Chapter 69: Ritual of Union
ARIA POV
The ceremonial dagger slipped from my hand and clattered to the stone floor. Blood—my blood—dripped from the small cut on my palm and sizzled as it hit the old circle runes.
"Don’t stop the ritual," Elder Thea hissed. "The circle must be completed."
I grabbed the dagger again with shaking hands. Around me, the pack watched in tense silence as I fought to finish the blood offering. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it.
Just moments ago, one of the twins had spoken with a voice that wasn’t his own. But which one? In the chaos that followed my fall, I hadn’t seen which brother’s eyes had glowed that unnatural blue.
Now they all stood around me in a triangle, their faces serious. Lucien to my right, Kael to my left, and Jaxon straight across from me. One of them was not who he seemed. One of them was the betrayer.
"Continue, Luna," Elder Thea urged, putting her wrinkled hand over mine. "The moon reaches its peak in minutes."
I nodded and pressed the dagger to my other hand, making a clean cut. More blood dripped onto the floor, finishing the inner circle.
"The Ritual of Union begins," Elder Thea announced. "Not seen in our pack for seven generations. The Alpha Trinity shall be restored."
Whispers sped through the crowd. Many looked confused or angry. This wasn’t the usual ceremony they’d expected.
"This is wrong," someone yelled. "One Alpha, one Luna. That’s our way!"