The fortress was silent, but I knew better.
Even in darkness, even under the veil of night, the walls whispered of danger. My wolf shifted beneath my skin, muscles coiled, senses blazing. Something lurked inside. Something patient. Something waiting.
Ronan appeared silently beside me, golden eyes reflecting the pale moonlight that spilled through the training hall's tall windows. His presence alone calmed the storm inside me—and yet, it made every nerve in my body ache with anticipation.
"They're restless," I murmured, touching my stomach lightly. The triplets pulsed beneath my palm, their awareness sharp and instinctive. "They know. They sense it."
He reached out, brushing his fingers over mine. "And so do I," he said, voice low and husky. "But tonight… you'll learn to wield it like a weapon."
I swallowed, nerves and desire twisting together. "I don't know if I'm ready."
"You are," he said, stepping closer. "I won't let you fail."
The air between us thickened with tension, heat rising despite the cold stone around us. My wolf growled softly, aware of his hunger, of my own. Desire and instinct intertwined, the bond thrumming with energy that was raw, powerful, dangerous.
Ronan's hands slid to my hips, pulling me flush against him. His lips brushed my ear. "I've waited too long to touch you," he whispered. "Too long to feel you like this."
I shivered, hips pressing against him instinctively. The bond surged, responding to our closeness, amplifying the warmth, the need, the pulse of life inside me. The triplets stirred, tiny bursts of awareness that guided my own sensations, grounding me even as desire flared uncontrollably.
"Ronan…" I breathed, arching slightly against him. "We—"
"We fight," he growled, capturing my lips with his. Rough, commanding, full of fire. His hands moved with deliberate possession, tracing curves, claiming skin, tugging me closer. The bond pulsed, the triplets reacting to every heartbeat, every surge of energy, feeding my strength and desire all at once.
I gasped against him, fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss. My wolf growled, senses flaring as his hands roamed my body, setting every nerve alive. Every brush, every press, every heated touch was amplified through the bond, raw, powerful, intimate.
Ronan's lips moved to my neck, teeth grazing lightly, eliciting a shiver that ran through me. "You're mine," he growled, voice thick with lust and authority. "And I will not let anyone—any threat—touch you."
I moaned softly, pressing against him, feeling the energy between us ignite. The training, the Purge, the fortress, all faded into the background. Only him, only me, only the pulse of the triplets connecting us in ways words could never describe.
When we finally broke apart, breathless, flushed, and trembling, I leaned against his chest, chest rising and falling in sync with his. "We… can't let them win," I whispered. "Not us. Not the children."
He pressed a kiss to my temple, possessive, grounding, and yet tender. "We won't," he said. "And the bond… our bond… will make sure of it."
We moved to the training mats, energy still humming between us. Ronan insisted I test the bond's offensive potential under moonlight. I hesitated for a moment, the remnants of our intimacy making my nerves tingle in ways I wasn't used to while fighting. But the triplets pulsed, urging me forward, steady, strong.
I focused, letting the bond flow outward, shaping it into sharp arcs of silver light. The energy cut through the shadows, illuminating hidden corners of the training hall. My wolf growled low, sensing the subtle movements of someone observing us from the periphery.
"See them?" Ronan asked quietly, eyes narrowed.
I did—a faint shimmer, careful, calculated. A traitor, lurking within the fortress. The Purge had allies inside our walls.
"Not just outside," I said, voice low. "They're inside too."
Ronan's jaw tightened. "Then they'll regret it."
The bond surged again, sharper, controlled. I sent a wave of energy toward the shadows. A figure stumbled—a guard, caught in the arc, stunned and revealed.
His eyes widened in recognition, fear, and shock as the silver energy rippled over him. The glamour shielding him faded, revealing a young, familiar guard whose loyalty had already been questioned. My wolf growled low, muscles tensing beneath my skin. The Purge had sent someone inside—someone trained enough to mask their presence but not enough to withstand the full force of the bond.
Ronan moved instantly, shifting in a fluid blur, his hand catching the guard by the collar. The bond flared between us, resonating with the triplets' energy. The young guard froze, trembling as the combined force of our power pinned him in place. His lips quivered. "I… I was ordered…" he stammered, trying to resist, but the energy held him firm.
"You will speak," Ronan said, voice low, lethal. "Every lie, every secret, every threat you carry. Now."
I stepped closer, feeling the bond pulse stronger with every heartbeat of the triplets. "Tell me who sent you," I demanded. The words were sharp, but beneath them was the raw heat of the desire that still lingered from moments before, the fire of passion and need blending with the surge of power.
The guard's eyes flickered toward me, a mix of fear and awe. "The… Purge… they want the prophecy… the mother of the Triplicate Crown…" His voice broke, ragged. "They've been watching… waiting for you to make a mistake…"
I exhaled slowly, the heat between Ronan and me still simmering, and pressed my hand against the guard's chest. A ripple of energy passed from me through him, subtle but undeniable, forcing truth into his mind. He winced and nodded, shivering. "I… I see now… I serve no one… not anymore…"
Ronan's grip tightened on my shoulder, and he leaned down, whispering in my ear, voice rough with lingering heat and possessive intensity: "You're more than just powerful. You're terrifying… to anyone who dares touch you."
The energy surged between us again, and I felt it—our combined pulse, the triplets' awareness, the bond that linked our desires and our strength into one unstoppable force. My wolf growled low, a protective, possessive rumble. I leaned into him, and he pressed his forehead to mine, golden eyes intense.
"You can't imagine," he murmured, fingers tracing the curve of my waist. "How much I've waited to feel this… you… now… like this."
I shivered, heat coursing through me. "Don't… stop…" I whispered, voice trembling with need and authority. "We… we're unstoppable together."
Ronan's lips captured mine, and the kiss was heavy, urgent, full of fire and longing. Hands roamed with intent, possessive, claiming, yet tender when needed. The triplets pulsed within me, their small energies amplifying every sensation, binding us tighter in body and spirit. Each gasp, each shiver, each arch of my back resonated in the fortress itself, as if the walls themselves recognized the bond—and the claim we were asserting.
The guard had recovered slightly, fear mingled with awe as he watched us, realizing in that instant that the mother of the prophecy was no mere mortal—or even a simple Lycan. She was power incarnate.
Ronan's voice cut through my haze of sensation, low and commanding. "Focus," he said. "Even in pleasure, the bond is a weapon."
I inhaled sharply, drawing on the triplets' pulses as I released a controlled surge of energy outward, the silver light rippling in arcs that swept across the hall, warning and instructing simultaneously. My wolf roared softly, vibrating with the thrill of control, and even the stunned guard felt the authority of it pressing into him.
Ronan groaned, pressing closer, hands sliding over my back and waist with a mix of heat and control that made every nerve ache. "Yes," he whispered. "That's it… you… us… everything together…"
I gasped, arching into him, feeling our combined strength, desire, and the triplets' power fuse into something unstoppable. The bond hummed, vibrant and wild, as if celebrating the unity of body, mind, and spirit.
When we finally parted, breathless and flushed, I leaned against him, resting my forehead on his chest. The bond pulsed softly, steady now, the energy contained but still alive. My wolf relaxed slightly, yet alert, still aware of shadows in the fortress.
Ronan's hand slid down to rest protectively over my stomach, thumb brushing lightly against the swell where our children stirred. "They're strong," he murmured. "And so are you. Together, nothing can touch us."
I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of the night, the heat, and the awakening power of our bond. "We have to prepare," I said, voice still trembling, desire and determination interwoven. "The Purge… they'll be back. Stronger. Smarter."
He pressed a kiss to my temple, possessive, lingering, and whispered, "Let them come. We'll be ready… together. Always."
The fortress outside remained silent, but I knew the shadows had shifted. Someone had watched, waited, and learned. The Purge would strike again—but now, we were ready. Bonded in body, soul, and desire, unstoppable, and undeniably claimed.
The night pulsed with danger, heat, and power—and I realized, fully, that I had never felt more alive, more desired, or more invincible.