Bound to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter 14: Chapter 13: Secrets in Stone

ARIA POV

The screams split the night air. They were getting closer.

"We need to move now!" I grabbed Lucien’s arm, but he was too weak to stand.

Mira looked back frightened through the trees. "They’re coming from all directions."

Lucien’s eyes rolled back, his body shaking. Whatever was happening to him was getting worse. The cut on his head kept bleeding, leaving dark drops on the forest floor.

"I can’t leave him," I said, though my feelings screamed at me to run.

Mira’s face paled as flashlight beams cut through the blackness. "Aria, we don’t have a choice!"

A hand clamped over my mouth from behind. I tried to scream, but the sound died in my throat.

"Quiet," a familiar voice whispered in my ear. "Or they’ll hear you."

Jaxon.

He released me and crouched beside us, his golden eyes glinting in the darkness.

"How did you find us?" I asked.

"I never lost you," he answered with a small smile. "I’ve been tracking you since you left headquarters."

More screams echoed through the forest. Jaxon’s face got serious.

"My father has called the elite guards," he said. "They won’t stop until they find you."

"What about Lucien?" Mira asked, pointing to his unconscious form.

Jaxon checked his brother’s heart. "He’s fighting whatever control they’ve put on him. I’ll carry him." He hoisted Lucien over his shoulder with ease. "Follow me. Stay close."

We ran deeper into the bush, away from the approaching howls and flashlights. Jaxon moved like a shadow, knowing exactly where to step, which routes to take. After what felt like hours, we reached a wall of thick trees.

"Through here," Jaxon said, pushing aside the branches to show a narrow opening in the rock face behind.

"A cave?" I asked.

"Better," Jaxon replied. "A network of tunnels that runs under the entire area. Only the Alpha family knows about them."

I paused, looking back. The forest had gone quiet – too quiet.

"They’re circling," Jaxon warned. "We need to go now."

We slipped through the gap. Inside was a narrow cave lit by strange blue stones embedded in the walls. They gave off just enough light to see by.

"These tunnels are ancient," Jaxon explained as we walked. "Built by the first Alphas centuries ago."

"Why are you helping us?" Mira asked carefully. "Your father wants Aria dead."

Jaxon’s face darkened. "My father isn’t himself. None of this is right."

We followed the tube as it sloped downward. I could feel the weight of earth above us, but strangely, I wasn’t scared. Something about this place felt familiar, almost safe.

My hand went to the silver necklace hiding under my shirt. Jaxon’s eyes followed the movement.

"I see you found it," he said quietly.

I froze mid-step. "You knew about this?"

He looked away. "Keep going. We’re not safe yet."

After carrying Lucien through several twisting passages, we exited into a large cavern. The ceiling soared high above us, covered in more of the glowing blue stones. They looked like stars.

Jaxon laid Lucien down gently on a flat rock. Mira instantly began tending to his head wound.

"He needs real medical help," she said worriedly.

"No one leaves until it’s safe," Jaxon answered firmly. He turned to me. "Show me the necklace."

Slowly, I pulled it out. The silver moon pendant gleamed in the blue light.

Jaxon’s face showed no surprise. "My mother had one just like it."

"This belonged to my mother," I said. "Selene Thorne."

"I know." Jaxon walked to the far wall of the pit. "Come here. There’s something you need to see."

The wall was covered in carvings – symbols, marks, and what looked like a family tree etched into the stone. Jaxon pointed to one sign near the center: a crescent moon surrounded by small stars.

"Does this look familiar?" he asked.

My hand went to my left shoulder blade, where a small scar sat. The same shape – a circle with tiny dots around it.

"How did you know about my birthmark?" I whispered.

Jaxon’s eyes met mine. "Because it’s the mark of the White Wolf family. The rarest and most powerful Alpha line."

My legs felt weak. I pressed my hand against the cold stone to steady myself.

"Aria," Mira called from across the cavern. "Lucien’s waking up."

We hurried back to where Lucien lay. His eyes fluttered open, clear and normal again.

"Where am I?" he asked hoarsely.

"Safe," Jaxon answered. "For now."

Lucien’s eyes found mine. "Aria. The traditional grounds. You found the map."

I pulled out the folded map from my pocket. "How do you know about this?"

"Dreams," Lucien said weakly. "I’ve been seeing things. The Blood Moon. The traditional grounds. You, standing in the center of the stone circle."

"Someone’s been using him," Jaxon explained. "Entering his mind when he sleeps."

"Father?" I asked.

Jaxon shook his head. "Something darker. Father is just a puppet too."

Mira looked between us, confused. "I don’t understand any of this."

I unfolded the map on the stone beside Lucien. "My mother left this. She circled the ceremony grounds. And there’s a message about the Blood Moon."

"Three days from now," Lucien whispered.

"Whatever is happening," Jaxon said, "it all leads there."

I touched the metal necklace, feeling its weight against my skin. "What does this mean? Why did my mother have an Alpha’s pendant?"

Jaxon’s eyes darkened. "Because she was meant to be Luna. Before everything went wrong."

"Wrong how?"

"The packs were at war," Jaxon explained. "Your father, Alpha Thorne, wanted peace. My father wanted power. There was a prophecy about a white wolf that would join the packs."

"Me," I whispered.

Jaxon nodded. "You were never meant to be hidden away as an omega. You were born to lead."

"That’s why the mate bond feels wrong," Lucien said suddenly. "It’s been tampered with."

My heart pounded harder. "By who?"

"By someone who didn’t want the prophecy to come true," Jaxon said. "Someone who’s been pulling strings for eighteen years."

A faraway howl echoed through the tunnels. We all tensed.

"They’ve found the entrance," Jaxon said, jumping to his feet.

"What do we do now?" Mira asked, fear in her voice.

Jaxon looked at the map. "We need to get to the rite grounds before the Blood Moon. It’s our only chance."

"Chance for what?" I asked.

"To break whatever spell has been cast over all of us," he said. "To find out the truth."

"I’m tired of half-answers," I snapped, moving closer to him. "Tell me everything you know, Jaxon. Right now."

His eyes flashed with something dangerous. "You want the truth?"

Before I could answer, he pulled me against him. His lips crashed down on mine, fierce and demanding. The mate bond flared to life between us, burning through my blood like wildfire.

But instead of pleasure, I felt pain – sharp and strong. Images flashed behind my eyes: a rite under a blood-red moon, three wolves circling a white one, a knife raised high.

I pushed him away with a gasp. "What was that?"

Jaxon looked as shaken as I felt. "That wasn’t supposed to happen."

"The bond," Lucien said, sitting up straighter. "It’s changing."

I could feel it too – the pull that had been dividing me between three brothers was shifting, focusing, getting stronger in one direction.

The screams grew louder. Closer.

"We need to go," Mira urged. "Now!"

Jaxon grabbed a torch from the wall. "There’s another exit on the far side. It leads to the eastern border."

As we prepared to leave, I touched my lips, still burning from Jaxon’s kiss. The mate bond pulsed within me, but now it felt different – clearer, stronger, and pointing straight at...

I looked up and met eyes that glowed with an inner fire. Not Jaxon’s. Not Kael’s.

Lucien stood before me, a strange light coming from him. When he spoke, his voice was thicker, older somehow.

"The truth is awakening," he said. "And when it fully rises, one of us will have to die."