Chapter 1

The morning frost painted delicate patterns across my bedroom window, nature's cruel reminder that another birthday was upon us. Not that anyone would remember mine - not when it coincided with the coming-of-age ceremony of the Stone triplets, the pride of Winter Moon Pack.

I pulled my threadbare blanket tighter, trying to squeeze a few more precious moments of warmth before facing another day of servitude. The pack house was already buzzing with excitement, voices floating up from below as preparations for tonight's celebration kicked into high gear.

"Zara!" Selene Stone's sharp voice cut through my brief peace. "Get down here this instant!"

I sighed, running fingers through my tangled dark hair. Even on my eighteenth birthday, there would be no respite from the Luna's demands. Nine years of this - ever since my parents disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving me at the mercy of the Stone family. Nine years of being their servant, their punching bag, their entertainment.

The cruel irony wasn't lost on me. Once upon a time, Liam, Ethan, and Noah Stone had been my closest friends. We'd grown up together, sharing secrets and adventures. Then everything changed the night my parents vanished. The boys turned on me overnight, as if someone had flipped a switch in their heads. Their childhood warmth transformed into cold disdain.

"ZARA!"

"Coming!" I called back, quickly pulling on my usual uniform of faded jeans and an oversized sweater. No point trying to look nice - not when I'd likely spend the day scrubbing floors and preparing for tonight's festivities.

The stairs creaked under my feet as I descended to the main floor. Selene stood in the entrance hall, her perfectly manicured hands on her hips. Even at this early hour, she looked immaculate in her designer outfit, not a platinum blonde hair out of place.

"Finally," she sneered. "The caterers will be here in an hour. I need you to clear out the great hall and make sure everything is spotless. The entire pack will be here tonight to see my boys take their rightful place as Alphas."

I nodded, keeping my eyes downcast. "Yes, Luna."

"And Zara?" Her voice took on an edge that made me look up. "Stay out of their way today. The last thing they need is you making a scene on their special day."

My hands clenched at my sides, but I forced myself to remain calm. Just a few more months of this - I'd graduate high school in the spring, and then I could finally leave this place behind. Find my own path. Maybe even discover what really happened to my parents.

The sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs made my heart stutter. A familiar scent - actually, three familiar scents - washed over me, making my wolf stir uneasily. The triplets.

"Morning, Mother," Liam's deep voice rumbled. As the firstborn, he naturally took the lead. At six-foot-four, he towered over both his mother and me, his broad shoulders filling the doorway.

Ethan and Noah flanked him, creating an intimidating wall of muscle. While identical in appearance - all three sharing the same dark hair, chiseled features, and piercing blue eyes - their personalities couldn't have been more different.

Where Liam was all cold authority, Ethan carried himself with an easy charm that made him the pack's golden boy. And Noah... quiet, observant Noah, whose gaze always seemed to linger on me a moment too long.

"Happy birthday, my darlings," Selene cooed, embracing each son in turn. "Everything is coming together perfectly for tonight."

I tried to slip past them unnoticed, but Ethan's arm shot out, blocking my path. "Where are you running off to, little omega?"

My skin prickled at his mocking tone. "To do my job," I replied stiffly. "Unless you'd prefer to clean the great hall yourself?"

"Watch your tone," Liam growled, his eyes flashing gold. "You seem to have forgotten your place."

"On the contrary," I met his gaze steadily, "I know exactly where I stand in this pack. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

I ducked under Ethan's arm, ignoring the way my wolf whined at putting distance between us. Something felt different today - their scents seemed stronger, more alluring. I blamed it on the approaching full moon and my impending first shift.

"Oh, and Zara?" Noah's quiet voice stopped me in my tracks. "Happy birthday."

I froze, shock coursing through me. In nine years, none of them had ever acknowledged we shared this day. When I finally turned to look at him, his expression was unreadable.

"Noah!" Selene's sharp reprimand made him flinch. "Go get ready for your fittings. The tailor will be here soon."

I escaped to the great hall, my heart pounding. The moment I stepped through those doors, something shifted in the air. My wolf, usually a quiet presence, suddenly surged forward with such force that I stumbled, catching myself against the wall.

Their scents hit me like a physical blow - Liam's winter pine and smoke, Ethan's ocean breeze, and Noah's rain-soaked earth. Scents I'd known all my life, but never like this. Never so... consuming.

"No," I whispered, my fingers digging into the wallpaper. "No, no, no..."

A wave of dizziness swept over me, and with it came emotions that weren't my own - three distinct streams of feelings crashing into my consciousness. Shock. Disbelief. Recognition. Possessiveness. Each sensation branded itself into my mind with terrifying clarity.

The mate bond snapped into place with force, three golden threads suddenly illuminating what had always been there, hidden beneath the surface. My knees buckled as the truth crashed over me.

Mates. The Stone triplets were my mates.

The sound of shattering glass echoed from upstairs, followed by heavy footsteps and urgent voices. They felt it too.

"ZARA!" Liam's voice boomed through the house, desperate and commanding all at once.

I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady my racing heart. How was this possible? The boys who had tormented me for nine years, who had turned their backs on our friendship, were my destined mates? The universe couldn't be this cruel.

More footsteps thundered down the stairs. They were coming for me - my mates, my tormentors, my former friends. There would be no hiding from this, no denying what had just awakened between us.

"Little omega," Ethan's voice carried from the hallway, closer now, tinged with something I'd never heard before.

"Stay where you are," Noah added, his usually quiet voice rough with emotion.

The air grew thick with their combined scents as they drew closer, and I could feel their confusion.

Now there would be no hiding, no escaping what fate had cruelly decided.