"Aria," he said softly. "Today is your birthday."
It wasn't a question, but I nodded nevertheless.
"The moon is full tonight," he added, his voice quiet. "You will attend the ceremony."
"Of course, Elder," I replied, puzzled. All eighteen-year-olds attended the ceremony. It was essential.
He leaned in, smelling gently. "You already feel it, don't you? "The change."
My heartbeat skipped. "What change?"
Elder Malin's eyes narrowed. "Interesting. "Very interesting." He reached inside his pocket and retrieved a little pouch. "Wear this tonight."
I accepted it hesitantly. Inside was a simple moonstone pendant with a leather cord.
"But this is for—"
"Wear it," he interjected. "Hide it under your clothes if you must, but wear it."
Moonstones were precious. They aided our connection to the Moon Goddess during ceremonies. However, they were only given to wolves from influential families (Alphas and Betas). Not Omegas like me.
"Why?" I questioned.
Elder Malin glanced at Mira before returning his attention to me. "Because someone is harboring secrets about you, child. And tonight, those secrets may be revealed."

~

I never mattered in our pack. Omegas like me serve, submit, and survive. We don't dream of love. We don't dream of power.

She was the future Luna. I was just the girl who watched from the shadows.

But everything changed on my 18th birthday.

I felt the bond. I met my mate.

One of the Alpha's sons.

But the Alpha has triplets, and I felt the mate bond with all three and it seems the three of them felt it too — three perfect warriors, three powerful Alphas, three secrets buried beneath the surface.

One of them is my destiny.

One of them is lying.

And one of them might be the death of me.

The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes... but this time, I think she might've given me too much to handle.

The dirty book fell from the top shelf, hitting me on the head before thumping to the floor. I rubbed my head, muttering under my breath. Three days of looking through the pack's oldest records, and all I had was a headache and dust in my hair.


Jaxon was still healing from Elder Malin's attack. While Lucien and Kael hunted for the traitors with the Broken Moon marks, I had chosen to search for answers about my own family. If my father was directing the First Wolf, maybe understanding my bloodline would help me find a way to stop him.


I picked up the fallen book, ready to toss it aside when gold writing caught my eye: "Bloodlines of the Ancient Packs." My heart skipped. This could be it!


Flipping through the pages, I found what I was looking for – Blackwood. My father's family name.


Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: The Blackwood Legacy