The Flame-bound Wolf and Her Triplet Mates

15

Chapter Fifteen

The world seemed to vibrate around me, the heat from my flames l*****g at my skin but leaving me untouched. The rogue leader's eyes widened in alarm as the fire on my arms flared higher, brighter, a living entity of rage and desperation. I couldn’t control it, nor did I want to.

“I said, let them go,” I repeated, my voice low and menacing.

The rogue leader took a step back, his composure faltering for the first time. He opened his mouth to respond, but it was too late. With a sharp c***k, a wave of energy burst from me, slamming into him. The force sent him flying into the stone wall with a sickening thud.

He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

The walls of the fortress groaned in protest, cracks spidering along the stone. Dust and debris rained down from above.

I sprinted to the cells, my flames burning hotter as I reached for the silver bars. They hissed and then melted a little under my touch, the acrid scent of heated metal filling the air, which was enough for me to open the cell.

Orion stumbled out by himself before I could help him up, his movements sluggish but determined. “Milli…” he rasped, his voice thick with exhaustion.

“Can you walk?” I asked, my voice tight with urgency.

He nodded. “I’ll manage.”

It wasn't convincing but I didn't want to waste time fighting Orion when I still had my two other mates to worry about.

I moved to Flint’s cell next, repeating the process, and finally Evan’s. Both of them leaned heavily on me, their strength sapped by the silver.

The fortress gave another ominous shudder. “We need to go—now,” I urged.

Together, we staggered toward the exit, the ground quaking beneath us. By the time we burst outside, the entire structure was collapsing in on itself.

I looked around and it wasn't just the cells that were collapsing, it was the rogue leaders entire fortress. It was once an imposing stronghold, was reduced to nothing more than rubble. I looked around and couldn't even spot one member of his army. My guess was that they had abandoned this place once it started crumbling. Rogue's were self serving like that.

We stood in silence, the triplets panting heavily beside me.

“It’s gone,” I murmured, more to myself than anyone else.

Evan was the first to recover, his sharp mind already piecing things together. “The rogue leader must have been the one keeping the fortress stable. With him unconscious…” He gestured to the ruins.

I stared at the rubble, my fists clenching. “We need to find him. He can’t be allowed to escape.”

“No,” Orion said firmly, stepping in front of me. His face was pale, but his voice held conviction. “We’re in no shape to continue this fight. We need to go back to the pack and regroup.”

I hesitated, torn between what I knew would put us ahead and my concern for my mates. They were injured, their bodies still recovering from the silver’s effects. Leading them into something this dangerous wouldn't bare any fruit, I would probably end up worrying about them and not be able to concentrate on the rogue leader.

“Fine,” I relented, though my wolf growled in protest.

With a flick of my wrist, the flames around me flared one last time, burning away the silver collars that had been shackling us. The relief was instant, a weight lifting from my neck and soul.

“Let’s go,” I said, shifting into my wolf. We no longer had to worry about leaving scents.

The triplets followed suit, their movements slower than usual but determined. Together, we raced back to the pack, the cool night air a balm against the heat of the battle we’d just endured.

Soon enough, the calm that came with being on our packlands let us know we were home. The packhouse loomed ahead, its familiar structure bringing a sense of safety I hadn’t realized I needed.

We quickly shifted back into our human forms and approached the pack house. The doors opened, and the Alpha and Luna rushed out to greet us.

“Millicent!” the Luna exclaimed, relief evident in her voice. “What happened?”

"Are we invisible now that you have your precious daughter-in-law?" Flint asked.

"No invisibility spell would work on you big babies." Luna Thorn said. "Besides, I haven't gotten to spend anytime with her since you took her away so quickly."

“You can catch up later,” Orion said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We need rest.”

The Luna nodded, though her eyes lingered on our injuries. “Of course. I'll have a room prepared for you here Milli. I think it would be best to heal fully first before you go home to your father.”

“No need,” Flint interjected. “Milli’s staying with us.”

The Luna’s eyebrows raised slightly, but she didn’t argue.

I glanced at Flint, surprised by how forward he was being. Stay with them? At their house? Even though we had been camping for the past nights, being alone with them in their house seemed way more intimate.

“I'm fine, I want to go home.” I said.

“You’re coming with us,” Evan said, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

I sighed, too tired to argue. “Fine.”

The triplets’ house was larger than I’d expected, though it made sense given their status as future alphas. I wonder if they knew they always knew they would share one mate hence the need for a house big enough for each to have their own space.

The place was modern yet cozy, with high ceilings and warm lighting.

Orion led me to the guest room. “Shower. Change. Rest. We'll have food made for you downstairs.”

I rolled my eyes but obeyed. I would need to learn to pick my battles becuase the triplets were slowly slipping back into their domineering ways.

As soon as a Orion walked out the front door, I b-lined it to the bathroom. I pulled off my clothes and immediately stepped into the shower. The hot water washed away the grime and tension from the past few hours.

When I emerged, I found a set of clothes laid out for me. From the scent on them, they belonged to Evan.

I flopped onto the bed, hoping that I would immediately fall asleep but I guess because now my mind had calmed down, it didn't want to waste a second on rest.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to explore the house. That plan was derailed as soon as I stepped out of the bedroom and the faint clinking of utensils drew me to the kitchen.

Flint stood at the counter, his back to me as he worked on something. The smell of cooking filled the air, and my stomach growled in response.

“You didn’t have to cook,” I said, stepping inside.

Flint turned, his usual cocky grin in place. “Plum, you’ve had a rough day. Let me take care of you.”

I rolled my eyes, "I would say you've had the longer day."

"Maybe, but only one of us knows how to cook." Flint said. "Let me spoil my mate's taste buds."

He held out a spoon with what looked to be soup, "Come and taste this."

I should have known that Flint had an ulterior motive because as soon as I walked up to him, he closed the distance between us, pulling me into his side. His touch was warm, grounding me in a way I hadn’t expected.

“Flint—” I began as he dropped the spoon back into the pot but my half hearted effort at a protest was futile.

He cut me off with a kiss, his lips claiming mine with a hunger that left me breathless. For a moment, I forgot everything—the rogue leader, the collapsing fortress, the weight of my powers—and let myself melt into him.

His hands slid to my waist, pulling me closer as if that was possible, and my heart raced. The kiss deepened, his passion consuming me. He pulled away from my lips and I began to protest until he began peppering kisses on my neck. His tongue poked out over the spot where I was particularly sensitive and I let out a moan which only seemed to encourage Flint to repeat the motion. My hands moved into his hair and pulled causing Flint to let out a guttural moan—

“Ahem.”

We broke apart, Flint muttering a curse under his breath as Orion leaned casually against the doorway.

“Am I interrupting something?” Orion asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Flint glared at him refusing to step back. “What do you want?”

Orion’s expression sobered. “We agreed to hold off until she agreed to us marking her, remember?”

I frowned. “What?”

"There are special things we need to do in order for our mark to stick." Orion stated.

"Don't you just need to bite into my neck?"

"If it was that simple, I would have marked you as mine the minute I saw you." Flint said with a voice deeper than what I was used to. His eyes were a bit darker than the bright blue I was used to. The heat from his stare made me clear my throat, causing me to finally gain enough strength to pull away from him.

I looked away from Flint and Orion’s gaze met mine, his eyes serious. “There needs to be a special ceremony held under the full moon, when we are closest to the Moon Goddess. You are special wolf, and the fact that you have three mates means things need to be done in a special manner. If we’re going to mark you, it needs to be done right. With all three of us at the same time.”

I blinked, heat rising to my cheeks. “All three of you at the same time?”

“It’s the only way,” Evan said, stepping into the kitchen. “Your soul has to be bound to all of ours for the bond to work properly.”

The weight of their words settled over me. Marking wasn't just about being mates. We would be fully accepting our connection with all of its complexities and challenges. It wasn't a decision I could take lightly especially because we would be bound together forever and my powers added another layer I couldn't overlook.

I swallowed hard, looking at each of them in turn. “Okay. Tell me what we need to do.”