Bound to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 70: Breaking Bonds

ARIA POV

"DUCK!" I screamed, throwing myself across the broken stone floor as another blast of dark magic shattered what remained of the ceiling. The imposter wearing Lucien’s face lunged at Jaxon, who barely rolled away in time.

I had minutes—maybe seconds—to save us all. The ghostly doors floating in the air glowed with each howl of the First Wolf.

"We need to find the real Lucien—NOW!" I shouted to Kael, who was already on his feet, eyes blazing with anger.

"How?" he demanded, dodging another blow from the impostor. "The caverns are massive, and dawn is coming!"

I closed my eyes, focusing on the incomplete tie that tingled inside me. Two links felt strong—Kael and Jaxon—but the third was a cold, slithering thing. And far away, nearly impossible to feel, was a warm, faint spark. The real Lucien.

"I can track him," I said, grabbing Kael’s hand. "But we need to stop the impostor first."

The fake Lucien laughed, his voice nothing like the warm tones I’d fallen for. "You’ll never find him in time, little Luna. When the First Wolf comes through those doors, I’ll make sure you’re the right vessel for our master."

Elder Thea crawled toward me through the rubble, her face streaked with blood. "The ritual formed a bond, even with the impostor. If you can break it..."

"How?" I asked.

"Blood given must be blood returned," she whispered.

I understood immediately. I needed to recover my blood from the ritual. I looked at the silver knife still clutched in my hand.

"Hold him down," I told Kael and Jaxon, who nodded grimly.

They moved like lightning, tackling the imposter to the ground. He fought wildly, his strength strange as Elder Malin’s magic flowed through him.

I didn’t pause. I jumped forward and drove the dagger into his hand, right where the ritual cut had been made.

"Blood given, blood returned," I said firmly.

The imposter howled—a sound no human throat should make. Black smoke poured from the wound, and I felt the cold, slimy bond begin to break.

"Now run!" I shouted, turning toward the pack house exit. "We need to find Lucien before dawn!"

Kael grabbed my arm. "The Broken Moon caverns are hours away on foot."

"Not if we shift," Jaxon said, already pulling off his shirt. "Wolf form is faster."

Another shadowy door appeared, bringing the total to eight. The First Wolf’s howl shook the entire building.

"Go!" Elder Thea pushed. "We’ll hold the impostor here."

I didn’t need to be told twice. I ran outside with Kael and Jaxon, and we shifted into our wolf forms. My white wolf was faster than ever before, driven by desperation and the partial bond with the two brothers.

We ran through the forest, cutting through streams and leaping over fallen trees. The bond pulled me forward like a compass, the faint spark of Lucien getting stronger with each mile.

"How are we going to complete the ritual without Elder Thea?" Jaxon asked in my mind, his wolf keeping pace beside me.

"We’ll figure it out," I replied, forcing myself to run faster. "We have to."

The sky began to lighten as we reached the edge of Broken Moon land. The red moon still hung in the sky, but not for much longer.

I skidded to a stop at the mouth of the main cavern. "He’s down there."

We shifted back to human form and dove into the darkness. The caverns were a maze of tunnels and dead ends, but I followed the bond, making turns without pause.

"There!" Kael shouted, pointing to a small room ahead.

Lucien lay on the cold stone floor, chained with metal cuffs that burned his skin. His eyes fluttered open as we burst into the room.

"Aria?" he whispered, voice weak from what must have been weeks of pain. "You found me."

"Always," I said, kneeling beside him as Jaxon and Kael broke the chains. "We need to get you out of here. The rite went wrong—we need to fix it before dawn."

Lucien’s eyes widened. "The doors—are they open?"

"Almost," I answered, helping him to his feet. "Eight doors have appeared so far."

"Nine doors must open before the First Wolf can come through," he said quickly. "We have little time."

We rushed back through the caverns, supporting Lucien between us. Outside, the sky had turned a sickly purple. The red moon was fading.

"We’ll never make it back to the pack house in time," Kael said grimly.

"We don’t need to," Lucien said. "The ritual can be completed anywhere, as long as the three true mates are present."

I looked at him in confusion. "Three? But I only have one true mate, don’t I?"

Lucien shook his head. "The Alpha Trinity is different. The First Wolf never meant for one Alpha to rule alone. Three brothers, three parts of leadership—mind, body, and spirit. One Luna to bind them together."

"But that’s not our pack’s way," Jaxon protested.

"Because the knowledge was lost," Lucien answered. "When the First Wolf was betrayed and banished beyond the nine doors."

I stared at the three brothers, feeling the pull of the bond to each of them. "I’m meant to be mated to all three of you?"

"It’s your choice," Lucien said. "But it’s the only way to save the pack now."

The bond inside me hummed with potential. It felt right in a way I couldn’t explain.

"What do we need to do?" I asked.

"Join hands," Lucien commanded. "Complete the circle that was broken."

We formed a circle, holding hands tightly. The blood moon cast a final red glow over us as Lucien began to say the ritual words.

"Blood of three, joined as one. Spirit, mind, and strength united. First Wolf, hear our call!"

The bond flared to life inside me, linking to each brother. Not just one bond, but three different ones, flowing together like rivers joining into a powerful current.

The ground beneath us began to shake. A ninth ghostly door emerged directly above us, larger than the others.

"It’s happening," Kael whispered, his eyes wide with fear.

A massive silver wolf stepped through the door, its hair shimmering like moonlight. The First Wolf.

It looked straight at me, its eyes ancient and knowing.

"The vessel," it spoke inside my mind. "Will you accept your destiny?"

"I will," I answered without hesitation. "But on my terms."

The wolf tilted its head. "What terms, little Luna?"

"No more wars. No more curses. The pack will be united—all ranks equal in worth if not in role. And these three will rule together, with me as their balance."

The First Wolf’s mouth curled in what almost looked like a smile. "Bold terms from such a young craft. Perhaps that is why you were picked."

It stepped forward, pressing its muzzle against my face. Power unlike anything I’d ever felt flooded through me.

"So it shall be," the First Wolf stated. "The Alpha Trinity is restored. The Luna shall be the bridge between worlds."

Suddenly, the power turned burning hot. I screamed as something tore inside me.

"Aria!" The triplets shouted in unison, reaching for me.

But I was being pulled away—up toward the ninth door.

"What’s happening?" I gasped.

The First Wolf’s voice echoed around us. "The price of power is sacrifice. The vessel must choose."

"Choose what?" I cried.

"Which world you will walk in. Theirs—or mine."

The door began to close, pulling me with it.

Lucien, Kael, and Jaxon lunged for me, grabbing my arms, but the pull was too strong.

"Don’t let go!" I begged, feeling my fingers slipping from theirs.

The First Wolf watched impassively. "Choose, Luna. Time runs out."

As the door closed further, I made my choice—though whether it was the right one, I wouldn’t know until it was far too late to change my mind.