Dawn arrived with golden fingers of light stretching over the Silverfang area. Aria hadn't slept a wink. Her heart hammered against her chest as she approached the Luna Hall with Liora at her side. "I can't believe every female has to be here," Liora whispered, squeezing Aria's arm. "Look at Lyra—she's practically glowing with confidence." Aria looked at the former Beta's daughter. Lyra stood tall near the door, wearing an elegant blue dress that highlighted her perfect figure. Several girls surrounded her, hanging on her every word. "She's already acting like she's been chosen," Aria muttered. "Well, everyone expects it to be her. She's been trained for this job since birth." Aria's fingers nervously traced the band covering her wrist. The mark beneath it burned like fire against her skin. What would happen when they learned it was her—a nobody, an omega—who bore the sign? The huge wooden doors of the Luna Hall swung open. Elder Vaughn stood in the door, his ancient eyes scanning the crowd of females.
"Enter in silence," he ordered. "The Moon Goddess watches today." One by one, the girls filed into the hall. Crystal chandeliers hung from the roof, casting rainbow light across stone walls covered in pack history murals. At the front stood a raised platform where Alpha Thorne waited, flanked by his three boys. Aria's breath caught as she met their eyes. Kael's green gaze locked onto her instantly, his jaw tightening. Ren's normal smirk disappeared, replaced by an intensity that made her shiver. Dax, always the most controlled, actually leaned forward slightly, his gray eyes widening. They knew. Somehow, they already knew. "Candidates, form five lines," Alpha Thorne ordered. "Elder Vaughn will examine each of you for the mark of the Moon Goddess." Whispers rippled through the room as girls arranged themselves. Lyra pushed to the front of the center line, of course. "What's the mark look like?" Liora whispered. Aria swallowed hard. "I think it's a crescent moon." Liora's eyes widened. "How do you know?" Before Aria could answer, Elder Vaughn started his examination, moving slowly down the first line.
Each girl extended her arms, turned in a circle, and tilted her head back to reveal her neck—all places where a mate mark might appear. Aria's fear grew with each passing minute. She couldn't hide the mark forever. Soon everyone would know. "When I call your name," Alpha Thorne announced, "step forward." The choosing had begun. Girls stepped forward one by one, each hopeful, each finally disappointed as Elder Vaughn shook his head and moved to the next candidate. Lyra's turn came. She practically floated to the center, confidence radiating from her perfect stance. Elder Vaughn circled her slowly, studying her skin. "Nothing," he declared, his voice flat. Lyra's smile faltered.
"That's impossible. Check again."
"The moon mark is not present," Elder Vaughn repeated firmly. Alpha Thorne frowned. "Continue." As the examination continued, Aria noticed the triplets getting increasingly restless. Ren kept moving his weight from foot to foot. Kael's hands were clenched into fists. Even Dax seemed unable to keep his usual stone-faced expression. "Aria," Elder Vaughn called. Her heart stopped. With shaky legs, she stepped forward. "Extend your arms," he directed. Slowly, Aria held out her arms. The bracelet still covered her hand, but she knew it wouldn't matter. Elder Vaughn would find the mark. His ancient fingers gently turned her arms over, studying every inch of skin. When he reached the wooden band, he paused. "Remove this." Aria's eyes darted to the triplets. All three had gone completely still, their gazes fixed on her wrist. With shaking fingers, she untied the leather cord and let the band fall away. A combined gasp echoed through the hall. There on her inner wrist, glowing slightly silver against her pale skin, was a perfect crescent moon. "The mark," Elder Vaughn stated, his voice cracking with emotion. "The Moon Goddess has chosen." Alpha Thorne strode forward, his face a mask of shock as he stared at Aria's wrist. "An omega? Impossible." "The mark cannot lie," Elder Vaughn maintained. "This girl bears the blessing of the Moon Goddess." Chaos exploded in the hall. Girls talked frantically to each other. Lyra's face twisted with rage. And at the front, the triplets' emotions were even more shocking. Kael stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Aria's face. "I knew it when I first saw her. The pull was obvious."
"As did I," Ren added, that familiar grin returning. "She's meant for me." "For us," Dax corrected quietly, his normal silence broken. Alpha Thorne whirled to face his kids. "What are you saying?" "Father," Kael said, his voice firm and clear. "All three of us feel the mate bond with her." The hall went completely dead. Even the air seemed to still. "That's not possible," Alpha Thorne growled. "A wolf has one mate, not three." "Yet here we stand," Ren challenged, "three brothers bonded to one girl." Elder Vaughn's wrinkled face had gone pale.
"In all my years... this has never happened." Alpha Thorne turned back to Aria, studying her as if seeing her for the first time. "Who are your parents, girl?" "I don't know, Alpha," she answered frankly. "I was found as a pup, raised by the pack." "An orphan omega," he muttered, shaking his head. "This makes no sense." "The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes," Elder Vaughn said firmly. "If all three sons feel the bond, and she bears the mark, then this is the path chosen for our pack." Lyra pushed through the crowd, her eyes blazing. "This is ridiculous! She's nothing! An omega can't be Luna!" "Silence!" Alpha Thorne roared, his Alpha voice making everyone flinch. He turned to Aria, his expression conflicted. "You will come to the Alpha mansion tonight. We must sort this out privately." Kael stepped forward, his intense gaze fixed on Aria. "I'll escort her."
"No," Ren interrupted, moving closer. "I will." Dax simply appeared at her side, saying nothing but making his purpose clear. "Enough!" Alpha Thorne barked. "All three of you, return to the house now. The girl will come at moonrise." He glared at the crowd. "This meeting is over." As the hall cleared, Liora clutched Aria's arm in shock. "What just happened? All three? Aria, this is unheard of!" "I don't understand any of this," Aria whispered, looking at the glowing mark on her wrist. As they left the hall, a tall figure dressed in black blocked their way. Aria looked up into Kael's green eyes. "Moonrise," he said, his voice low and authoritative. "Don't be late." Before she could answer, he leaned closer, his warm breath tickling her ear. "What you do tonight will change everything, little omega. Choose wisely." Aria shivered as he walked away. What did he mean by choose? Choose what? Choose whom? As the sun began its fall toward the horizon, a violet-eyed figure watched from the shadows of the forest edge. "It begins," Moira whispered to the wind. "The curse awakens with her." The witch drew a symbol in the air that glowed briefly before disappearing. "Three pieces of one soul, bound to the daughter of the moon. Only one can survive what comes next."
In her small cottage, Aria stared at her image, barely recognizing herself. The moon mark glowed brighter as darkness fell. Tonight, she would face three alphas who all claimed her as mate. Tonight, she would learn why an omega nobody suddenly mattered. Tonight, everything would change. What Aria didn't know was that in the Alpha's mansion, Elder Vaughn was showing Alpha Thorne an old prophecy written in blood—a prophecy about triplet wolves, a hidden goddess, and the end of everything they knew. And her name was right at the center of it all.