The forest was eerily silent.
Alec DeLorenzo's boots crunched softly against the damp soil as he prowled through the dense, shadowy trees.
His sharp, golden eyes scanned the surroundings, every muscle in his body coiled like a predator ready to strike. The wind carried a faint metallic tang—blood.
His nostrils flared, his wolf growling beneath the surface, pacing restlessly.
Behind him, his brothers moved in perfect synchronization.
Alexander, the eldest of the three, strode with a commanding presence, his silver hair catching slivers of moonlight that pierced through the canopy.
His jaw was set, and his steely gaze was locked straight ahead.
Ace brought up the rear, the youngest yet wildest of the triplets, his dark, shaggy hair framing a face of lethal beauty. He clenched his fists, knuckles cracking with impatience.
The scent of rogues was strong here—foul, decaying, and heavy with aggression.
They were close.
"This isn't random," Alexander muttered, his voice low and edged with suspicion. He paused briefly, his head tilting as if listening to the forest. "They're circling something—or someone."
"Whatever it is, they won't live to tell the tale," Ace growled, his wolf bleeding into his voice. The air around him vibrated with barely contained fury.
Alec raised a hand, signaling for silence. He inhaled deeply, and there it was again—another scent buried beneath the stench of rogues.
It was faint, delicate, and unlike anything he had ever encountered before.
His wolf stilled, then surged forward with an urgency that made his chest tighten.
"Do you smell that?" Alec murmured, his voice uncharacteristically soft.
Alexander froze, his sharp silver eyes narrowing. "Yes."
"It's… faint," Ace added, his usual cocky tone replaced with something raw, something primal.
They didn't need words after that. The triplets moved as one, their wolves clawing to break free as they followed the elusive scent.
It grew stronger with each step, tinged with fear and desperation.
And then they heard it.
A muffled whimper, weak and broken, sliced through the night.
Alec's heart thudded painfully in his chest, the sound igniting something fierce and unrelenting inside him.
They broke into a run, their movements fluid and soundless, their surroundings a blur as the scent of blood grew stronger.
The clearing opened before them like a scene from a nightmare.
Rogues swarmed, their snarls filling the air as they clawed and snapped at something small crumpled on the ground.
A pitiful figure lay in the dirt, trembling and bloodied, barely holding on as the pack of beasts tore into him.
Roo.
The name slammed into Alec's mind with a force that left him breathless.
He didn't know how he knew it, but he did.
It echoed through his very soul, resonating with the bond that had snapped into place the moment he saw the omega.
"Mine."
The growl came from Alexander, low and menacing, as his wolf surged to the surface.
His voice carried a finality that silenced even the rogues for a brief moment.
"Mine," Ace echoed, his eyes glowing with an unholy light as his lips curled into a snarl.
"Mine," Alec whispered, his voice barely audible, but no less deadly.
The rogues didn't stand a chance.
In a blur of motion, the triplets descended on them, their wolves tearing through fur and flesh with savage precision.
The clearing became a storm of blood and violence, the rogues' screams echoing through the trees.
But Alec couldn't take his eyes off the omega.
Roo's small, battered frame trembled as he tried to push himself up, only to collapse back onto the ground.
His pale skin was marred with cuts and bruises, his dark hair matted with dirt and blood.
And yet, even in his broken state, he was the most beautiful thing Alec had ever seen.
When the last rogue fell, silence returned, save for the ragged breathing of the triplets.
Alexander knelt first, his hands trembling slightly as he reached out to the omega.
Roo flinched, his wide, tear-filled eyes locking onto Alexander with a mix of fear and disbelief.
"Shh," Alexander murmured, his voice surprisingly gentle. "You're safe now."
Alec and Ace flanked him, their towering forms casting shadows over the trembling omega.
Roo's lips parted as if to speak, but no words came.
Instead, his eyes rolled back, and his fragile body slumped forward.
Alexander caught him before he hit the ground, cradling him as if he were made of glass.
The triplets exchanged a look, their bond thrumming with unspoken understanding.
They had found their mate.
And nothing in this world—or the next—would take him from them.
To Be Continued...