Chapter 4

004.

Daciana stepped back, her eyes wide in shock.

This couldn't be happening!

No

No!

No!!!

“There has to be some kind of mistake!” Kellen yelled out, snapping out of his initial shock. He turned to see the priestess had walked towards them.

“Three mates, how is that possible?” Alex uttered, his eyes wide in disbelief.

“Priestess, has the moon goddess made a mistake?” Alan questioned.

“The moon goddess makes no mistake,” she responded, her voice echoing through the hall. “Daciana is your fated mate.”

“That's preposterous,” Kellen declared in frustration.

Daciana shook her head violently. Whoever was writing the script to her life… she pleaded within they dropped the fucking ink!

It didn't even sound right, how could she be fated to these demons?

Something was wrong, this had to be a prank. Where was the camera?

‘Someone yell out and say this was a prank please!’

Just when she believed there was nothing worse than being their personal maid, fate played another cruel joke on her.

Their destined mate?

This was worse than having no mate at all. This had to be a dream. She was still in bed and when she woke up, her life would return to normal. She tried convincing herself, tugging at the root of her hair, trying to wake herself up from this nightmare.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Hailey heading towards them in her perfect dress, her hair pinned perfectly in place, her makeup flawless and her face mirroring the shock they all felt.

“This is impossible! This witch must have done something. There’s no way she could be their mate!” Hailey yelled her voice dripping with venom.

Her words were laughable to Daciana; she was the one wolf in the room who didn't want to be mated to them.

“That's a lie, I don’t want anything to do with them,” she spat defensively, her voice rising as she pointed an accusing finger at the triplets. “They’ve made my life miserable, and I won’t accept them as my mates. Never!”

Hailey let out a frustrated huff, turning her pleading gaze to the triplets. “You can reject her!” she said, desperation creeping into her voice. “You can reject her right here and now. You deserve someone worthy, someone who can love, someone who can rule by your side, not a worthless omega. This is an insult to your status.”

Daciana rolled her eyes at her desperation for what it was worth; the only good thing about the bond was the satisfaction of seeing Hailey break, she was so full of herself and was so certain she would be the chosen one; the one who was supposed to be in Daciana’s shoes right now, but she wasn't.

“We’ve waited all these years…” Alan muttered, more to himself than anyone else. “Waited for our mate, and now…”

“I don't care!” Kellen cut him off, clenching his jaw. “I can wait another decade, but I won't get tied down to this girl’

“We have to reject her” Alex muttered though he didn’t sound so sure of his words.

“That won't be logical” the priestess interfered. “You have to understand the consequences of rejecting your mate as the Royal Triplets. It never ends well, your wolf weakens, and sometimes you run mad. Rejecting your mate is refusing the gift The moon goddess bestowed on you and doing so can summon her wrath to punish you, you will not be able to mate with another, nor will you feel the pull of the bond again.”

The triplets exchanged glances, the weight of the priestess’s words sinking in. The room seemed to hold its breath.

“But Daciana,” the priestess continued, turning to her, “you are the one who holds the power to reject them. If you choose to do so, the bond will be severed, and they may one day find another. But if they reject you, the consequences will be dire. They are royalty after all.”

The triplets exchanged a glance, then turned to Daciana.

“Reject us,” Kellen commanded.

Daciana blinked back, weighing her options, having no mate was better than being with them. She wanted to reject them, she could already feel the words on her tongue, yet she didn't enunciate.

These were the same boys who had tormented her for years, who had made her feel small and worthless, now they stood before her, helpless. They were asking for an escape, just like she had asked for mercy countless times.

“No.” The word slipped from her lips.

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, shock spreading like wildfire. The triplets’ eyes widened in disbelief, their confident masks slipping. Kellen’s hands balled into fists, his jaw clenched tight as he glared at her.

“What do you mean no?” Axel’s voice broke through the noise, disbelief clear in his tone. “You’ve always hated us. You don’t want this. Reject us!”

“I won't reject you” Daciana stood her ground, she had never had this kind of leverage over them before, For years, they had been in control, tormenting her at every turn. But now… now they were at her mercy. She won’t grant them that mercy. She would pay them back!

“What are you planning now, Daciana?” Kellen said, taking a step forward. “Stop playing your silly games. This is not a college sport, we're talking about the future of the pack, one day we will ascend the throne, and we will need a worthy and strong Luna”

Daciana smirked, enjoying every moment.

“How does it feel to be trapped?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “How does it feel to be forced into something you don’t want, with no way out?”

“Oh I see what this is about” Alex drawled, staring daggers at Daciana but she didn't feel intimidated.

“Alright look, we will make you a deal, reject us, and we will let you go” Kellen offered, his face unreadable.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “Let me go?” she repeated. “How am I to trust what you say? I think I’m better off staying right where I am.”

“We give you our word,” Alan added.

“Your word means absolutely nothing to me, I won't reject you, royal triplets. We are tied together just like you wanted when you made me your slave”

“You listen to me” Hailey intervened, dragging Daciana by the arm, her nails digging into her flesh.

“You reject them right now or else-

“Or else what!” Daciana met her gaze, unflinching. “You’ll kill me? Do it and let's see the outcome the mate bond will have on your precious royal triplets. You don't get it do you, Hailey?” Daciana smirked, pulling away from her grip and wiping at her arm like Hailey’s touch was filthy.

“For the first time in my life, I am not the one who is helpless, the tables have turned”

Axel stepped forward again, a flicker of his usual arrogance returning. “Fine. You want to play games? You’ll regret this.”

Daciana lifted her chin, unafraid. “I’ve already lived through the worst. What more can you do to me?”

“You’re making a mistake,” Kellen finally said, his voice low and dangerous. “This bond… you can’t fight it forever.”

“I’m not fighting it,” Daciana replied, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “I’m embracing it. And I’m going to enjoy every minute of making your lives as miserable as you’ve made mine.”