The Three Bleeds

POV: ARIA FROST

Four seconds.

That was all it took for twenty-two years of my life to completely shatter. Four tiny seconds after Nolan rejected me, the heavy seal sitting inside my chest didn't just crack.

It snapped.

It felt like a thick glass wall exploding into a million sharp pieces right inside my ribs. The bitter herbal drink I had forced down every single morning was suddenly useless, burned away by the heat rising from my stomach.

The first thing to break free was my wolf.

She didn't just wake up. She raged. She had been trapped in the dark for over two decades, hidden away so I could pretend to be a useless Omega for Nolan, and now she wanted blood. A terrifying heat rushed down my back, and before I could even try to stop it, my spine popped loudly.

The pain was sharp, but the power behind it was almost unbearable. My nails lengthened within seconds, turning into thick black claws that ripped through my gloves. Nolan stepped backward, his eyes widening in shock, but before he could say another word, a fierce roar tore out of my throat.

It wasn't the weak whine of an Omega. It was the deafening roar of a true Alpha, loud enough to vibrate the stone floor beneath our feet. The sound slammed against the high walls of the temple, echoing through the room until the heavy stained-glass windows shattered, sending sharp pieces of colored glass crashing down onto the crowd below.

Screams broke out, but I barely heard them over the sound of my own blood rushing through my ears.

Because right behind my wolf, the second monster broke its chains.

My vampire blood surged to the surface with a violent, terrifying hunger. My mouth filled with saliva as my throat burned for something rich, warm, and metallic. My suppressed pine scent disappeared instantly, replaced by an overwhelming fragrance that hit the room like a physical wall.

It smelled of sharp copper, cold iron, and sweet amber.

The wolves near the front immediately gasped, clutching their throats as they stumbled backward. Nolan gagged and dropped to one knee, choking as the pressure of my new scent filled the temple. It was lethal. It was predatory. It was something no normal wolf was ever meant to smell.

And then the third power took over.

My witch blood, ancient and untouched for twenty-two years, flooded my veins like liquid fire. White-hot heat rushed down my arms and into my open palms as purple lightning began crackling across my skin, snapping through the air with loud, sharp pops.

Words began spilling from my mouth. I didn't know what they meant, and I couldn't stop them even if I tried. An ancient, dark language rolled off my tongue in a strange, layered chant that sounded like three different voices speaking through my throat at the same time.

The air inside the temple turned freezing cold.

Nolan tried to push himself up, his face pale with horror as he stared at me. “Aria, what…”

He never finished the sentence.

Then a massive blast of raw, invisible energy burst from my chest and slammed into Nolan and Chloe.

 The force lifted them both off their feet before throwing them hard against the heavy stone pillars behind the altar. The stone cracked from the impact, and Chloe screamed as they both crumpled onto the floor beneath the dust and loose pieces of rock.

The temple was in complete chaos.

Pack members ran for the doors, stepping over one another in panic, while the elders scrambled backward in terror. Guards shouted as they drew their blades, trying to force their way through the crowd toward the altar.

I stood in the middle of the destruction, breathing heavily as the dust slowly settled around me.

I lowered my eyes and stared at my hands. My fingers were tipped with long, deadly claws, while bright purple static danced across my skin, glowing against the dim light of the ruined room.

I was terrified of what I had just done. But deep down, beneath the fear and shock, something strange washed over me.

I felt so alive.

For the first time in my life, I felt completely free.

“Grab her!” Alpha Kellen's voice boomed over the chaos, his finger pointing straight at me. “Kill the monster!”

A dozen heavily armed pack guards broke through the panicked crowd, swords drawn and eyes fixed on me as they rushed toward the altar.

I didn't wait for them.

I turned, sprinted past the shattered moon-stone, and threw myself through the broken window, leaping straight into the cold, stormy night.