Bound to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter 12: Hidden Secrets

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Hidden SecretsARIA POV

"Duck!" Mira hissed, yanking me down behind a stack of firewood.

I pressed my body against the rough logs, holding my breath as two guards walked past. Their flashlights cut through the darkness, sweeping dangerously close to our hidden spot.

"This is insane," I whispered once they had passed. "If Alpha Darius catches us—" "He won’t," Mira said firmly. "Not if we’re quick and quiet."

Three days had passed since Alpha Darius’s attack in the library. Three days since Lucien had spoken those strange words in a voice that wasn’t his own. I had barely escaped, thanks to Kael changing into his wolf form and fighting his own father long enough for Jaxon to pull me away.

Now, Alpha Darius was hunting me openly, saying I had used dark magic to twist the mate bond and corrupt his sons. Half the pack believed him. The other half wasn’t sure what to believe.

"Come on," Mira tugged my sleeve. "The records room is just ahead."

We darted across the open space between buildings, staying low. The pack center loomed ahead, most windows dark except for a few offices where night guards kept watch.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked as we reached the back door.

Mira nodded, pulling out a small key. "Elira’s not the only one with ties. I... took this from one of the kitchen staff."

The lock clicked open, and we slipped inside.

The hallway stretched before us, dark and quiet. I let my new wolf senses guide me, sniffing for any sign of guards. Ever since my first shift, my abilities had gotten stronger each day – smell, hearing, even night vision.

"This way," I whispered, leading Mira down the hallway toward the records room.

The door was locked, but Mira pulled out a hairpin with a grin. "I’ve been practicing."

"Where did you learn to pick locks?"

"When you’re an omega, you learn all sorts of useful skills," she answered, working on the lock. "Especially when the high-ranking wolves think you’re not worth watching."

The lock clicked, and we were in.

The records room was smaller than the library, packed with filing cabinets and boxes stacked to the roof. The air smelled musty and old.

"Where do we even start?" I asked, stunned.

Mira pointed to an area marked "Personal Effects – Deceased."

"If your mother’s things are anywhere, they’d be there," she said. "Under ’T’ for Thorne."

We

Then, a voice from the hallway called, "Guard! Come quickly! There’s action at the east gate!"

The guard cursed softly. "I’ll be back," he muttered, before turning and running out.

Once his footsteps faded, Mira emerged from the cabinet.

"That was close," she whispered. "We should go before he comes back."

We slipped out of the records room and rushed back the way we came. My heart raced with every step, but not just from fear. The items in my pocket felt like they were burning against my skin – clues to a mystery I was only starting to understand.

As we reached the door we’d entered through, voices approached from outside. We froze, stuck.

"Find another way out," Mira pushed.

We turned, only to see flashlight beams at the other end of the passage. Guards were coming from both ways.

Panic rose in my throat. Then, my eyes fell on a small window at the end of a narrow corridor.

"This way," I pulled Mira along.

The window was small, but we could fit through. I pushed it open and helped Mira climb out first.

Just as I was about to follow, a hand grabbed my ankle.

"Got you," the guard growled.

I kicked hard, breaking free, and fell through the window. We ran into the darkness of the trees surrounding the offices.

"We made it," Mira gasped when we finally stopped, deep in the woods.

I pulled out the picture of my parents, staring at their faces in the dim moonlight. "But now what? Alpha Darius will know someone broke in."

"We go to the ritual grounds," Mira said. "On the night of the Blood Moon. That’s what the map is telling us."

I touched the chain under my shirt. It seemed to pulse with energy against my skin.

"Aria," Mira’s voice dropped to a whisper. "We’re not alone."

I turned slowly, following her eyes.

There, standing between the trees, watching us with sparkling eyes, was Lucien. His face was pale in the moonlight, his expression unclear.

"I’ve been looking for you," he said, moving forward. Blood dripped from a wound on his forehead. "They’re coming. All of them."

"Who’s coming?" I asked, backing away.

Lucien’s eyes flickered, changing from their normal gold to a strange, unnatural red.

"The truth," he said in that same strange voice from before. "The truth is coming for us all."

He fell to his knees, his body shaking violently. When he looked up again, his eyes were back to normal, filled with fear.

"Run, Aria," he gasped. "He’s in my head. He knows what you found. And he’s bringing the entire pack to kill you before you reach the ritual sites."