The elder's words hung in the air like smoke.
If you choose wrongly… blood will follow.
The crowd was restless, whispers breaking out all around me. Some wolves looked at me with fear, others with suspicion, and more than a few with barely veiled hatred. A curse, they thought. That's what I was now.
My stomach twisted, and I pulled my arms tighter around myself. I had spent my whole life being invisible, and for once, I wished for that again. Anything but this.
Kael stood tall at my side, his fiery gaze sweeping over the crowd with open challenge. His presence alone made some wolves lower their eyes. Darius, on my other side, held himself like a shield, calm but unyielding, his steady energy fighting against Kael's storm.
I was caught between them. Between fire and ice. Between power and peace.
"Enough," the elder said again, her voice sharp enough to cut through the chaos. She tapped her cane once on the ground, and silence fell.
Her cloudy eyes shifted to me. "Child. Come."
My throat tightened. My feet felt like stones, but somehow, they moved. I stepped forward until I stood in front of her, the weight of dozens of eyes pressing into my back.
The elder's wrinkled hand reached out, and I flinched when her cool fingers brushed mine. Her touch was light, but I felt something ripple through me—like she could see inside me, deeper than anyone ever had.
She hummed low in her throat. "Two bonds," she murmured. "Rare. Dangerous. The last time it happened…" Her words trailed off, and for a moment, I thought she wouldn't continue. Then her eyes sharpened, and she straightened. "…the packs went to war."
The whispers rose again, frantic now. War. The word sent a chill through my blood.
The elder let go of my hand and lifted her cane. "This matter cannot be decided here. The council must gather. At dawn, you will come before us, and the Moon's will shall be sought."
Her gaze moved to Kael, then Darius. "Until then, keep your claws sheathed. Or you will answer to me."
Neither Alpha spoke. But the growls rumbling in their chests said enough.
That night was a blur.
The crowd broke apart slowly, wolves dispersing with nervous glances, muttered curses, and hurried steps. The whispers lingered even as they left—my name, Kael's, Darius's, all tangled together with fear.
Kael and Darius never left my side. Not for a second. Every time I tried to step away, one of them moved closer. My skin burned with their nearness, my chest tightening with the weight of their bond.
By the time I was brought into a small cabin near the council hall, my body shook from exhaustion. I sat on the edge of the bed, burying my face in my hands, wishing I could shut it all out.
But I couldn't. Because when I lifted my head, Kael was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his fiery eyes never leaving me. And Darius was standing by the door, silent, watchful, his gaze softer but just as heavy.
"Do you plan to stare at me all night?" I whispered, my voice hoarse.
"Yes," Kael said without hesitation.
Darius's lips twitched with something close to a smile. "We can take turns, if you'd like."
Heat rushed to my face, though it wasn't from embarrassment alone. The bond hummed, restless, alive. I hated that a part of me wanted them close. That my body ached for their touch even as my mind screamed for space.
"I didn't ask for this," I said, my voice cracking. "I didn't ask for either of you."
Kael pushed off the wall, his steps slow but deliberate. "The bond doesn't care what you asked for. It chose. And it chose me."
Darius's jaw tightened. "It chose us both. Don't twist it, Kael."
Kael's gaze flicked to him, sharp as a blade. "You think she can handle two? You'll tear her apart with your weakness."
"And you'll burn her alive with your fire," Darius snapped.
"Stop!" I shouted, the word breaking from me like glass. "Just… stop."
The silence that followed was sharp, cutting into me. My chest heaved, tears stinging my eyes. "I can't do this tonight. I can't… hear you fight over me like I'm not even here."
For once, neither of them answered.
Kael's fiery gaze softened slightly, though his jaw was still tight. Darius's hand flexed at his side, as if he wanted to reach for me but thought better of it.
I lay down on the bed, curling onto my side, facing the wall. "Please. Just let me sleep."
The room stayed silent, but I knew they were both still there, standing guard like shadows. My body ached with exhaustion, but my mind didn't rest.
Two mates. A curse. A war.
What had the Moon Goddess done to me?
At dawn, the council gathered.
The hall was carved from ancient stone, the walls etched with symbols of the Moon. Torches burned along the edges, their light flickering across the faces of elders seated in a circle. Their eyes followed me as I was led inside, heavy with judgment, curiosity, and fear.
Kael and Darius flanked me on either side, their presence filling the hall with tension. The air itself seemed to vibrate, caught between their fire and ice.
The elder from the night before stood in the center, her cane tapping against the stone. "The Moon has spoken," she said, her voice echoing. "Two mates. One wolf. A bond that breaks the laws of nature."
A murmur swept through the council, but she raised her hand for silence.
"This has happened only once before," she continued. "Long ago, before our time. The wolf who bore two bonds was torn apart by the Alphas who claimed her. Their packs followed, and blood soaked the land for years."
Her eyes shifted to me, sharp as blades. "If we are not careful, history will repeat itself."
My hands trembled. "What am I supposed to do?"
The elder's gaze didn't soften. "You must choose. One Alpha. One bond. Only then will the curse be broken."
The words slammed into me like a blow. Choose? Between Kael and Darius? Between fire and ice? How could I, when every piece of me was split down the middle?
Kael stepped forward, his voice fierce. "She doesn't need time. She's mine."
Darius moved beside him, his tone steady but sharp. "No, Kael. She deserves the right to choose. The bond ties her to both of us. Not just you."
The council erupted into argument, voices rising, power clashing in the air. Some sided with Kael, others with Darius, others murmured about curses and omens.
And I stood frozen in the middle, my chest tight, my breath shallow.
The elder raised her cane and struck it against the stone. The sound cracked through the hall, silencing everyone.
"She will choose," the elder declared. "But not today. The moon's will must be tested. Until the next full moon, she will walk between you both. She will learn your strengths, your weaknesses, your truths. Only then will her heart decide."
A gasp broke from my throat. "You want me to live with them? With both of them?"
The elder's cloudy eyes met mine. "Yes. For only then will the Moon's path be revealed."
Kael's lips curved into something dark, dangerous. "Good. Then she will see where she belongs."
Darius's gaze met mine, softer, but no less fierce. "And she will see she was never meant for fire."
The bond pulled at me from both sides, tearing me apart. My knees trembled, my chest burned, and my heart screamed.
The elder's voice cut through me, final and heavy as stone.
"Choose wisely, child. For if you choose wrongly…" Her gaze swept over the hall, over Kael and Darius, over the tense faces of the council. "…our world will bleed."
And as her words echoed, I realized the truth.
The Moon Goddess hadn't blessed me. She had cursed me.