Chapter 5: ARIA POV
"RUN!" Lucien's voice echoed in my mind as I was pulled through the darkness. My heart pounded so hard that I felt it would burst out of my chest.
I had to leave. Now.
When the guards were not looking, I kicked one in the shin and bit the other's hand. He yelled then let go. I sprinted as fast as my legs could take me, dodging between cabins and into the shadows of the forest edge.
Anger erupted behind me, filling the darkness. "Find the Omega! "Don't let her escape!"
I continued sprinting till my lungs burned. The three pulls in my chest drew me backward, toward the triplets, making each step away more difficult than the last. But I was unable to stop. Alpha Darius wanted to break my tie, even if it meant killing me.
When I finally paused to gather my breath, I realized I was approaching the hallowed clearing where the ceremony had taken place. Perhaps there were answers here.
A twig broke behind me. I turned around.
"Well, if it isn't the special omega," Elira stepped out of the shadows, her flawless face distorted with rage. "Did you really think you could just take what's mine?"
I backed away. "I did not take anything. I don't comprehend what's going on anymore than you do."
"Liar!" she snarled, moving closer. "I was supposed to be Luna." Me! I was going to mate Kael and control the pack. Then you show up with your phony mate bond for all three triplets?"
"It's not a fake," I insisted, despite my fear. "The Moon Goddess chose this."
"The Moon Goddess would never choose a worthless omega over me!" Elira's eyes blazed dangerously. "You must have performed dark magic. "That's the only explanation."
Suddenly, more wolves appeared from the forest. Beta Marcus and warriors from his family, Elira's family. They formed a circle around me, preventing any escape.
"My daughter is right," Beta Marcus yelled. "Alpha Darius wants you brought back for the ritual, but I think we should handle this problem ourselves."
My mouth became dry. "You cannot hurt me. The mate bond —"
"Can be broken," he added, "if the mate dies."
This cannot be happening. I was going to die because of something I didn't want or comprehend.
"Stop!" A strong voice cut through the night.
Elder Malin entered the clearing, his elderly visage furious in the moonlight. "Touch her and you defy the Moon Goddess herself."
"Stay out of this, old man," Beta Marcus cautioned.
But Elder Malin kept walking until he was standing alongside me. "The pack must learn the truth. This is not a gimmick; it is the prophecy."
"What prophecy?" I asked, my voice trembling.
Before he could respond, other wolves burst through the trees. Alpha Darius emerged, his visage black with wrath. Behind him came the triplets, no longer imprisoned.
My pulse raced at the sight of them. The three pulls in my chest intensified, nearly tugging me towards them.
"What is happening here?" Alpha Darius requested.
"We caught the omega trying to escape," Beta Marcus replied swiftly.
Elira pointed at me. "She used dark magic to form a false mate bond with your sons!" "She deserves to be punished!"
"No!" Kael walked forward, shocking everyone. His steely eyes remained fixated on Elira. "You have no proof of that."
Jaxon walked beside his brother, flashing that deadly smile that made my heart race. "For once, I'm with Kael. The bond is real. "I can feel it."
Lucien stood slightly away from his siblings, looking at me with mournful eyes that appeared to hold secrets.
Alpha Darius lifted his hand to signal silence. "Elder Malin, please explain this nonsense. "How can she bond with all three of my sons?"
The old wolf gave me a friendly look before turning to face the Alpha. "Aria has a true mate bond, but something is blocking the full connection."
"With which one?" Alpha Darius requested.
"That," Elder Malin explained slowly, "is what we must uncover. The prophecy mentions 'three fires, one heart.' Only one is her genuine mate, yet all three feel a connection because they share blood."
"Then we must test them," Alpha Darius concluded. "Find the true mate and break the other bonds."
He said something that made my chest ache. Breaking even one of these links felt like tearing me apart.
"The test must be done under the full moon," Elder Malin stated. "Tomorrow night."
Alpha Darius nodded. "Until then, keep her away from my sons."
"Father," Kael called out, his voice icy yet forceful. "If she is to be one of our mates, she should be treated with respect, not locked away."
"I agree," Jaxon replied with a wink in my direction.
Lucien eventually spoke, his soft voice spreading over the clearing. "Allow her to stay in the guest quarters. I will make sure she does not go."
Alpha Darius gazed at his three boys and then at me. I held my breath.
"Fine," he finally replied. "But if she tries to escape again, she goes back to the cells."
As the throng began to disperse, Elira pushed past me, whispering, "This is not over, omega. "Enjoy your final night alive."
When she threatened me, my blood raced cold.
Elder Malin took my arm gently. Come, child. "I have a lot to tell you before tomorrow's test."
I glanced back at the triplets as we headed toward the Alpha's house. Kael looked at me with calculating eyes. Jaxon blew me a kiss, making me blush. And Lucien—quiet, mysterious Lucien—looked at me as if he held the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Elder," I said quietly, "which one is my true mate?"
The elderly wolf exhaled. "The Moon Goddess acts in unexpected ways. But I feel there is sinister sorcery at work here, not from you, but all around you."
"What do you mean?"
"Someone doesn't want the true bond to form," he stated sadly. "Someone powerful enough to confuse even the Moon Goddess's blessing."
My heart skips a beat. "Who would do that?"
Elder Malin leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "Don't trust anyone tomorrow night, when the test begins." Not the Alpha. Not the triplets. "Not even me."
"Why not?"
His response made my blood freeze.
"Because one of us wants to kill you, Aria. And I think I understand why.
He backed away, leaving me scared of what tomorrow would bring. Because, if Elder Malin was correct, discovering my true mate could be the last thing I ever do.