"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.

The vampire council room exploded into chaos as my emergency messenger burst through the doors.


"My Queen!" Marcus gasped, his clothes torn and bloody. "The Shadow Lords have attacked the neutral zones! They're killing everyone - vampires, witches, fae, even the humans under our protection!"


I shot to my feet, my teeth extending automatically. Around the circular table, the other vampire lords began screaming all at once.


"Impossible!" Lord Viktor slammed his hand down. "We have deals! Agreements!"


"The Shadow Lords don't care about our treaties," I said coldly. "Marcus, how bad is it?"


"Seven covens destroyed in one night," he reported. "Three fae courts burned to the ground. The Seattle vampire clan... they're all gone, my Queen. Every last one."


Silence fell over the room like a heavy blanket. The Seattle clan had been over two hundred strong. Ancient vampires who had weathered wars, plagues, and centuries of human persecution.


Chapter 161 - Chapter 162: The New Alliance