Bound to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 12: Hidden Secrets

ARIA POV

"Duck!" Mira hissed, yanking me down behind a stack of firewood.

I pressed my body against the rough logs, holding my breath as two guards walked past. Their flashlights cut through the darkness, sweeping dangerously close to our hidden spot.

"This is insane," I whispered once they had passed. "If Alpha Darius catches us—" "He won’t," Mira said firmly. "Not if we’re quick and quiet."

Three days had passed since Alpha Darius’s attack in the library. Three days since Lucien had spoken those strange words in a voice that wasn’t his own. I had barely escaped, thanks to Kael changing into his wolf form and fighting his own father long enough for Jaxon to pull me away.

Now, Alpha Darius was hunting me openly, saying I had used dark magic to twist the mate bond and corrupt his sons. Half the pack believed him. The other half wasn’t sure what to believe.

"Come on," Mira tugged my sleeve. "The records room is just ahead."

We darted across the open space between buildings, staying low. The pack center loomed ahead, most windows dark except for a few offices where night guards kept watch.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked as we reached the back door.

Mira nodded, pulling out a small key. "Elira’s not the only one with ties. I... took this from one of the kitchen staff."

The lock clicked open, and we slipped inside.

The hallway stretched before us, dark and quiet. I let my new wolf senses guide me, sniffing for any sign of guards. Ever since my first shift, my abilities had gotten stronger each day – smell, hearing, even night vision.

"This way," I whispered, leading Mira down the hallway toward the records room.

The door was locked, but Mira pulled out a hairpin with a grin. "I’ve been practicing."

"Where did you learn to pick locks?"

"When you’re an omega, you learn all sorts of useful skills," she answered, working on the lock. "Especially when the high-ranking wolves think you’re not worth watching."

The lock clicked, and we were in.

The records room was smaller than the library, packed with filing cabinets and boxes stacked to the roof. The air smelled musty and old.

"Where do we even start?" I asked, stunned.

Mira pointed to an area marked "Personal Effects – Deceased."

"If your mother’s things are anywhere, they’d be there," she said. "Under ’T’ for Thorne."

We searched quickly, flipping through old files and sealed boxes. My heart pounded with every small noise from outside.

"Aria," Mira called softly. "I found something."

She pulled out a small wooden box labeled "S.T. - Personal Items - Restricted Access."

"S.T.," I breathed. "Selene Thorne."

My hands shook as I took the box. It was locked, but the wood had twisted with age. With a gentle push, the lid cracked open.

Inside lay a collection of items that once belonged to my mother. A small leather notebook. A pressed plant. A photograph of a beautiful woman with golden eyes like mine, standing beside a tall, proud guy with dark hair.

"Is that them?" Mira asked, looking over my shoulder. "Your parents?"

I nodded, unable to speak. For eighteen years, I had no face to put to my mother’s name. Now here she was, smiling up at me.

Beneath the picture lay a silver necklace. The pendant was shaped like a crescent moon, with small symbols etched around its edge.

"That’s an Alpha’s pendant," Mira gasped. "Only ruling Alphas and their mates wear those."

I lifted it carefully. The silver felt warm against my skin, as if it had been waiting for me.

"There’s something else," I said, finding a folded piece of paper at the bottom of the box.

I opened it carefully. It wasn’t a message, as I’d expected, but a map. Parts were faded, but I could make out markings for the pack territories – and one spot circled in red ink.

"What is this place?" I wondered aloud, pointing to the circle.

Mira leaned closer. "That’s in the far north of our area. There’s nothing out there except..."

"Except what?"

"The old ritual grounds," she whispered. "Where Alphas go to communicate with the Moon Goddess during the Blood Moon."

My skin prickled. "The Blood Moon is in three days."

"Aria," Mira grabbed my arm suddenly. "There’s something written on the back."

I flipped the map over. In faded ink were the words: "When three become one, the white wolf will rise. Blood Moon shows all."

"It’s the same prophecy," I breathed. "The one Elder Malin died for."

A sound from the hallway made us both freeze. Footsteps, getting closer.

"Someone’s coming," Mira hissed, quickly gathering the things and shoving them back in the box.

I clasped the necklace around my neck and hid it under my shirt, then grabbed the map and photo, putting them into my pocket.

"Hide," I whispered, pointing to a big cabinet in the corner.

Mira squeezed inside while I dove behind a stack of boxes, clutching my mother’s treasures against my chest.

The door swung open. Light from a flashlight swept across the room.

"I know someone’s in here," a deep voice called out.

I pressed myself harder against the wall, hoping he wouldn’t find us. If Alpha Darius found we’d been looking at restricted files...

The light moved closer to my hidden spot. I held my breath.

Then, a voice from the hallway called, "Guard! Come quickly! There’s action at the east gate!"

The guard cursed softly. "I’ll be back," he muttered, before turning and running out.

Once his footsteps faded, Mira emerged from the cabinet.

"That was close," she whispered. "We should go before he comes back."

We slipped out of the records room and rushed back the way we came. My heart raced with every step, but not just from fear. The items in my pocket felt like they were burning against my skin – clues to a mystery I was only starting to understand.

As we reached the door we’d entered through, voices approached from outside. We froze, stuck.

"Find another way out," Mira pushed.

We turned, only to see flashlight beams at the other end of the passage. Guards were coming from both ways.

Panic rose in my throat. Then, my eyes fell on a small window at the end of a narrow corridor.

"This way," I pulled Mira along.

The window was small, but we could fit through. I pushed it open and helped Mira climb out first.

Just as I was about to follow, a hand grabbed my ankle.

"Got you," the guard growled.

I kicked hard, breaking free, and fell through the window. We ran into the darkness of the trees surrounding the offices.

"We made it," Mira gasped when we finally stopped, deep in the woods.

I pulled out the picture of my parents, staring at their faces in the dim moonlight. "But now what? Alpha Darius will know someone broke in."

"We go to the ritual grounds," Mira said. "On the night of the Blood Moon. That’s what the map is telling us."

I touched the chain under my shirt. It seemed to pulse with energy against my skin.

"Aria," Mira’s voice dropped to a whisper. "We’re not alone."

I turned slowly, following her eyes.

There, standing between the trees, watching us with sparkling eyes, was Lucien. His face was pale in the moonlight, his expression unclear.

"I’ve been looking for you," he said, moving forward. Blood dripped from a wound on his forehead. "They’re coming. All of them."

"Who’s coming?" I asked, backing away.

Lucien’s eyes flickered, changing from their normal gold to a strange, unnatural red.

"The truth," he said in that same strange voice from before. "The truth is coming for us all."

He fell to his knees, his body shaking violently. When he looked up again, his eyes were back to normal, filled with fear. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"Run, Aria," he gasped. "He’s in my head. He knows what you found. And he’s bringing the entire pack to kill you before you reach the ritual sites."