Aria's POV
She's coming back to Shadow Fang territory with me.
Like hell she is.
Both of you need to shut up.
I'd been listening to the three Alphas argue for the past twenty minutes. My head pounded. My body ached from the escape. And I was done.
ENOUGH!
My voice cracked like a whip. All three of them stopped mid-argument and stared at me.
Kade with his protective fury. Zander with his cold calculation. Theron with his wild defiance.
Three powerful Alphas. Three mate bonds pulling at my chest like chains.
And I was supposed to choose?
I'm not going anywhere, I said. Not to Shadow Fang. Not to Winter Moon. Not until I understand what's happening to me.
Aria Kade started.
No. I stepped forward. For my entire life, people have told me what to do. Where to go. What I'm worth. I'm done with that. I make my own choices now.
Silence fell over the small clearing where we'd stopped to rest.
Theron started to grin. I like her.
Kade looked like he wanted to punch him.
Fine, Zander said coldly. Then what do you want to do?
Good question. What did I want?
I wanted to understand these bonds burning in my chest. I wanted to know why Morgana had let me live as a child. I wanted Marcus dead for what he'd done to my parents.
But most of all, I wanted to stop running.
I want to know what I am, I said finally. What being a Lycan really means. Why I can have three mates when regular wolves only have one. And I want to know how to stop Morgana's ritual before she kills all of you.
The three Alphas exchanged looks.
There's someone who might have answers, Theron said. An elder. She's been living in the northern mountains for decades. If anyone knows about Lycans and mate bonds, it's her.
Then we find her, I said.
Agreed, Kade said immediately.
Zander nodded. A temporary alliance. Until the ritual is stopped.
And after? Theron asked, his green eyes challenging.
No one answered.
Come on, Theron said, breaking the tension. My territory is still a few hours away. Let's move before Marcus catches up.
The Rogue Coalition wasn't what I expected.
I'd imagined outcasts living in caves, barely surviving. Instead, we emerged into a hidden valley filled with makeshift homes, campfires, and dozens of wolves moving around with purpose.
It was chaotic but... alive. Free in a way pack territories never were.
Welcome to freedom, Theron said with a sweep of his arm. No pack laws. No hierarchies beyond what we choose. Just wolves living life on their own terms.
A woman approached us tall, fierce, with wild red hair and amber eyes that missed nothing. She looked a few years older than me, maybe twenty-five.
Theron, she said. You brought strays home again?
Lyra, meet Aria. She's
A Lycan. Lyra's eyes went wide. Holy shit. The rumors are true.
Language, Theron said mildly.
Bite me. Lyra circled around me, studying. I heard someone awakened. Didn't believe it. She stopped in front of me. You're really her? The last Lycan?
I nodded, uncomfortable with the attention.
Lyra's fierce expression softened. You look exhausted. When's the last time you ate?
I... don't remember.
Come on. She grabbed my hand. Let's get you food and a place to crash. The Alphas can sort out their territorial bullshit on their own.
She pulled me away before any of them could protest. I heard Kade growl but Lyra just laughed.
They'll get over it, she said. Trust me, I've been dealing with dominant males my whole life. The key is not giving a damn what they think.
She led me to a fire where a group of women were cooking. They made room for us without question.
Aria, this is my crew, Lyra said, gesturing around. We're all rogues here. No one judges. No one asks about your past unless you want to share.
One of the women handed me a bowl of stew. It smelled amazing.
Thank you, I said quietly.
So, Lyra said as I ate. Three Alphas, huh? That's got to be complicated.
I nearly choked on my food. You know?
Everyone knows. You walked in with Kade Nightshade, Zander Frost, and our own Theron. All three radiating 'she's mine' energy. Lyra grinned. The whole coalition is gossiping about it.
My face burned. I didn't ask for this.
Hey. Lyra's voice gentled. No judgment, remember? If the mate bonds chose all three, there's a reason.
But why? Regular wolves only get one mate.
You're not a regular wolf. Lyra studied me. From what little I know about Lycans, they're more powerful than us. Maybe you need three mates to balance that power.
It made a weird kind of sense.
The problem, I said, is they all hate each other.
Lyra laughed. Give them time. Mutual enemies have a way of making allies out of rivals.
We talked for another hour. Lyra was easy to be around fierce but kind, strong but understanding. By the time she showed me to a tent where I could sleep, I felt like I'd known her for years.
Get some rest, Lyra said. Tomorrow we start figuring out how to keep you alive.
But sleep didn't come.
I lay in the tent, staring at the canvas ceiling, and felt it.
Three bonds. Three pulls. Each one different.
Kade's bond felt like protection. Safety. Home.
Zander's felt like ice and fire at once. Passion hidden beneath cold control.
Theron's felt wild and free. Like running through forests with no destination.
And all three were pulling at me. Demanding attention. Making my chest ache.
How was I supposed to choose between them?
A soft knock on the tent pole.
Aria? It's Lyra. You awake?
Yeah, I said, sitting up.
She ducked inside. One look at my face and she sighed. The bonds are hurting, aren't they?
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
I thought so. She sat beside me. Look, I'm just a regular wolf. I don't know much about Lycan magic. But I know someone who might.
Who?
There's an elder. Elder Thea. She's ancient like, older than dirt ancient. She lives in the northern mountains in Zander's territory. They say she knew the last Lycans personally.
My heart jumped. She's still alive?
Supposedly. Theron mentioned her earlier, but I've actually met her once. Lyra hesitated. She's... intense. But if anyone can explain multiple mate bonds and Lycan powers, it's her.
We need to find her.
I agree. But Aria? Lyra's voice turned serious. The journey to the northern mountains is dangerous. It's through pack territories that might not be friendly. And if Morgana knows about the Elder, she might be watching.
I don't care. I need answers.
Lyra smiled. Then we leave at first light. I'll tell the Alphas.
After she left, I finally felt like I could breathe. There was someone who could help. Someone who understood what I was.
I closed my eyes, ready to sleep at last.
That's when I felt it.
A cold presence. Watching. Wrong.
My eyes snapped open.
Standing at the entrance to my tent was a figure in shadows. Not solid. Like smoke given shape.
It spoke with Morgana's voice.
Hello, little Lycan. Did you think you could hide from me?
I scrambled backward. You're not real. You're not here
A projection spell. Quite useful for keeping tabs on my prey. The shadow-Morgana drifted closer. I wanted to give you a message. That Drake boy? The one who tried to save you? He survived. Barely. But he won't last long without healing magic.
My heart clenched. Drake was alive?
I have him, Aria. And I'll keep him alive... for now. As insurance. The shadow smiled. When you're ready to trade yourself for his life, come find me. You have four weeks. After that, I kill him. Slowly.
You're lying
Am I? Ask yourself, little Lycan can you live with another death on your conscience? Your parents died because of you. Will you let Drake die too?
My parents died because of Marcus!
They died because you were born. Because you're a Lycan. Because you exist. The shadow began to fade. Four weeks, Aria. Save the boy... or watch him die knowing you could have prevented it.
The shadow vanished.
I sat there shaking, my mind racing.
Drake was alive. Morgana had him. She wanted to trade him for me.
It was obviously a trap. But what if she was telling the truth? What if Drake was suffering because he'd tried to save me?
Outside my tent, I heard footsteps running. Voices calling.
Aria!
Kade burst through the tent flap, Zander and Theron right behind him.
We felt it through the bonds, Kade said, kneeling beside me. Dark magic. What happened?
I looked at the three of them my mates, my protectors, my future.
And I made a decision I might regret.
Morgana was here. A projection. She has Drake. I swallowed hard. And she wants to trade. Him for me.
Absolutely not, all three said at once.
It's a trap, Zander added coldly.
Obviously, I said. But Drake saved my life tonight. He took an arrow for me. If there's even a chance he's alive
You're not trading yourself for anyone, Kade said firmly. We'll find another way.
Will we? I looked at each of them. In four weeks, Morgana completes her ritual anyway. Drake dies, and then she comes for all of us. Unless we stop her first.
Silence.
Then we find this Elder, Theron said. Tonight. We don't wait for morning. We get answers, we get powerful, and we stop Morgana before the eclipse.
Agreed, Zander said.
Kade nodded. Let's go.
As we prepared to leave, I touched the spot where the shadow-Morgana had stood.
Drake was alive. For now.
And I had four weeks to save him, stop a ritual, and master powers I didn't understand.
Four weeks.
The clock was ticking.