Bound to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 42: Dark Revelations

ARIA POV

The cell door slammed shut, the metal bars groaning as Alpha Darius locked me in. I instantly lunged forward, grabbing the bars.

"You promised me five days!" I yelled, my voice echoing off the stone walls.

"I promised you wouldn’t be harmed," Darius corrected coldly. "I never said where you’d stay during that time."

The underground rooms beneath the Alpha’s house were rarely used. They smelled musty and damp. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling, making weird shadows.

"Where’s Mira?" I asked.

"Your friend is in a nearby cell," Darius said. "Behave, and you can see her tomorrow."

My stomach twisted with worry. Had he found the key I’d slipped into her pocket? I needed to know, but asking would only make him suspect.

"You won’t get away with this," I said, trying to sound strong despite my fear. "The triplets will—"

"The triplets will do nothing," Darius cut me off. "They believe you’re staying in the guest rooms. As long as they feel your bond is intact, they won’t question it."

I felt my heart sink. He was right. The link between us was still strong, but it couldn’t tell them where I was.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. "I’m your sister. Your brother’s daughter."

Something dark flashed across Darius’s face. He pulled up a chair and sat facing my cell.

"That’s exactly why," he said quietly. "Because you’re Marcus’s daughter."

"You hated your own brother that much?" I couldn’t understand it.

Darius laughed, but there was no fun in it. "Hate? No. I loved my brother. That’s what makes this all so sad."

I stayed silent, hoping he would keep talking. The more I knew, the better chance I had of fleeing.

"Marcus was the favorite," Darius continued, his voice bitter. "The smart one. Our father always said Marcus should have been born first. That he would have made a better Alpha."

"So you were jealous," I said.

"It was more than jealousy!" Darius snapped, suddenly angry. "Marcus found the truth about our family’s curse. He thought he could break it by mating with your mother—a direct descendant of the original Moon Alpha line."

My heart beat faster. This was new information.

"What happened?" I asked.

Darius’s eyes grew faraway. "The night you were created, something changed. The Moon Goddess herself came to Marcus in a dream. She told him the child would either break the curse forever or destroy our entire family."

"And you couldn’t risk that," I guessed.

"Marcus wanted to trust the prophecy," Darius said. "But I had three boys to protect. The future of our pack to consider."

"So you killed him?" My voice shook with anger.

"No," Darius said, startling me. "Your father died trying to protect your mother from me. It was a mistake. I only meant to take you away after you were born."

Tears stung my eyes. "But you killed my mother."

Darius didn’t deny it. " Elena wouldn’t give you up. She fought like a wild animal, even after giving birth. When I saw your birthmark—the crescent moon on your shoulder—I knew the promise was real."

"So you murdered her," I said flatly.

"I did what I had to do to protect my sons!" Darius shouted, standing up so fast his chair fell backward. "The Blackwood curse has destroyed every Alpha with multiple male offspring for ten generations. One brother always kills the others before taking power."

I gulped as understanding hit me. "You cursed your own sons to prevent them from killing each other."

Darius nodded slowly. "The curse ties their powers, keeping them in perfect balance. No one is better than the others. But it needs blood sacrifice—three drops from each son every full moon."

"That’s sick," I whispered.

"It’s necessary," he insisted. "Without the curse, they would have destroyed each other years ago. The Alpha power is too strong when split. It drives brothers to crazy."

"And my mother figured this out," I said.

"She found the old texts. Realized what I’d done." Darius paced in front of my cell. "Elena planned to use you to break the curse. She didn’t understand what would happen if she succeeded."

"Which is what?" I asked.

"The triplets would be freed, but their Alpha powers would roar out of control. Only one could survive." He stared at me hard. "Which of my boys would you choose to live, Aria? Kael? Lucien? Or perhaps Jaxon?"

My stomach twisted at the thought. "There has to be another way."

"There isn’t," Darius said definitely. "That’s why we need the Moon Chamber. The ritual there can permanently move the curse to you instead. You’ll bear the burden, and my kids will be free—but balanced, their powers forever contained."

"And I’ll die," I said, suddenly understanding.

Darius looked away. "Eventually. The curse wasn’t meant for a female body. But you might live years, decades even."

"As what? A prisoner?" I asked, disgusted.

"As Luna," he said, shocking me. "You would rule beside whichever son you choose, for as long as you survive."

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. "You expect me to agree to this?"

"I expect you to want to save the men you love," Darius said simply. "Isn’t that worth any sacrifice?"

Before I could answer, the light bulb above flickered. The temperature in the room dropped quickly. Darius looked around, confused.

"What’s happening?" he asked.

I felt it then—a surge of power through my bond with the triplets. Somewhere, they were working together, directing their energy toward me.

"They know," I muttered, feeling hope rise in my chest. "They know I’m here."

Darius ran to the cell door, grabbing the bars. "That’s impossible! The bonds are separate—they can’t unite their powers!"

But I could feel it happening—three different energies flowing into me, becoming one. The freckle on my shoulder began to glow through my shirt.

"The Moon Alpha rises," I said, the words coming from somewhere deep inside me. "The three bonds become one."

Fear flashed across Darius’s face. "No! It’s too soon!" He turned and ran for the door.

"Wait!" I called after him. "What happens if all three bonds activate at once?"

He stopped at the doorway, his face pale. "The fourth lock breaks," he whispered. "And she returns."

"Who returns?" I asked, but he was already gone, slamming the heavy door behind him.

I stood alone in my cell, the mysterious power still flowing through me. My birthmark burned against my skin, and somewhere in my mind, I heard a woman’s voice—familiar yet strange.

"Hold on, daughter," it whispered. "I’m coming."

My mother’s voice. But that was impossible.

Unless death wasn’t as permanent as I thought.