Six wolves. That is the only number the seal will accept

Salem Lexi, Alpha of the Gray Moon Pack, had been through hell and back to earn the love he shared with his Beta, Orson Allen.

Childhood friends turned fated mates, it should have been a storybook ending. But fate had never liked clean endings. Just when peace settled into their bond, the Moon Goddess had pulled a cruel twist.

Four more souls were now tied to theirs.

“I swear, Orson, this is madness,” Salem growled, pacing the tent. His hands moved from his hips to his mouth, scrubbing away frustration that wouldn’t fade. “No matter what kind of bond we felt last night, it’s wrong. All of it.”

“It was like we were... enchanted,” he continued, his voice strained. “That old witch did something to us. This has to be a spell.”

He turned, eyes pleading for answers, for logic—but Orson only offered a calm shrug and walked up to him. Wrapping his arms around Salem, he held him close, the way he always did when words failed.

“I feel it too,” Orson whispered. “But shouting won’t solve this. We need answers, not anger. Let’s hear them out first. Then we can figure out what’s next.”

Salem let out a sharp breath, resting his forehead against Orson’s. The bond between them had been a miracle, a first in his bloodline. Two male wolves, fated by the Goddess herself.

He’d fought it. Denied it. Hated it. But Orson had stayed, patient and unwavering. Now this?

“I hate this,” he murmured, burying his nose into Orson’s neck. But the scent, usually calming, didn’t help this time. He felt... incomplete. Pulled in another direction. A new ache in his soul.

“I know,” Orson said gently. “But it’ll pass. Our lives will go back to normal.”

But Salem responded by crashing into Orson’s lips, claiming a kiss that burned with confusion, rage, and need.

Their bodies molded with a familiarity born from years of intimacy. Salem’s hands tangled into Orson’s hair, pulling him closer as Orson palmed his hardness through his pants, earning a groan from deep in Salem’s throat.

But just as Salem tugged him toward the bed, a voice called from outside.

“Alpha, it’s time.”

Salem growled against his mate’s mouth, pulling away reluctantly. “One day, I’m letting my wolf rip Steve’s head off.”

Orson chuckled, already pulling on his shirt. “You say that every time.”

Salem narrowed his eyes at him. “Why do you always defend him?”

“Because he’s done nothing wrong. And because I’d rather save the aggression for the people actually making our lives harder.”

Salem didn’t smile, but his glare softened. “You’ll make it up to me when this is over.”

“I’ll do more than that,” Orson smirked.

Together, they left the tent.

—

“For what possible reason are you both late?!” Amarok’s voice thundered as the pair walked into Curtis’s large tent, where the meeting was to be held.

“You don’t get to scold us, Icelander,” Salem snapped back.

Taylor, seated between Tara and her father, sighed. “Here we go again.”

Tara said nothing, curled in Stone’s arms, her eyes flickering between the men.

This wasn’t just a simple meeting. The entire council of Crent Island had gathered and every Alpha of each pack were present.

The sacred elders sat in silence, their eyes glowing with ancient knowledge. And in one corner stood the witch, the one who had started all this.

“Enough,” Macon said. “The time has come for answers.”

Everyone quieted. Salem and Orson took their seats.

“How is this possible?” Amarok asked.

One of the elders, marked with glowing tattoos, rose to his feet. “The Hexa Bond has been awakened again. And this time, the world depends on you all to save it.”

Confusion flooded the tent.

“What he means,” Curtis clarified, “is that each of you was chosen. And what you do next will determine the fate of everything we know.”

Salem stood. “You all do realize that Orson and I are already marked and mated? That kind of bond doesn’t just fade. So how is it possible we’re suddenly tied to them?” He pointed at the Frost brothers, then the twins.

“Because this was written thousands of years ago,” the elder replied. “It is not a mistake. You six are bound by sacred destiny.”

“What kind of fucked-up destiny mates me to men?” Geri muttered bitterly.

Salem’s jaw clenched. Orson said nothing, but his shoulders tensed.

Tara leaned deeper into Stone, trying to ground herself. She felt Amarok’s eyes on her, burning with quiet rage. His wolf was close to the surface.

“Silence,” the witch suddenly boomed.

Everyone froze.

“The six guardians of the seal have returned. And this time, you must succeed where others failed. For the beast beneath Nabis Island stirs once more.”

Tara sat straighter. “Guardians? What does that mean?”

The witch turned slowly, her eyes glowing white. “Long ago, the Moon Goddess created a seal to hold a creature so dark, so powerful, it nearly destroyed the supernatural world. She chose six souls—six wolves—to bind that seal with their blood and bond.”

“But... that’s just a story,” Taylor whispered.

“It is the truth,” the witch said. “And now the seal is weakening because your bond has reawakened it. The monster feeds on your power, your confusion, your blood. If you do not stop it, it will rise. And when it does, it will open the Gate of Unending Fire. Every dead beast, every cursed soul, every monster ever buried will return. This world will fall. To stop this menace, you all must journey to the island of Nabis, where the goddess sealed this creature.”

“If that’s true,” Amarok said, “why would we travel to Nabis Island—right where the beast is buried? That’s suicide.”

“My brother is right,” Geri added. “None of this makes sense.”

The witch's voice dropped lower. “Because the only way to reseal the creature… is with your united bond. You must return to where the first guardians stood. Only together, in flesh, blood, and spirit, can you bind it again.”

“Why six of us?” Tara asked. “Why not two… or four?”

“Because the Hexa Bond is sacred. Six souls. Six hearts. Six wolves. That is the only number the seal will accept.”

“So we were all chosen?” Taylor asked, voice small.

The elder nodded solemnly. “By the Goddess herself.”

Salem stood sharply. “I don’t believe it. You put some kind of spell on us, witch. I want you to undo it now—undo whatever you’ve done to me and my mate!”

His aura burst out, shaking the tent.

”Calm down Alpha Salem, this is no fantasy." Macon tried to explain but he growled at the man, ”Shut The fuck up old man!"

But before anyone could react, Geri’s fist slammed into Salem’s jaw.

Gasps echoed. Salem stumbled, then punched back. The two, broke into a full fight, snarling, fists flying.

“Don’t you dare speak to my uncle that way!” Geri roared.

Amarok pulled his brother back. Orson grabbed Salem.

“Enough!” Amarok barked. “This isn’t the time for ego or fists!”

The witch’s eyes glowed again. “The Icelander speaks true. You have little time left. If you fail to come together, the darkness will win.”

And then she vanished. Gone. The elders rose in silence and filed out.

The tent was left in stunned quiet.

Salem spat blood on the floor, his chest rising and falling like he’d run a mile. “I don’t care about this bond. Or the prophecy. This shit is done.”

“Salem,” Orson said quietly, but the Alpha had already turned.

“We’re leaving,” Salem growled. “We’re not part of this.”

He grabbed Orson by the wrist and began pulling him toward the tent flap, but Tara rushed to stop them, following them outside.

“Wait please!” she called, her voice breathless as she grabbed Salem’s arm. “I know this is insane. I know it doesn’t make sense. But… don’t walk away. Not like this.”

He looked down at where her hand clutched his forearm. Sparks. That same spark. Her wolf—his wolf—responded. It should’ve terrified him.

Instead, he pulled his arm away gently. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But we’re not going to be part of some flimsy fairy tale.”

And just like that, they were gone.

Tara stared after them, heart sinking. Something inside her, her wolf maybe, ached as they disappeared. Her hand dropped to her side.

“Let them go.”

Amarok’s voice was low behind her. When she turned, he stood close. So close her wolf practically purred. She masked the feeling with a forced calm.

“Do you believe it?” he asked her quietly. “What the witch said… about the seal, about us?”

“I don’t know what to believe,” she said truthfully. “But… something’s coming. I can feel it.”

He nodded. “Then prepare. You and Taylor should join us for lunch. We can’t fix the world on empty stomachs.”

She almost smiled, but Stone’s voice cut in from behind.

“Tara, you need to rest.”

She turned to see him standing just a few feet away, arms crossed, face unreadable. Amarok stiffened beside her.

“You should go,” she said softly to Amarok. “We all need rest. Strength. For whatever’s next.”

Amarok’s jaw tensed as Stone walked over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, gently guiding her away.

Amarok watched as Stone wrapped his arms around her again. It made his wolf restless. There was something more in that boy’s eyes, a kind of protectiveness that didn’t feel like just a brother’s love.

And then Geri stormed out of the tent, Macon close behind him.

He shifted without a word and disappeared into the woods.

Amarok sighed. Everything was unraveling faster than he could hold it together.

He only hoped they’d survive what was coming.