The Alphas Triplets

Carter’s Secret - Part 2

The wind shifted. The scent of ash thickened until it coated the back of my throat. Every instinct screamed to run, but pride kept my feet still.

“Tell me the truth,” I said. “What did you do?”

Carter’s smile trembled. “You’ll wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

He took another step. The light slanted through the trees, and for a heartbeat I saw the mark on his wrist - dark veins spiraling into a pattern that pulsed like dying embers.

“What’s is that?”

He pulled his sleeve down. “A reminder. Of what your father took from me.”

“My father saved you from yourself,” I snapped. “You broke every rule we have.”

“Rules,” he echoed, bitterness curling the word. “Rules that kept us weak while the rogues grew stronger. I found power that doesn’t come from begging the Moon for scraps.”

Something inside me turned to ice. “You made a deal.”

Carter’s jaw clenched. “It was the only way to protect you.”

The words hit like a slap. “Protect me? You almost killed my brother!”

“I didn’t mean to. I lost control.” He took another step, voice dropping to a plea. “I thought I could handle it. But once the darkness touches you, it doesn’t let go.”

He looked at me then - not the boy I’d loved once, but a stranger wearing his face. The mark on his wrist flared crimson, and the forest seemed to recoil.

Emma snarled inside me. He carries corruption. End this.

I raised my hand without thinking. Light flickered under my skin - silver, alive. Carter froze, eyes widened.

“You’ve changed,” he whispered. “The Moon marked you too.”

“I didn’t ask for it.”

He laughed softly, almost broke. “Neither did I.”

For a long moment we just stared at each other - two paths that had started together and split into light and shadow.

Then he stepped back into the trees. “When the blood moon rises, they’ll come for you. Remember this: not all monsters hide their teeth.”

And he was gone. Only the echo of his scent remained - ash, regret, and something dying.

I stood there until the wind swallowed the smell. My hands shook. The silver light faded, leaving faint warmth in my palms.

We should tell your father, Emma said.

“I know. But he won’t believe me until he sees it himself.”

Marcus will.

I nodded and headed back toward the compound. The forest seemed to lean after me, whispering warnings in a language older than words.

Marcus was at the gate, checking weapons with two warriors. When he saw me, his brows knit.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Worse,” I said. “Carter was here.”

He went still. “You’re sure?”

I told him everything - the mark, the stench of ash, the way the forest itself had flinched. He listened without interrupting, his expression unreadable.

When I finished, he exhaled slowly. “I believe you.”

Relief loosened something tight in my chest.

“But we say nothing to the Luna yet,” he added. “Your mother has enough to worry about with the celebration. Let me handle the patrols.”

“Then we’ll be ready.” His gaze softened.

“Trust your instincts, Jennie. They’ll keep you alive.”

That night , I couldn’t rest. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the red veins crawling up Carter’s arm, the way his eyes had flickered like a dying fire. The Moon Goddess”s warning echoed louder: A shadow moves through the packs.

I stepped onto the balcony again. Clouds covered the moon, and thunder rolled far away. For a second, lightning flashed, and in its brief light I thought I saw a figure at the edge of the woods - watching.

When darkness returned, it was gone.

Emma’s voice was a whisper now. He isn’t finished.

“No,” I breathed. “Neither am I.”