Aria couldn't sleep. The image of three pairs of eyes staring at her kept her tossing all night. By morning, dark rings shadowed her eyes, but she had no time to rest. "You look awful," Liora said, meeting Aria at the pack's herb garden. "What happened after the meeting? Everyone was talking about you." Aria shook her head. "Nothing happened. The Alpha sent everyone home after the rogue alert. The triplets just... looked at me funny." She didn't mention how Alpha Thorne had glared at her before storming off, or how her wrist still tingled where the carved moon had glowed. "Well, whatever it was, you're the talk of the pack," Liora said, giving Aria a basket. "Healer Brenna needs these herbs gathered by noon. Can you help? I have to sort drugs."
"Of course."
Aria welcomed any reason to avoid kitchen duty and Marta's sharp tongue. After yesterday, she needed space to think. The plant list was long: moonflower for pain, sunroot for fever, and rare silverbane that only grew deep in the forest. "Be careful going that far in," Liora warned. "Remember the rogue alert."
"I'll be quick," Aria promised.
The morning sun filtered through the woods as Aria worked. She found moonflower and sunroot easily, but silverbane would require going beyond the usual gathering spots. As she crossed into the deeper forest, yesterday's strange feelings returned. The tingle at her wrist grew stronger. Her skin felt too tight, like something inside was pushing to get out. "What's happening to me?" she whispered, stopping to lean against a tree. That's when she felt the pull. It wasn't a sound or a sight – more like an invisible string pulling at her chest.
Without thinking, Aria started following it, drawn forward by a force she couldn't explain. The forest grew thicker. She'd never gone this far before. Pack members weren't supposed to wander alone, especially omegas who couldn't properly protect themselves. But the pull was too strong to refuse. "Just a little farther," she told herself, pushing through underbrush. The woods suddenly opened into a small clearing. Aria froze at the edge, her heart stopping. In the center of the area stood the triplets. They weren't simply standing – they were fighting.
Training. Their movements were lightning-fast, bodies spinning and striking with deadly accuracy. Kael fought with controlled power, each move planned. Ren's style was unpredictable, mixing playful dodges with surprising strikes. Dax moved like water, silent and dangerous. Aria couldn't look away. She'd never seen such power up close. Sweat glistened on their shirtless bodies as they sparred, muscles rippling with each hit. Then, as if sensing an intruder, all three suddenly stopped. Three heads turned in perfect unison. Three pairs of eyes locked onto Aria. The pull in her chest became a burning feeling.
Her knees weakened.
"You." Kael's words cut through the silence. "The omega from yesterday." Aria took a step back. "I'm sorry. I was just picking herbs. I didn't mean to—" "How did you find this place?" Dax interrupted, his gray eyes sharpening. "I... I followed..." She couldn't explain the pull. They'd think she was crazy. Ren tilted his head, a curious smile playing on his lips. "Followed what, little omega?" The way he said "little omega" should have sounded mocking, but it didn't. There was something else in his voice – something warm that made Aria's skin tingle. "I got lost," she lied, holding her basket tighter.
"I'll go now."
She turned to leave, but Kael's order stopped her cold. "Wait." Aria froze, her back to them. Even as an omega, she couldn't ignore a clear order from the Alpha's heir. Footsteps approached – three sets, moving in unison. They circled around until all three brothers stood before her, forming a half-circle that blocked her escape. "Your name," Kael demanded, his green eyes intense. "Aria." Something flashed across Dax's usually expressionless face. Recognition? "The omega whose bracelet glowed last night," he said quietly. Aria looked down at her wrist. Liora's gift looked normal now – just cut wood and leather. "It was just a trick of the light."
"No,"
Ren said, moving closer. "It wasn't." He reached for her wrist, but Aria jerked back automatically. No one ever touched her except to shove or push. Ren lifted an eyebrow, amused. "Scared, little moonflower?" "No," she lied, lifting her chin. Kael studied her face, his expression unreadable. "You're not what I expected." "Expected for what?" Aria asked, uncertainty mixing with fear. The brothers exchanged looks – some silent message passing between them. "Show us your wolf," Dax said suddenly.
Aria blinked.
"What?"
"Your wolf form," Kael explained, his tone making it clear this was an order. "Show us." Panic fluttered in Aria's chest. She hadn't shifted in months. Omegas weren't meant to unless necessary. Besides, her wolf was small and ordinary – gray-brown like most omegas. Showing it to the Alpha's kids would only highlight how ordinary she was. "I can't," she whispered. "Can't or won't?"
Ren challenged.
"Both,"
Aria admitted. "I'm not allowed to shift without permission, and I haven't practiced in so long—" "We're giving you permission," Kael interrupted. Before Aria could protest further, a commotion emerged from the direction of the pack grounds. Wolves were howling – an alert sound. Kael cursed. "Father's looking for us."
"We're not finished here," Dax said, his eyes never leaving Aria's face. "Later, then," Ren agreed, that strange smile still playing on his lips. "The little omega isn't going anywhere." The way he said it sent shivers down Aria's spine – not totally unpleasant ones. "Return to the pack grounds," Kael ordered her. "We'll find you when we're ready."
"Ready for what?" Aria asked, finding her words. But the triplets were already moving away, their muscled backs disappearing into the trees toward the pack grounds. Aria stood alone in the open, her basket of herbs forgotten at her feet. What had just happened? Why were the Alpha's kids suddenly interested in her? And what was this strange feeling that had led her straight to them? Her wrist tingled again, stronger this time. Looking down, she gasped. A small mark had emerged where the bracelet touched her skin – a crescent moon, exactly like the carved charm, but this one seemed to be etched into her flesh. Aria quickly covered it with the band. She needed to talk to Liora. Or maybe Elder Vaughn, who knew all the old wolf tales. Something was happening – something bigger than an omega's everyday life. As she gathered her basket and rushed back toward the pack grounds, Aria didn't notice the violet eyes watching her from the shadows of the forest. Didn't hear the whispered words that followed her: "She's waking. Earlier than we planned." Back at the herb yard, Liora was waiting, her face pale with worry. "Where have you been? Everyone's been called to the main hall! The Alpha has a message."
"What announcement?"
Aria asked, her mind still spinning from the experience in the forest. Liora grabbed her arm. "Something about his kids. And a Luna selection! Aria, this is huge – they're going to choose the future Luna of our pack!" Aria's blood ran cold. Luna selection? The ruling female dog, mate to an Alpha? "Why now?" she asked as Liora dragged her toward the main hall. "No one knows. But every unmated female has been told to attend." Every girl. Including omegas? That wasn't normal. Omegas were never considered for such jobs. The main hall was packed when they arrived. Aria and Liora squeezed in at the back, barely able to see over the crowd. At the front, Alpha Thorne stood with Elder Vaughn, the pack's sage and keeper of wolf history. The kids were nowhere in sight. "Something big is happening," whispered Liora. Alpha Thorne raised his hand, and the hall fell quiet. "Last night, a sign was given," he stated, his deep voice carrying to every corner.
"The Moon Goddess has shown that the time has come for my sons to find their mate." Excited whispers swept through the crowd. Three strong males coming of age meant three chances to climb in pack rank. Aria spotted Lyra at the front, her perfect form draped in a beautiful dress. Of course, the former Beta's daughter would be a top choice. She'd been preparing her whole life for this. "The selection process begins tomorrow," Alpha Thorne continued. "All eligible females will participate." More whispers. This was unusual. Normally, Alpha boys chose their mates through private courtship, not a public selection. "Elder Vaughn has seen signs that my sons' mate has already been marked by the Moon Goddess herself." The hall exploded in excited chatter. A mate chosen by the Goddess was rare – the stuff of pack tales. Alpha Thorne's next words froze Aria's heart. "Last night, during our meeting, a sign appeared. A bright moon mark."
Every head in the hall swiveled, searching the crowd, looking for someone with such a mark. Aria's wrist burned beneath her band. She clutched it tightly, afraid someone would notice. "All females between seventeen and twenty-five will report to the Luna Hall tomorrow at dawn," Elder Vaughn stated, his ancient voice cracking with age. "The one who bears the mark will be revealed." Liora grabbed Aria's arm excitedly. "Isn't this amazing? I wonder who it could be!" Before Aria could reply, the main doors slammed open.
The triplets strode in, their presence commanding instant attention. They walked straight to the front, but as they passed through the crowd, three pairs of eyes found Aria quickly – as if they could sense exactly where she stood among hundreds of wolves. Kael's emerald eyes bore into her with intensity. Ren winked slightly, that playful smile dancing on his lips. Dax's gray eyes held a warning, a secret. And in that moment, as the triplets took their places beside their father, Aria knew with frightening certainty that her life as a simple omega was over. The mark under her band pulsed like a second heartbeat, sending waves of heat up her arm. Tomorrow at dawn, everyone would know.