Bound to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 46: Shadows Below

ARIA POV

"Get down!" Kael shouted, tackling me to the ground as a blast of blue fire shot over our heads.

We were crouched behind a fallen tree at the edge of the sacred grove, the opening to the Moon Chamber somewhere ahead of us. Elder Malin’s news about the triplets being my cousins still echoed in my mind, but we’d had no time to process it.

"What was that?" I gasped, my heart beating against my ribs.

"Guardians," Lucien explained, peering carefully over our cover. "Spirit dogs. They protect the door."

Another blast of fire burned the ground nearby. Through the trees, I could make out glowing blue shapes moving between the old oaks.

"We need a distraction," Jaxon said, his golden eyes searching the area. "I can—"

"No more of your magic," Kael growled. "Your tampering is what got us into this mess."

Jaxon flinched but didn’t argue. After Elder Malin’s bombshell about our family ties, we’d forced Jaxon to confess everything. He’d used illegal magic to interfere with my mate bond, trying to make me choose him over his brothers. The spell had backfired, causing unpredictable surges in my power.

"I can fix this," Jaxon declared. "Trust me one more time."

"Why should we?" Kael asked.

"Because we’re family," I said strongly, surprising myself. "All of us."

The word hung between us. Family. Cousins. Mates. The lines were blurred now, complicated by blood and ties and prophecy.

"Focus," Lucien reminded us. "We need to get to the Moon Chamber before Darius completes the ritual."

"And we need Elira," I added grudgingly.

We had left her secured at Elder Malin’s house, but I knew we’d have to bring her eventually. Both Moon Alpha girls needed to be present to break the curse.

"There," Mira whispered, pointing through the trees. "The standing stones."

In the middle of the grove stood three tall stones arranged in a triangle. Even from here, I could see strange symbols carved into their surface, glowing slightly blue in the moonlight.

"The entrance is beneath them," Lucien explained. "A tunnel leading down to the Chamber."

"How do we get past the guardians?" I asked.

Jaxon pulled something from his pocket—a small pouch that smelled of plants and magic.

"What’s that?" Kael asked suspiciously.

"A charm to blind the guardians," Jaxon said. "Borrowed from Elder Malin’s storage."

"You mean stolen," Kael amended.

"Borrowed," Jaxon insisted with a hint of his old smile. "I left a note."

Despite everything, I felt a small laugh bubble up. Some things never changed.

"Will it work?" I asked.

Jaxon nodded. "For a few minutes. Enough time to reach the stones."

"Then what?" Mira asked, her eyes wide with fear.

"Then we use this," I said, pulling out the key necklace from my mother’s box. "It should open the way down."

"On three," Kael said, tensing beside me. "One... two..."

"Three!" Jaxon threw the pouch high into the air.

It burst in a shower of glittering dust, falling over the wood like snow. The spirit dogs howled in confusion, their blue flames flickering wildly.

"Now!" Kael shouted.

We ran, darting between trees and jumping over roots. The wolves snarled and snapped but couldn’t see us through the magical dust.

We reached the standing stones, breathless and alert. Up close, they were even more impressive—taller than two men and covered in spiraling figures that seemed to move in the corner of my eye.

"The lock," Lucien urged, pointing to a small indentation in the center stone. "Hurry!"

I fumbled with the chain, sliding the key into the hole. It fit wonderfully, but wouldn’t turn.

"It’s stuck," I said, fear rising in my throat.

"Let me," Jaxon said, putting his hand over mine. "I can feel the magic."

A strange energy flowed from his touch, warming the key. Slowly, it began to turn.

The ground beneath us shook. The three stones groaned like living things, and then the earth between them simply... opened. A dark path spiraled down into blackness.

"The dust is wearing off," Mira warned, looking back at the approaching wolves.

"Go!" Kael ordered, shoving me toward the stairs. "We’ll follow."

I paused, not wanting to leave them behind.

"Trust us," Lucien said softly. "The bond will guide us to you."

Heart racing, I grabbed Mira’s hand and dove into the darkness. The slope was steep and narrow, carved from solid rock. The air grew colder with each step.

Behind us, I heard the sounds of fighting, then footsteps. The kids had made it.

"Close it!" Kael called down.

I turned the key again, and the hole above sealed shut, plunging us into complete darkness.

"Anyone bring a light?" Jaxon asked, his voice echoing weirdly.

In answer, my birthmark started to glow, casting a silvery light around us. The stairs continued lower, disappearing into the gloom.

"That’s convenient," Jaxon noted.

"It’s responding to the Chamber," Lucien explained. "We’re getting close."

We descended in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. The news about being cousins with the triplets should have disgusted me, but strangely, it didn’t. The mate bond seemed to transcend blood ties, forming something different, something older.

"Do you think Elder Malin was telling the truth?" I asked Lucien quietly. "About us being related?"

"It explains the strength of our connection," he responded. "Blood calls to blood."

"But doesn’t it make our mate bond... wrong?" I couldn’t help asking. freewebnoveℓ.com

"The Moon Goddess chose us," Lucien said simply. "Who are we to question her wisdom?"

Before I could reply, Jaxon suddenly stumbled, clutching his chest.

"What’s wrong?" I asked, reaching for him.

"The magic I used," he gasped. "It’s... fighting back."

Gold light flickered beneath his skin, pulsing like a heartbeat. His eyes glowed strangely bright.

"What did you do?" Kael ordered, grabbing his brother’s shoulders.

"I borrowed power from the Moon Chamber," Jaxon admitted, his voice strained. "To strengthen my bond with Aria. But now that we’re getting closer..."

"It’s returning to its source," Lucien ended, his face grim. "And taking some of your life force with it."

Horror washed over me. "You’re dying?"

"Not if we complete the ritual," Jaxon said, forcing a smile despite his obvious pain. "Breaking the curse should break this connection too."

"You should have told us," Kael growled.

"And risk you leaving me behind?" Jaxon shook his head. "I need to fix what I broke."

I felt the red thread of Kael’s bond pulse with anger, and the blue thread of Lucien’s with worry. But the gold thread of Jaxon’s tie was fraying, weakening with each step we took.

"We need to hurry," I said, pushing ahead faster. "Before it’s too late."

The stairs finally ended in a long cave carved with the same strange symbols as the standing stones. The air here felt charged, like the moment before lightning hits.

"The Chamber is just ahead," Lucien said, pointing to a faint glow at the end of the tunnel.

"Wait." Mira stopped suddenly, her eyes wide. "Do you hear that?"

We all froze, listening. At first, I heard nothing. Then, slowly, a sound reached my ears—a woman’s voice, singing a haunting tune that made my skin prickle.

"Mother," I whispered, feeling tears spring to my eyes.

"She’s calling you," Lucien said softly.

The song grew louder as we reached the end of the tunnel. There, blocking our way, was a wall of shimmering blue light—the first magical barrier.

"How do we get through?" Mira asked.

I stepped forward, drawn by the song. The barrier rippled like water as I neared.

"Blood of the Moon Alpha," I whispered, somehow knowing what to do.

I pressed my hand against the silver dagger’s blade, wincing as it cut my skin. Blood welled up, bright red in the glow of my scar.

"Aria, wait," Kael started, but I was already putting my bleeding hand to the barrier.

The light flashed once, twice... and then turned blood red. The singing stopped suddenly.

"Something’s wrong," Lucien said, tensing beside me.

The barrier began to twist and contort, forming a face—my mother’s face, her features twisted in pain.

"Run!" she screamed, her voice no longer singing but filled with terror. "It’s a trap!"

The barrier broke like glass, and a wave of dark energy rushed toward us.

"Get back!" Jaxon shouted, throwing himself in front of me.

The darkness hit him full force, lifting him off his feet and smashing him against the wall. He slid to the ground, motionless.

"Jaxon!" I screamed, lunging toward him.

But the darkness was already reshaping, making a new barrier—this one black as midnight. And behind it, watching us with cold, triumphant eyes, stood Darius.

And beside him, smiling wickedly, was Elira.