BOUND TO THREE ALPHAS
Chapter 57: THE VESSEL’S CHOICE

Chapter 57: THE VESSEL’S CHOICE

Chapter 57: The Vessel’s Choice

The howling above grew louder as they climbed toward the top. Liana’s mismatched eyes—one silver, one red—cut through the darkness like twin fires. Power hummed through her blood, more than she’d ever felt before. Use me, Mara whispered in her mind. Let me show you what real strength feels like. Be careful, Luna warned. Her power comes with a price. Liana pushed both voices aside, focusing on the urgent sounds of war echoing from above.

Her pack needed her. That was all that mattered. They burst from the temple door into chaos. Shadow creatures swarmed the courtyard, their bright red eyes wild without Mara’s control. Pack warriors fought bravely, but they were losing ground fast. "There!" Jace pointed to where Alpha Marcus fought three shadow wolves at once. "Dad’s in trouble!" Before anyone could stop her, Liana shot forward. Her speed was incredible—faster than any normal wolf. She slammed into the nearest shadow thing, her bare hands somehow tearing through its dark form like paper. The ghost wolf dissolved with a shriek. The other two turned on her, growling. Now you see, Mara purred. This is what I can give you. Liana’s right eye blazed brighter red. Dark energy crackled around her fingers. She could end this fight in seconds.

"Liana, stop!" The sharp voice made her freeze. Celeste stood twenty feet away, her honey-blonde hair wild, her ice-blue eyes burning with anger. "You!" Celeste’s voice shook with rage. "She chose you over me! After everything I did for her!" "What are you talking about?" Liana demanded. "Mara was supposed to possess me!" Celeste screamed. "I opened the doorway! I did the rituals! I gave her a way back into this world!" Understanding hit Liana like a slap. "You brought her here." "She promised me power! Promised I’d be the strongest Luna who ever lived!" Tears of anger streamed down Celeste’s face. "But instead, she crawled into you like some worthless omega!" Dark magic spun around Celeste’s hands. Behind her, Darius emerged from the darkness, but something was different about him. The wild, savage look in his eyes was gone. "Celeste," he said softly. "Stop this." "Never!" She spun to face him. "You said you wanted payback! Well, here’s your chance!" But Darius shook his head. "The spell is broken.

I can think clearly now." His scarred face was filled with pain. "What have I done?" "You’ve done exactly what I needed!" Celeste snarled. "Now finish her!" Instead, Darius stepped protectively in front of Liana. "I won’t hurt an innocent girl." "Innocent?" Celeste laughed bitterly. "She’s the reason my mother is dead!" The words hit the courtyard like thunder. Everyone stopped fighting. "What did you say?" Elder Mira whispered. Celeste’s face twisted with old pain. "Liana’s mother wasn’t the only one who knew about the prophesy. My mother found it out too. She realized that if Liana lived, I’d never be Luna." Horror crept up Liana’s spine. "No..." "So she went to stop it," Celeste continued, her voice breaking. "She went to kill Liana’s mother before the child could be born. But Liana’s mother fought back." The truth crashed over everyone like a cold wave. "They killed each other," Darius said hollowly. "Both women died that night.

And I blamed the wrong person." "I’ve spent years believing your pack murdered my sister," he continued, looking at Alpha Marcus. "But it was Celeste’s mother all along." Celeste’s magic flared brighter. "She did it for me! She died trying to protect my future! And I won’t let her sacrifice be for nothing!" She fired a bolt of dark energy straight at Liana’s heart. Time slowed. Liana saw the magic coming but couldn’t move fast enough to dodge. Behind her, she heard Kael shout her name. Then Darius threw himself into the spell’s path. The dark magic hit him square in the chest. He gasped, stumbled, and fell to his knees. "Uncle!" Liana cried, finally understanding their link. Blood ran from his mouth as he smiled sadly. "I’m sorry, little star. I’m so sorry for everything." He fell face-first onto the stone. Rage burst through Liana like wildfire. Her right eye burned blood-red as Mara’s power surged forward. Let me have her, the dark spirit hissed. Let me show her what happens to those who hurt our family. For a moment, Liana almost gave in. The power felt so good, so right. She could end Celeste with a thought. But Luna’s gentle words cut through the darkness. This is the choice that makes you. Will you become what you hate? Liana looked at Celeste, who was planning another attack. Then at Darius, lying still on the ground. At the triplets, watching her with fear and love.

At her pack, who needed her to be better than payback. The temple behind them groaned ominously. Cracks were growing up its walls. "The balance is breaking!" Elder Mira shouted. "The structure can’t hold much longer!" More stones began falling from above. Several pack members cried out as debris crashed around them. Celeste laughed loudly. "If I can’t have my destiny, then no one gets theirs!" She raised both hands, harnessing every ounce of dark magic she possessed. Not at Liana this time, but at the temple’s base. The ancient building shuddered and began to fall. "Everyone run!" Alpha Marcus roared. But there were too many people. Too many hurt. They’d never make it out in time. Use my power, Mara encouraged. I can save them all. But at what cost? Luna asked sadly. You know what accepting darkness fully means. Liana understood. If she let Mara take control fully, she might save everyone today. But she’d lose herself forever. The person she was would disappear, leaving only Mara wearing her body. Or, a third voice whispered—her own voice, small but determined. Maybe there’s another way. Instead of deciding between light and dark, Liana opened her heart to both. She felt Luna’s knowledge flowing through her left side, teaching her control and compassion. At the same time, Mara’s power flooded her right side, giving her the strength to move. But she didn’t let either spirit rule. Instead, she became the bridge between them. Her eyes stopped flashing between silver and red. Instead, they merged into something new—gold with silver and red mixed together like liquid metal. Power unlike anything the world had ever seen exploded from her body. The falling stones stopped mid-air. The cracking walls fixed themselves.

Even the shadow creatures froze, caught in her amazing energy field. "Impossible," Celeste whispered. Liana rose into the air, her feet no longer touching the ground. When she spoke, her voice carried the power of ages. "This ends now." She pointed toward the shadow army. Instead of destroying them, her power softly unraveled the dark magic holding them together. One by one, they faded away peacefully, their pain finally over. Then she turned to Celeste. "I could destroy you," Liana said softly. "Both spirits want me to. But I won’t become a monster to stop one." Instead, she reached out and simply... took Celeste’s magic away. The dark energy flowed out of the other girl like water from a broken cup. Celeste fell, unconscious but breathing. "Mercy," Luna whispered approvingly in her mind. "Interesting choice," Mara admitted with grudging respect. The temple stabilized fully. The danger was over. Liana floated back to the ground, tiredness suddenly hitting her. Balancing two old spirits was harder than fighting them. The triplets rushed to her side. "Are you okay?" Rowan asked, studying her dancing golden eyes. "I think so," she said. "I’m still me. Just... more." "More how?" Jace wondered. Before she could answer, a new voice cut through the night. "Well, well. How interesting." Everyone spun toward the sound. A figure stepped from the shadows—tall, elegant, with silver hair and eyes like stars. Elder Mira gasped. "Selene?" The Moon Goddess herself stood before them, watching Liana with intense curiosity. "I’ve been watching your little experiment," Selene said. "Two spirits in perfect balance within a mortal body. Very clever." "Goddess," Liana began, but Selene held up a hand. "You’ve done something rare, child. Something even I never achieved." Her star-bright eyes narrowed. "The question is... what will you do with this new power?" Behind Selene, the air began to shimmer.

More figures stepped through—beings of pure light and darkness, watching Liana with ancient, hungry eyes. "The Council of Eternals has taken notice," Selene continued. "And they have questions." Liana felt Luna and Mara both tense inside her mind. This is bad, Luna whispered. Very bad, Mara agreed for once. "What kind of questions?" Liana asked, though she was afraid of the answer. Selene smiled, but it wasn’t comforting. "The kind that decide the fate of both worlds."

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