Aria woke up in a strange bed. The sheets were too soft, the pillow too thick. This wasn't her tiny room in the omega quarters.
"She's awake," a gentle voice said. Aria's eyes snapped open. Luna Seraphina stood over her, beautiful and regal in flowing blue robes.
"What happened?" Aria whispered, trying to sit up. Her body felt like it was on fire.
"You collapsed in the courtyard," Luna Seraphina said, pressing a cool cloth to Aria's brow. "The guards brought you here."
Here was a big room with stone walls, fancy furniture, and giant windows. Moonhold. The Alpha's fortress. Aria had never been inside before.
"I need to go," Aria said, fear rising. "Omegas aren't allowed—"
"You're staying," Luna Seraphina said strongly. "Something is happening to you that requires our attention."
Aria's heart beat. Had she done something wrong? Would she be punished?
The door burst open. Caden Draven rushed in, his blue eyes wild with fear. "Is she okay?" he asked his mother, not even trying to hide his worry.
Luna Seraphina sighed. "You should not be here, Caden."
"I felt it when she fell," Caden said, rubbing his chest. "Right here. Like someone stabbed me."
Aria gasped. She'd felt the same pain before falling.
Luna Seraphina's eyes widened. She looked from Caden to Aria, then back again. "Leave us," she told her son.
"But—"
"Now, Caden."
With one last worried look at Aria, Caden left.
Luna Seraphina sat on the edge of the bed. "Tell me what you've been feeling lately."
Aria stopped. Omegas didn't complain about their problems to the Luna.
"You can speak freely," Luna Seraphina urged.
"I've felt... strange," Aria revealed. "Hot. Restless. My wolf wants to break free and run."
"And dreams?" Luna Seraphina asked quietly.
Aria blushed. "I dream of three dogs chasing me through the forest. But not to hurt me. To... find me."
Luna Seraphina took Aria's hand, studying her face. "Your eyes have changed. The lilac is brighter now."
Before Aria could ask what that meant, another wave of heat rushed through her body. She cried out, curling into a ball.
"Stay strong," Luna Seraphina whispered, brushing Aria's silver hair. "Your wolf is awakening."
"It hurts!" Aria whimpered.
"I know, kid. I know."
Down the hall, Caden paced outside his brothers' rooms, his mind running.
"Will you stop that?" Caleb growled, opening his door. "I'm trying to get ready for the feast."
"Something's wrong with the omega girl," Caden said.
Caleb rolled his eyes. "Not our problem." "
She's in Moonhold. Mother's with her."
That got Caleb's attention. "Why would an omega be brought here?"
"She fell. And I felt it, Caleb. When she fell, I felt her pain."
Cyrus appeared, his hair still wet from washing. "Whose pain?"
"That omega. Aria." Caden couldn't stop moving. "Something's happening, and I think we're connected to it."
Cyrus laughed. "Connected to an omega? Have you lost your mind?"
But as Cyrus spoke, he suddenly gasped and put his hand to his chest. Caleb did the same. All three brothers felt it at once—a burning feeling, like fire spreading through their veins.
"What the—" Caleb stumbled against the wall.
"You feel it too," Caden whispered.
Aria's screams rang through Moonhold. Her wolf clawed inside her, demanding freedom. The pain was terrible.
"Focus, Aria," Luna Seraphina urged. "Your dog is stronger than most. You must control it."
"I can't!" Aria cried.
Luna Seraphina's face hardened. "You can. You must." She leaned closer and whispered, "I know what you are."
Before Aria could ask what she meant, the door flew open again. Alpha Magnus stormed in, his face dark with anger. "Why is there an omega in Moonhold?" he asked.
Luna Seraphina stood to face her husband. "She's special, Magnus."
Alpha Magnus looked at Aria with disgust. "Special? She's nothing but a—" He stopped, looking at Aria's eyes. His anger changed to shock. "Violet eyes," he whispered. "Like the prophecy."
Aria didn't understand what they were talking about. The pain was too much. Her bones felt like they were breaking and rearranging.
"Get the triplets," Luna Seraphina told her husband. "Now."
"No!" Alpha Magnus growled. "If she's what you think she is—"
"It's already happening," Luna Seraphina snapped. "Bring them or we'll lose all three of our sons."
Alpha Magnus paused, then stormed out. Luna Seraphina turned back to Aria. "Listen carefully. You're not just an omega. You're a Moon Wolf."
"A what?" Aria gulped through the pain.
"A rare wolf that comes once in generations. Powerful enough to change everything." Luna Seraphina's eyes filled with tears. "Like I once was."
Before Aria could process this shocking news, the triplets burst into the room, followed by their angry father. The moment they entered, Aria's pain eased. The fire in her blood cooled. Her wolf calmed.
The triplets stared at her with identical looks of wonder. "What's happening to us?" Caleb demanded.
Cyrus couldn't take his eyes off Aria. "Why do I feel like I've been looking for her my whole life?"
Caden moved closer to the bed. "Aria," he whispered, reaching for her hand. When their fingers touched, both gasped. A noticeable spark jumped between them.
"The mate bond," Luna Seraphina said softly. "It's forming."
"Impossible!" Alpha Magnus roared. "No omega can bond with an Alpha!"
"A Moon Wolf can," Luna Seraphina answered.
"With all three of us?" Cyrus asked, his normal playfulness gone.
Alpha Magnus grabbed Caleb's shoulder. "This changes nothing. You will reject this link!"
But Caleb seemed unable to move, his golden eyes fixed on Aria.
Aria looked at the three brothers—Caleb's cold expression covering confusion, Cyrus's flirty smile now serious, and Caden's kind face filled with wonder. Their presence soothed her pain, but brought a new fear. What did this mean? How could she be connected to three Alphas? She was nothing, nobody. "This can't be real," she whispered.
"It is," Luna Seraphina said. "And it will change everything."
A commotion in the hallway stopped them. Beta Voss, Liana's father, rushed in. "My Alpha, rogues have been spotted near the border!" he reported.
"Not now!" Alpha Magnus snapped.
"They're searching for something," Beta Voss insisted, then noticed Aria. His eyes widened. "Or someone."
A chill ran through the room. "They've sensed her awakening," Luna Seraphina whispered in horror. "They've come for the Moon Wolf."
Aria looked from face to face, scared and confused. Yesterday, she was just Aria, an everyday omega. Today, she was reportedly a rare Moon Wolf, mate-bonded to three Alpha princes, and being hunted by rogues. The truth hit her like a rocket. Her life would never be the same again.