"She's a wolf, Darius. She can't possibly be your mate." One of the soldier's voice cut through the night air, harsh and defiant, but it barely registered to me. My pulse was roaring in my ears, louder than the crackle of the campfire, louder than the rattle of my cage. Mate. That was what he'd said. The word still hung in the air like a brand, burning through me. My heart lurched painfully inside my chest, and my wolf, the weak, broken thing that she was-stirred restlessly against my ribs, as though answering some silent call. Darius didn't flinch. His eyes, molten gold under the firelight, stayed locked on me. He didn't even look at the soldier who had dared to question him. He just inhaled again, sharp, deliberate, and the air around us shifted. "She is mine," he growled, each syllable vibrating with a dangerous certainty. The two soldiers exchanged looks. One of them, the taller one with scars running down his jaw, probably his Beta from the looks of the fort name calling,stepped forward, his tone cautious but insistent. "Alpha, think. She's weak. A half-breed. Probably cast out from whatever pack didn't want her. She's not worthy of you. Not worthy of your bloodline." A low sound rolled from Darius's chest, something primal and terrifying. The kind of sound that made the hair on my arms rise and my stomach twist with dread. "Are you questioning me?" he asked softly, too softly. The scarred soldier stiffened, bowing his head at once. "Never, Alpha. I just-" "Enough." Darius's voice cracked like a whip. "Do you think I do not know my own mate when I scent her?" Silence fell over the camp. Even the night seemed to hold its breath. "Forgive me Alpha," the man muttered bowing his head. I wanted to speak, to deny it, to tell him he was wrong. That I couldn't be his mate. That he must have made a mistake. But the words lodged in my throat, strangled by the weight of his stare. Darius crouched low before my cage, bringing himself eye-level with me. Up close, the sheer force of him was suffocating. His scent, earth and sweat, smoke and something darker wrapped around me, filling every breath. My fingers tightened against the iron bars, more for balance than defiance. "Your name?" he demanded. As much as I didn't want to respond I found myself opening up upon one his commanding tone. My lips trembled, my voice hoarse. "Rain." Something flickered in his eyes. Not softness no, never that, but something fierce, something dominant. "Rain," he repeated, tasting the sound of it on his tongue. And by the gods my insides turned, I felt hot all over. The second soldier shifted uncomfortably. "Alpha, what do you want us to do with her?" Darius still on his knees inspecting like I was some animal that his trap caught. "She comes with me." "But-" The growl that ripped from his chest was so violent, so sharp, the wolves around the camp instantly lowered their heads, baring their throats in submission. Even the scarred soldier dropped to one knee. "I said," Darius snarled, "she comes with me." The finality in his tone left no room for argument. My stomach dropped. My breath hitched in terror. He didn't even know me, and yet he now owned me just like that. Claimed me in a way Caius never had, not with this kind of unshakable certainty. I curled into myself, pressing back against the cold bars, wishing they could swallow me whole. I'd already been betrayed, humiliated, cast aside. Now I was caged and caught in the grip of another Alpha, a stranger, a danger, a wolf or worse a Lycan Alpha whose very presence rattled the deepest part of me. And he called me mate. He rose to his full height, cloak shifting around him like a shadow come alive. His gaze swept the soldiers before landing back on me. "We leave at dawn for my brothers' territory. The royal summit waits for no one." His tone brooked no hesitation. "Clean her. Dress her. She will be brought to my tent before we ride." Shock rippled through the soldiers. One dared to mutter, "Alpha-" "Do you intend to defy me twice in one night?" Darius's voice cut like a blade, and the man dropped to his knees, throat bared in instant submission. Darius turned away, dismissing them as though they were insects, his focus already moving elsewhere. "See to it now," he ordered. The cage jolted, chains rattling as they dragged me again, this time not deeper into the woods but toward the campfire where crude tents circled like teeth around prey. My heart thudded erratically, every step making my stomach twist tighter. I squeezed my eyes shut, teeth gritted against the wave of helplessness rising inside me. I'd been cast out once already, stripped of my place and dignity. Now, it seemed, I had fallen straight into another snare. But this one... this one was far more dangerous. Because Darius didn't just want me near him. I could instantly feeling him almost rejecting the pull between us. Not that I minded, because I never expected to be mates to anyone let alone an alpha. The tent smelled of fire-roasted meat, leather, and Him. His scent was intoxicating and draining, like being high from wine on a full moon. It was addictive Across from me, he reclined in his chair, broad shoulders stretched beneath the dark leather of his cloak. A small table separated us, set with plates of roasted meat, bread, and fruit. He ate in silence at first, the scrape of his knife and the occasional crackle from the fire filling the tent. Every now and then, I felt his gaze flick to me, sharp and assessing, before he returned to his food. Finally, he set his knife down. "Eat." The command startled me. My lips parted, but no words came out. I shook my head. Golden eyes pinned me in place. "You will need strength for the road. Tomorrow is not a short journey." Still, my throat refused to work. My stomach twisted too tightly to even think of food. "I said-eat." This time, his voice dropped lower, carrying that same unyielding Alpha tone that made his soldiers drop to their knees earlier. My trembling hand reached out. I tore a small piece of bread and forced it into my mouth. It tasted like ash on my tongue, but it was enough to make him look away again, satisfied for now. For a while, the silence stretched. Too heavy. Too unbearable. Then his voice came again, low and even. "What is your name?" I hesitated confused, he had just asked me my name minutes ago. But instead of remaining silent I answered with my voice barely audible. "Rain." "Rain," he repeated, And yet again I was a pool of heat and moist. If he could smell me from there he definitely hid it too well "Strange name for someone who smells like-" He paused, looking up at me with undeniable heat in his eyes. I shifted in my seat feeling hot under his gaze. His knife tapped lightly against the rim of his plate. "Where were you headed when my soldiers found you?" The truth clawed at my throat, but I kept my eyes on the table. "Nowhere." He tilted his head, studying me in a way that made my skin prickle. "No wolf runs for nothing." I said nothing. My tongue was a stone in my mouth. Darius leaned back in his chair, still watching me. "Do you always refuse questions?" My jaw clenched. "Do you always expect answers?" Already regretting my response as my wolf whimpered. The corner of his mouth curved, not quite a smile, more a flicker of interest. He drank from his cup slowly, eyes never leaving me. "Sharp tongue for someone in your position," he murmured. Heat flared in my cheeks, but I bit down on my lip to stop a reply. He set the cup aside, his tone shifting, firmer now. "At dawn, we ride to my brothers' territory. The royal summit begins by midday. You will not leave my side." My stomach churned, but I nodded, because I didn't have a choice. "Good," he said, his voice like closing steel. Then he gestured to the food again. "Eat more. You'll need it."

The first light of dawn painted the camp in gray and gold. Mist clung low to the ground, curling around the hooves of restless horses and the paws of massive wolves shifting impatiently. "Mount up," Darius commanded, his voice cutting through the haze. Soldiers obeyed without question, saddling their beasts, loading provisions. Two of them came for me, guiding me toward a horse. My stomach knotted. I didn't belong here. I didn't belong anywhere. "Careful," one of them muttered under his breath, lifting me onto the saddle as if I were made of brittle glass. Not kindness, just caution. The caravan moved out in silence at first. I still didn't understand why wolf used horses to travel. If I could change, I would run free tin the forest to any place I wanted to be in. The forest swallowed us whole, the trees felt a bit cold. I clutched the reins until my knuckles whitened, the rhythmic thud of hooves and paws pounding the earth a steady drumbeat in my ears. Hours passed. The sun climbed higher. The mist burned away. My body ached from the unfamiliar ride, but it was nothing compared to the gnawing unease twisting in my gut. Two soldiers riding just ahead of me began to whisper, their voices carrying on the wind. "Do you think the others will scent her too?" one asked. "They'll scent her the moment we cross the border," the other replied. "No one hides from them." My pulse quickened. Them? Darius's voice cut sharp across the line. "Silence! You speak too much." The men stiffened, spines snapping straight, silence falling like a hammer. But I had heard enough. The road narrowed as we began to climb. The air grew heavier, thicker, charged with something I couldn't name. They weren't ordinary wolves. They couldn't be. I looked up at Darius's back. It was huge, his shoulders broad. I have my suspicions about who he really was. Every pup in my pack had grown up hearing the stories, whispers traded under blankets, meant to scare us into obedience. Tales of the lycan brothers. Three sons of darkness, cursed by their blood, each more dangerous than the last. Wolves bigger than nightmares. Stronger than armies. Crueler than kings. I had always thought they were just stories. But as the gate loomed into view, carved from black stone and iron, towering high enough to scrape the sky, I knew. The scent rolling off the land ahead was no myth. It was real. It was them. "Steady," one soldier muttered, his hand tightening on the reins of his horse as the gates began to creak open. The other spat into the dirt. "Every damn year we come here, and every year I swear the air itself tries to choke me." "Show respect Nathan. This is my Brother's land," Darius snapped, his voice flat but dangerous. The men bowed their heads, chastised, but I saw their knuckles white, their shoulders rigid. We passed beneath the gates, shadows swallowing us whole. The air inside was different, thicker, heavier, alive. Every breath seared my lungs. My wolf whimpered deep in my chest, and for the first time in my life, I felt her press against me, desperate to run, to flee, to hide. I swallowed hard, gripping the saddle tighter. We rode for another thirty minutes or more until a huge house, no castle came into view. It was dark and no sign of color, even the sun didn't dare to extends its grace towards it. We came to a halt, and one of the soldiers came up to my side and lifted off the horse and saído the ground. "Rain" Darius voice drifted to me, I looked up. "Come." Unwillingly my feet moved towards him. "Do not leave my side." He commanded. I nodded, somehow feeling grateful that he was with me. The doors opened with a deep groan, as though even the wood resisted granting entry. A man stepped forward. Not a wolf, not like the others, but something else or close enough to wear the shape convincingly. His black tunic was simple yet fine, trimmed with silver thread. His eyes, however, betrayed him. They gleamed faintly, like coals banked beneath ash. He bowed low, voice smooth and measured. "Alpha Darius. Welcome home." Darius's jaw ticked. "This is not home Luca," he said flatly. "It is my brother's hall. Do not mistake the difference." The servant dipped his head again. "As you say, my lord. Still, you and your company are expected. Quarters have been prepared for your men in the west wing. For you..." His gaze flicked to me, a single sharp glance that made my stomach clench. "...... your private chambers have been readied in the eastern halls. I didn't know you were coming with I guest but I can get them to prepare a room for her immediately" My throat went dry. Darius's arm brushed against mine as he shifted closer, deliberate. "She does not leave my side," he said, his voice carrying that same command he used with his soldiers. "Of course." The servant straightened, his hands folded neatly before him. "The Summit begins at moonrise tomorrow as your other brother is yet to arrive tonight. Until then, you are free to rest, refresh yourselves, and... recover from your journey." Darius studied him for a long moment, as if weighing every word, every twitch of muscle. Finally, he gave a curt nod. "Lead the way." The servant turned, motioning us inside. The air was colder past the threshold. My boots echoed against the stone floors as we walked, the sound swallowed quickly by the sheer size of the place. The corridors stretched wide and high, although the house looked very modern they still preferred to adorn the hallway with torches that burned in iron sconces, casting wavering shadows across the walls. Darius's men followed behind us. The servant's voice cut into my thoughts. "The High Lord will arrive shortly with your other brother. He bade me extend his welcome, Alpha. He has prepared a feast in your honor tonight." Darius gave a grunt that might have been acknowledgment-annoyance. "My brother loves his feasts. He always did." "Yes," the servant said carefully. "And he is eager to see you again. It has been too long since the blood of your house has gathered under one roof." We turned down another hall. The servant gestured toward a set of carved doors. "These are your quarters. Your men will be shown to theirs." He looked at me again then, openly this time, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I thought he might speak directly to me. But then Darius's hand brushed against my arm, a subtle warning, and the servant lowered his gaze. "If there is anything you require, call for me," he said smoothly. Darius's eyes narrowed. "Do not presume to speak to her again without my leave." The servant bowed deeply, retreating a step. "As you command, Alpha." And with that, he turned and slipped away down the hall, his footsteps vanishing into the silence of the keep. Darius pushed open the heavy doors, his palm pressed firm against my back as he guided me inside. The chamber was vast, the ceiling lost in shadow. A fire crackled low in a black stone hearth, its warmth barely touching the chill that seeped from the walls. A long table stood to one side, laden with fruit, bread, and meats that filled the air with rich, heady scents. I hovered just inside the doorway, torn between awe and dread. Darius's hand lingered against me as the door shut behind us with a resonant thud. "You'll stay here with," he said. His voice was quieter now, but no less commanding. "Where I can see you. My brothers can be very........unpredictable."This

The bathwater had been scalding, yet I hadn't minded. For the first time in days, the heat soaked into my aching muscles, peeling away the grime of travel, the dried blood that still clung faintly to my skin. I scrubbed until my body was raw, until I felt like I was decent enough. When I stepped from the bath, steam curling around me, , I peered into the room hoping that Darius was no longer in and thankfully he wasn't. The closet waiting in the corner drew my eyes. Dresses hung in perfect rows, silks and lace in shades of black, crimson, and silver. I hesitated, fingers brushing the fabric. They were far too fine for me, meant for a woman of standing, not a servant. But something inside whispered to wear them anyway. I chose a gown of dark wine-red lace that clung to my body and bared my shoulders. Too revealing. . Yet when I saw myself in the mirror, pale throat exposed, eyes ringed with shadows, something in me straightened. I pulled my hair up in a messy bun showing my throat off more and used a pin to put it into place. I was no longer the omega maid Liana had tried to crush. I didn't know who I was becoming, it was as if coming here had somehow made me feel stronger The knock on the door broke my thoughts. "Alpha Darius requests you," a servant called. I followed the summons down torchlit corridors until the sound of voices reached my ears-dozens of them, rumbling like a restless storm. The great hall opened before us, vast and terrible, a cathedral of shadows and firelight. Long tables stretched the length of the chamber, groaning beneath platters of roasted meats, dark wine, and fruit gleaming like spilled jewels. Wolves and lycans alike filled the benches, warriors with scarred faces and eyes too sharp to be human. At the far end, beneath a canopy of black banners, Darius stood waiting. His gaze swept over me, sharp and possessive, before he extended a hand. "With me." I placed my fingers in his, my pulse skittering as he led me toward the high table. Whispers chased after us, curious, mocking, suspicious. I could feel their eyes crawling over my skin. "Did you really have to expose your neck in the mist of animals?" He sneered, pulling me closer to his sides as the whispers grew. Just as I opened my mouth to respond It hit me. The scent. Rich, electric, like thunder before a storm. Earth after rain and the wind, it felt safe and grounding. It slammed into me so hard my knees buckled. My wolf screamed inside me, clawing at the surface, desperate to howl. Another scent followed, just as fierce, but hotter, darker, like smoke and iron. Together they tangled in my lungs, filling me until I swayed on my feet. No. Not possible. I looked up-and froze. Two men stood at the high table. The first, tall as the pillars themselves, hair black as midnight and eyes a searing silver, carved with the authority of command. His gaze cut through me like a blade, stripping me bare. Alpha Draven. I didn't need his name to know who he was-the eldest, the High Lord. The person who we were in his territory right now. Beside him lounged another, equally lethal in his beauty, though sharper at the edges. His hair was dark brown, his eyes molten gold with flecks of red that seemed to burn from within. He smiled when he saw me, slow and wolfish. Daemon. He is breathtaking. The scents roared, colliding with the one that already clung to me-Darius's. My heart lurched. My knees trembled. "Mate." The word rumbled from Draven and Daemon in unison, deep and savage, echoing through the hall like thunder. The room fell into stunned silence. Forks clattered against plates. Whispers rose, sharp and fearful. I staggered back, the air stolen from my lungs. My wolf howled inside me, desperate to leap, to answer. Darius moved instantly, a growl tearing from his chest. His arm shot out, pushing me behind him as he bared his teeth at his brothers. "Stay back." Draven's expression barely shifted, though his silver eyes burned hotter. "You dare to command me, little brother? In my home? Tsk tsk tsk" Daemon chuckled low, stepping down from the dais with lethal grace. "Three mates, Darius? How greedy you've been, keeping her all to yourself." "She is mine." Darius's voice was a snarl, raw and guttural, reverberating with pure possession. "Yours?" Draven's lips curved, cold and cruel. "No, brother. She is ours." The words rippled across the hall like a blade drawn from its sheath. Wolves shifted uneasily, soldiers whispered prayers. My head spun, my body shaking, caught between them all. Three voices. Three scents. Three claims. Darius stood like a wall before me, chest heaving, every line of his body promising violence. Draven descended the dais with the weight of a king, Daemon prowling at his side, both closing the distance with eyes locked on me as if I was a breath of fresh air.. And all I could hear was that single word, echoing over and over, sealing my fate. "Mate." The word still rang in my skull, their voices overlapping, vibrating through me until I thought my bones might splinter under the force of it. The hall was silent except for the scrape of chairs as warriors shifted uneasily. Their eyes darted between the three brothers, the infamous Lycans of every nightmare told to wolf pups, and me. The half-breed omega who had no place at this table. My lungs burned. The scents crowded in too thick, too strong, drowning me in heat and hunger and fear. Darius's body blocked most of my view, his growl vibrating against my spine, but it didn't matter. Draven's silver gaze still pierced through him, unyielding. Daemon's golden eyes still pinned me, hungry and unblinking. My knees buckled. "Rain-" Darius turned, catching my arm just as the room tilted and spun. The last thing I saw was the three of them, their stares colliding like clashing storms, before the darkness swallowed me whole. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> When awareness returned, it came in fragments. Heat. The faint crackle of a fire. The distant murmur of voices. I blinked against the blur and found myself lying in a massive bed draped with furs. My head throbbed where it had struck the ground, and my body felt heavy, as if weighted down by more than exhaustion. "She needs rest," someone murmured. A voice low, commanding, too deep to be anyone but Draven. "She needs answers," another cut in, sharper, a curl of amusement threading his tone. Daemon. "You felt it. We all did. She belongs to us as much as to him." A growl followed, vicious and raw. Darius. "She belongs to no one but me." "You can lie to yourself, little brother," Draven said, his voice calm, almost bored, yet every word edged like steel. "But not to her. The bond will tear her apart if you try to sever it." "She's not strong enough," Darius snapped. "Look at her, she fainted from the weight of it already." Silence stretched, thick as the furs covering me. My pulse hammered in my ears. I wanted to move, to speak, but my limbs refused me. All I could do was listen. Daemon's chuckle slid through the air. "Then we'll make her stronger. She's ours now. All three of ours. The goddess must be playing a serious joke on us." The growl that followed shook the walls. "Enough." Draven's voice cut through like a blade, final and cold. "The summit begins tomorrow. We'll keep her under this roof until then. The matter will be... addressed." His footsteps moved toward the door, echoing like drumbeats. Daemon lingered longer, his presence humming close to the bed, hot and suffocating. I swore I felt his gaze burn across my skin before he finally pulled away. "Wolves are never key to be mated with lycans, let alone s half breed omega." He said with almost pity in his voice. The door shut behind him, leaving only Darius. His weight sank onto the mattress beside me. A calloused hand brushed a damp strand of hair from my face. His touch was gentler than it had any right to be, trembling almost, but his voice came out rough. "You're mine, Rain," he whispered, as if daring anyone, even fate itself to disagree. "And I'll fight them both if I have to." But even as the words left him, I heard the doubt in his tone. Because the bond didn't lie. And it bound me to not one Lycan........but three.