The Moon's Chosen Guardians

The Three Alphas

The forest erupted in flames.

For one heartbeat, nobody moved.

Then the screaming began.

"Attack!"

"Get the children inside!"

"Protect the temple!"

The courtyard exploded into chaos.

Wolves shifted almost instantly.

Bones cracked.

Bodies twisted.

Within seconds, dozens of enormous wolves stood where people had been moments before.

I remained frozen beside the shattered Moonstone.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

The voice inside my head was gone.

But its warning remained.

Run.

I took one step backward.

A hand grabbed my arm.

"Move!"

I barely had time to look up before the quiet Alpha pulled me against his chest.

His body was solid and warm.

"Stay behind me."

I stared at him.

"You"

"Later."

His voice left no room for argument.

A massive black wolf burst through the temple gates.

Its eyes glowed red.

It wasn't like any wolf I'd ever seen.

Its fur was almost completely black, but dark veins seemed to pulse beneath its skin.

The wolf snarled.

The quiet Alpha stepped forward.

His eyes changed.

For the first time, I saw what he really was.

An Alpha.

Not merely a pack Alpha.

Something far more powerful.

A dark shadow spread across his body.

His wolf emerged with terrifying speed.

Black fur.

Silver eyes.

A growl so deep that the ground seemed to vibrate.

The attacking wolf lunged.

They collided.

The impact sent a shock wave through the courtyard.

I stumbled backward.

"Aria!"

Aunt Mara grabbed me.

"Come with me!"

"But"

"Now!"

She pulled me toward the temple.

I looked back.

The three visiting Alphas were fighting together.

The cold one moved with terrifying precision.

The red-haired Alpha fought like a storm, flames dancing around his claws.

And the dark Alpha

I couldn't look away from him.

His wolf moved through shadows as though darkness itself obeyed him.

Then his silver eyes found mine.

Even in the middle of the battle, he looked directly at me.

Something inside my chest tightened.

A strange warmth spread through my veins.

Then the world tilted.

I heard a whisper.

Mine.

I gasped.

"No."

Aunt Mara looked at me.

"What?"

"Nothing."

But it wasn't nothing.

I knew that word hadn't come from me.

We barely made it inside the temple before the doors slammed shut.

Several guards pushed heavy wooden beams across them.

People were crying.

Children screamed for their parents.

The elderly prayed.

I stood in the center of the chaos, breathing heavily.

Aunt Mara was beside me.

Her face was pale.

"What was that?" I asked.

She didn't answer.

"Aunt Mara."

Nothing.

I grabbed her wrist.

"What is happening?"

Her eyes finally met mine.

Fear lived there.

Real fear.

And suddenly I understood something.

She knew.

She had always known.

"You knew this would happen."

She looked away.

"You knew about the mark."

"Aria—"

"You knew!"

My voice echoed through the temple.

Everyone nearby turned.

Aunt Mara's lips trembled.

"Not here."

"Then where?"

"Not here."

"Who am I?"

She closed her eyes.

Before she could answer, the temple doors exploded inward.

Wood flew across the room.

People screamed.

A black creature stepped through the smoke.

Blood dripped from its claws.

The guards attacked.

The creature tore through them.

I stumbled backward.

Aunt Mara shoved me behind her.

"Stay behind me."

"You can't fight that!"

"I know."

She reached beneath her dress.

When her hand came back out, she was holding a silver dagger.

I stared at it.

"Where did you get that?"

She didn't answer.

The creature lunged.

Aunt Mara threw herself in front of me.

The dagger flashed.

The creature screamed.

But it didn't stop.

It struck her across the chest.

She flew backward.

"Aunt Mara!"

I ran toward her.

She hit the stone floor hard.

Blood spread across her dress.

"No."

I dropped beside her.

"No, no, no..."

Her eyes opened.

"Aria..."

"I'm here."

She grabbed my hand.

Her fingers were cold.

"Listen to me."

"Don't talk."

"You need to leave."

"I won't leave you."

"You must."

The creature growled behind me.

I turned.

It was coming.

My body wouldn't move.

Fear paralyzed me.

The creature raised its claws.

Then a wall of ice slammed into it.

The monster flew across the temple.

I looked toward the entrance.

The cold Alpha stood there.

His eyes were glowing blue.

"Take the girl."

A second voice answered.

"I'll handle the creature."

The red-haired Alpha stepped forward.

Fire erupted around his fists.

The third Alpha entered last.

His eyes immediately found me.

Then he looked at Aunt Mara.

Something dark flashed across his face.

He crossed the distance between us in seconds.

"She's injured."

I stared at him.

"Can you save her?"

His gaze dropped to Aunt Mara.

"I can try."

"Then do it!"

He knelt beside her.

Aunt Mara looked at him.

Her expression changed.

Recognition.

"You..."

The Alpha went still.

"You remember me?"

Her eyes widened.

"Your father..."

The Alpha's jaw tightened.

"My father is dead."

Aunt Mara swallowed.

"He died protecting her."

His eyes snapped toward me.

"Protecting who?"

Aunt Mara said nothing.

The Alpha's gaze returned to me.

"Aria."

The way he said my name sent a shiver through me.

"How do you know my name?"

He didn't answer.

Instead, he looked at the mark on my wrist.

His expression hardened.

"Because we've been searching for you."

My heart stopped.

"Why?"

Before he could respond, Aunt Mara whispered:

"Because her parents aren't dead."

Silence.

The Alpha stared at her.

I stared too.

"What?"

Aunt Mara's eyes filled with tears.

"I lied to you."

My world shattered.

"You told me they died."

"I had to."

"Why?"

"Because if anyone discovered who you were, they would come for you."

I shook my head.

"You said they were killed by rogues."

"They were."

"Then how are they alive?"

Aunt Mara looked at the three Alphas.

"They survived."

The room seemed to spin.

"Where are they?"

She opened her mouth.

No words came.

Then the temple floor shook.

A deafening roar came from outside.

The red-haired Alpha turned toward the doors.

"More are coming."

The cold Alpha's eyes narrowed.

"How many?"

The red-haired Alpha looked toward the shattered entrance.

"Too many."

The dark Alpha stood.

His expression had changed completely.

"We're leaving."

I shook my head.

"No."

He looked at me.

"You don't understand."

"I can't leave her."

He glanced at Aunt Mara.

Then back at me.

"If you stay, you die."

"I don't care."

His eyes flashed.

"I do."

My breath caught.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he stepped closer.

"You need to trust me."

"I don't even know your name."

His expression softened slightly.

"Darius."

The name seemed to settle somewhere deep inside me.

"Darius..."

His eyes darkened.

"Don't say my name like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're already mine."

My face heated.

"I wasn't"

A thunderous explosion interrupted us.

The temple walls cracked.

Dust rained from the ceiling.

Darius grabbed my hand.

"We're leaving."

I looked at Aunt Mara.

"She comes with us."

Darius hesitated.

Then nodded.

"Fine."

The cold Alpha approached.

"Kael."

I looked at him.

"That's your name?"

He nodded.

The red-haired Alpha stepped beside him.

"Rowan."

Three Alphas.

Three strange men.

And somehow, every instinct inside me was screaming that my life had just become connected to theirs.

Kael looked toward the temple entrance.

"We have minutes."

Rowan flexed his fingers.

"Then let's make them count."

Darius looked at me.

"Stay close."

I nodded.

We moved toward the exit.

But before I could take another step, the mark on my wrist burned.

I screamed.

Silver light exploded from my body.

Everyone stopped.

The entire temple went silent.

Then a voice thundered from somewhere beyond the mountains.

A voice that wasn't human.

Wasn't wolf.

Something ancient.

Something enormous.

"THE CELESTIAL LUNA HAS AWAKENED."

The three Alphas stared at me.

And for the first time in my life, I understood something terrifying.

They weren't here to save me.

They were here because of me.

And whatever was coming for me...

had already found us.