Three marks, one mate

Thirty nine

Desiree POV

My mates stared at each other.

That single glance between them said everything they weren’t saying out loud, and something inside me snapped almost instantly, because I knew that look, I recognized it far too well, it was the look of people who knew more than they were willing to admit.

And this time…

It involved me.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the prophecy?” I demanded, my voice rising sharply as anger surged through me, hot and uncontrollable, burning through every ounce of restraint I had left.

The room seemed to tighten around us.

“Desiree, please—” Avery started, stepping forward cautiously, her hands slightly raised as though trying to calm a storm she could already see building.

“Don’t,” I snapped, cutting her off instantly, my chest heaving as I struggled to contain everything crashing inside me. “Don’t tell me to calm down.”

My gaze snapped back to them—Brandon, Grayson, Zachary who were standing there, silent, tense, watching me as though they were trying to figure out how to handle me instead of answering me.

That only made it worse.

“This involves me,” I continued, my voice trembling now, not just from anger but from something deeper, something raw and painful. “And yet you are hiding things from me while expecting me to tell you everything?”

The hypocrisy stung.

It burned.

Zachary stepped forward carefully, his expression softening as though trying to reach me without triggering me further. “We didn’t know the prophecy was about you,” he said gently.

I laughed.

A sharp, bitter sound that didn’t belong to me.

“That’s a lie,” I shot back immediately, stepping closer to him, my eyes blazing with accusation. “You were right there when Elias called me Moon-Born.”

“Des—” Avery tried again, her voice more urgent this time.

“What?” I snapped, turning on her, frustration spilling over as I struggled to hold myself together. “Why do you keep calling my name like I am the one at fault here?”

Her expression shifted instantly. “Your eyes…” she said slowly, her voice almost a whisper now as she pointed toward me with trembling fingers. “They are glowing.”

Everything inside me stilled. “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice quieter now, though my heart had started racing again, faster, louder, echoing in my ears.

“Desiree…” he said softly, his voice calm but cautious, his eyes fixed on mine. “Your eyes are not their usual color.”

A chill ran down my spine.

My breath caught slightly as I lifted a shaky hand, instinctively touching my face as though I could feel the difference, as though I could confirm what they were seeing.

“I don’t feel anything,” I whispered, though that wasn’t entirely true.

Grayson took a step closer, his usual confidence replaced with something far more serious, far more alert. “Your aura is shifting,” he said slowly, his gaze darkening as he observed me carefully. “It feels… stronger.”

“I don’t understand,” I admitted, my voice trembling now as the earlier anger gave way to uncertainty, to fear of something I couldn’t control.

Zachary moved closer again, more cautiously this time, as though he wasn’t sure how I would react. “It might be connected,” he said quietly. “To what happened earlier. To what she told you.”

“The prophecy…” I murmured, my thoughts racing as pieces began to fall into place, though none of it felt complete. “You all knew something. Maybe not everything, but enough to keep it from me.”

“Say something!” I demanded, my voice breaking slightly now as frustration mixed with hurt, my emotions threatening to spiral out of control again.

Brandon exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair as though choosing his words carefully. “We knew there was a prophecy,” he finally admitted, his voice steady but firm. “But it was vague. Unclear. It spoke of a woman born of the moon, one who would either bring balance… or destruction.”

My heart skipped. “And you didn’t think that was important enough to tell me?” I asked, my voice quieter now, but far more dangerous, because the anger hadn’t disappeared—it had simply settled deeper.

“We didn’t know it was you,” Grayson said, his tone more direct now, though his gaze softened slightly. “There are many stories, many prophecies. Not all of them come to pass.”

“But this one is,” I replied immediately.

“It is happening,” I continued, my voice barely above a whisper now. “And I am right in the middle of it.”

Avery took a small step back, her gaze still fixed on me, her expression filled with both awe and fear. “Desiree…” she said softly, almost hesitantly. “Whatever is happening to you… It is not normal.”

“I had the feeling this morning,” I said slowly, my voice softer now, drained of the sharp anger from moments ago, yet filled with something far more unsettling. “Like… I was awakening to something.”

The words lingered in the air, heavy with meaning I still could not fully grasp, as I lowered myself into the chair behind me, my legs suddenly feeling too weak to hold me any longer. My fingers curled slightly against my lap, as though trying to ground myself, but nothing about this felt steady anymore.

Brandon broke it. “Do you know where your mother is?” he asked, his gaze shifting to Zachary, his tone serious, almost urgent.

Zachary stiffened slightly at the question, his jaw tightening before he responded. “I searched for her after she left,” he said, his voice controlled but strained. “I couldn’t find her. You are aware of this.”

“I know,” Brandon replied, rubbing his forehead as though trying to piece together something that refused to make sense. “But you are her son. She must have reached out to you somehow.”

“No,” Zachary said firmly, though there was frustration beneath his words. “None of us knows where she went. That was the reason I traveled for so long.” He exhaled sharply before adding, “Looking for my mate was just an excuse.”

Avery shifted beside us, her expression turning more serious than I had ever seen it. “She disappeared without a trace,” she added quietly. “No message. No sign. Nothing.”

A chill ran through me.

Why did it feel like everything was connected?

Like every missing piece somehow led back to me?

“What is going to happen to me?” I whispered, the fear I had been trying to suppress finally breaking through, my chest tightening painfully as the weight of it all crashed down on me at once. “What if I… ruin things? What if I mess up people’s mate bonds without even realizing it?”

The thought alone made my stomach twist because I already had.

Celine and Elias.

I didn’t even know how I did it.

“You won’t,” Grayson said immediately, his voice firm, unwavering, as he stepped closer and took my hand in his, his grip warm and grounding. “We are here with you.”

I looked up at him, searching his face, needing to believe him, needing something solid to hold onto in the middle of all this chaos.

But before I could respond, a knock sounded on the door.

It cut through the moment like a blade, pulling all of us back to reality instantly.

Zachary’s expression hardened immediately as he turned toward Avery. “No one must know about this,” he said firmly.

She nodded without hesitation. “I understand.”

Grayson released my hand reluctantly before moving toward the door, his body still tense, still alert, as though expecting danger even in something as simple as a knock.

When he opened it, Daphne stood there.

Relief flashed across her face the moment she saw all of us gathered inside. “Here is everyone,” she said, stepping slightly into the room.

“Is there a problem?” Zachary asked, his tone guarded.

Daphne shook her head. “No, but people are beginning to wonder where the Alpha and the Luna are,” she explained. “They are waiting… they want her to give a speech.”

My breath hitched slightly. “A speech?” I repeated, lifting my head slowly, the weight of everything pressing down on me all over again.

Daphne gave a small nod. “Yes, but if you are not feeling up to it, I can make an excuse for you.”

“No,” I said finally, pushing myself up from the chair, ignoring the slight tremble in my legs. “I am coming out now.”

Daphne smiled softly, relieved. “Alright,” she said before stepping back and leaving the room.

The door closed behind her.

Brandon stepped closer to me, his hand brushing lightly against mine as though silently asking if I was truly ready. “You don’t have to do this,” he murmured.

“I do,” I replied, even though my heart was pounding harder with every passing second.

Because no matter what was happening to me…

I was still their Luna and they were still my people.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself before turning toward the door, my hand reaching for the handle.

But just as my fingers brushed against it, a sharp, searing pain shot through my chest.