Maeve looked at the tiny cupcake with just one candle on top. The flame moved around and cast shadows on her small bedroom. She turned eighteen today, but in the Valoran Pack, it felt like any other day. "Make a wish," her mom told her with a tired smile. Maeve shut her eyes. I want to be a famous person. Someone important.
The candle was blown out. "Happy birthday, sweetie." Her mom gave her a small box wrapped in newspaper and kissed her on the face. "It's not much." Inside was a silver charm bracelet with a wolf pendant. It looked old but beautiful. "It was your grandmother's," her mom explained. "She was an omega like us, but she was strong." Maeve slipped it on her wrist, feeling a strange tingle run up her arm. "It's perfect." A knock on the door stopped them. Calla walked in without waiting for an answer, carrying a gift bag. "Happy birthday, Maeve." Calla's smile didn't reach her eyes. She was dressed exactly as always, her auburn hair falling in waves. Next to her, Maeve felt boring with her brown hair and simple green eyes. Calla gave over the bag. "Just a little something." Inside was a pretty blue scarf. "Thanks, Calla." Maeve hugged her friend, but Calla pulled away quickly. "The Alpha's sons are back from their training trip," Calla said, checking her image in Maeve's mirror. "They're having a bonfire tonight to welcome them home." Maeve's heart skipped. The triplets were stars in the pack. Ash, Cade, and Raiden – all born on the same night, all supposed to be powerful Alphas. They rarely spoke to omegas like Maeve. "Are you invited?" Calla asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer. "No," Maeve said quietly. Omegas weren't usually invited to big pack events. "Well, I am." Calla flipped her hair. "Alpha Braden thinks I'll make a perfect Luna for one of his sons." Maeve nodded. Everyone knew that. Calla, the Beta's daughter, had been groomed to be Luna since youth. She and Maeve had been friends forever, but lately, Calla seemed different – more distant, more focused on her future job. "You could come with me," Calla offered suddenly. "As my birthday gift to you." Maeve's eyes widened. "Really? But won't Alpha Braden mind?" "No one will even notice you," Calla said, then quickly added, "I mean, there will be so many people there." That stung, but Maeve was used to it. No one noticed the quiet omega girl. "Okay," Maeve agreed. Any chance to see the pack party was better than sitting alone on her birthday. The bonfire burned high, sending sparks into the night sky. Pack members laughed and talked, passing food and drinks. Maeve stood at the edge of the clearing, feeling out of place in her simple pants and sweater. Calla had slipped into the crowd as soon as they arrived. Maeve pulled her new scarf tighter. The night was warm for spring, but she felt cold inside. Eighteen years old, and what did she have to show for it? No special skills, no important family ties. Just an omega who would probably mate with another omega and live a quiet life at the edges of pack society. A sudden pain shot through her chest, making her gasp. Her charm bracelet felt hot against her skin. What was happening? The crowd parted, and three tall forms emerged. The twins. Even from a distance, they attracted attention. They looked alike but different – like variations on the same powerful theme. Ash stood straight and serious, his black hair short and neat, his gray eyes scanning the crowd like he was remembering faces. Cade grinned and waved, his blond hair catching the firelight, his golden eyes warm as he greeted everyone. And Raiden, silent and watchful, his dark hair longer than his brothers', his ice-blue eyes showing nothing. Maeve couldn't look away. The pain in her chest grew stronger, and her band now burned against her skin. She wanted to run, but her feet wouldn't move. Alpha Braden stepped forward, his powerful voice carrying across the area. "Welcome home, my boys! Soon one of you will prove worthy to lead this pack after me." The crowd cheered. Calla pushed through to stand near the triplets, her dress catching the firelight perfectly. She was made for this world of power and politics. Maeve backed away, bumping into someone. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Watch where you're going, omega," a pack warrior sneered. Maeve's cheeks burned. She turned and rushed away from the party, into the darkness of the trees. Only when the sounds of joy faded did she stop and lean against a tree trunk, breathing hard.
The pain in her chest had eased, but now her whole body tingled weirdly. Her skin felt too tight, like something inside her was trying to get out. "What's wrong with me?" she whispered, looking at the band. The wolf charm glowed softly in the darkness. That couldn't be normal. A twig snapped nearby. Maeve froze. "Hello?" Her voice sounded small in the huge forest. Silence answered her. Then another snap, closer this time. Her heart beat. Most pack members were at the bonfire. Who else would be out here? A shadow moved between the trees – too large for a normal wolf but not quite human either. Maeve's senses screamed danger. She backed away slowly, then turned to run – and slammed into a solid chest. "What are you doing out here alone?" a deep voice asked. Maeve looked up into ice-blue eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. Raiden. The most mysterious of the triplets stood before her, his face unreadable. "I... I needed air," she stammered. His eyes narrowed as he studied her face. "You're Calla's friend." She nodded, surprised he knew that much about her. "It's not safe in the woods tonight," he said, his voice low. His gaze dropped to her wrist, where the charm bracelet still glowed softly. Something like recognition flashed in his eyes. "Where did you get that?" he asked angrily. "It was my grandmother's," Maeve explained, confused by his attention. "A birthday gift." "Today is your birthday?" "Yes, I'm eighteen." Raiden's face changed, a look of worry – or was it fear? – crossing his features. He reached for her wrist, then stopped himself. "Go back to the party. Stay with people," he ordered. "But—" "Now." His words left no room for argument. Before she could answer, a howl cut through the night – not a normal wolf howl, but something different, something that made the hair on Maeve's arms stand up. Raiden's head snapped toward the sound. "Go," he repeated quickly.
Then he was gone, melting into the shadows between one breath and the next. Maeve stood frozen, her heart beating. What had just happened? Why was Raiden in the woods? What was that howl? And why had he looked at her band that way? She turned to head back to the bonfire, but again found her way blocked. This time by a huge wolf with glowing red eyes – eyes no normal wolf should have. It growled, low and dangerous, its gaze fixed on her wrist. Maeve's charm band burned hot as fire, and the wolf charm glowed bright blue now. The wolf took a step backward, as if frightened by the light. Suddenly, the beast's head turned, distracted by something Maeve couldn't see. It gave her one last look, then bounded away into the darkness. Shaking, Maeve clutched her wrist. The bracelet cooled quickly, the glow fading. "What is happening to me?" she whispered to the silent trees. She didn't know it yet, but her birthday wish was about to come true in ways she could never have imagined. And the triplets – Ash, Cade, and especially Raiden – would never look at the quiet omega the same way again. Because tonight, for the first time in pack history, a triple mate bond had started to form. And nothing in the Valoran Pack would ever be the same.