Lilly nodded, though Ruby's distress was still simmering beneath the surface. "I'll manage. You?"
Axel's jaw tensed slightly. "This complicates things. Allischa has always been this... persistent?"
"We'll need to be extra careful now," Kenny agreed, his eyes darting to where Amali was walking away with Luka. "They'll be watching us."
"I'll see you both after school," Lilly promised, the phantom sensation pulsing between them like a heartbeat. "Music room, remember? For the 'project'."
They nodded, reluctantly stepping away as more students moved around them. The separation was a physical ache now, the bond stretched thin between them as they headed to their respective classes.
"I'm not implying anything," she replied calmly. "I'm stating facts. The mark I saw is associated with only one thing, a triad bond blessed by the Goddess herself." Her eyes were fixed on Lilly. "And given Kenny's very public rejection of Amali, and the way both he and that Blackthorn boy watch you when they think no one's looking...it's not difficult to connect the dots."Lilly felt her heart racing, torn between denial and relief at having someone else who understood. "Emerald, please...""I haven't told Amali," Emerald interrupted, her expression softening slightly. "Or anyone else. But Lilly, a triad bond? At your age? That's... unprecedented.""It wasn't exactly planned," Lilly said quietly, making her decision. Emerald had already figured out too much to be misled by half-truths. "It started to happen the day Axel arrived. The next morning, our wolves started to wake up, making our bond snap into place. We're still trying to understand it ourselves."Luka sighed, recognising the
Amali's smile faltered, her eyes widening slightly at Kenny's direct rejection. The room seemed to still around them, conversations dimming as heads turned toward the unexpected confrontation."Someone else?" Amali repeated, her voice carrying just enough to draw more attention. "You never mentioned anyone specific before. Who is she?"Kenny maintained his composure, though the phantom sensation on his finger pulsed with warning. "That's private," he replied firmly. "All that matters is that my feelings are engaged elsewhere, and it wouldn't be fair to encourage your attention."Lilly kept her expression carefully neutral despite Ruby's surge of protective pride. Beside her, Axel shifted almost imperceptibly closer, a subtle show of support that only she would notice.Amali's eyes narrowed, flicking between Kenny and Lilly with sudden suspicion. "Is it someone here? Someone in this room?""Amali," Emerald interjected smoothly, linking arms with her sister. "This isn't the time or plac
"There's my beautiful daughter," Alpha Mick said warmly as Lilly approached with Luna. "Alpha Ryan, you remember Lilly?""Of course," the Blackthorn Alpha replied with a smile that reminded Lilly strongly of Axel. "Your reputation as a violinist has reached even our pack. My son speaks highly of your talent."Lilly felt a flush of pleasure at the compliment, carefully keeping her eyes from seeking out Axel in the crowd. "Thank you, Alpha Ryan. Your son Axel is too kind."As they entered the dining hall, Lilly was acutely aware of multiple gazes following her, Emerald's curious, Amali's calculating, and somewhere in the crowd, Kenny and Axel's protective. She kept her chin high, moving with the grace her mother had taught her toward her assigned seat.
The Moon Rose on her nightstand pulsed gently, its silver-gold light a comforting presence. Lilly reached out to touch one delicate petal, drawing strength from its warmth."How am I supposed to handle a month of this?" she whispered to the flower. "A month of watching Amali throw herself at Kenny while pretending it doesn't affect me?"The Rose offered no answer, but the phantom sensation on her finger warmed reassuringly. Somewhere in the pack house, Kenny and Axel had returned, their presence a balm to her wolf's distress even from a distance.A soft knock at her door preceded Emerald's entrance. Unlike her sisters, Emerald had always been the kindest of her cousins, though still prone to the family's tendency toward ambition."H
Luna Harmony watched all three with knowing eyes, observing how the music seemed to strengthen the invisible threads binding them together. This was more than just a convenient cover story; music would clearly play a vital role in the development of their bond.As the final notes faded, a silence filled the room, not awkward, but reverent, as if none of them wanted to break the spell that had been cast."That was..." Kenny began, his voice hushed."Incredible," Axel finished for him.Lilly lowered her violin, a slight blush colouring her cheeks. "It's still rough. I haven't figured out the middle section yet.""It's coming along beautifully," Luna Harmony assured her. "Is this the piece you're con
Lilly nodded, though Ruby's distress was still simmering beneath the surface. "I'll manage. You?"Axel's jaw tensed slightly. "This complicates things. Allischa has always been this... persistent?""We'll need to be extra careful now," Kenny agreed, his eyes darting to where Amali was walking away with Luka. "They'll be watching us.""I'll see you both after school," Lilly promised, the phantom sensation pulsing between them like a heartbeat. "Music room, remember? For the 'project'."They nodded, reluctantly stepping away as more students moved around them. The separation was a physical ache now, the bond stretched thin between them as they headed to their respective classes.