The Alphas' Forbidden Bond

The scent of wolves and damp earth filled the air as Elara sprinted through the dark forest, her lungs burning with every frantic breath. The Blood Moon hung heavy in the sky, its crimson glow casting an eerie light over the towering pines. She had been running for hours, but she knew she couldn’t escape them. They were coming for her. Branches whipped against her skin, tearing into her arms, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t. If they caught her, it would be the end. Not just for her—but for them too. The prophecy had warned her. "If the Moon chooses you, three Alphas shall rise. Their love shall burn, their war shall consume, and their bond shall break the world apart." She had laughed when the old seer whispered those words to her. A mate bond with three Alphas? It was absurd. No such thing had ever happened in their world. Wolves were fated to one mate, not three. And yet, tonight, as the Blackfang warriors closed in around her, she felt it—the unmistakable pull in her chest, the surge of energy that threatened to consume her whole. The Blood Moon was choosing, and she knew exactly what it meant. She was about to become the mate of monsters. Captured A snarl ripped through the night. Elara barely had time to turn before a massive black wolf lunged at her from the shadows, knocking her to the ground. She gasped as the weight of the beast pinned her down, hot breath fanning across her neck. "Shift," a deep, commanding voice growled. Elara clenched her jaw. She wasn’t like them—she had never shifted. She had never run in the moonlight with a pack. She was a healer, a rogue, an outcast. But none of that mattered now. Rough hands grabbed her, flipping her onto her back. She looked up into Cassian’s storm-gray eyes. The Alpha of the Blackfang Pack. The most feared wolf in the region. And the first man the Moon Goddess had bound her to. His face was carved from stone, his jaw tight with anger. "You’ve been trespassing on my land," he said coldly. "What were you running from?" "You," she whispered. Something dark flashed in his gaze, but he masked it quickly. Cassian wasn’t a man who let emotions slip through the cracks. He was brutal, relentless, and completely unreadable. She felt the pull between them—the mate bond thrumming to life—but instead of longing or desire, there was only resistance. Cassian stiffened, his muscles going rigid. His grip on her arms tightened before he shoved away from her like she was poison. “No.” His voice was sharp, final. Elara’s stomach dropped. He felt it too. The mate bond. And he was rejecting it. The Twin and the Rival Before she could react, another figure stepped into the clearing. Lucien. Cassian’s twin brother. But where Cassian was cold and merciless, Lucien was untamed chaos—wild golden eyes, dark hair that curled at the ends, and a smirk that made her heart hammer. Unlike Cassian, Lucien didn’t look at her with rejection. He looked at her like he wanted to devour her. “Well, well,” he murmured, tilting his head. “Looks like the Moon Goddess has a twisted sense of humor.” Cassian growled. “Stay out of this, Lucien.” “I would,” Lucien said, circling her slowly, “but I feel it too, brother. She’s mine just as much as she is yours.” Elara’s breath caught. No. It was impossible. The mate bond was supposed to connect one heart to another—one soul to its destined half. But if what Lucien was saying was true… She had not been bound to one Alpha. She had been bound to both. A wave of nausea crashed over her. This wasn’t natural. This wasn’t right. Lucien dropped to a crouch beside her, brushing his fingers down her cheek. “You feel it, don’t you?” His voice was lower now, almost gentle. “The pull?” Elara swallowed hard. “I don’t want this.” Lucien smiled, slow and knowing. “That doesn’t matter. The bond isn’t something you choose. It chooses you.” Before she could reply, a howl pierced the air. But it wasn’t from the Blackfang Pack. The sound was darker, more menacing. Cassian’s face hardened. “He’s here.” A chill ran down Elara’s spine. She didn’t need to ask who. Alpha Riven. Cassian’s greatest enemy. And the third Alpha tied to her fate. Fated to the Enemy The moment he stepped into the clearing, the air grew thick with tension. Riven was nothing like the Blackfang twins. Where Cassian was all ice and Lucien was reckless fire, Riven was pure shadow—dark hair, onyx eyes that burned with hunger, and a cruel smirk that sent a shiver down her spine. And just like Cassian and Lucien… she felt it. The bond. Riven’s eyes locked onto hers, and his smirk widened. “Well, isn’t this interesting?” He took a slow step forward, his voice dripping with amusement. “The Moon Goddess really did curse you, didn’t she, little rogue?” Elara gritted her teeth. “I don’t belong to you.” Riven’s laughter was low and taunting. “Oh, but you do.” He glanced at Cassian. “And judging by the look on your face, Alpha, you already know it.” Cassian’s fists clenched. “You will not touch her.” Riven raised an eyebrow. “Is that jealousy, Cassian? I thought you didn’t want a mate.” Lucien chuckled. “Oh, this is going to be fun.” Elara could barely breathe. This was worse than she had imagined. Not only had she been fated to an Alpha she could never love—she had been fated to three. Three powerful, dangerous men. Three wolves who would tear each other apart for her. The mate bond wasn’t a gift. It was a curse. And she had no idea how to survive it. To Be Continued…