Bound to the Triplet Alphas

ARIA POV

I gasped awake, breaking the red chains that had bound me. They fell away like broken glass, disappearing before they hit the ground. My body felt strange—like it belonged to me but also to someone else. The fight between Alpha Darius’s binding magic and the Moon Alpha power had nearly torn me apart.

Three days had passed since that night, they told me. Three days of fever and nightmares while my body fought to live.

Now I was alone in the pack gardens, sitting under the old willow tree. Everyone was afraid to come near me since I woke up. Even Mira kept her distance, unsure if I was still the friend she knew.

I wasn’t sure myself.

I touched the spot on my neck where the pendant had been. It was gone, but I could feel its power inside me now, mixed with my own blood.

"You should be resting."

I jumped at the voice and turned to see Kael standing a few feet away. His face was guarded as always, but something was different about his eyes.

"I’ve rested enough," I said, standing up. My legs wobbled, and Kael moved quickly to catch me before I fell.

The moment his hands touched my arms, a jolt of energy passed between us. He yanked his hands away like he’d been burned.

"Sorry," he grumbled.