Fated Mate to the Triplet Alpha-Chapter 36: Silver Moon Rising

The creature that had been Celeste stood over them, its body twisted into something no longer human or wolf. Black veins pulsed across its gray skin as it grew taller, muscles flexing beneath torn clothes. "What do we do?" Elara gasped, backing away as rocks crumbled beneath her feet. Kael stepped in front of her. "We fight." The beast lunged forward with unnatural speed. Ronan shoved Elara away as massive claws slashed the air where she’d stood. Darian rounded right while Kael went left, both shifting into wolf form with twin howls. "The pendant!" Tobias’s words echoed in Elara’s mind. "Your power!" The silver necklace burned against her skin. As the monster swung again, something snapped inside Elara. Heat rushed through her veins, sudden and fierce.

Her vision improved. Colors brightened. Sounds became louder. "What’s happening to me?" she whispered, looking down at her hands. Silver light glowed beneath her skin, pulsing with her heartbeat. The triplets struck from three sides, but the creature batted them away like toys. Kael slammed into a boulder. Ronan skidded to the edge of the cliff. Darian’s wolf form fell across the ground. Rage flared inside Elara. These were her mates. Her family. "STOP!" she screamed. Power burst outward. Silver light burst from her body in a blast that knocked the monster back. Her eyes burned as if on fire, and she knew without seeing that they glowed silver. The thing snarled, its face a twisted version of Celeste’s. "The little omega thinks she’s special," it hissed in a voice that scraped like broken glass. Elara stood taller. "I’m not an omega. I never was." New strength filled her limbs. When she stepped forward, the ground steadied beneath her feet, no longer crumbling. The boys stared in awe. Even in wolf form, she could read their shock. Then something even stranger happened.

Their thoughts flashed into her mind like radio signals: She’s beautiful, came Kael’s voice, filled with pride. Knew she had it in her, Ronan’s thoughts sparkled with joy. The prophecy is fulfilling itself, Darian’s mind calculated softly. Elara gasped. "I can hear you. All of you." The monster charged again, but this time Elara didn’t flinch. She raised her hand, and silver light shot from her palm, hitting the creature’s chest. It howled in pain, stumbling back. "Together!" she called to the boys. Understanding flashed between them. As one, they charged. Kael’s strong jaws clamped onto the monster’s arm. Ronan, despite his injured leg, tore at its side. Darian darted beneath its legs, knocking it off balance. Elara felt their movements before they made them. Their link hummed like a living thing, connecting all four of them in perfect harmony. The thing roared, black blood seeping from its wounds. "This changes nothing! The curse stays!" "What curse?" Elara demanded, the pendant getting hotter. Celeste’s deformed face smiled cruelly. "Ask your precious Alpha. Ask what he sacrificed for power." The monster lunged at Kael, who had changed back to human form. Its claws cut across his chest, drawing blood. Elara screamed as pain echoed through their bond. She felt Kael’s pain as if it were her own. Without thinking, she reached through their link, pushing strength into him. Silver light flowed from her to Kael, sealing his wounds immediately. "How did you—" he gasped, feeling his healed skin.

Elara had no time to answer. The ground gave another strong shake. Huge cracks spread across the hillside like spider webs. "We need to get off this mountain!" Ronan shouted, back in human form. Darian pointed to a narrow road. "That way!" The monster blocked their exit, growing larger as it fed on their fear. "None of you will leave alive," it growled. "The bloodline ends tonight." Something clicked in Elara’s mind—a memory from her dreams. The ring. The pendant. The forecast. She clasped the silver moon pendant in her hand. "This was never about rejecting the bond," she realized aloud. "It was about choosing it freely." The triplets looked at her, understanding dawning on their faces. "Three bonds, one heart," Elara repeated words she somehow knew. "By choice, not fate." The pendant blazed with light so bright it turned night to day. The monster shrieked, hiding its eyes. Elara reached out her hands. "Kael, Ronan, Darian—I choose you. All of you." They stepped forward as one, taking her outstretched hands, making a circle. Power rushed between them, silver light weaving through their joined hands. "NO!" the creature howled, charging forward in despair. The light between them condensed into a silver arc that shot outward, striking the monster directly in the chest. It froze mid-stride, its body sparkling with silver energy. For one moment, Celeste’s true face shone through—young, scared, cheated. "He lied to all of us," she whispered before the light devoured her. The blast knocked them all to the ground. When they looked up, the monster was gone. Only a pile of black ash remained, quickly scattered by the wind. "Is it over?" Ronan asked, helping Elara to her feet.

Before she could answer, the mountain gave a final, powerful shake. The plateau started breaking apart completely. "Run!" Kael demanded, grabbing Elara’s hand. They sprinted for the path Darian had found, rocks falling all around them. The ground vanished behind their feet with each step, an endless drop waiting for anyone too slow. Darian reached the road first, pulling Ronan after him. Kael pushed Elara ahead, but as he jumped to safety, the ledge beneath him gave way. "KAEL!" Elara screamed, lunging for his hand. Their fingers brushed. Their eyes met. Then he was falling. Without hesitation, Elara dove after him.

"ELARA!" Ronan and Darian shouted in horror. As she plummeted through open air, time seemed to slow. The silver light inside her exploded outward again, enveloping both her and Kael in a glowing bubble. They hung suspended in the air, neither falling nor rising. Kael stared at her in wonder. "How are you doing this?" "I don’t know," she admitted, her eyes still glowing silver. "But I can’t hold it long." Far above, Ronan and Darian watched in wonder as the silver bubble slowly rose toward them. When it reached the road, the light faded, depositing Elara and Kael safely on solid ground. Elara fell into their arms, suddenly exhausted. The silver glow faded from her skin, her eyes returning to their normal color. "You saved me," Kael whispered, holding her tight. "That’s what mates do," she answered simply. As they made their way down the mountain, away from the destruction, Darian’s face got troubled. "Celeste mentioned a curse. A sacrifice for power." "My father has much to answer for," Kael’s voice was hard.

Elara stumbled, sudden weakness making her legs shake. Ronan caught her before she fell. "The power," she gasped. "It’s taking a toll." As if triggered by her words, pain shot through her body. She doubled over, crying out. "What’s happening?" Ronan ordered, panic in his voice. Silver light pulsed beneath her skin again, but this time it felt wrong—too hot, too much. "Something’s not right," Elara whispered, looking up at her friends with frightened eyes. "I think the power is killing me." The triplets shared a look of fear as Elara’s body began to convulse, silver light pouring from her eyes and mouth. The ring at her throat cracked down the middle. And somewhere in the distance, Alpha Marcus Blackwood smiled as he felt the old magic awakening. Everything was going according to plan.