Bound to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 37: The Hidden Truth

ARIA POV

The pendant burned against my skin as I pushed past the pack guards. They tried to stop me, but the silver moon at my throat flashed with bright light, throwing them backward without me even touching them.

"Stay out of my way," I warned, my voice stronger than it had ever been.

Behind me, the triplets, Mira, and Luna Elena hurried to keep up. We had barely fled the dark spirits in the Old Forest. The stranger—my true mate—had disappeared in a burst of light after giving me the pendant, saying only, "Find the truth in the sacred cave."

"Aria, slow down!" Lucien called. "You don’t know what you’re walking into!"

But I did. Somehow, I knew exactly where I needed to go.

Pack members stared as I marched through the grounds. Some bowed their heads. Others looked afraid. Word had spread fast about what happened in the forest.

"The Moon Alpha returns," someone whispered.

"She’ll destroy us all," muttered another.

Alpha Darius pushed through the crowd, his face twisted with rage. "How dare you come back here after choosing to follow that—"

The pendant flashed again, and his words died in his throat. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t move.

"I’m not here for you," I said coldly. "I’m here for Elder Malin."

As if called by my words, the old wolf appeared at the edge of the crowd. His eyes widened when he saw the pendant.

"So it’s true," he whispered. "You found the last Moon Alpha."

"Why did you lie to me?" I asked, walking toward him. The ground seemed to shake with each step I took. "You knew who I was. You knew everything."

Elder Malin’s shoulders slumped. "Follow me," he said quietly. "The answers you seek are not for all ears."

He turned and headed toward the mountain behind the pack grounds. I followed, the others close behind me.

"I won’t go in there," Alpha Darius growled, finding his voice again. "That cave is forbidden."

"Good. Stay here," I snapped. I was done letting him control me.

The sacred cave opening was hidden behind a waterfall. Elder Malin placed his hand on the rock wall, and it glowed briefly before opening to show a tunnel.

"Only those with Alpha blood can open it," Kael said in wonder.

Elder Malin gave me a sad smile. "There are many kinds of Alpha blood, young wolf."

We walked single file through the small tunnel. The walls were covered in ancient drawings—wolves, moons, and weird symbols I didn’t recognize. The ring grew warmer with each step.

Finally, the tunnel opened into a big chamber. Crystal shapes hung from the ceiling, catching the light from a hole above and sending rainbow colors dancing across the walls.

In the middle of the chamber stood a stone altar. Above it, carved into the rock wall, was the biggest drawing of all—a prophecy written in the old language.

"Read it," Elder Malin said, pointing toward the wall.

"I can’t read the old language," I said.

"Yes, you can." He pointed to the ring. "That gives you the power."

I looked at the strange symbols, and suddenly they started to make sense, as if someone was mumbling the translation in my ear.

"When the Alpha line is three times split, darkness will rise from the rift," I read aloud. "Only the child of forgotten blood, born under the eclipsed moon, can repair what was broken. Three gifts must be given freely. Three bonds must be tried. Only when the true mate is found will the Alpha line survive."

I turned to Elder Malin. "This is about me."

He nodded slowly. "Your mother was not who you think she was, Aria. She was the last Moon Alpha’s daughter—hidden away, shielded. When she fell in love with a common dog, we tried to stop it. The genes needed to stay pure."

"My father wasn’t just a common wolf, was he?" I asked, suddenly understanding. "He was related to Alpha Darius."

"His brother," Elder Malin admitted. "That makes you—"

"Cousins," Lucien ended, looking at his brothers. "We’re cousins."

"That’s why the mate bond felt wrong," I realized. "We’re family, but not close enough to prevent a mate bond."

"It’s more complicated than that," Elder Malin said. "The Moon Alpha family doesn’t follow the same rules. Your true mate was always meant to be the last Moon Alpha’s heir—the one you met in the forest."

"But the stranger said they were my predecessor," I said, confused.

"Both predcessor and mate," Elder Malin stated. "The Moon Alpha doesn’t pass through death but through rebirth. When you accept your role, you will join with the spirit of all Moon Alphas who came before."

"And give up my life?" I asked, suddenly afraid.

"No. Become more than you are now."

Kael stepped forward. "And what about us? The prophecy references three bonds, three gifts. We gave her the gifts that led her to her true mate."

"The three of you were meant to protect her," Elder Malin said. "Guide her. But Alpha Darius twisted the prophecy. He wanted one of you to claim her power for himself."

"Why did you help him?" I asked. "If you knew who I was?"

"I was bound by an oath to your mother," he said sadly. "To keep you hidden until you were ready. And bound by pack law to follow the Alpha. The burden tore me apart."

The ground suddenly shook beneath our feet. Dust fell from the roof.

"What’s happening?" Mira cried.

"Alpha Darius," Elder Malin whispered. "He’s trying to seal the cave."

"No!" I ran back toward the tunnel, but it was too late. Rocks crashed down, blocking the exit.

"We’re trapped," Jaxon said, trying to move the rocks. "He’s going to bury us alive."

The pendant at my throat burned hotter than ever. A voice that wasn’t mine spoke through my lips: "The time of choice has come."

Everyone turned to stare at me.

"Aria?" Lucien asked carefully.

I looked down at my hands. They were glowing with silver light. "I can free us, but I must accept my true nature. I must become the Moon Alpha."

"You’ll lose yourself," Kael warned.

"If I don’t, we all die here," I said.

Another tremor shook the cave, bigger this time. More rocks fell.

"There’s something else," Elder Malin said quickly. "The prophecy has a final line, hidden until now." He pointed to symbols appearing on the wall, glowing in the same silver as my hands.

I read them aloud: "The price of power is memory. The Moon Alpha must forget to remember."

"What does that mean?" I asked, worried.

"It means if you accept your power, you’ll forget us," Lucien said, his voice breaking. "Everything we’ve been through."

The cave shook strongly. A large crack emerged in the ceiling.

"Choose now, Aria," Elder Malin pushed. "Save your family or save your kind."

The same choice the stranger had offered me. I looked at the triplets—my guards, my family. At Mira—my close friend. The pendant pulsed, waiting for my choice.

The ceiling began to fall above us.

"I choose—"

The world burst in silver light.