Betrayed By One. Bound To Three-Chapter 13: Bonfire.

Selena.

Later that night, after training was over, the triplets decided to make a bonfire.

They gathered wood and set it ablaze, while we all sat around it.

I sank onto the blanket, my legs curled beneath me. My body ached everywhere, but I was happy.

Kael leaned back on his elbows, firelight catching his grin. Ronan sat closer to the flames, calm and steady, the kind of presence that made you feel safe without trying.

Edris at a distance as always, leaning against a tree, arms crossed, watching me while pretending he wasn’t.

Kael tilted his head. "You did well today. You surprised me."

I smiled. "I survived. Barely."

He laughed. "Barely counts when you are standing."

Ronan nodded. "She did more than survive. She pushed herself."

Warmth spread through my chest. Not pride. Not ego. Something deeper. Being seen. Being believed in.

It was a feeling I hadn’t felt since my father death.

Kael’s hand brushed mine. My breath caught, sharp and sudden.

"Did you feel that?" he asked.

"I think it was the fire," I whispered.

He leaned closer. "Or maybe it was me."

Heat rolled through me. My wolf stirred, restless, curious. I felt it before my mind caught up, before logic could interfere, and then I realized I wanted this. I wanted him. I wanted all of them.

Kael’s lips hovered near mine, a breath away. My heart stuttered. My body screamed yes, but my mind froze.

Hesitation curled in my stomach, tight and trembling. Wanting him... wanting all of them... it felt like stepping off a cliff. The bond was pulling me faster than my mind could follow.

I caught his gaze. He was patient. Waiting. Not pushing. Just giving me the choice—but the choice felt heavier than it should.

I leaned in, just slightly, testing. My lips brushed his. His hand moved to my cheek, firm, steady, grounding, and the hesitation broke. The world narrowed to firelight and heat pooling low in my body.

His lips pressed to mine with gentle insistence at first, then deeper, stronger, claiming without force.

My hands went to his chest, clutching, holding on, feeling his strength, the danger, the thrill. My breath caught.

The bond throbbed beneath my skin, urgent and insistent. It made me ache with need, yes, but also with a sharp edge of fear. Could I hold myself together, or would it sweep me away?

What if all this is nothing but a fantasy?

I kissed him back, gentle at first, then with everything I had, letting the tension of the day, the ache of my body, the longing inside me spill out.

When we finally pulled apart, my cheeks burned. My pulse hammered in my ears. Kael’s grin was soft, triumphant, and my chest tightened in a way that made me dizzy.

Ronan laughed softly. "I knew it would happen. I figured you would kiss Kael first."

I blinked. "Why?"

"Because I’m smooth," Kael said, leaning back, a faint grin on his face. "Trust me, I have so many tricks up my sleeve, mate."

I chuckled as my eyes slowly darted to Edris. He stood apart, jaw tight, pretending not to care.

The memory of his earlier kiss flashed through my mind. My pulse thrummed. My heart wanted all of them, and the truth of it scared me as much as it thrilled me.

Ronan leaned closer, closer than before. His gaze held mine, calm but intense. "I think it’s my turn now, mate."

Heat flared in my chest. My wolf stirred, restless, insistent. I wanted him. I wanted the connection, the pull, the rush of everything he represented.

I moved closer, brushing my lips to his. Hesitation clung to me, soft and sharp, but I let it go.

I kissed him slowly at first, tasting, feeling, letting the bond hum between us. Then with more certainty, more fire. My hands tangled in his hair. His hands found my waist, steady and grounding. The world shrank to the fire, the forest, and the pull of him.

When we parted, I felt dizzy. The ache in my chest was sweet, needy, and undeniable.

I have never felt so wanted in my life. God, the way they looked at me—I felt seen. But a small, uneasy knot twisted in my stomach. Could I trust this feeling? Could I trust myself? Or was I just being swept away by the bond, by desire, by the firelight?

Kael grinned. "So what about the grumpy one?"

"I am not interested," Edris muttered.

Kael snorted. "Jealous much? I think he wanted to be the first to kiss you, mate."

We laughed, and for a moment everything felt light.

Ronan leaned closer to me. "You are really a good kisser."

"I honestly don’t know what to say to that," I said, my cheeks heating up.

Part of me wanted to say nothing, hide from the intensity of being seen. Part of me wanted to lean in and let it consume me. I wasn’t sure which was braver.

"You should say thank you," Kael said.

"Thank you, I guess. You guys are really amazing, and I like training with all of you."

Kael’s voice softened. "Good. Because we like having you."

Edris shifted slightly. He still didn’t look at me, but I felt him. The tension. The pull. The restraint.

His arms were crossed, his jaw tight. But the tension around him hummed, like a coiled spring. I wanted to see inside his head, to understand the storm he held at bay.

Something dangerous hovered behind his eyes, coiled and restrained. I couldn’t reach it, but I could feel it pressing against the air around us, making my pulse jump as much as the kisses had.

I leaned back, staring at the fire, feeling peaceful as a strange truth settled within me.

I let my gaze wander over them, Kael’s easy grin, Ronan’s steady calm, Edris’s quiet intensity.

Each of them pulled at me differently. Together they were impossible to untangle, yet every piece of them mattered, every piece of them was mine to feel.

Kael stretched. "You kissed Ronan a little longer than you kissed me."

I laughed quietly. "I don’t even know why."

Ronan brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "Now you are sounding jealous, Kael."

Kael smirked. "And Edris pretends he doesn’t care, but be careful, mate. If he ever catches those lips of yours, he isn’t letting go."

Ronan and Kael started laughing, but Edris said nothing. For a moment, I wanted to be inside his head, to feel what it took to be him, to understand what he held so tightly under control.

Kael looked at me. "Ready for training tomorrow?"

"I think," I said softly, "I am."

Ronan smiled. "We will teach you everything."

Kael nudged my shoulder. "And maybe tomorrow, Edris will admit he enjoys being alive."

Edris scowled, but there was something else in his eyes. Not anger. Not distance. Something restrained. Controlled. Dangerous in its silence.

I leaned back, feeling the fire, the bond, their presence around me like a shield.

For the first time since I got this second chance at life, I felt safe.

I felt like I had finally found a place I belonged.

Then, suddenly the air shifts.

Shadows jerked through the trees. Feet snapped against dirt and leaves rustled sharply.

The firelight, the laughter, the warmth on my skin—all of it felt fragile, ready to shatter.

Edris was the first to react. He did not rush or shout. He tilted his head, scanning, muscles tight beneath his shirt.

Kael’s grin vanished. He leaned forward, fingers brushing the ground like he might spring at any second, eyes scanning the shadows.

Ronan’s jaw tightened. He shifted closer to me, calm but alert, his gaze cutting through the darkness like a blade.

The bond throbbed beneath my skin, alert, thrumming with their tension. My pulse spiked, mirroring theirs.

Edris voice finally break the silence, low and steady, but with a weight I could feel in my chest.

"Your pack warriors are here for you, princess," Edris said, voice low and steady.

No softness. Only warning. The kind of warning that made it clear he would handle whatever came, on his terms.