"Aria," he said softly. "Today is your birthday."
It wasn't a question, but I nodded nevertheless.
"The moon is full tonight," he added, his voice quiet. "You will attend the ceremony."
"Of course, Elder," I replied, puzzled. All eighteen-year-olds attended the ceremony. It was essential.
He leaned in, smelling gently. "You already feel it, don't you? "The change."
My heartbeat skipped. "What change?"
Elder Malin's eyes narrowed. "Interesting. "Very interesting." He reached inside his pocket and retrieved a little pouch. "Wear this tonight."
I accepted it hesitantly. Inside was a simple moonstone pendant with a leather cord.
"But this is for—"
"Wear it," he interjected. "Hide it under your clothes if you must, but wear it."
Moonstones were precious. They aided our connection to the Moon Goddess during ceremonies. However, they were only given to wolves from influential families (Alphas and Betas). Not Omegas like me.
"Why?" I questioned.
Elder Malin glanced at Mira before returning his attention to me. "Because someone is harboring secrets about you, child. And tonight, those secrets may be revealed."

~

I never mattered in our pack. Omegas like me serve, submit, and survive. We don't dream of love. We don't dream of power.

She was the future Luna. I was just the girl who watched from the shadows.

But everything changed on my 18th birthday.

I felt the bond. I met my mate.

One of the Alpha's sons.

But the Alpha has triplets, and I felt the mate bond with all three and it seems the three of them felt it too — three perfect warriors, three powerful Alphas, three secrets buried beneath the surface.

One of them is my destiny.

One of them is lying.

And one of them might be the death of me.

The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes... but this time, I think she might've given me too much to handle.

A little girl had wandered into the exercise yard. She was standing right in the line of the spreading fire, frozen with fear. Without thinking, I ran toward her, but the dragon inside me roared to life.


Let it burn, a voice whispered in my head. Fire is beautiful. Fire is power.


"Shut up!" I yelled at the voice, but my body temperature spiked. The air around me shimmered with heat.


I reached the girl just as the flames were about to touch her. I scooped her up and rolled away, but I could feel my skin burning hot. Too hot.


The girl screamed again. Not from the fire—from me. I was burning her.


I dropped her quickly and backed away, watching helplessly as she ran screaming to her mother. The woman took one look at me and pulled her daughter behind her.


"Stay away from us!" she yelled. "Monster!"


The word hit me like a punch to the gut. Monster. That's what I was becoming.


I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. The dragon voice in my head laughed.


Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: Jaxon and the Dragon