BOUND TO THREE ALPHAS
Chapter 60: THE PRICE OF POWER

Chapter 60: THE PRICE OF POWER

Chapter 60: The Price of Power

The ancient howl still rang across the pack lands when Liana felt it—a cold thread wrapping around her heart like frozen wire. She gasped, stumbling backward into Kael’s arms. "What’s wrong?" he asked, but his question was answered by his own strangled cry. Black lines spread up his neck like poison, and his eyes rolled back. The curse, Luna whispered desperately in Liana’s mind. It’s accelerating. Elder Mira rushed forward, her face pale. "The noise last night—it triggered something. Ancient magic is stirring, and Kael’s curse is answering." "How long does he have?" Jace asked, catching his brother as Kael’s legs buckled. "Hours, maybe less." Mira’s voice cracked.

"The curse will consume him unless—" Silver light exploded through the room as Selene materialized again, but this time her face was grim. "Goddess," Liana breathed. "Please, you have to help him." "I can," Selene said slowly. "But you won’t like the cost." Rowan stepped forward. "What cost?" "To permanently remove all curses from your pack—past, present, and future—I must create a shield around you all." The Moon Goddess’s star-bright eyes fixed on Liana. "Someone must hold that shield. Someone must bear the weight of every curse that would otherwise fall on your people." Understanding hit Liana like a physical blow. "Me." "The spirits inside you make perfect balance. You can absorb dark magic without being killed by it." Selene’s voice got gentler. "But every curse meant for your pack will flow through you first." "No." Kael forced the word out through gritted teeth, fighting the poison spreading through his veins. "Absolutely not." "It’s my choice," Liana said firmly, though terror clawed at her throat. "You don’t understand," Jace interrupted. "If you become a lightning rod for every curse—" "I’ll handle it." Liana knelt beside Kael, taking his hot hand.

"I won’t watch you die." We can do this, Mara whispered, shocking everyone by speaking directly. Light and dark in balance—curses can’t destroy what accepts them freely. Talia grabbed Liana’s arm. "What if you’re wrong? What if it kills you?" "Then I die protecting the people I love." Liana’s voice didn’t tremble. "That’s what Lunas do." Selene nodded seriously. "The rite must happen now, before Kael’s curse spreads to others. Are you certain?" "Yes." "Then step outside. What comes next requires moonlight." They carried Kael into the courtyard, where dawn was breaking but the moon still hung pale in the sky. Wolves from nearby packs had gathered after hearing the ancient howl—Alphas, Betas, warriors, all watching with frightened eyes. "Kneel," Selene ordered Liana. As soon as her knees touched the ground, silver fire exploded around her. The gathering wolves gasped and stepped back, but Liana didn’t move. The flames were warm, welcoming. "By moon and star, by old law and new promise," Selene’s voice boomed across the courtyard, "I bind this one as shield and guardian. Let no evil touch her pack that does not first flow through her willing heart." Pain burst through Liana’s body as invisible chains wrapped around her soul. She screamed, back arching, but forced herself to stay kneeling. Through the pain, she felt the curse leaving Kael like poison being drawn from a wound. The black lines faded from his neck. His breathing stopped. His eyes cleared. But the curse didn’t disappear—it slammed into Liana like a freight train. Accept it, Luna pushed. Don’t fight. Let it run through you, Mara added. Like water through stone. Instead of resisting, Liana opened herself fully.

The curse poured into her, wanting to destroy, to corrupt, to devour. But as it touched the perfect mix of light and dark within her, something miraculous happened. The curse changed. Poison became medicine. Destruction became defense. Hatred became strong love. Divine light burst from Liana’s skin, so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes. When it faded, she was glowing softly, power spreading from her in waves that made the air itself hum. "Impossible," breathed Alpha Marcus from the Riverside Pack. "She absorbed a death curse and turned it into strength." Kael struggled to his feet, fully healed. "Liana?" She looked up at him, and her eyes were no longer brown with silver flecks. They were pure starlight—silver-white like the moon itself, ancient and endless. "I’m okay," she said, and her voice held harmonics that made every wolf present shiver with recognition. "Better than okay." Elder Mira fell to her knees. "True Luna," she whispered. One by one, the other wolves knelt too. First the triplets, then Talia, then the visiting Alphas and their wolves. Even the proud Alpha Marcus bowed his head. "Rise," Liana said gently, and they followed instantly. The compulsion wasn’t magical—it was the natural reaction to meeting someone who embodied perfect leadership. "The first True Luna in a thousand years," Alpha Marcus said wonderingly. "The prophecies spoke of this day." What prophecies? Liana wanted to ask, but another voice cut through the morning air—harsh and mocking. "How touching." Everyone spun toward the forest edge where a figure appeared from the shadows. Tall, pale, with eyes like black holes and a smile that promised pain. "Who are you?" Kael growled, moving protectively in front of Liana. "I am Erebus," the figure said, and at the name, several of the older dogs paled with recognition. "The Void Walker. The Curse Bringer. And I’ve come to claim what was stolen from me." "Nothing was stolen—" Liana began. "That curse belonged to me!" Erebus’s voice shook the ground. "Woven from shadow and despair, aged for ages, meant to slowly destroy the bloodline of those who wronged me. And you—" his hollow eyes fixed on her, "—you dared to turn my masterpiece into your strength."

The air grew thick and cold. Frost began forming on the grass. "The old laws are clear," Erebus continued, his smile widening. "If a curse is taken, the thief must pay tenfold. You took one curse, little Luna. Now you owe me ten." Luna and Mara stirred restlessly in Liana’s thoughts. He’s not lying, Luna whispered. The ancient rules bind even us. "And if I refuse?" Liana asked, though she already knew the answer. "Then I’ll take payment from every wolf you’ve claimed to protect." Erebus motioned to the gathered packs. "Starting with your precious mates." Dark energy started swirling around the triplets, and they doubled over in pain. "Stop!" Liana shouted. "Accept my terms," Erebus ordered. "Ten curses for the one you stole. Each worse than the last. Each meant to break you piece by piece."

Liana felt the weight of every eye upon her. The Alphas, the fighters, her mates, her friends—all looking to her for answers she didn’t have. "How long do I have to decide?" she asked. Erebus laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "Oh, sweet Luna. Who said you get to decide?" He raised his hand, and ten streams of black energy shot toward her like darts. There was no time to dodge, no time to think. Only time to make a choice that would define everything that came next. The curses hit. And in that moment of contact, something inside Liana’s perfect balance shifted. Something that would change everything.

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