Kaia's POV
I wake to the sound of snarling.
My entire body feels like it's been set on fire and rebuilt from ash. The three marks burn on my skin—right shoulder, left ribs, over my heart, pulsing with power that makes my wolf pace restlessly inside me.
My new wolf. Not small and brown anymore, but massive and silver-white.
An Omega wolf.
I force my eyes open. The temple grounds are in chaos. The other volunteers have fled. Priestesses huddle near the pillars, watching in horror. And in the center of it all, three enormous wolves tear into each other with savage violence.
The black wolf—easily the biggest—has his jaws locked on the silver wolf's throat. The silver wolf twists like water, breaking free and slashing claws across the black wolf's face. The blue wolf circles them both, magic crackling around him like lightning, waiting for an opening.
They're going to kill each other.
Over me.
STOP! My voice cracks out, raw but commanding.
All three wolves freeze mid-attack. They turn toward me in perfect sync, and I see their eyes—glowing with the same divine light as my marks. Gold eyes on the black wolf. Silver eyes on the gleaming one. Deep purple eyes on the blue wolf.
They're beautiful. Terrifying. And absolutely furious with each other.
The black wolf shifts first.
One moment, a massive beast. The next, a man—tall, powerfully built, covered in scars. Completely naked. His dark hair is wild, his face hard as stone, and his gold eyes burn with barely contained rage.
He points at me. She's MINE. I felt the mark first.
Like hell. The silver wolf shifts into a man who looks like he was carved by artists—perfect features, lean muscle, silver hair that somehow looks elegant even disheveled. Also naked. Also glaring. My mark is over her ribs. Closer to her heart than yours.
You're both wrong. The blue wolf's shift reveals a younger-looking man with an otherworldly beauty—sharp features, midnight blue hair, those strange purple eyes that see too much. Naked like the others, but he wears it with an eerie calm. My mark is on her heart. The Goddess chose me.
The Goddess chose ALL of you, you idiots! Priestess Selene snaps, stepping forward despite her obvious fear. This is the triple marking. The first in a thousand years. She belongs to all three of you.
Impossible, the black wolf—no, the man—snarls. One Omega, one Alpha. That's the law.
The Goddess makes her own laws, Selene shoots back. And she clearly decided this girl needs three Alphas to handle her power.
All three men turn to stare at me like I'm a puzzle they can't solve.
I'm still sprawled on the altar, trembling from the transformation. My body feels different—stronger, more alive, like I've been half-asleep my entire life and just woke up. The power humming under my skin is intoxicating and terrifying.
Who are you? I manage to whisper.
The scarred one steps forward first, moving like a predator. Darius Shadowfang. Alpha of the Northern territories. His gold eyes rake over me with possessive intensity. And you're my mate whether I like it or not.
Charming, the silver-haired one drawls. I'm Theron Silvercrest, Alpha-King of the Eastern territories. And unlike this brute, I'm pleased to claim you. His smile is smooth but his eyes are calculating, already trying to figure out how to use this situation.
Caelan Nightshade, the blue-haired one says quietly. Western Alpha. And I've been waiting for you for fifty years.
I blink. Fifty, what?
I'm a seer. I saw you coming. Caelan's purple eyes bore into mine. I saw the triple marking, saw the prophecy, saw everything that's about to happen. And I chose to be here anyway.
How comforting, Darius growls. Did your visions mention she was marked to two other Alphas? Or did you conveniently forget that part?
I saw it all. The prophecy requires all three of us.
What prophecy? I push myself up from the altar, ignoring how my body sways. What are you talking about?
Selene answers before they can. The Prophecy of the Triple-Marked Omega. Written a thousand years ago after the last triple marking ended in war. It says: 'Three marks, three Alphas, one Omega. She will either unite the fractured packs or burn them all to ash in civil war.'
My stomach drops. That's insane. I'm nobody. I'm just
You're an Omega, Theron interrupts, his silver eyes gleaming. The rarest, most powerful female wolves that vanished centuries ago. You can command lesser wolves, amplify Alpha strength, and forge bonds that are unbreakable. You're not nobody, sweetheart. You're a weapon.
I'm not a weapon. I'm a person!
A person who just became the most valuable thing in the werewolf world, Darius says bluntly. Every pack will want you. Every Alpha will try to claim you. And these two bastards and I are the only things standing between you and chaos.
How reassuring, coming from the male who was trying to rip out Theron's throat thirty seconds ago, I snap.
Darius's lips twitch like he wants to smile but forgot how. He deserved it.
You attacked first, Theron points out smoothly.
You looked at her like property.
You looked at her like prey.
BOTH of you looked at her like she's not standing right here! I shout.
The power in my voice makes all three Alphas step back. The marks on their skin—matching my own—flare bright. Through the bond I can suddenly feel them: Darius's barely controlled violence, Theron's sharp intelligence, Caelan's overwhelming certainty.
They feel me too. I know because all three react at once—eyes widening, bodies tensing, wolves rising to the surface.
She can push through the bond already, Caelan murmurs. The awakening is accelerating.
Is that normal? I demand.
Nothing about you is normal, Theron says. Omegas are extinct. Triple markings are myth. And yet here you are, breaking every rule in existence.
I didn't ask for this!
Neither did we, Darius growls. I swore I'd never take another mate after— He cuts himself off, jaw clenched.
After what?
None of your business. But I feel the pain through the bond—old grief, buried deep.
Before I can push, Maeve rushes toward us, her face panicked. They're coming. Kaia's pack—they felt the power surge. They're coming for her.
My blood runs cold. Moira.
Your stepmother is leading fifty wolves here right now, Maeve confirms. She's telling everyone you used dark magic to force the triple marking. She's calling for your execution.
Let her try, Darius snarls, his wolf rising to the surface. Nobody touches our mate.
Our mate? Theron raises an eyebrow. I thought you wanted her all to yourself.
I want her alive. We can fight about ownership later.
How romantic, I mutter.
Caelan steps closer, his purple eyes locking with mine. They're not coming just to kill you, Kaia. They're coming to capture you. An unmated Omega is worth a fortune—any Alpha could force a bond if they move fast enough.
Horror floods through me. Force a bond?
If another Alpha marks you before our bonds solidify, he could override ours. You'd belong to him completely. Theron's voice is cold. Which means we need to get you somewhere safe. Now.
The Council of Elders will be here by dawn, Selene warns. When they hear about the triple marking, they'll demand you choose one Alpha immediately. They won't allow another war.
Then we leave before they arrive, Darius decides. She comes North with me. My territory is defensible.
Absolutely not, Theron counters. She needs political protection, which only the East can provide.
She needs magical training, Caelan argues. The West has seer-priestesses who can help her control her power.
They're arguing over me again like I'm not even here.
ENOUGH! My Omega power explodes outward in a wave that makes all three Alphas drop to their knees. Even Selene staggers.
I stare at my hands, shocked. I didn't mean to do that. The power just... responded.
I'm not going anywhere with any of you, I say shakily. I don't know you. I don't trust you. And I'm certainly not letting you drag me off to your territories like some prize.
Darius looks up at me from his knees, something like respect flickering in his gold eyes. Then what do you want?
What do I want?
Twenty-four hours ago, I wanted Garrett to love me. I wanted my stepmother to approve. I wanted to be worth something in someone else's eyes.
Now?
I want answers. I want to understand what I am. And I want
The forest explodes with howls. Dozens of them. Moira's wolves, surrounding the temple.
My stepmother's voice carries through the trees: Kaia Thornwood! Come out and face judgment for your crimes against the Goddess!
Darius shifts instantly, placing his massive black wolf between me and the threat. Theron and Caelan flank him, forming a protective wall.
Through the bond, I feel their unified determination: Nobody takes our mate.
But there are fifty wolves out there. And only three Alphas.
Even for them, those aren't good odds.
Any brilliant ideas? Theron asks.
Caelan's eyes glow with vision-sight. Several futures. Most end badly. But there's one— He looks at me. If you trust us. If you let the bonds fully form. We could merge our power through you.
Merge how?
Omega magic. You can amplify us, make us stronger than any three wolves have a right to be. But it requires complete trust. Complete surrender to the bond.
She doesn't trust us, Darius states. She just met us.
Then we're about to die, Caelan says simply.
Moira's wolves burst through the tree line—fifty sets of glowing eyes, all fixed on me.
My stepmother stands at their center, her face twisted with hatred and fear. There she is! The abomination! Seize her!
The wolves charge.
And I have to make a choice: trust three Alphas I don't know, or die.