Bound to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Blood Ties

ARIA POV

The broken glass bottle exploded across the floor as I dodged Elira’s attack. Her wolf was half-shifted, teeth bared, eyes burning with hate.

"You stole everything from me!" she screamed, lunging again.

I rolled behind an old table, sending dried herbs flying. Mira had already fled through the window, hopefully running for help.

"I didn’t steal anything!" I shouted back, my own wolf rising in answer to the threat. "The Moon Goddess chose this path!"

"Lies!" Elira snarled. "You’re nothing but a fake. You think knowing you’re some lost Alpha changes anything? You’re still the same useless girl who doesn’t belong here."

I felt my claws lengthen, my vision sharpening with silver light. "I know who I am now."

"Do you?" Elira laughed sadly. "Beta Marcus didn’t tell you everything. The curse isn’t just about the triplets—it’s about you too."

A sudden crash stopped us as the cabin door burst open. Lucien stood there, breathing hard, eyes glowing gold.

"Get away from her," he growled at Elira, his voice deeper than I’d ever heard it.

Elira backed away, but her smile stayed cruel. "Perfect time. The healer comes to save his little mate—or is it sister? I wonder which one you are."

Confusion crossed Lucien’s face as Elira slipped past him and went into the forest.

"Are you hurt?" Lucien rushed to my side, checking me for damage.

"I’m fine," I told him. "But we need to talk."

His hands were gentle as he helped me up, and I felt that old pull between us—stronger than ever. Our eyes met, and for a moment, everything else faded away.

"I felt your distress through the bond," he explained softly. "I couldn’t stay away."

"The bond," I whispered. "Beta Marcus said something... about blood ties."

Lucien tensed. "What exactly did he say?"

I repeated the mysterious message: "One shares your blood. One shares your power. One shares your heart."

Lucien’s face paled. "We need to figure this out, but not here. Elira will be back with others."

He led me deeper into the healer’s hut, toward a small door I hadn’t noticed before. It opened to show a hidden cellar.

"Greta showed me this place years ago," he explained as we descended the tight stairs. "I used to come here to learn about healing herbs when I was younger."

The small underground room was lined with shelves of jars and old books. A single lamp cast long shadows across the walls.

"You knew Greta?" I asked, shocked.

Lucien nodded, lighting the lantern. "She was my teacher before she died. That’s how I learned healing magic."

Something clicked in my mind. "That’s why you’re different from your brothers. You’re a healer, not just a fighter."

"It’s more than that," Lucien said, pulling an old leather-bound book from a secret compartment. "I always felt different because I am different."

He opened the book, showing pages of detailed notes and diagrams.

"You said Beta Marcus mentioned blood ties," Lucien continued, his voice tight with stress. "I’ve been looking for answers too. Look at this."

He pointed to a family tree made in faded ink. At the top was Alpha Darius, linked to two different women—Morgana and Aurora.

My mother’s name.

"This can’t be right," I whispered, tracing the lines with my finger. "This would mean..."

"Alpha Darius had children with both women," Lucien finished. "The triplets with Morgana, and..."

"Me with Aurora," I said, my voice barely audible.

Lucien nodded sadly. "One shares your blood—one of us is your half-brother."

My stomach twisted with fear. "But which one? And the mate bond...how could I feel it if..."

"That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out," Lucien said, looking through more pages. "The curse, the prophecy, your hidden identity—they’re all connected."

My hands trembled as I helped him look through the book. "If Alpha Darius is my father, why would he want me dead?"

"Because you threaten everything," Lucien explained. "A True Alpha daughter would have stronger claim to leadership than even his sons."

We worked in silence for several minutes, scanning pages for any hint. When our hands accidentally touched while turning a page, a jolt of energy shot through me.

The mate bond flared to life, warm and strong.

Lucien felt it too—I could see it in his eyes. He didn’t pull away.

"I’ve been fighting this since the moment I met you," he admitted softly. "I knew there was something different about you."

"Do you think..." I couldn’t finish the question.

"That we’re mates and not siblings?" His voice was soft. "I hope so. I’ve never felt this way about anyone."

"But if you’re my brother..."

"I’m not," he said with surprising confidence. "I can’t explain how I know, but I do."

I wanted to believe him. The pull between us felt too right to be wrong.

"Then which one is?" I asked.

Lucien’s face darkened. "I have an idea. There’s a reason Kael has always been so cold toward you, why Jaxon seems obsessed yet confused."

Before he could continue, we heard a wolf’s howl from outside—a sound of pure pain.

"That’s Jaxon," Lucien said, jumping to his feet. "Something’s wrong."

We rushed up the stairs and out of the cabin. The sky had turned dark with storm clouds, though the sun should have been high.

"The Blood Moon is affecting everything," Lucien explained as we ran toward the screaming. "The curse is building strength."

We burst into a clearing to find Jaxon on his knees, his body twisted in pain. Kael stood nearby, watching with cold eyes.

"What did you do to him?" I asked of Kael.

"Nothing," Kael answered. "The curse is doing this. Tonight, the firstborn must die—unless the true bond is finished."

"You know," I claimed. "You’ve always known."

Kael’s face stayed emotionless. "I suspected. Father confirmed it this morning."

Jaxon screamed again, his bones cracking as he fought against the change the curse was forcing on him.

"Make it stop!" I begged, looking between the brothers. "There has to be a way!"

"There is," Lucien said, pulling a small knife from his belt. "Blood freely given can break the curse."

Kael stepped forward, his eyes locked on mine. "But first, you need to know the truth about who you are. Who we are."

"Tell me," I ordered.

Kael’s cold mask finally cracked, showing pain beneath. "I am your half-brother, Aria. That’s why I could never accept you as my mate—the bond you felt with me was blood recognizing blood."

The world seemed to tilt around me. Kael—the coldest, most distant of the triplets—was my brother.

"Then..." I turned to Lucien, hope rising.

Before he could answer, Jaxon let out a final, terrible scream and fell to the ground. When he rose again, his eyes were blood red.

"Too late," he growled, his voice no longer his own. "The sacrifice has begun."

He lunged at Lucien, teeth aimed for his throat.