Bound to the Triplet Alphas

ARIA POV

My claws sank deep into the training dummy’s chest before I even realized I’d moved.

"Aria, stop!" Kael’s voice cut through the red haze clouding my view.

I blinked and stumbled backward. The training dummy was torn beyond recognition. Stuffing floated around me like snow. My hands were covered in blood from where my claws had grown too fast.

"What’s happening to me?" I whispered.

The Hunter’s Moon hung low and orange in the evening sky. It only came once a year, and every werewolf felt its pull. But this was different. This was wrong.

"The ritual starts at midnight," Jaxon said quietly. He stood at the edge of the training ground with Lucien. Both of them looked worried. "But you’re already changing."

I tried to take a big breath, but my heart was racing like I’d been running for hours. Everything looked better. Every sound was too loud. The smell of blood on my hands made my gut growl with hunger.

"I want to hunt," I said, surprised by how angry my own voice sounded. "I want to chase something and... and..."

"And kill it," Lucien finished softly.

I nodded, ashamed. "Is that normal?"