The forest held its breath. The tension between the first two Alphas had barely settled when a new presence cut through the shadows—cold, sharp, and commanding. Iris's pulse stuttered, the hair on her arms rising as a figure emerged, taller and more imposing than either of the others.
His eyes were ice against the moonlight, silver sharp with control and authority, and they immediately locked onto the glowing sigil on her wrist. He froze for a heartbeat, jaw tightening, shoulders stiffening as if recognizing something long buried in memory.
"You're…" he muttered, voice low and precise, the words almost swallowed by the night. The first two Alphas shifted instinctively, tension snapping taut between them, muscles coiled and ready.
Iris's chest tightened. Her heart hammered wildly as she realized she didn't even know his name, yet somehow, he had recognized her, or at least the mark she carried. Every instinct screamed danger, yet a strange pull settled deep in her chest, a connection she couldn't explain.
The book in her hands throbbed suddenly, warm and insistent, as if sensing the new presence too. Its glow intensified, reflecting off the sigil on her wrist, making the runes shine brighter in the moonlight. She felt it thrumming against her palm, alive and demanding, and for the first time, she wondered if she could handle what she had truly stumbled into.The new Alpha stepped closer, his movements precise and deliberate, like a predator circling its prey. Every step he took seemed to command the forest itself; the wind shifted, the leaves stilled, and even the first two Alphas tensed under his presence.
Iris's chest tightened as she felt the weight of his gaze settle on her. There was something in the way he looked at the sigil—recognition, fear, respect—and it made her pulse spike in a way that was both terrifying and electrifying.
"You carry the mark," he said finally, voice low, controlled, like a blade sliding through the air. "Iris…"
Her stomach dropped. He had said her name. Spoken it as if he had known it for centuries, as if it belonged to a prophecy long forgotten.
Alpha 1 stepped slightly forward, protective, but the second Alpha's smirk didn't falter. The tension between the three men was palpable, coiling around her like the forest itself was alive, aware of her importance, of the power she carried.
The book pulsed violently in her hands, its glow brightening, almost in alarm, as if warning her that the arrival of this third Alpha had changed everything. She felt the raw energy of all three of them pressing against her, overwhelming yet strangely intoxicating, and a shiver ran down her spine.The third Alpha's eyes didn't leave her, sharp and cold, analyzing every movement, every subtle shift in her posture. There was an intensity there that made Iris's chest tighten, a mix of danger and command that set her nerves on fire. She felt exposed, vulnerable, yet inexplicably tethered to him, like invisible threads pulled her attention toward him no matter how hard she tried to look away.
Alpha 1's protective stance was unwavering, his eyes flicking to the newcomer with distrust and challenge. The second Alpha, ever the dangerous one, stepped slightly closer to her, smirk widening as if he thrived on the tension coiling in the clearing. The air between the three of them was electric, almost impossible to breathe, and Iris's hands trembled over the book as it throbbed violently, mirroring the rapid beat of her heart.
"You… are part of something far older than you understand," the third Alpha said finally, his voice ice-cold but carrying weight that made her flinch. "The mark on your wrist isn't just a symbol. It ties you to a prophecy, one that the packs have feared for generations."
Iris's breath caught. A prophecy? Her mind spun, trying to grasp what that could mean. She had stolen a book, touched a mark, and suddenly… the world had shifted around her. She felt the gravity of all three Alphas, each pulling at her in a way she couldn't define, overwhelming yet intoxicating, and it made her chest ache with both fear and something darker, something forbidden.
The book pulsed in her hands, reacting violently now, as if the magic itself recognized the third Alpha's arrival. Its glow flared, warming her palm painfully, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut and grit her teeth. She could feel the energy surging through her, tethered to the Alphas, tied to the mark, and tethered to a destiny she hadn't chosen—but couldn't escape.
All at once, the forest seemed alive, shadows moving in rhythm with the three powerful presences surrounding her. The tension, the desire, and the danger coiled tightly, pressing against her chest, her mind, her very soul. And in that moment, she understood that nothing—no book, no forest, no magic—would ever let her be ordinary again.Alpha 1 stepped forward slightly, silver eyes flashing with concern, but the third Alpha didn't even flinch. His gaze never left her, cold and calculating, as if measuring every ounce of her power, every reaction of her body. Iris's fingers tightened around the book, feeling the heat of its magic seeping into her skin, pulsing violently in response to the intensity radiating from all three men.
"You are connected to all of us," the third Alpha said slowly, voice low and commanding. "The mark, the magic… it binds you to a destiny none of us can ignore."
Iris swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the presence of all three Alphas, each radiating desire, danger, and dominance in their own way. She had never felt so exposed, yet so strangely at home, caught in a storm of emotions she didn't fully understand.
The second Alpha's smirk didn't fade, his gaze sharp and possessive, while Alpha 1's protective stance remained unwavering. The tension between them tightened like a rope ready to snap, each silently daring the other to challenge for her attention.
Then the book reacted violently. Its glow flared without warning, hot and blinding, burning her palm as if it were alive, demanding, warning. Iris gasped, stumbling back, clutching it against her chest, the searing heat sending a shock through her entire arm. The forest around them seemed to shiver in response, the shadows twisting, reacting to the surge of magic that had been unleashed.
All three Alphas froze, eyes locked on her as the energy pulsed outward, a warning and a declaration: she was no longer just a girl with a stolen book. She was the center of a power none of them could resist, and none of them could ignore.The heat from the book seared through Iris's palm, forcing her to drop it slightly as sparks of silver light danced across her skin. She staggered back, breath coming in sharp bursts, the magic thrumming like a living heartbeat. Every instinct screamed danger, yet a strange thrill pulsed through her, weaving fear and desire into a knot she couldn't unravel.
The third Alpha stepped closer, voice low and deliberate. "The mark recognizes its destiny," he said, eyes icy yet unwavering. "And so do I." His gaze flicked to the glowing sigil, then back to her, and a flicker of something dangerous and commanding crossed his features.
Alpha 1 shifted protectively, muscles taut, while the second Alpha's smirk widened, eyes glinting with amusement and hunger. The tension between the three of them was nearly unbearable, coiling around her chest, pressing her heart to beat faster than she thought possible.
The magic in the book surged again, hot and pulsing, as if it were trying to communicate a warning—or a command. Iris clutched it tightly, feeling the burn ripple through her arm, and realized she was tethered not just to the power within the book, but to all three Alphas, each of them bound to her in ways she didn't yet understand.
Her mind spun, caught between fear and fascination, as the forest seemed to lean closer, shadows whispering with the promise of danger and desire. The book's glow flared violently one final time, searing her palm anew, and Iris gasped, realizing with a mix of awe and terror: her life—and the hunt for her power—was only just beginning.