Fated Mate to the Triplet Alpha-Chapter 48: The Bonding Ceremony

The explosion’s echo died away, leaving dangerous silence. "We have to go," Elara said, starting toward the caves. But her father caught her arm. "Wait." He sniffed the air, his face puzzled. "That wasn’t wolfsbane." "What?" "Wolfsbane has a peculiar smell when it burns. Sweet, like rotten flowers." He shook his head. "That explosion smelled like... sulfur and iron." Ronan was already changing to his wolf form. "I’ll scout ahead." "No!" Luna Evelyn’s voice cracked like a whip. "It’s a trap. Don’t you see? They want us to split up, to chase after them in fear." Darian’s eyes narrowed. "She’s right. Celeste and Tobias aren’t smart enough to pull this off alone. Someone else is giving them orders." "But if they poison the water—" Elara started. "They can’t," her mother interrupted. "The underground streams are too deep, too safe. It would take weeks to poison them properly." That’s when it hit Elara. "The blast was meant to distract us. They want our attention somewhere else." "But why?" A new voice replied from behind them. "Because today is the perfect day for a bonding ceremony." Everyone spun around. Elder Morrison stood there, his normal kind smile replaced by something cold and calculating. "Elder Morrison?" Elara’s heart sank. "You too?" "Me too, what? Working to save our pack from making a terrible mistake?" He stepped closer, and Elara noticed other adults behind him. Too many other adults. "A triple bond has never been successful, child. It will tear you apart from the inside." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"That’s not true," Kael said, moving protectively in front of Elara. "Isn’t it? Look at her now. She’s already weaker than she was this morning. The competing bonds are fighting each other in her blood." Elara wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t. Ever since accepting all three links, she’d felt... strange. Like parts of her were pulling in different directions. "The only solution," Elder Morrison continued, "is to finish the bonding ritual properly. Today. Before the damage becomes permanent." "What damage?" Darian demanded. "Without a proper ceremony to merge the bonds properly, she’ll burn out within a week. Her heart will simply stop." The elder’s voice was matter-of-fact, like he was talking the weather. "Of course, there is another option." "Which is?" "Reject two of the bonds. Choose only one match. Live a normal life." The triplets exchanged looks. Elara could feel their fear through their connections—not fear of dying, but fear of losing her. "I won’t choose," she said strongly. "I told you already. I want all three bonds." "Then you’ll have the wedding. Now. Before you get any weaker." Elder Morrison motioned, and more pack members appeared from the trees. "Everyone is here. The moon is full. There’s no reason to wait." "Except that we just fought a battle," Ronan pointed out. "People are hurt. We haven’t had time to—" "Time is exactly what we don’t have," the older interrupted. "Look at her hands." Elara looked down and gasped. Her fingers were turning blue. As she watched, the color crept further up her fingers. "The bonds are fighting each other," Elder Morrison stated. "Like three different currents trying to flow through the same river. If we don’t give them a real channel soon..." "She dies," Kael finished, his voice hollow. "Or chooses one mate and lives," the elder repeated. "The choice is yours, Elara. A risky ceremony that might kill you, or safety with a single tie." Elara felt the triplets’ feelings through their connections. Kael’s protective instincts were yelling at her to choose safety. Ronan’s headstrong nature wanted her to fight, ceremony or no ceremony. Darian was analyzing every angle, trying to find a third choice. "How long do I have to decide?" she asked. "The blue will reach your heart within the hour. After that..." Elder Morrison shrugged. "The decision will be made for you." The gathering pack members were staring at her with a mixture of hope and fear. Some wanted the event to work. Others clearly thought she should pick one mate and end the madness. "Fine," Elara said, startling everyone. "We’ll have the ceremony. Right now." "Elara, are you sure?" her mother asked softly. "I’m sure that I won’t live in fear. If the ritual kills me, at least I’ll die trying to have the life I want." Elder Morrison smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Excellent. Brothers, begin the plans." The next few minutes passed in a blur. Pack members formed a large circle around the holy bonding stone—a flat granite boulder that had been used for ceremonies for hundreds of years. Someone had covered it with white flowers and silver ribbons. "It’s beautiful," Elara whispered, feeling some of her fear fade away. "You’re beautiful," Kael said, taking her left hand. "You’re brave," Ronan added, taking her right hand. "You’re perfect," Darian finished, standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. Elder Morrison started the ancient words. "We gather under the full moon to watch a bonding unlike any in our history. Three men, one female, one eternal connection."

The pack members began humming, a low sound that seemed to move through the ground itself. "Do you, Kael Blackwood, accept this bond freely?" "I do." "Do you, Ronan Blackwood, accept this bond freely?" "I do." "Do you, Darian Blackwood, accept this bond freely?" "I do." "And do you, Elara Moon, accept these three bonds as one?" Elara looked around the circle at all the faces watching her. Her folks, proud and worried. Luna Evelyn, tearful but helpful. Even Marcus, who had stopped fighting her choice and now looked... resigned. "I do," she said clearly. Elder Morrison raised his hands. "Then let the bonding begin." Power flowed through the links between Elara and the triplets. Not the frantic, fighting energy from before, but something smooth and warm. The blue color in her fingers began to fade. "It’s working," Darian breathed. The humming grew louder. Pack members started swaying slightly, caught up in the ancient rhythm. "Place your hands on the bonding stone," Elder Morrison directed. All four of them reached forward, their hands touching the cool granite.

The stone started to glow with soft white light. "Speak your promises to each other." Kael went first. "I promise to protect you, even from myself when I’m being stubborn." Ronan grinned. "I promise to make you laugh, even when everything seems hopeless." Darian’s voice was soft. "I promise to trust you with my secrets, even the ones that scare me." Elara’s throat was tight with feeling. "I promise to love all of you, equally and completely, for as long as I live." The light from the stone grew brighter. The humming reached a peak. "By the power of the moon and the strength of the pack, I declare you bonded!" Elder Morrison’s voice rang out across the clearing. The light burst outward, washing over everyone present. Elara felt the three ties finally merge into something new—not one connection or three, but something entirely different. Something stronger. The pack exploded in cheers. People were hugging, crying, laughing. But as the light faded, Elara noticed something wrong. Elder Morrison wasn’t happy. He was staring at the bonding stone with an expression of shock and terror. "What is it?" she asked. He pointed at the rock with a shaking finger. Instead of the usual white glow that remained after a successful bonding, the stone was pulsing with deep red light. "This has never happened before," he whispered. "What does it mean?" Kael demanded. "I... I don’t know. The red light, it’s... it’s not in any of the old books." That’s when the ground started to shake. Not an earthquake. Something else. Something moving underground, going straight for them. "Everyone back away from the stone!" Elara shouted. But it was too late. The sealing stone cracked down the middle with a sound like thunder. Red light poured from the crack, and something began climbing out. It looked like a dog, but wrong. Too big, with too many teeth and eyes that glowed like fire. "Ancient guardian," Elder Morrison gasped. "The ceremony woke up an ancient guardian."

The creature appeared fully from the stone and let out a howl that made everyone’s bones ache. "What does it want?" Ronan yelled over the sound. "To test the bonding," the elder answered, his face pale. "If you’re truly meant to be together, you can beat it. If not..." "If not?" The creature turned its burning eyes on Elara and the triplets. "If not, it will kill all four of you and anyone who stands in its way." The guardian lowered its head and charged straight at them, its massive claws leaving gouges in the earth. The joining ceremony was over. The real test was just starting.