I started hearing whispers on the third day after the Council's ultimatum.
It started as a joke because I first heard them in the hallway outside the dining hall. It was two pack members who I don't remember meeting talking in what they thought were hushed voices.
"—three mates. It's unnatural."
"I heard Phoenixes can bond with multiple partners, but three? And they're all just... okay with it?"
"They can't all be legitimate. One of them has to be the real mate. The others are just..."
"Side pieces right?"
I heard them laugh and felt a sting in my chest, but I couldn't get myself to leave so I pressed myself against the wall, making sure I was well hidden by shadows, and kept listening.
"If I had to guess, it's Alpha Avalon. He's her husband and the official mate."
"But she spends
