Scarlett's POV
A light tap-tap-tap against the glass made me bolt upright.
I didn't scream; I knew that rhythm. It was the secret beat we had used since we were toddlers. I scrambled out of bed, my heart already racing, and pushed the window open. Three tall, dark silhouettes were perched on the roof ledge like oversized crows.
"You guys are going to get caught," I whispered, though a smile was already tugging at my lips. "The guards just finished their rounds."
Liam, the oldest and most serious, climbed in first with a grace that shouldn't belong to someone so big. He was followed by Leon and Leo. At twenty, the triplets were already massive—broad-shouldered and smelling of fresh mint and the biting cold of the night air. They crowded into my small room, making the walls feel like they were closing in, but in a way that made me feel completely safe.
"Like we'd let you turn eighteen without us being the first to say it," Leon grinned. He leaned against my desk, a playful glint in his eyes. He reached out and ruffled my hair, intentionally messing up the neat braids my mother had finished only hours ago.
"Stop it, Leon!" I swatted his hand away, laughing softly so I wouldn't wake my parents downstairs.
"Happy Birthday, Little Fox," Leo said. His voice was softer, more tender. He stepped closer and handed me a small, leather-bound journal. The leather was supple and smelled of cedar. "For all the secrets you're going to tell your wolf once you shift today. Don't let these two idiots read it."
I ran my thumb over the cover, looking up at them. These were my protectors, my best friends, the boys I'd trailed behind since I could barely walk. To the pack, they were the powerful heirs to the three Alphas—Lennox, Levi, and Louis. They were royalty. But to me, they were just them.
I loved them like brothers, but as I looked at Liam, who was watching me with an intensity that made my breath hitch, I knew I felt something more.
Liam stepped forward, the gravity of his future Alpha aura always hanging around him. He didn't joke like Leon or tease like Leo. He reached out, his hand resting on my shoulder. His touch was warm, even through the thin fabric of my nightgown, and I felt a spark of electricity where his skin met mine.
"Go to sleep, Scarlett," he murmured, his voice deep and vibrating in his chest. He leaned in closer, his gaze dropping to my lips for a split second before meeting my eyes again. "You'll need your strength for the shift. We have a surprise for you at the ceremony."
My heart did a somersault. A surprise.
One by one, they leaned down to say goodbye. Leo kissed my forehead gently, lingering for a second. Then Leon gave my shoulder a playful squeeze before kissing my temple.
When it was Liam's turn, the air in the room seemed to vanish. He didn't just brush my skin; he stepped into my personal space, his chest almost touching mine. He leaned down, and his lips stayed against my forehead for a second, then two, then three. It felt like a seal—a silent promise that no matter what happened in the world, he would be there to guard me.
"See you at the party," Liam whispered against my skin, his breath warm.
Then, as quickly as they had arrived, they vanished back into the night, leaping from the ledge into the shadows below. I stood by the window for a long time, the cool air hitting my face, but my forehead still tingling where his lips had lingered.
I crawled back into bed, hugging my new journal to my chest, a silly, happy smile plastered on my face.
I woke up with that lingering smile, my skin still warm from where Liam, Leon, and Leo had kissed me. Today, I was eighteen. Today, I would get my wolf. I spent an hour in front of the mirror, carefully braiding my hair and smoothing out the skirt of the pale blue dress my mother had surprised me with. I looked like a girl on the brink of a new life.
But as I reached for the door handle to head downstairs, a sound shattered the morning peace. It wasn't the sound of celebration. It was the heavy, rhythmic thud of combat boots and the sickening crack of wood splintering.
"Get off me!" my father's voice boomed—a Beta's roar that shook the very foundations of our home.
I raced down the stairs, my heart hammering against my ribs. In our dining room, the birthday breakfast my mother had prepared was scattered across the table. Instead of my parents waiting to hug me, I found them pinned against the wall. Four pack warriors—men I had known my entire life—were forcing my father into silver-laced shackles.
"Dad? Mom?" My voice came out small and trembling.
"Scarlett, stay back!" my mother cried. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes wide with a terror I had never seen. Two guards held her arms so tightly I could see her skin bruising.
"Golden, what is this?" my father snarled, his eyes flashing amber as his wolf struggled to be let free. "I am your Beta. Release my mate this instant!"
Sir Golden, the lead warrior, didn't look him in the eye. "By order of Alphas Lennox, Levi, and Louis, you are under arrest for high treason and the murder of Luna Olivia."
The world tilted. The Luna? Dead? It was impossible. I had seen her just yesterday morning.
"That's a lie!" I screamed, rushing forward, but a warrior's heavy arm caught me in the chest, shoving me back. "You are lying!"
"Quiet, girl," the warrior snapped.
They didn't wait for explanations. They dragged my parents out of the house and onto the dirt path. I followed, stumbling over my own feet, my blue dress getting stained with mud. The pack bell began to toll—a slow, agonizing sound that signaled both a funeral and a judgment.
The trek to the pack hall felt like an eternity. All around us, pack members stepped out of their homes, their faces pale. They looked at my parents—their loyal Beta and his kind mate—with a mixture of shock and confusion.
"Scarlett," my mother whispered as we approached the heavy stone doors of the hall. She turned her head, her eyes pleading as if she already knew the outcome. "If you get the chance... run."
"I'm not leaving you," I choked out. "The triplets will fix this... I promise."
The heavy oak doors of the pack hall groaned as they swung open, and the air that hit me was cold, thick with the scent of blood and grief. The hall was packed, but it was deathly silent—except for the muffled sobs of the women.
My breath hitched. In the center of the room, on a raised stretcher, lay Luna Olivia. My heart shattered. She wasn't just our Luna; she had been like a second mother to me. Her skin was unnaturally pale, and the soft white silk of her nightgown was soaked in deep, dark blood.
I looked up and saw the triplets. Liam, Leon, and Leo were standing behind their fathers. Their eyes were red from crying, and their faces were twisted with deep pain. For a moment, I forgot my own plight. I wanted to run to them. I wanted to hug them and cry with them.
I tried to take a step toward them, but Liam looked at me. The warmth he showed me last night was gone. His eyes were cold and full of hate.
The look he gave me was a clear warning: Take one more step toward us, and you are dead.