Chapter Three – One of Us
1349 Words
Aria was quiet on her way to work the next morning. She clutched her coffee like a lifeline, trying to shake off the dream that still clung to her like morning fog.
It hadn’t felt like a dream.
Not really.
She could still feel the heat of their breath on her neck. Still hear their voices—three distinct and yet somehow unified, calling her “mate” like it was the only word that mattered.
She didn’t know what scared her more: the dream, or how much she had wanted them to catch her.
She stepped through the tall glass doors of Vale Foundation, trying to compose herself. She was just an assistant. Just here to do a job. She didn’t have time for forbidden fantasies or mysterious billionaires who smelled too good and stared too hard.
And yet…
“Good morning, Aria.”
Nero’s voice.
She turned and there he was—towering, calm, dressed in deep charcoal with eyes like ink frozen in glass. He held out a plain black envelope.
“What’s this?”
“Your next assignment,” he said.
That voice. It did something strange to her—settled under her skin, deep in places where logic had no reach.
She took the envelope and opened it.
Inside: a keycard, a simple map, and a handwritten note.
Conference Room 13B. Don’t be late. And don’t let them rattle you. – C
Her brows knit. “What is this?”
Nero didn’t answer. Instead, he tilted his head slightly. “Trust us.”
That was the thing—she shouldn’t. She barely knew these men. Yet something in her chest stirred, whispering that she already knew them. Had known them before knowing was even possible.
She nodded.
Nero’s lips curved—just barely—into something that almost resembled a smile.
And then he was gone.
—
Conference Room 13B was tucked into a quiet corner of the executive floor. Aria scanned her keycard, stepped in…
And froze.
Caelum stood by the tall windows, his silver eyes pinned to the skyline. Darius—leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, grinning like he already knew all her secrets. And in the center of the room: a long table, covered in files, photos, and—
“Oh,” Aria whispered.
The images were grim. Surveillance shots. Reports. Maps with red inked Xs. She stepped closer.
“You’re not just an assistant,” Caelum said without turning.
“You were never meant to be,” Darius added.
Her throat dried. “What… is all this?”
Caelum finally faced her. “You’ve walked into more than a job, Aria. You’ve stepped into something ancient. Something powerful.”
“Your instincts brought you here,” Darius murmured. “The same instincts that woke the bond.”
“Bond?”
They exchanged a glance.
Caelum stepped forward, placing a hand on the table. “What do you know about werewolves?”
She laughed—nervous, shaky. “Seriously?”
Darius arched a brow. “You dreamed of us last night. Running. Chasing.”
She went still.
“You remember it,” Caelum said softly.
“How—how do you know that?”
“Because we felt it too,” Darius replied, voice low. “When one of us dreams, all of us do.”
Her breath caught.
This was insane.
Except it wasn’t.
Her body believed them. Her bones believed them. She didn’t know why—but deep down, something inside her already knew.
“Why me?” she asked.
“Because you’re ours,” Caelum said. “Fated. Marked.”
“I don’t believe in fate.”
“You will.”
They said it in unison. Three voices. One soul.
She stumbled back, overwhelmed.
Caelum’s expression softened. “We didn’t mean to scare you.”
“But it’s the truth,” Darius added.
“And it’s not going away,” Nero said, suddenly appearing in the doorway.
The room was full of them now. Not just their presence—but their energy. Like the air itself bowed around them.
“You’ll feel it more each day,” Nero said. “The tether. The ache. The hunger.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t ask for this.”
“Neither did we,” Caelum replied. “But here you are.”
“And now we protect you,” Nero added. “No matter what.”
Aria’s voice trembled. “From what?”
Darius pointed at the table. “From them.”
She looked again—at the files. Faces crossed out. Locations burned. Victims. All supernatural.
“This is why we built the Vale Foundation,” Caelum said. “To cover our operations. To hide in plain sight. To keep our people safe.”
Aria whispered, “What people?”
“Shifters,” Nero said. “Wolves. Witches. Bloodlines. You’d be surprised how many still walk among humans.”
“And you think I’m one of them?”
Caelum studied her. “We know you are.”
“I’ve never shifted,” she whispered. “I don’t even know what I am.”
“You’re ours,” Darius said, eyes suddenly darker. “That’s all that matters.”
A silence stretched between them.
Then Nero stepped closer.
“Touch me.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Just your hand,” he said, extending his,
Heart thudding, she placed her fingers in his palm.
Electricity.
Her breath hitched. Heat raced up her arm, her chest, her spine.
Nero’s pupils dilated.
“She felt that,” he said quietly.
“She’s awakening,” Caelum murmured.
Aria pulled back, shaken. “What the hell is happening to me?”
“Your power has been asleep,” Darius said. “We don’t know why.”
“But it’s waking,” Nero added. “You’re changing.”
She felt it too. Deep under her skin. A restless whisper.
“Come with us tonight,” Caelum said. “Let us show you who you are.”
“To where?”
“Our home,” Darius answered. “The Hollow.”
Something about the name sent shivers down her spine.
“I don’t—”
“We’ll protect you,” Nero interrupted. “From the outside. From the darkness. From yourself, if we have to.”
Their protectiveness wrapped around her like a stormcloud.
But not once did she feel caged.
She felt…
Safe.
Even now, with her world unraveling, their presence steadied her.
“What if I say no?” she whispered.
Caelum’s gaze locked on hers. “Then we wait.”
Darius stepped forward, his eyes softer now. “But Aria… every second you delay, something inside you dies a little more.”
Nero’s voice was quieter still. “And something dangerous waits to take its place.”
She didn’t answer right away.
Because she knew he was right.
That night, Aria stood in front of a black SUV outside her apartment. She didn’t remember agreeing—but she’d found herself walking, packing, preparing.
Like instinct had taken over.
The back door opened.
Three shadows waited inside.
She climbed in.
They drove through miles of forest road until they reached an estate hidden among the trees. Wrought iron gates. Stone walls. And beyond that, a house older than time—half-mansion, half-temple, lit by firelight and surrounded by silver mist.
The Hollow.
It whispered to her blood.
Inside, the warmth hit her instantly. Cedarwood. Smoke. Spice.
The brothers moved through the space with effortless grace. She followed them through darkened halls until they reached a grand room with floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing the forest beyond.
Caelum spoke first.
“We’ll tell you everything.”
Darius added, “But you need to be ready.”
“And protected,” Nero finished.
Before she could ask what that meant, they stepped toward her—together.
Three voices. One oath.
“You are ours. And from this night on, nothing will ever touch you without facing us.”
The world tilted.
And Aria felt something inside her shift—c***k—awaken.
- Writer
