Rhea

The music swelled, violins threading through the air like smoke, low drums beating in rhythm with my pulse.

“Dance with us,” Jaxon had said. It wasn’t a request. And now four sets of hands were reaching, four bodies circling, their presence a storm pressing closer with every second.

The crowd held its breath.

Callum’s hand was the first to catch mine, steady, unyielding, the storm in his eyes unreadable. He pulled me into the circle of their bodies as if I weighed nothing, my heels scraping marble until my dress whispered against his polished shoes.

Then Rory slid in at my other side, his golden grin softening the edge, though his grip at my waist was firm, claiming. “Relax, Princess. You’ll like this part.”

Seth moved behind me, jacket discarded, sleeves rolled high. His fingers brushed the bare skin at the back of my neck, slow and deliberate, sending sparks down my spine. “Snowflake,” he murmured, low enough that no one else could hear. “You’re melting.”

And Jaxon—Blaze—he was last, stepping in so close the slit of my dress caught against his trousers again. His hand slid down my hip, possessive, velvet-dagger smooth. “Sunshine,” he whispered, his breath a sear against my ear. “You’re glowing.”

The four of them boxed me in, their dominance pulling tight around me like a cage, but the cage was alive, heat and fire pressing against every inch of me.

The crowd erupted in murmurs. Some gasps. Some jealous growls. The sound blurred as Callum spun me into motion, his grip so firm I had no choice but to follow. He led without hesitation, his other hand braced at my lower back, steadying every step.

“Focus,” he said, voice even but his jaw tight. “You’re safe here.”

Safe. My chest constricted. Did I believe that?

Before I could answer, he passed me into Rory’s waiting arms. My Prince grinned, pulling me in close, twirling me effortlessly across the runed marble. His  hair caught in the chandeliers as he leaned down, murmuring, “You look like a story tonight, Princess. One everyone’s too afraid to read.”

My cheeks burned, but before I could reply, he spun me again—straight into Seth.

Chaos. Pure, unfiltered chaos. His hand at my hip slid lower than it should’ve, his smirk sharp and dangerous. “Don’t look so tense, Snowflake. I can feel the ice cracking.”

I gasped as he tugged me flush against him, his breath ghosting my ear. “We’ll break through, one way or another.”

My heart hammered, tether tugging tight, and then Jaxon ripped me from him, spinning me into his chest.

Blaze. Wild fire. His green eyes locked on mine, and for a terrifying, electrifying second, the world narrowed to only him. His hand traced down my spine, slow enough I shivered, deliberate enough I knew he felt it.

“You were made for this,” he murmured, dark promise wrapping around me. “For us.”

The music rose, strings sharp, drums pounding like a heartbeat, and they moved me between them seamlessly, each step more possessive than the last. The crowd whispered louder, some scandalized, some envious, but none of it mattered.

All I felt was the bond.

Sparks under my skin. Pressure in my chest. A constant tug that tightened with every hand, every word, every look.

It terrified me.

As the song built to its peak, all four pulled me in at once. Callum at my back, steady and storm-strong. Jaxon at my front, fire burning. Seth at my side, chaotic grin pressed too close. Rory at my other side, warmth and charm, golden eyes soft.

The runes flared blinding silver, sparking under our feet, and gasps rippled through the crowd.

Bond resonance. Again.

My breath caught as heat surged through my veins, tether snapping taut until it felt like lightning cracked inside me. The power of four mates, four alphas, pressed into one circle—and the world felt it.

Someone whispered something again. This time it didn’t sound cruel. It sounded awed.

The music crashed to its final note.

And I was left in the arms of four wolves who could break me—or save me.

The crowd roared, whispers turning to shouts, but I barely heard them. My chest heaved, my skin burned, and my heart…

My heart was starting to believe.

Even if my head wasn’t ready.

The music cut, but the tension didn’t.

I was still in their circle, my chest pressed between Jaxon’s fire and Callum’s storm, Rory’s warmth brushing one arm, Seth’s chaos buzzing at the other. The runes under the marble hadn’t gone completely dark—they still pulsed faint silver, as if the bond itself refused to settle.

The silence broke all at once. Whispers swelled into a roar.

“Moon Goddess, did you see—”

“They lit the wards—again!”

“She won’t survive them.”

“No… she might actually—”

Laughter, envy, disbelief. I caught one she-wolf’s voice sharp as glass: “That’s supposed to be me.”

My throat tightened. This was why I hated being on display. Every whisper felt like a blade in my ribs.

Jaxon’s hand flexed against my waist, pulling me tighter into him, his eyes slashing across the crowd with a promise of violence. Callum’s storm-grey gaze swept the room, cold, calculating, daring anyone to speak louder. Rory angled his body so he blocked me from most of the stares, his golden grin flashing even though his jaw was tight. Seth just leaned down, voice a low rumble at my ear.

“They’re scared, Snowflake. Let them choke on it.”

I should’ve rolled my eyes. Instead, a tremor ran through me.

“Smile,” Rory whispered,  hair falling into his face as he tilted toward me. “Princesses don’t let the court see them bleed.”

My lips twitched, but I couldn’t hold it. My chest felt too heavy, the bond too sharp.

Then the press of bodies shifted. Guests surged closer, wolves hungry to watch, to touch, to sniff. Someone shouted my name—my name—like they had a right to use it.

Callum snapped. His voice cracked across the ballroom like thunder. “Enough.”

The runes flared brighter, silver sparks crawling the walls. The crowd froze, the weight of his dominance crushing the air itself. Even my wolf whimpered, dropping to her belly inside me.

Jaxon caught my chin, forcing me to look at him. “We’re leaving, Sunshine.”

“I—” My protest caught in my throat. I didn’t even know what I’d meant to say.

Seth chuckled darkly. “Yeah, that wasn’t a question.”

They moved as one. Callum cleared the path, a wall of storm and authority. Jaxon stayed tight at my side, his grip unrelenting, daring anyone to try and peel me away. Rory walked half a step behind, his grin back in place but his eyes sharp, catching every stare, every twitch. Seth brought up the rear, hands shoved in his pockets like he was casual—but his dominance rolled hot and sharp, a warning that he’d tear out throats for fun if someone pushed too close.

The crowd parted. No one dared block us.

But the whispers followed, sticky and cruel.

“She’s weak.”

“She’ll ruin them.”

“Bond like that? It’ll break her.”

I stumbled once, and Jaxon steadied me instantly, his hand sliding under my arm, pressing hard. “Breathe, Sunshine. Just us. Block the rest out.”

I tried. Goddess, I tried. But the words seeped in anyway.

We didn’t stop until we were outside, the ballroom doors slamming shut behind us. The night air slapped cool against my overheated skin. The wards at the packhouse perimeter hummed low, faint silver veins glowing across the trees.

For a long moment, none of us spoke.

My heart still thundered, my chest tight. “They hate me.”

“No,” Callum said instantly, his tone iron. “They envy you.”

“They’d rip me apart if they could.”

“And we’d tear the world down first,” Jaxon growled, his hand curling possessively at my hip.

Seth leaned against the stone railing, smirk tugging but his voice softer than usual. “Snowflake, you’ve seen it, yeah? They already treat you like you’re untouchable. Because you are.”

“That doesn’t mean I can handle it.” My voice cracked. I didn’t mean for it to, but it did.

Rory’s grin faded. He stepped close, brushing a knuckle gently down my arm. “You don’t have to handle it alone, Princess. That’s the point.”

The bond tugged hard at my chest, four pulls at once, so strong my knees wobbled. I pressed a hand there, like I could hold myself together by force. “It’s too much.”

“It’s us,” Callum said. Simple. Unyielding. “And we’re not going anywhere.”

I closed my eyes. Their wolves pressed at the edges of my mind—Ace, Blaze, Scar, Lex. Storm, fire, chaos, charm. Too much. Too many. And yet—my wolf stretched toward them, trembling, desperate.

“I told you I’d try,” I whispered. “I am. But you have to meet me there. You have to trust me. Or this bond will eat me alive.”

Silence. The kind that weighed.

Then Jaxon leaned in, his voice low, velvet and flame. “We’ll learn with you, Sunshine. Even if it kills us.”

Seth’s grin sharpened. “Especially if it kills us.”

Rory pressed a kiss to the crown of my head, quick but warm. “We’re not asking for perfect. Just a chance.”

Callum’s storm-grey eyes locked mine, steady. “We’ll wait. Until your shift. Until you’re ready. But don’t doubt this, little Luna. You were never replaceable.”

My throat tightened. Tears burned hot behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not now.

Instead, I drew a shaky breath. “Then… prove it. Tonight you showed them I’m yours. Now show me I’m more than that.”

Their silence wasn’t heavy this time. It was… promise.

And for the first time, the bond didn’t feel like chains.

It felt like a door cracking open.