Chapter 5 - Blood and Betrayal

Aveline's P.O.V

The sound of war howls pierced through my tower window like knives through silk.

I pressed my face against the cold iron bars, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might crack my ribs. Below, in the courtyard and beyond the fortress walls, chaos erupted. Wolves, dozens of them, poured through the broken gates like a dark flood. Their fur ranged from midnight black to russet brown, their eyes glowing with bloodlust in the darkness.

"No, no, no," I whispered, gripping the bars until my knuckles turned white.

This was because of me. They were here for me.

A massive gray wolf, larger than any I'd ever seen, stood at the front of the invading force. Even from this distance, I could feel the Alpha power radiating from him like heat from a furnace. He threw his head back and released a howl that made my bones vibrate.

"BRING ME THE CURSED LUNA!" His voice, somehow human despite the wolf form, boomed across the battlefield. "Surrender her, and your pack lives!"

My stomach twisted into knots. Alpha Kieran. It had to be.

The Blackthorne triplets emerged from the fortress entrance below me, and I gasped. They moved in perfect synchronization, three predators united by blood and purpose. Damon led in the center, his black fur gleaming like oil. Dominic flanked his right, slightly smaller but faster. Darius took the left, the largest and most brutal-looking of the three.

"You dare attack Blackthorne territory?" Damon's Alpha command rippled through the air, so powerful that even I, locked away in my tower, felt the urge to submit. "You dare demand what is OURS?"

Kieran snarled, saliva dripping from his massive jaws. "She doesn't belong to you! The cursed Luna's power belongs to the strongest pack. Your pathetic bond means nothing!"

Then the battle began.

It was beautiful and terrible all at once. Wolves clashed in a symphony of snarls, screams, and tearing flesh. Blood sprayed across the courtyard stones, painting them crimson. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. My eyes stayed glued to the triplets as they carved through their enemies like death incarnate.

Damon's fighting style was precise and calculated, every bite, every slash had purpose. He went for throats and spines, killing efficiently without wasted movement.

Dominic danced through the chaos like a deadly shadow, too fast to follow, appearing behind enemies and ripping them apart before they knew he was there.

But Darius... Darius was pure violence. He didn't just kill, he destroyed. He tore wolves limb from limb, his jaws crushing bones like twigs. Blood matted his dark fur, and he seemed to grow stronger with each kill.

"She's mine!" Kieran roared, breaking through the Blackthorne defenses and charging toward the tower. Toward me. My breath caught in my throat. His golden eyes locked onto mine through the window, and I stumbled backward, hitting the wall behind me.

The Moonstone pendant around my neck suddenly flared hot against my skin. The symbols on my body, still faintly glowing from the awakening, began to pulse in rhythm with my racing heart. But Kieran never reached me.

A blur of silver-white fur intercepted him mid-leap, slamming into his side with devastating force. The two massive wolves tumbled across the courtyard, claws and fangs flashing in the moonlight.

I squinted, trying to see who had saved me from Kieran's assault. The silver-white wolf was smaller than Kieran but fought with breathtaking skill. She moved like water, fluid, graceful, impossible to pin down. Her technique was flawless, each strike perfectly timed and placed.

Within minutes, she had Kieran on his back, her jaws locked around his throat in a submission hold.

"Retreat!" one of Kieran's wolves howled. "Alpha is down! Retreat!"

The invading force scattered like leaves in the wind, disappearing back into the forest. Kieran himself managed to break free from the she-wolf's grip and limped away, his tail between his legs, humiliation rolling off him in waves.

Silence fell over the courtyard, heavy, thick silence broken only by the groans of wounded wolves and the drip of blood on stone.

The silver-white wolf shifted, and my heart sank. She was beautiful. Devastatingly, impossibly beautiful. Long platinum blonde hair cascaded down her back, catching the moonlight like spun silver. Her body was all curves and lean muscle, her skin flawless porcelain. She stood naked and unashamed among the carnage, confidence radiating from every pore.

But it was her eyes that made my blood run cold, ice blue and filled with such pure, concentrated hatred that I actually took a step back from the window. Those eyes were fixed on me.

The triplets shifted back to human form, their muscular bodies splattered with blood and battle wounds already healing. Damon's dark hair was wild, his gray eyes still carrying that Alpha glow. Dominic's charming smile was back despite the blood dripping from a cut on his cheekbone. Darius looked like a demon fresh from hell, covered head to toe in crimson.

"Sophia," Damon said, his voice warm with genuine affection. "You arrived just in time."

Sophia. The name hit me like a physical blow. I'd heard the servants whispering about her, the beautiful she-wolf who'd grown up with the triplets, trained with them, fought beside them. Their childhood friend. Some said she was supposed to be their mate before I appeared.

"I heard your claim howl from three territories away," Sophia replied, her voice like honey and poison mixed together. She still hadn't looked away from me. "I came as quickly as I could."

Dominic stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace, seemingly unbothered by his nakedness or hers. "It's good to see you, Sophie. We've missed having you around."

Something twisted in my chest—something hot and sharp and unwanted. Jealousy? No. I didn't want these men. I didn't want to be here. So why did seeing her in Dominic's arms make me want to scream?

Darius clasped her shoulder roughly, his version of affection. "You fight better than half our warriors. That takedown of Kieran was brutal."

"He was sloppy," Sophia said dismissively. Then, finally, she turned her full attention to the triplets. "So it's true. You've bonded with... her."

The way she said "her" made it sound like a curse word.

"The bond is real," Damon confirmed, his Alpha authority clear in his tone. "Aveline is our mate."

"Aveline." Sophia tested my name on her tongue like she was tasting something rotten. "The weakling who can't shift. The cursed Luna who will bring destruction to your pack." She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Perfect choice, brothers."

"Watch your tongue," Darius growled, but there was no real heat in it. They were too comfortable with her, too familiar.

Servants rushed out with robes, and the four of them covered themselves before heading back into the fortress. I sank down against the wall, my legs unable to hold me anymore. My whole body was shaking, from fear, from adrenaline, from the confusing storm of emotions I couldn't name.

More wolves had come for me. More would follow. Kieran had retreated, but I'd seen the determination in his eyes. He would return. Others like him would come. The cursed Luna was a prize worth fighting for, worth dying for.

And I was trapped here, helpless, unable to shift, unable to defend myself, unable to escape.

The sound of footsteps on the tower stairs made me freeze. Multiple sets of footsteps. The door burst open, and all three brothers entered, still splattered with blood despite the robes. Sophia stood behind them, her ice-blue eyes boring into me with undisguised malice.

Damon stepped forward, his expression grim. "The attack tonight proves what we already knew. Every pack within a hundred miles will come for you now. You're too valuable. Too dangerous."

"I didn't ask for this," I whispered, hating how small my voice sounded. "I didn't ask for any of this."

"Doesn't matter what you asked for," Darius said flatly. "This is reality. And reality means we can't trust that your magic won't be used against us, willingly or not."

My eyes widened as understanding dawned. "No. Please, don't.."

Dominic pulled out silver chains from inside his robe. They gleamed in the candlelight, already making my skin crawl even from a distance. "It's for everyone's protection, little wolf. Including yours."

"Silver burns me," I pleaded, backing against the wall. "You know what it does to wolves. Please, I'll do anything, I'll.."

"This isn't negotiable," Damon cut me off. His voice was cold, final. "You will wear the silver chains. Your magic will be suppressed. You will stay in this tower under constant supervision."

"But who will supervise her?" Sophia's voice was sweet as poisoned honey. She stepped forward, her beautiful face arranged in an expression of concern that didn't reach her hate-filled eyes. "Your pack is large, and you three have territories to manage. You need someone you can trust absolutely. Someone loyal."

Damon turned to her, considering. "What are you suggesting?"

"Let me be her keeper." Sophia smiled, and it was the smile of a predator who'd just cornered her prey. "I'll make sure she stays secure, make sure she doesn't cause any trouble. I'll watch her day and night." She paused, her eyes flicking to me with undisguised triumph. "After all, we're practically family, aren't we, brothers?"

My blood turned to ice. Every instinct I had was screaming danger, but I couldn't find my voice to protest.

Darius grinned, all teeth. "That's actually not a bad idea. You're one of our best warriors, and we trust you completely."

"It would free us up to handle pack business," Dominic added thoughtfully. "And Sophie knows how to handle difficult situations."

No. No, no, no.

Damon studied Sophia for a long moment, then looked at me. His gray eyes were unreadable, but I saw no mercy there. No compassion. Only cold, practical calculation.

"Agreed," he said finally. "Sophia, you are now responsible for Aveline. Keep her secure. Keep her alive. Keep her... compliant."

Sophia's smile widened, and for just a moment, her eyes flashed with something so dark and vicious that my entire body went numb with fear.

"It will be my absolute pleasure," she purred..