Two

Fear, sharp and cold, tightened around my lungs, making it hard to breathe.

Every warning my grandmother had ever given me was coming true right before my eyes. And despite the overwhelming pull of the bond dragging me towards three different directions at once, one thing was painfully clear: if I wanted to survive, I had to deny the bond.

I stumbled backward and crashed into the head maid.

“Lira, you clumsy girl, what are you doing?” she hissed, her claws digging into my arm. “You’re embarrassing yourself in front of the guests!”

“Let her go,” one of the triplets said coldly. The one with longer hair.

The head maid instantly released me and stepped back.

“Apologies, my Lord. I’m the head maid, and this omega causes plenty of trouble. I’ll take care of her from here.”

“Omega?” the three alphas said at the same time.

My stomach twisted.

Pretending to be an omega had always kept me safe. But under their piercing gazes, it felt like a death sentence. No sane alpha would ever claim an omega, especially not three powerful alphas like these.

Yet something deep inside told me they weren’t going to let me go.

The way they glared at each other and dismissed the head maid wasn’t just dominance. It was possessiveness. Fierce, dangerous possession.

“I… please excuse me, my Lord,” I whispered, my voice trembling as I backed away and turned to flee.

With every step, my chest burned hotter. The mark hidden beneath my dress throbbed so sharply my hands trembled.

I pushed through the kitchen doors and leaned against the counter, struggling to breathe.

Stay silent. That’s the only way to survive. My grandmother’s words echoed in my mind like a prayer.

The mark pulsed again, tugging me toward them. My wolf whimpered inside me, desperate to go to my mates. I forced myself to stay still, swallowing down the clawing need to run back to them.

The door swung open, and Lady Astoria swept in, her gown clinging tightly to her curves. She smiled at me, though her attention was clearly fixed on the main hall.

Lady Astoria was Alpha Garrick’s child’s mother. Elegant and seductive. Tonight, she dressed to draw every eye in the room.

She wasn’t as cruel to me as the other nobles, maybe because she had once been a gamma servant before the alpha got her pregnant and elevated her status.

“Those triplet alphas look delicious, don't you think?” she purred. “I bet Alpha Jax would enjoy some company tonight.”

I stayed silent. I always did when she spoke like this.

A second voice cut through the air. Lady Selena, Alpha Garrick’s sister, entered the room. Like Astoria, Lady Selena was beautiful with blond hair, pale blue eyes, and jewels that screamed of wealth. But unlike Astoria, Selena was vicious to servants.

She moved toward the window for a better view of the hall. “A little wine, a silk robe, and Alpha Kain's brooding face will soften. Tonight, I'll make him mine.”

Their voices faded to background noise. I focused on washing glasses, pretending their words didn’t affect me. But inside, unease coiled tighter, knowing each of them wanted my mates.

I’d never seriously considered running before. But now, escape seemed like the only smart choice.

Except there was no escape.

Outside this pack, my mark would get me killed faster than hunger ever could.

Minutes after Astoria and Selena left, I was rinsing a mug when a shadow fell over me.

My wolf whimpered. I froze.

Alpha Jax stood in front of me, his fine leather coat gleaming under the light.

“You,” he said, his voice low and rough. “What’s your name?”

My heart slammed in my chest. I kept my eyes on the pitcher.

“Lira, my Lord,” I said, bowing my head as I’d been taught.

He leaned closer, his scent thick in the air.

“Lira,” he repeated slowly, tasting my name like it was something precious. “You felt it, didn’t you? That spark between us.”

My fingers tightened on the pitcher, though my hands trembled. 

“I didn’t feel anything, my Lord.”

The lie was fragile, ready to shatter.

Alpha Jax’s laugh was dark and cutting.

“Don’t lie to me, sweetheart. You’re hiding something, and I'll find out what.”

He stepped closer, his boot brushing the hem of my skirt.

“You’re mine. And I don’t share.”

Before I could back away, another presence filled the room.

 Alpha Kain. 

His storm-gray eyes burned as they looked on Alpha Jax. His silk-lined cloak draped over his broad shoulders, a clear sign of his wealth and rank.

“Back off, Jax,” Kain snapped, his claws half-shifting. “You’re making a fool of yourself over a servant.”

Alpha Jax’s grin sharpened into something feral. “I don’t care what she is. She’s mine.”

His words sent a violent shiver through me.

“She can't feel my bond,” he growled, the confession tearing from him like a wound.

Alpha Kain’s gaze whipped toward me, shock flashing across his face.

“Can you feel mine?”

I shook my head quickly, lying again.

Pain flashed in his eyes before they turned cold and hard.

“What are you, girl? Speak.”

My throat went dry. I lowered my head, the perfect image of a submissive omega.

“Nothing, my Lord,” I whispered. “Just a servant.”

The mark beneath my dress screamed in protest.

A third voice slid in, deep and calm. Alpha Riven.

He stood behind them, his gray eyes like steel.

“I felt her first,” he said. “She’s mine.”

Alpha Jax spun on him, snarling. “She’s mine! You and Kain can choke on it.”

Alpha Kain's growl deepened, claws bursting fully, catching the light. 

“You’re both insane. I don’t share. Not with you, not with anyone. Especially not for some… omega.”

Though I wasn’t truly an omega, the words cut deep.

But even as Kain spat his denial, his gaze told a different story.

Their wild, clashing scents filled the room, so thick it felt like the air itself might split apart. 

This was wrong. If they figured out what I really was, they wouldn’t just kill each other, they’d kill me too.

Servants began to gather in the doorway, whispering nervously, their eyes darting between the three alphas.

Lady Selena appeared again, shock flickering over her face before she masked it with a sweet, fake smile. Her voice dripped with false concern as she tried to pull their attention away from me.

“My Lords, surely you're not fighting over this servant. Let me fetch you proper company.” 

She leaned forward, showing off her cleavage, but Alpha Kain didn’t even glance at her.

Alpha Jax ignored her completely. His eyes stayed locked on me.

“You can’t hide forever,” Alpha Riven murmured, only for me to hear. “I’ll figure you out.”

Alpha Jax's voice was calm. “She’s not yours to figure out.”

Alpha Kain’s hand twitched like he wanted to grab me, but he held himself back. Instead, he snapped at his brothers.

“Enough. No omega is worth this.”

But deep down, we all knew this wasn’t about an omega at all.

It was about the bond. 

And the curse that could destroy us all.