{Elira}
~**^**~
The clearing was already full when we arrived.
Torches burned in a wide circle, casting flickering gold across faces lined with anticipation.
Every ranked family stood tall, dressed in fine silks, precious stones, and polished pride. Elders took their seats. The high priest waited in his ceremonial robes at the center of the ring.
And above it all, the Mating Moon hung low, heavy and red—a perfect sphere of quiet judgment.
As soon as we arrived, all eyes were on Regina.
She walked ahead of me in her purple dress, her arm looped around Lady Maren's like royalty. Her hair glittered with silver clips, her lips curled with quiet victory.
She had already decided this would be her moment.
Regina and Lady Maren liked the attention. They wanted it, even prepared for it. Hence, the deliberate delay on our way here.
They wanted all heads to turn in their direction on their arrival. And it happened.
I kept close behind them as instructed, with my head down. I didn't speak. I didn't breathe too loud. I was like a shadow. Regina's shadow.
The whispers started before we were fully inside the clearing.
"There she is—Regina Shaw. She's the one."
"She has been waiting for this moment since she was 18 and training since she was 16."
"She is beautiful. And she does have it in her to wear the Luna crown."
"And honestly, she is perfect for it. No one could have fit more."
"Which of the Alpha triplets do you think she would end up with?"
"Definitely, Zenon. He is the next Alpha. Even if Regina doesn't feel the mate bond with him tonight, their engagement ceremony will proceed as agreed."
"That's true. Last year, they didn't feel the mate bond. Even two years ago. Tonight, it will be the same."
The comments buzzed like insects, too fast to swat away. Regina, of course, soaked them up like perfume.
"Don't step too close," she hissed over her shoulder. "And try not to ruin my moment."
I said nothing. I didn't plan to ruin anything.
But apparently, she did.
Just as we approached the front of the crowd, she suddenly stepped back onto the hem of my dress.
I barely had time to gasp when my foot caught, my balance broke, and I fell. Hard.
The sound of my body hitting the ground snapped through the silence like a whip.
Laughter broke out. First, a few. Then more.
Some tried to stifle it. Others didn't bother.
"How could she choose this moment to trip over her own feet?"
"I think she was just trying to attract some attention to herself. Too bad she chose a despicable means."
"Why is an omega even here?"
"I heard she just turned 18. She must be here searching for a mate to help her miserable life... Hahaha."
"She should have stayed in the kitchen where the rest of her kind belongs."
Regina didn't turn to look at me. She simply stepped forward with her mother, head high, as if nothing had happened.
I pushed myself up slowly, every part of me burning. My dress was dirty now, so I dusted it with my hands, my face hot with shame.
It was a mystery how soon the pack forgot about me. Even though I was born an omega, I at least had my respect because of my Beta father.
But after his death, Uncle Marc took over as acting Beta of our Ashfang pack; my life turned for the worse.
Suddenly, everyone shifted their attention from me, giving me a moment to escape from their watchful eyes.
The crowd stirred. A hum of excitement rippled through the air.
They were here.
The Ashford triplets entered the clearing from the treeline, flanked by two elite guards.
Zenon, tall and unreadable, walked in first. His jaw clenched, his black formal jacket sharp across his broad shoulders. Every step radiated strength, composure and control.
Lennon followed, looser, but giving off a dangerous aura. He had his hands in his pockets. A predator's grin played on his lips. He was dressed like he was born to stand out—and he did.
Then came Rennon, quiet and focused. Rimmed reading glasses framed his eyes. His cloak was grey, soft, weightless. He moved calmly while giving off a peaceful aura.
They were still very handsome and carried that powerful, sophisticated aura.
In the past, Zenon was unreachable. Lennon was just there, and Rennon was detached.
And I can see the growth more clearly now.
The crowd quieted.
Everyone watched Regina.
She stood alone now in the center of the ring, her face glowing under the rising moon. She couldn't hide her excitement.
The Mating Moon was full now. Crimson. Glowing like blood.
The high priest began the ceremony. He raised both hands, then his voice boomed:
"Tonight, under the Moon of Fate, the mate bond shall awaken in the chosen. The wolves shall rise. The hearts shall call."
And then, something shifted inside me.
It started as a throb in my chest—a slow pulse. Then, a heat bloomed low in my stomach and rose like a tide.
I gasped.
My body felt like it was vibrating, like my bones were being pulled by a string I couldn't see. My vision blurred—and I stumbled forward.
My mate was here?
T-this c-couldn't... How was this possible?
The pull, it was strong, terrifying and all-consuming.
The high priest continued the incantation.
"We call the Moon. We call the Bonds. Let the fated find their pair…"
Then I felt the mate bond. Not once. Not twice. But three times.
It wrapped around me like invisible chains.
The air shifted, and something deep stirred.
Then I heard it.
"Go."
A voice inside me. Calm. Female. Unfamiliar, yet mine.
My wolf?
Before I could think, my feet were already moving, drawn forward and pulled like a thread on a spindle.
I stepped out from the shadows and into the firelight—straight into the eyes of the pack.
Gasps followed.
And then I saw the triplets: Zenon. Lennon. Rennon.
Each moving toward me from separate corners of the circle—eyes distant, trance-like.
We met at the centre, face to face. The high priest was on one side, while Regina, stunned, was on the other.
The world went still.
"Mates," my wolf whispered.
The bond snapped into place. I felt it settle into my bones. Then the pull faded.
And just like that, the three brothers blinked, breaking free of whatever held them.
Zenon's eyes narrowed slightly, his jaw clenching. Lennon looked startled. Only Rennon… looked calm.
Then the high priest's voice broke the silence. "It is done. The bond has chosen."
And with that, the pack exploded into shouts, accusations and chaos.
"No!" Lady Maren screamed, completely losing her composure.