Chapter 4: Severing the Mate Bond
ARIA POV
I awoke with a gasp and cold water running down my cheeks. My eyes widened to see Beta Marcus standing over me, an empty bucket in hand.
"Get up, Omega," he growled. "The Alpha wants you."
As I attempted to sit up, a sharp pain rushed through my head. I was in a small stone room without windows, the pack’s holding cell. The memories of the ceremony flooded back. The moonlight. The gold eyes. The Triplets.
The anguish in my chest persisted, tugging me in three directions at once.
"Move!" Beta Marcus grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.
My legs shook as he dragged me through the packed grounds. Wolves paused to watch, murmuring behind their hands. I kept my gaze down, but I could sense their judgment.
We arrived at the Alpha’s residence, which omegas had never entered except to clean or serve. Beta Marcus shoved me through the door, into a spacious room where Alpha Darius was waiting. Elder Malin stood alongside him, seeming concerned. All three triplets were lined up against the wall.
The pull on my chest became almost excruciating. It was as if three ropes were fastened around my heart, each pulling toward a separate brother.
"Approach," Alpha Darius ordered.
I took modest steps forward, maintaining my gaze on the ground.