Chapter 70
The thing in the sky wasn’t just some random monster. It was something old, something that had been waiting for this exact moment. Kael helped his mother to her feet while Darian’s body lay still on the ground. Two boys dead, one grieving, and a wife who had just lost everything to stop her evil husband. “We need to leave,” Kane urged, collecting the rescued children. “This place isn’t safe anymore.” But Evelyn shook her head. “Running won’t help. That thing up there feeds on pain and separation. The more we run, the stronger it gets.” “Then what do we do?” Celeste asked, her wolf form trembling with tiredness. Luna Evelyn looked at Elara with eyes that held ages of wisdom. “We find the full prophecy. The one your parents died guarding.” Elara’s heart skipped. “You know about my parents?” “I know everything, child. Your mother was my sister p>
The world turned sideways. Kael grabbed Elara’s arm as she swayed. “That’s impossible. My parents were omegas.” “Your parents were the strongest Alphas in three generations,” Evelyn said strongly. “They gave up their power to hide you from this exact moment.” The shadow thing roared overhead, and buildings began to crack under its dark pressure. They were running out of time. “Where’s the prophecy?” Kael demanded. “Hidden where Marcus could never find it. In the one place he was too proud to look.” Evelyn smiled sadly. “Darian’s room.” They raced through the broken streets as the shadow thing grew bigger. Its hunger was so strong now that weaker wolves were falling just from being near it. Darian’s room was exactly as he had left it. Books everywhere, maps on the walls, and a chess set where he’d been playing against himself. But Evelyn went right to his desk and pressed a hidden button. A secret drawer opened. Inside was an old scroll, written in blood-red ink that seemed to move in the candlelight. “Read it,” Evelyn ordered. Elara unrolled the paper with shaking hands. The words were in the old language, but somehow she understood every one: “When the Blood Moon rises and shadows break free, The Moon Alpha will face her fate. Three hearts bound by fate’s cruel design, Love split will fall, love united will shine. But beware the choice that pulls love apart, For only together can they guard the heart. One road leads to darkness, one to the light, The difference between them is love’s pure sight.” “Love divided will fall, but love united will conquer all,” Elara whispered. “What does that mean?” Kane stepped forward. “It means you can’t choose just one of them. The prophecy says all three bonds must be perfect, or we all lose.” Kael’s face went pale. “But Ronan and Darian are—” “Not gone,” Evelyn interrupted. “Changed. The mate bond doesn’t break just because the body dies. Their souls are tied to yours forever.” As if called by her words, two figures appeared in the doorway. Ronan and Darian, but not as they were before. They glowed with soft silver light, their eyes holding depths of knowledge they’d never had in life. “Miss us?” Ronan grinned, though his smile was sadder now. “We’ve been watching,” Darian added quietly. “Waiting for you to understand.” Elara’s heart broke and healed at the same time. “You’re really here?” “We’re here,” Ronan revealed. “Different, but here.” The shadow thing outside roared again, and the building shook.
Through the window, they could see it diving toward the town like a giant bird of prey. “It knows,” Darian said quickly. “It knows you’re about to complete the prophecy.” “How do we stop it?” Kael asked. “Together,” all three brothers said at once. Evelyn nodded. “The creature feeds on broken ties and divided love. But if the three of you truly accept sharing Elara—not just tolerating it, but embracing it—your united power will be strong enough to send it back where it came from.” “I never wanted to share,” Kael revealed. “I wanted you all to myself.” “I wanted to fight for you alone,” Ronan said. “Prove I was enough.” “I wanted to manipulate you into choosing me,” Darian confessed. “Even if it meant hurting my brothers.” Elara felt tears running down her face. “And I wanted to pick the safe choice instead of following my heart.” The shadow thing crashed into the building next door. They were out of time. “Do you accept?” Evelyn asked anxiously. “All of you? Completely?” Kael looked at his brothers—one living, two dead but somehow still present. “I accept. I love you enough to share you.” “I accept,” Ronan said. “We’re stronger together.” “I accept,” Darian nodded. “My jealousy almost destroyed everything.
Never again.” “I accept,” Elara breathed. “I love all three of you. Equally. Completely.” The moment the words left her lips, silver light burst from their joined hands. The mate bond, which had been broken and fighting itself, suddenly became whole. Not three different connections, but one perfect circle of love and trust. The shadow thing screamed as the light hit it. For a moment, it looked like they had won. Then the creature smiled. And spoke in Marcus’s voice. “Did you really think it would be that easy? I’m not gone, my dear daughter-in-law. I’m just getting started.” The shadow creature began to change shape, gaining arms and legs and a face that looked exactly like Alpha Marcus Blackwood. “The real trap wasn’t for you,” it continued in Marcus’s voice. “It was for me. But I’m much smarter than my wife gave me credit for.” Evelyn’s face went white. “That’s impossible. The chains—” “Were meant for my body,” shadow-Marcus laughed. “But I left my body behind the moment I made my deal with the darkness.
Now I’m something much more powerful.” The thing that had been Marcus stepped through the wall like it was made of air. “And now that you’ve all accepted your bond, I can take it. All of it. The power of four souls united in love will make me unstoppable.” Shadow-Marcus reached out with hands made of pure darkness. And Elara realized with horror that finishing the prophecy hadn’t saved them. It had given their biggest enemy exactly what he needed to win.