AVAI woke up screaming before I even knew what was happening. My whole body felt like it was on fire, like something inside me was tearing itself apart. I tried to breathe, but it was like breathing through flames.Roman threw his arms around me and held me up. “Ava!” he yelled, but his voice sounded far away, like it was echoing through water.I tried to answer him, but all that came out was a gasp. “It hurts,” I choked out.Axel held my face between his hands. “Stay with us. Do you hear me? Don’t go.”Zade was behind me, keeping me from falling forward. I could feel him shaking too. His heartbeat drummed wildly against my back. Then I saw it. The black lines spreading under my skin were the same ones climbing up Roman’s neck, then Axel’s, and then Zade’s. It was like the curse was crawling from me into them, and linking us in some awful way.Roman’s head dropped forward, a strangled sound leaving his throat. Axel’s grip on me tightened, and then his body jerked as if the same pain
AVAThe bond between us had never felt this alive before. It felt like the entire world had gone still, waiting for what was about to happen. My pulse raced as I looked at the triplets staring at me like I was sacred, and they were about to lose if they didn’t hold on now.My breath trembled when Roman reached for me first. “You don’t have to be afraid,” he said quietly, but his voice was shaking too.“I’m not,” I whispered. “Not anymore.”Then Roman leaned in and kissed me. His lips moved like he was memorizing me, and he was afraid he’d forget what I felt like if he let go. My hands found his shoulders, and I clung to him, feeling his heart beating too fast next to mine.When he pulled back, Axel was already there. He brushed a strand of hair from my face gently. “You don’t know what you do to us,” he murmured.“I think I do,” I said.Axel smiled faintly, then kissed me too, in a different way. His lips were soft, and his hand rested at my waist, holding me in place while I shivere
AVAWhen I woke up again, the first thing I felt was the heat. It filled up my chest, spreading out until it got to my arms and legs. But it wasn’t the normal kind of heat. It didn’t feel like warmth. It felt like something alive was crawling under my skin.I tried to move, but every nerve in my body twitched. My breath was uneven. For a second, I thought I was still out there, on that platform, that maybe the sparks and black smoke were still all around me. But when I opened my eyes, I saw the familiar ceiling of my room.Zade was sitting beside me, his hand still wrapped around mine, and it felt like he hadn’t let go all night. Axel stood near the window, with his back to us, while Roman was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. None of them was talking.My throat felt dry. “How long… was I out?”Zade’s head snapped up. Relief filled his eyes immediately. “A few hours. You scared the hell out of us.”I swallowed, but it felt like something sharp was stuck in my chest. “It
ZADEThe moment Ava’s body went limp, everything inside me stopped. One second, she’d been screaming as everything around us turned black, and the next, she just… fell.I caught her before she hit the ground. Her head rolled against my arm, while her hair spread over my wrist. She wasn’t moving. Her skin felt too cold, and those strange black lines were still visible under it, crawling through her veins like poison.“Ava!” I shouted, shaking her gently. But nothing happened.Roman and Axel were beside me, both of them as pale as ghosts. Roman reached for her wrist, checking for a pulse. He pressed his lips into a tight line. “It’s faint,” he said hoarsely.“She’s not breathing right,” Axel said. The panic in his eyes was clear. “We need to stop whatever this is!”I looked up at the Council members, who still stood at the edge of the platform, watching. “Do something!” I yelled at them. “You’re the ones who started this!”Elder Corvin’s face didn’t even twitch. “The ritual cannot be
AVAThe night of the trial union night came faster than I wanted.Everyone was out, including the elders, guards, omegas, Alpha Thomas, and even the younger wolves who usually got sent to bed early. We all stood in the open courtyard. The platform at the center had been cleaned and polished until it shone under the moonlight. That was where we were supposed to stand.The triplets were all standing beside me, but it didn’t stop the fear in me. I didn’t think anything could.The Council members arrived one by one, all dressed in those long dark coats that made them look even more judgmental than usual. Their expressions were blank too. The oldest of them today, Elder Corvin, held a silver staff that shimmered faintly. When he raised it, the crowd fell silent.“The time has come,” he said calmly. “Tonight, we’re here to witness whether the cursed bond between the female omega and the triplet Alphas can be stabilized, or if it must be severed for the safety of the pack.”The words made my
AVAThe morning light felt warm when it touched my face, making me squint. For a moment, I didn’t move. The bed felt too soft, while the room was too quiet. Then I realized why. Axel’s arm was draped over my waist, Roman’s hand was holding mine, and Zade’s breath was caressing the back of my neck. They were all still asleep.My heart skipped a few beats at the sight. It felt unreal, like I’d stepped into someone else’s dream. Their warmth surrounded me, making me feel safe. But the feeling didn’t last long. The memory of the Council’s announcement hit me again, and all I could think about was the trial union and the curse.I swallowed hard and tried to push the thoughts away. For just a second, I wanted to stay in that quiet place between peace and fear.Zade stirred first and ran his fingers over my skin like he couldn’t help himself. His voice was deep when he spoke. “You’re awake.”“Barely,” I whispered.He smiled before sitting up. “Good. You need food.”Axel yawned and blinked h