The first thing Selene felt was the cold.
Not the kind that brushed the skin, but the kind that seeps into the bones , ancient, heavy, and silent. When her eyes fluttered open, the world was blurred with candlelight and murmurs. The ceiling above her shimmered with faint lunar symbols, carved deep into the stone. She realized she was back in the Healer's Hall, or what was left of it after the chaos.
The scent of crushed herbs filled the air. Voices whispered.
"She shouldn't have survived that collapse."
"The mark... it turned to light. The triple bond is real."
"Then the prophecy..."
Selene stirred, pain shooting through her chest. Her throat burned when she spoke. "Where…where are they?"
The healers fell silent. No one dared meet her eyes.
Before she could push herself upright, the doors flung open with a sharp clang. The guards dropped to their knees.
The former Alpha King entered first.
His presence filled the chamber , tall, broad, his eyes the color of old steel. Power clung to him like a cloak. Behind him came the Luna Queen , graceful, silver-haired, her beauty untouched by age. Unlike her mate, her gaze softened briefly when it met Selene's trembling form.
Then Kael and Darius followed , tension radiating off both of them like opposing storms.
Selene's heart stuttered.
The Alpha King's voice boomed through the hall. "What have you done?"
Kael clenched his jaw. "Father…"
"Silence!" The command rolled like thunder. "I felt it the moment it happened. The bond! You two fools have chained yourselves to a human-born witch!"
Selene flinched. Darius stepped forward, standing slightly in front of her. "She isn't just a witch. The Moon chose her."
"The Moon doesn't make mistakes," the King hissed. "Men do."
The Luna Queen laid a gentle hand on her husband's arm. "Enough." Her voice was calm but edged. "We can't undo what's been done. Kael, Darius, tell us everything."
Kael's throat worked as he tried to speak, but the words caught. Darius was the one who answered , explaining the collapse, Lyra's prophecy, the bond that had nearly destroyed them.
The King listened in silence, his expression hardening with every word.
"And you allowed this... contamination to continue?"
Kael snapped, "She's not contamination. She's our mate."
The word hung in the air like lightning before it strikes.
Selene's breath caught. Even Darius looked startled by how fiercely Kael said it.
The Luna Queen's gaze softened again. "Kael... do you understand what this means? The bond isn't just between lovers. It's life and death intertwined. If one of you falls…"
"We know," Kael cut in quietly. "And we'll find a way to stop it."
The King's tone darkened. "There is no stopping fate. The last time a triple bond appeared, it ended in blood."
A new voice echoed from the doorway. "Not necessarily."
Lyra entered with slow, deliberate steps , her robes trailing starlight. The room seemed to dim in her presence.
She bowed slightly to the King and Queen. "Your Majesty. My lords. I bring guidance... and warning."
The King frowned. "Speak, Sage."
Lyra's eyes flicked to Selene, a cool, assessing look. "The prophecy of the triple bond is not about love. It is about balance. Three bound by one soul, one heart too powerful for the world to hold."
Her tone was sharp, melodic, every word calculated. "If the bond is not tempered, it will consume them , and the pack with it."
The Luna Queen's voice trembled. "Is there no way to undo it?"
Lyra's gaze turned distant. "Perhaps. But it would require stepping into places untouched by the sun. The Vale of Shadows."
A hush fell. Even the Alpha King's power faltered for a moment.
Kael's brow furrowed. "The Vale is cursed. No one returns from there."
Lyra tilted her head slightly. "And yet it is the only place where the Mirror of Thorns exists — the relic that can reveal who must bear the curse."
Selene's pulse quickened. "What do you mean, who must bear it?"
Lyra's eyes gleamed faintly, her voice almost too soft. "The bond demands a sacrifice, Selene. One life to stabilize the others. That is the truth of the triple mark."
The room erupted in disbelief. The King's face hardened again. "Then it's decided. We will end it now — before the curse grows."
"No!" Kael barked, stepping protectively in front of Selene. "We'll find the Mirror. If there's even a chance…"
"Chance?" The King sneered. "You would risk your life, your brother's, the entire pack— for her?"
Kael didn't blink. "Yes."
The silence that followed was heavy.
The Luna Queen exhaled softly, eyes glistening. "Then let them go," she murmured to her husband. "If they must risk their fate, better they do it with purpose than rot under fear."
The King stared at her — disbelief flashing across his face — but finally turned away, rage simmering behind his restraint.
Lyra bowed her head. "Preparations must begin at dawn. The Vale is unforgiving."
As she turned, her gaze flickered toward Kael. There it was again — that brief, unspoken longing. And beneath it, jealousy — sharp and cold as winter air.
When the council dismissed, the hall emptied slowly. Whispers followed the brothers and Selene as they left — rumors blooming like wildfire.
Outside, the moon hung low and heavy. Selene felt its pull deep in her veins.
Kael walked beside her in silence. Darius trailed behind, his expression unreadable.
"Are you sure about this?" she whispered.
Kael's jaw tightened. "If it means keeping you alive — yes."
Her chest ached. "And if one of you dies because of me?"
"Then we'll change the ending," Darius said, his voice low but certain.
Their words warmed her for a fleeting second — then a chill spread through her mark.
It started as a tingle, then a burn.
She gasped, clutching her arm. The glow of her lunar mark, once silver, flickered — then darkened. Black veins spread from the sigil, crawling up her skin like ink.
Kael caught her before she could fall. "Selene!"
Lyra, watching from the corridor shadows, smiled faintly. "It begins," she whispered.
The moon outside dimmed to crimson once more.
Selene's scream echoed through the castle.
And just like that, the prophecy of the triple bond shifted — from destiny to curse.