more sinister than she’d imagined.As soon as they reached the pack house, Nicola headed straight for the alpha’s study. Her mother and Cedric’s mating ceremony had been a rare reprieve, but the time for celebration was over.Alpha Marcus was already there, seated behind his desk. Clara sat beside him, her brow furrowed in concern. Elde
Nicola stepped out of the dim, oppressive cell and into the cool night air, her chest heavy with failure. She couldn’t shake the image of the rogue disintegrating into ash, his anguished screams echoing in her ears. She had taken a risk, hoping to save him, but instead, she had lost the only lead they had.Damien was by her side in an instant, his hand brushing hers. “Nic,” he said softly, “you couldn’t have known. It wasn’t your fault.”Nicola nodded absently, her thoughts already turning to her father’s notebook. He had left her breadcrumbs of knowledge, scattered fragments of wisdom. Maybe there was something in his writings she had overlooked.Alpha Marcus and Cedric immediately called for a council meeting, while Nicola returned to her suite with the triplets. She barely felt the bruises forming on her arms or the exhaustion seeping into her muscles. Her mind was racing, a relentless storm of possibilities and threats.The rogue’s cryptic warnings still rang in her ears."They’re
Nicola’s pulse pounded in her ears as she rushed through the halls of their shared suite. The note’s message repeated in her mind, a sinister echo that made her skin crawl. Someone was watching her every move, someone who knew she was digging too deep.She flung open the main door to the living area, where the triplets were lounging. Damien was nearest, standing by the kitchen counter with a glass of water. His golden eyes narrowed the moment he saw her pale face.“What happened?” Damien asked, his voice low and steady, though she could hear the tension in it.Nicola didn’t answer right away. She pushed past him and held up the folded parchment. Dylan, who was sprawled on the couch, straightened immediately, while Dean paused mid-step on his way to the bedroom.Nicola slapped the note onto the coffee table. “This,” she said, her voice trembling with both fear and anger. “Someone left it outside our door.”Dean snatched up the parchment, his carefree demeanor evaporating as he read the
The council meeting had been tense, the air heavy with unspoken accusations and suspicions. As Nicola and the triplets made their way back to their suite, the discussion echoed in her mind. The elders had raised the possibility of a traitor within the pack, someone who might be working with the mysterious woman behind the beast transformations. It was a chilling thought, and the weight of it settled uneasily in her chest.When they reached their door, Nicola’s steps faltered. There, lying conspicuously on the floor, was a folded piece of parchment. Dylan was the first to notice her hesitation.“What is it?” he asked, stepping forward.Nicola pointed silently to the note, her pulse quickening. Damien bent down, picking it up carefully as if it might explode. His jaw clenched as he unfolded the parchment, and his expression darkened as he read aloud:“The truth lies in the blood. Stop searching, or more will bleed.”Dean growled low in his throat, his wolf barely contained. “They’re not
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