Bound to the Triplet Alphas
Chapter 109: The Unwanted Gift

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: The Unwanted Gift

ARIA POV

"This mountain is sacred to the Moon Goddess," I called back. "Your artificial power can’t work here!"

"We’ll see about that," he snarled.

The chamber began to shake. Rocks fell from the ceiling as the mountain itself groaned under some terrible pressure.

"He’s trying to collapse the whole trial chamber," Kael realized. "We need to get out of here!"

But the entrance we’d come through was sealed with tons of stone. We were trapped.

"There’s another way," one of the freed wolves said weakly. He was young, maybe nineteen, with kind eyes that had returned to their natural green. "I’m Garrett. I was captured three weeks ago, but I remember these mountains from before. There’s an old passage that leads to the surface."

"Where?" Raven asked as another chunk of ceiling crashed down near us.

"Follow me," Garrett said, leading us to what looked like a solid wall. But when he pressed his hand against it, the stone slid aside to show a narrow tunnel.

We squeezed through just as the chamber behind us collapsed completely. The tunnel was barely big enough for one person, and we had to crawl on hands and knees through the darkness.

"How did you know about the hidden passage?" I asked Garrett as we climbed.

"My grandfather was from these mountains," he stated. "He told me stories about the old escape ways. But I never believed them until now."

After what felt like hours, we finally emerged onto a ledge overlooking the mountain town. The sun was setting, painting the sky deep orange and red.

"We made it," Kael said, breathing hard.

But our comfort was short-lived. Down in the village, we could see chaos. Silas’s remaining controlled wolves were attacking the Moon Warriors. Alpha Thorne was nowhere to be seen—probably hiding while his people fought for their lives.

"We have to help them," I said.

"Wait," Garrett grabbed my arm. "Look at that wolf down there. The one fighting three enemies at once."

I looked where he pointed and saw a young man about Garrett’s age. He moved like lightning, taking down controlled wolves with precise, devastating attacks. But what caught my attention were his eyes.

They were silver.

"Another one," I breathed. "Another silver-eyed wolf."

"That’s my cousin, Dane," Garrett said proudly. "He’s the strongest fighter in the village. But he hates his silver eyes. Says they make him look weak and feminine."

I stared at him in shock. "He thinks silver eyes are feminine?"

"Most of the mountain wolves do," Raven explained sadly. "They believe silver is the Moon Goddess’s color, and only females should carry her mark. Males are supposed to have ’warrior colors’ like gold or brown."

Down in the village, Dane was surrounded by six controlled wolves. He was fighting brilliantly, but he was outnumbered. As I watched, one of them got behind him and raised claws to strike.

"No!" I shouted, but we were too far away to help.

That’s when something amazing happened. Dane’s silver eyes began to glow with the same power I’d seen in other silver-eyed wolves. A blast of energy threw his attackers backward, saving his life.

But instead of being grateful for his gift, Dane looked disgusted with himself.

"I won’t use cursed power!" he yelled, even though more enemies were approaching. "I’m a warrior, not a Moon Maiden!"

He deliberately shut off his silver light and went back to fighting with just physical strength. Within seconds, he was overwhelmed again.

"He’s going to get himself killed," Kael said grimly.

I was already running down the mountain path. "Not if I can help it."

I reached the village just as three controlled wolves pinned Dane to the ground. My own silver eyes blazed as I sent them flying with targeted blasts of Moon Goddess power.

"Are you crazy?" I ordered, helping Dane to his feet. "You have a gift that could save lives, and you’re too proud to use it?"

Dane jerked away from me. "I don’t need help from a girl! And I definitely don’t need cursed power!"

"Cursed?" I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. "Do you know what I’d give to have your natural ability? You’re picked by the Moon Goddess herself!"

"The Moon Goddess chooses females!" Dane shot back. "Males who carry her mark are mistakes! Abominations!"

His words hit me like physical blows. This was worse than simple prejudice—this was self-hatred so deep it was literally life-threatening.

"Listen to me," I said urgently as more controlled wolves approached. "I’m Aria, the Silver Alpha. I’ve met dozens of silver-eyed wolves, male and female. The Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes."

"Silver Alphas don’t exist," Dane said stubbornly, preparing to fight the new enemies with just his fists. "Females can’t be Alphas."

I wanted to shake him. Instead, I did something that shocked everyone watching.

I knelt down in front of him.

"You’re right," I said quietly. "I’m not a real Alpha. I’m just a former Omega who got lucky. But you—you have more raw power than anyone I’ve ever met. You could be the greatest Alpha of your generation if you’d just accept who you are."

Dane stared at me in confusion. "You’re... kneeling to me?"

"I’m showing you what real strength looks like," I said. "Real strength isn’t about proving you’re better than others. It’s about lifting others up. It’s about accepting help when you need it. And it’s about using every gift you have to protect the people you love."

Around us, the battle was getting worse. The Moon Warriors were losing badly without their strongest fighter at full power.

"Look around you," I said, standing up. "Your people are dying because you’re too proud to use the power that could save them. Is your image really worth their lives?"

For a moment, I thought I’d gotten through to him. His silver eyes flickered with uncertainty.

But then Alpha Thorne’s voice boomed across the village: "Dane! Stop talking to that cursed female and fight like a true fighter!"

Dane’s face hardened again. "My Alpha has spoken."

"Your Alpha is a coward who’s hiding while you fight his battles!" I said desperately.

"Enough!" Dane raised his fist, and for a terrible moment I thought he was going to hit me.

Instead, he turned toward the nearest group of controlled wolves and struck them with nothing but physical strength. No silver light, no Moon Goddess power—just brutal, exhausting battle.

I tried to help him, but he kept pushing me away. "I don’t need a female’s help!"

It was painful to watch. Dane was highly skilled, but he was fighting with one hand tied behind his back. Every time his silver eyes started to glow with power, he pushed them back to normal green.

He was physically choosing to be weaker rather than accept his gift.

"He’s going to die," Kael said, coming with Raven and Garrett.

"Not if I can change his mind first," I said.

But as I stepped forward to try again, something terrible happened. One of the controlled wolves broke away from the main fight and went straight for a group of children huddled near the cave entrance.

"The little ones!" Raven screamed.

The children were too far away for any of us to reach in time. The controlled wolf was almost on them, claws stretched for the kill.

Dane saw it too. For just a moment, his silver eyes blazed with desperate power.

But then he forced them back to normal and tried to run to save the children using only human speed.

He wasn’t going to make it.

That’s when Luna’s voice suddenly repeated through my mind: "Mama, tell him the Moon Goddess has a message."

"What message?" I thought back hurriedly.

"Tell him his papa is watching. And his grandfather is very unhappy."

I had no idea what that meant, but I yelled it anyway: "Dane! Your grandpa is watching, and he’s disappointed in you!"

Dane stumbled to a stop, his face going white with shock.

"How do you know about my grandfather?" he asked.

"The Moon Goddess told me!" I called back. "And she says he’s ashamed that you’re letting children die to protect your pride!"

For the first time, real pain flashed across Dane’s face.

But the controlled wolf was already jumping toward the children.

"Choose!" I screamed. "Your pride or their lives!"

Dane’s silver eyes burst with light brighter than the sun itself.

The blast of power turned the attacking dog to dust.

But the effort was too much for someone who’d been suppressing his skills for so long. Dane fell, blood streaming from his eyes and nose.

"What’s happening to him?" Garrett asked in fear.

Elder Malin’s words came from behind us: "Power suppression condition. When silver-eyed wolves ignore their gifts for too long, using them becomes poisonous to their own bodies."

I spun around. "Elder Malin? How did you get here?"

"I followed the screaming," he said grimly. "But we have bigger problems. Dane’s power explosion just sent a signal across three mountain ranges."

"What kind of signal?"

"The kind that tells every enemy we have exactly where to find us," he said. "Including Silas’s main army."

In the distance, howls started echoing from every direction.

We were trapped.

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