Beneath the Alpha's Moon

Liam’s P.O.V.

Elizabeth’s hands glowed as she stepped toward us, her ember eyes twinkling with mischief. "Alright, children, hold still. This will only hurt a lot if you resist."

I barely had time to process that before she lifted her hands, and a gust of wind blasted around us. A strange force wrapped around my chest, like invisible threads tightening around my ribs. The air shimmered, and I felt something—something ancient—seep into my skin, coiling around my bones.

Mai let out a sharp breath beside me, and Eldur cursed under his breath.

"Done," Elizabeth said cheerfully, lowering her hands. "From now on, if any of you tries to leave the others behind, you’ll feel pain. Not a gentle nudge, not an annoying headache—real pain."

Eldur crossed his arms, smirking. "And what if one of us needs to use the restroom? Are we supposed to hold hands through the door?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You can use the restroom just fine. The spell only activates if you think about escaping each other’s company."

Mai groaned. "Great. So even my thoughts are a prison now."

Eldur smirked. "At least we’ll all suffer together."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "This is going to be hell."

From the corner of the room, Ollie snorted. "You know, with this spell, someone could mistake the three of you as triplets, not just Mai and me."