Chapter One (Continued)
The forest seemed alive with tension, the faint rustle of leaves and the occasional snap of a twig the only sounds breaking the heavy silence. The moon hung low, casting silvery beams that filtered through the canopy, painting patches of light and shadow on the forest floor.
Alexander led the way, his steps measured but deliberate. His wolf strained beneath the surface, the intoxicating scent tugging at his control. Behind him, Alec and Ace flanked either side, their wolves fully shifted and moving with a quiet grace that belied their size.
The scent grew stronger with each passing moment, winding its way through the trees like a trail of breadcrumbs. But mingling with it now was another smell—one far less inviting. Blood.
Alexander's jaw tightened, his senses sharpening as the unmistakable metallic tang invaded the air. He raised a hand, signaling for his brothers to halt.
Alec shifted back into his human form, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dark. "Rogues," he muttered, his voice a low growl.
Ace padded forward in his wolf form, sniffing the air with a quiet intensity. When he shifted back, his dark hair was tousled, and his smirk was gone, replaced by something far more dangerous. "It's not just rogues," he said, his voice laced with an edge. "There's something else."
Alexander didn't need to ask what. The scent—the one that had pulled them from the estate—was unmistakable, even if its source remained a mystery. It was close now, almost tangible, and it sent a surge of protectiveness through him that he couldn't explain.
He motioned for them to move again, his gaze scanning the shadows with calculated precision. The trees began to thin, revealing a small clearing up ahead. From their vantage point, they could see flashes of movement—dark shapes darting in and out of the moonlight.
"Rogues," Alec confirmed, his voice low.
Ace crouched, his eyes narrowing as he counted the figures. "Eight, maybe nine. What the hell are they circling?"
Alexander's gaze locked onto the center of the commotion, where a cluster of rogues had formed a loose circle. They snarled and snapped, their movements frenzied, but they weren't attacking each other.
"Something's in there," he said, his voice a mix of curiosity and fury.
Without waiting for a plan, Ace shifted back into his wolf, his sleek black form darting forward. Alec cursed under his breath, following suit, while Alexander remained human, his silver eyes glowing with barely restrained power.
The rogues didn't sense them until it was too late. Ace barreled into the nearest one with the force of a freight train, his fangs sinking into its shoulder before it could even yelp. Alec lunged at another, his golden wolf a blur of motion as he took it down in seconds.
Alexander stepped into the clearing, his presence alone enough to freeze the remaining rogues in their tracks. He didn't shift, didn't need to. The sheer weight of his dominance sent a ripple of fear through the air, and the rogues hesitated, their snarls faltering.
"Stand down," he ordered, his voice cold and commanding.
For a moment, it seemed they might obey. But rogues were desperate creatures, ruled more by instinct than reason. One of them lunged, and Alexander moved with inhuman speed, his hand catching the wolf mid-air. With a sickening crack, he sent it sprawling to the ground, lifeless.
The remaining rogues scattered, their courage evaporating in the face of overwhelming power. Alec and Ace made quick work of those who dared stay, their wolves efficient and brutal.
As the last rogue fell, silence returned to the clearing, broken only by the labored breathing of the triplets.
And then they heard it.
A faint, pitiful whimper, so soft it could have been mistaken for the wind.
Alexander turned toward the center of the clearing, where the rogues had been circling. His brothers followed, their wolves bristling with anticipation.
The scent was overwhelming now, wrapping around them like a silken thread, pulling them closer.
At the heart of the clearing, crumpled in the dirt, was a figure so small and fragile it seemed almost unreal. A boy—no, an omega. His clothes were torn, his body battered and bruised, and his pale skin was streaked with blood and grime.
Roo.
The name fell into their minds unbidden, as though spoken by some unseen force.
Alexander knelt beside the omega, his movements slow and deliberate. Roo flinched, his eyes fluttering open to reveal a vivid shade of green that burned with pain and fear.
"It's okay," Alexander said softly, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "You're safe now."
Roo's lips parted as though he wanted to speak, but no sound came. His gaze darted between the three of them, wide and uncertain, as if he couldn't decide whether they were saviors or a new threat.
Ace shifted back into his human form, his expression uncharacteristically solemn as he crouched beside Alexander. "He's… ours," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Alec shifted as well, his golden eyes fixed on Roo with an intensity that bordered on feral. "Ours," he agreed, the word heavy with meaning.
Alexander didn't respond. He couldn't. The bond, the pull, was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It wasn't just the mate bond—it was something deeper, something primal and consuming.
Roo whimpered again, his small frame trembling as exhaustion and fear finally overtook him. Without thinking, Alexander scooped him into his arms, cradling him against his chest as though he were the most precious thing in the world.
"We need to get him back to the estate," he said, his voice firm despite the storm raging inside him.
Alec and Ace nodded, their eyes never leaving Roo.
This was only the beginning.
To Be Continued...