Bound to the Triplet Alphas
Chapter 107: The Mountain Clan

Chapter 107: Chapter 107: The Mountain Clan

ARIA POV

The arrow whizzed past my ear and buried itself in the tree behind me.

"Move!" I shouted, grabbing Luna’s unconscious body and rolling behind a rock. She’d been in her coma for three days now, but I refused to leave her behind when Marcus’s dreams showed another silver-eyed wolf in danger.

Kael landed beside me, his military training making him quiet even as more arrows flew overhead. "Six archers, positioned on the ridge above us," he reported. "They’re not trying to kill us—just trap us."

"How can you tell?" I asked, shifting Luna’s weight in my arms. Her breathing was so shallow I had to keep checking to make sure she was still alive.

"Because if they wanted us dead, we’d already be dead," Kael said grimly. "These are warning shots."

A deep voice boomed from the hill above us. "Strangers! You have entered sacred land without permission! State your business or face the judgment of the Moon Warriors!"

I peeked around the rock. We’d been climbing toward the Shadowpeak Pack for hours, following Marcus’s vision of a silver-eyed girl being held prisoner by wolves who feared her power. The mountain was high and dangerous, but I hadn’t expected an ambush.

"I am Aria, Silver Alpha of the United Packs!" I called back. "We seek the one you hold captive!"

Silence. Then harsh laughter echoed off the rocks.

"Silver Alpha?" the voice mocked. "Females cannot be Alphas! You lie!"

Kael touched my shoulder. "Let me try," he said quietly. "These mountain packs respect only male leadership. I know it’s wrong, but if we want to save the girl—"

"No," I said strongly. "I won’t pretend to be weak just to make them comfortable."

"Even if it means Luna stays in danger longer?"

I looked down at my daughter’s pale face. Every moment she spent in the coma, she grew weaker. Lucien said her body was using all its energy to contain the Moon Goddess’s power, but he didn’t know how long she could live like this.

But I also couldn’t betray everything I stood for.

"There has to be another way," I decided.

That’s when Luna’s eyes suddenly opened. Not silver, not gold—but a deep, dark blue I’d never seen before.

"The mountain remembers," she whispered in a voice that wasn’t quite her own. "Before they forgot. Before they feared. The mountain remembers when females led the pack to success."

Her eyes closed again, but her words hung in the air like a promise.

"What does that mean?" Kael asked.

Before I could answer, ropes dropped down from above. Six figures rappelled down the cliff face with military precision—all male, all armed, all looking at us with suspicious eyes.

Their boss was a man in his forties with scars across his face and hands. When he saw Luna in my arms, his face changed from suspicion to shock.

"The child," he breathed. "She has the ancient eyes."

"Ancient eyes?" I repeated.

"Blue like the mountain lakes. Our tales speak of such eyes." He stepped closer, and I tensed to defend Luna. But he dropped to one knee instead. "I am Commander Stone of the Moon Warriors. If the child truly bears the old mark, then you must speak with our Eldest."

"What about your Alpha?" Kael asked.

Commander Stone’s face reddened. "Alpha Thorne rules the pack. But the Eldest rules the mountain. And the mountain is older than any pack."

Twenty minutes later, we were being escorted up a secret path carved into the rock face. The Moon Warriors moved like ghosts, their feet finding holds I couldn’t even see. Kael helped me carry Luna, his arms steady and strong.

"I’ve heard of these mountain packs," he said quietly. "They split their authority between pack law and ancient law. Sometimes the two sides fight each other."

"Great," I grumbled. "Politics."

The path led to a cave opening guarded by more warriors. Inside, the cave opened into a huge room lit by hundreds of candles. And sitting in the middle, on a throne made of moon-white stone, was the oldest woman I’d ever seen.

Her hair was silver-white, her face mapped with wrinkles, but her eyes were sharp and intelligent. When she saw Luna, she gasped.

"Bring the Moon Child to me," she ordered.

I paused. "She’s very sick—"

"She is sick because she is far from the mountain’s power," the Eldest said definitely. "This place is sacred to the Moon Goddess. It will help her."

Something in her voice made me trust her. I carried Luna to the throne and carefully put her in the old woman’s arms.

The moment the Eldest touched Luna’s face, the entire cave began to glow with soft silver light. Luna’s breathing deepened, and color returned to her face.

"Better," the Eldest whispered. "The mountain welcomes her home."

"Home?" I asked.

"All Moon Children belong to the mountain, wherever they are born," the Eldest stated. "But there is another here who needs your help more urgently."

She pointed to the shadows behind her throne. A person stepped forward—a girl about sixteen years old with silver eyes and chains around her wrists.

"This is Raven," the Eldest said sadly. "Alpha Thorne’s own daughter. When her silver eyes showed on her eighteenth birthday, he declared her cursed and ordered her imprisonment."

My heart broke looking at the girl. She was thin and pale, her silver eyes dim with sadness. "How long has she been chained?"

"Three months," Raven said softly. "My father thinks female power is an insult to the Moon Goddess. He says I must be cleared of my curse before I can rejoin the pack."

"There is no curse," I said, rage burning in my chest. "You’re blessed, not cursed."

"Tell that to my father," Raven said angrily.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the cave opening. A massive man strode in, accompanied by a dozen warriors. His eyes were the same color as Raven’s had been before the silver appeared—a cold, pale blue that held no warmth.

"Alpha Thorne," the Eldest said quietly. "You were not summoned."

"I don’t need summoning to retrieve my property," Thorne snarled. His gaze fell on me, and his lip curled in disgust. "So you’re the female who claims to be an Alpha. My troops should have killed you for such blasphemy."

"Your warriors are smarter than you are," I shot back.

Thorne’s hand moved to the sword at his side. "No female speaks to me that way."

"This female just did."

Kael stepped slightly in front of me. "Perhaps we can discuss this reasonably—"

"There is nothing to discuss," Thorne interrupted. "The cursed girl returns to her cell. The strangers leave my area. And if anyone questions my power again, they’ll feed the mountain wolves."

"No," I said simply.

Thorne’s eyes widened. Clearly, no one had ever told him ’no’ before.

"What did you say?"

"I said no. Raven is a silver-eyed wolf, picked by the Moon Goddess herself. I won’t let you keep her prisoner because you’re afraid of female power."

"Afraid?" Thorne laughed roughly. "I fear nothing!"

"Then prove it," I challenged. "Fight me. Alpha to Alpha. When I win, Raven goes free."

"Aria," Kael warned quietly. "Look at him. He’s twice your size."

He was right. Alpha Thorne was a mountain of muscle and scars, possibly the strongest physical opponent I’d ever faced. But I’d learned that being an Alpha wasn’t just about physical strength.

"I accept," Thorne growled. "But when you lose, you and your friends become my slaves. And the cursed girl faces the usual punishment for defying her Alpha."

"What punishment?" I asked, though I feared the answer.

"Death," he said with pleasure.

The Eldest stood up from her chair, still holding Luna carefully. "The challenge is witnessed. But it will be fought by the old laws, not pack rules."

"What’s the difference?" I asked.

Her old eyes twinkled. "Pack rules favor strength. Mountain rules favor truth. The Moon Goddess herself will judge who deserves to win."

Thorne looked less sure suddenly. "I didn’t agree to—"

"You agreed to fight an Alpha," the Eldest said strongly. "Aria is a true Alpha, picked by the Moon Goddess. That means mountain law applies."

"Fine," Thorne spat. "I’ll crush her either way."

But as we faced each other in the center of the cave, something strange happened. The silver light that had been glowing softly since Luna arrived began to pulse brighter. And Raven’s eyes, which had been dim with despair, suddenly blazed with silver fire.

"Wait," she said, her voice carrying new power. "I challenge that challenge."

Everyone turned to stare at her.

"Daughter, you cannot—" Thorne began.

"I can," Raven said, standing taller than I’d seen her stand since we arrived. "By mountain law, a silver-eyed wolf can claim the right to fight their own war. And this is my battle."

The bands around her wrists began to crack as her power grew.

"I am Raven Shadowpeak," she announced, her voice echoing through the cave. "Daughter of the mountain, picked of the Moon Goddess. And I challenge my father for the right to be free."

The chains snapped completely.

But instead of looking proud or shocked, Alpha Thorne smiled a cold, cruel smile.

"Perfect," he said. "I’ve been waiting for an excuse to kill you myself."

That’s when I realized this had been his plan all along.

And Luna’s eyes opened again—this time glowing bright gold as the Moon Goddess prepared to watch her chosen child die.

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