POV: Scarlett
I crashed through the trees, branches tearing at my hair as footsteps pounded behind me.
"She went this way!" a rough voice yelled. "Find her before she reaches the pack house!"
My lungs burned as I ran faster than I'd ever run in my life. The silver light inside me was getting stronger, making my skin glow like moonlight. I couldn't stop it anymore.
Twenty minutes ago, I'd been hiding in my room, trying to forget about the strange experience with Phoenix in the library. But then I'd heard voices in the hallway - voices planning to kill me tonight because I was "too dangerous to live."
So I'd run. Straight into the woods where I always went when I needed to be alone.
Big mistake.
Now killers from the Bloodfang Pack were hunting me, and my eighteenth birthday was turning into a nightmare. I stumbled over a falling log, scraping my hands on the rough bark, but I couldn't stop running.
The full moon hung overhead like a big eye, watching everything. I'd always loved the moon, but tonight it felt different. Tonight it felt like it was calling to me.
My wolf was going crazy inside my head, running and whining like she wanted something. She'd been restless all day, but now she was nearly screaming at me to let her out.
"Not now," I whispered, pressing my back against a big oak tree. "We can't shift now. They'll hear us."
But my wolf didn't care about killers or danger. She wanted to run free under the moon on our birthday. She wanted to finally become who we were meant to be.
Footsteps crashed through the trees nearby, and I held my breath. A man in dark clothes walked past my hidden spot, a silver knife gleaming in his hand. The knife was covered in something that smelled awful - wolfsbane poison that could kill a werewolf in minutes.
Fear shot through me like ice water. These weren't just killers. They were werewolf killers.
After the man passed, I crept deeper into the woods. My wolf was getting stronger, pushing against my human form like she was trying to break free from a cage. Silver light started leaking from my skin again, no matter how hard I tried to stop it.
Then I reached the clearing.
It was my secret place, where I came to think and dream about having a better life. A circle of ancient stones encircled a patch of soft grass, and moonlight poured down like liquid silver.
The moment I stepped into the circle, everything changed.
Power burst through my body like lightning. My wolf burst free without permission, shifting us so fast that my clothes disappeared in silver flames. But instead of my normal brown fur, my wolf was pure white with silver markings that glowed under the moon.
"What's happening to me?" I gasped, but my voice came out as a howl that echoed through the entire forest.
The stones around the clearing started glowing too, reacting to my power. Ancient symbols appeared on their surfaces, writing I couldn't read but somehow understood. They were welcoming me home.
Then the smells hit me.
Three different smells that made my wolf go totally wild with joy and desire. Pine trees and fresh rain - that was Dante. Leather and steel - that was Ryder. Ancient books and strange magic - that was Phoenix.
My mates. All three of them.
The knowledge slammed into me like a physical blow. I wasn't just any omega finding her mate on her eighteenth birthday. I was mated to the three Alpha princes of our pack. The most powerful, most important dogs in our entire world.
"No," I whispered, changing back to human form. "That's impossible."
But my wolf knew the truth. She could feel the mate ties forming, silver threads connecting my heart to theirs. The ties were so strong they made me dizzy with their intensity.
More smells reached me - unfamiliar wolves moving through the forest. The killers were getting closer, and now they'd heard my howl. They knew exactly where I was.
I had to get back to the pack house. I had to warn someone about the threat. But how could I explain what just happened? How could I tell anyone that a poor servant was mated to all three Alpha heirs?
They'd never believe me. Or worse, they'd think I was lying to gain power.
I started running again, but this time toward home instead of away from it. My body felt different now - stronger, faster, more graceful. The silver light under my skin was fading, but I could still feel enormous power sleeping inside me, ready to wake up.
Behind me, angry shouts filled the forest as the assassins realized their prey was fleeing. But I was faster now, leaping over logs and avoiding trees like I'd been doing it my whole life.
As the pack house came into view, I saw three figures standing on the front steps. Even from far away, I could tell it was the triplets. They were looking toward the forest with worried faces, like they'd heard my howl and knew something was wrong.
The mate bonds pulled at my heart, pushing me to run to them. But terror held me back. What if they dismissed me? What if they were disgusted that a servant girl was their intended mate?
I hid behind a tree at the edge of the open, watching them. Dante was pacing, his hands curled into fists. Ryder looked ready for battle, his whole body tense with protective anger. Phoenix was looking straight at my hiding spot with glowing silver eyes, like he could see me through the darkness.
"She's there," Phoenix said quietly, his words carrying on the night wind. "Our mate is right there."
My heart stopped. They knew. Somehow, they already knew about the ties.
Dante and Ryder turned toward my tree, and I saw the exact moment when my smell reached them. Their eyes went wide with shock and recognition. The mate links flared to life between us, visible as silver light connecting our hearts.
I took a step toward them, hope growing in my chest. Maybe this could work. Maybe they'd accept me despite everything.
Then a crossbow bolt whizzed past my ear and buried itself in the tree trunk.
"Target acquired," a cold voice said from the darkness behind me. "The Moon's Lost Daughter dies tonight."
I spun around to find five assassins surrounding me, their guns aimed at my heart. The leader smiled, showing teeth polished to sharp points.
"Did you really think you could escape your destiny, little omega?" he sneered. "The Bloodfang Pack has been hunting your family for generations. Tonight, we finish what we started."
Terror froze me in place as the truth crashed down. This wasn't chance. They weren't just trying to kill me because I was mated to the triplets.
They were trying to kill me because of what I was. Something I didn't even understand yet.
The killers raised their weapons, wolfsbane poison gleaming on every blade and arrow point. In seconds, I'd be dead, and the triplets would watch their mate die before they could even say hello.
That's when the silver light inside me burst outward like a bomb, and I heard Phoenix scream my name across the clearing.