BOUND TO THREE ALPHAS
Chapter 61: REBUILDING

Chapter 61: REBUILDING

Chapter 61: Rebuilding

Three weeks after Erebus disappeared into shadow, leaving Liana gasping but alive, the scars on the pack lands were starting to heal. The crater where the final fight took place had become a garden, wildflowers blooming in soil that had been soaked with blood. But not all wounds healed so quickly. Liana sat in the temporary council room, watching Alpha Marcus argue with Beta Thompson about patrol routes.

Their voices echoed off wooden walls that smelled of fresh pine and potential. "The traditional borders are meaningless now," Marcus maintained. "We need unified patrols." "My wolves won’t take orders from outsiders," Thompson shot back. "They’re not outsiders anymore," Kael said firmly from his place at the head of the table. "We’re all one pack now." Are we really? Liana wondered, feeling the energy crackling between the leaders. Three weeks of alliance talks, and they still circled each other like suspicious cats. "The new council hall will help," she said aloud. "Once it’s built, everyone will have equal voice." "If it gets built," mumbled Alpha Sarah from the mountain pack. "Half my wolves still think this whole thing is cursed." Liana’s heart sank. The building had been slow, plagued by accidents and worker fears. Tools breaking, foundations cracking, materials going missing. Some whispered it was mischief. Others blamed angry ghosts. Maybe they’re right to be afraid, Luna said softly in her mind. Change is never easy. "The ceremony tomorrow will help," Rowan offered. "Breaking ground together, all the packs working side by side—" "Or it’ll be a disaster," Jace whispered under his breath. Elder Mira cleared her throat. "Speaking of disasters, we need to discuss Celeste." Every head turned toward the name of the Beta’s daughter. She’d been imprisoned since the battle, locked in silver chains that stopped her from using the dark magic she’d absorbed. "She’s been asking to see you," Mira told Liana. "Every day for a week." "Absolutely not," Kael said instantly. "She tried to kill you." "She was desperate and scared." Liana stood, walking to the window. Below, she could see the jail building where Celeste waited. "People do terrible things when they feel hopeless." "She allied with Darius," Alpha Marcus pointed out. "Betrayed her own pack." "And Darius is helping us now," Liana replied. It was true. The former rogue Alpha had been given amnesty in return for his knowledge of ancient pack laws and forgotten territories. His insights had been useful in negotiating the alliance terms. "That’s different," Jace argued. "Darius fought for something he believed in. Celeste just wanted power." "Did she?" Liana turned back to face them all. "Or did she want to matter? To be more than just a pretty face waiting for an Alpha to choose her?" Uncomfortable quiet filled the room. Because they all knew the truth—Celeste had been taught to be ornamental, to smile and look beautiful while others made decisions about her life. "What are you suggesting?" Kael asked carefully. "I want to talk to her. Not to free her, but to understand her." Liana met his eyes. "If we’re building something new, shouldn’t we give people a chance to change?" "Some people don’t want to change," Elder Mira warned.

"They cling to the old ways like drowning swimmers clutch driftwood." "Then we show them there’s solid ground to stand on instead." The meeting finished with grudging agreement. Liana would visit Celeste, but not alone. The triplets would follow her, and guards would be present. An hour later, they stood outside the prison cell where Celeste sat on a narrow bed, looking at the wall. She looked smaller than Liana remembered, fragile without her normal confidence. "You came," Celeste said without turning around. "You asked me to." "I didn’t think you would. Not after what I did." Liana stepped closer to the silver bars. "What did you do, Celeste? Really?" Finally, Celeste turned. Her ice-blue eyes were red-rimmed from crying. "I tried to steal what was yours. I tried to change fate itself." "Why?" "Because I was nothing without it!" The words exploded out of her like a dam bursting. "My whole life, I was told I’d be Luna. That was my reason, my identity, my worth. And then you came along and—" "And you realized you never really had a choice," Liana finished softly. Celeste’s face sagged. "I was so angry. At you, at the Moon Goddess, at everyone who promised me something that was never really mine to begin with." "What do you want now?" Kael asked, his voice softer than before. "To matter," Celeste whispered. "To be useful for something other than looking pretty and producing heirs." Liana made a choice that would have shocked her old self. "What if you could be?" "What?" "We’re making something new. We need people who understand the old ways well enough to help others let go of them."

Liana gripped the bars. "You could help newly awakened dogs adjust. Show them they don’t have to be trapped by their birth place." Hope sparked in Celeste’s eyes. "You’d trust me with that?" "I’d give you the chance to earn that trust." The visit ended with promises to consider early release given good behavior and community service. As they walked back to the main building, Talia bounced up to meet them. "The construction crew is here for tomorrow’s ceremony," she reported. "And the catering, and the musicians, and—oh!" Her eyes went wide. "Alpha Thorne and his wolves just arrived." Liana’s blood went cold. Alpha Thorne led the most traditional pack in the northern regions. His arrival meant trouble. Sure enough, they found Thorne waiting in the main hall, ringed by a dozen grim-faced warriors. He was tall and silver-haired, with eyes like winter ice. "Alpha Thorne," Kael greeted him politely. "We weren’t expecting you." "Clearly." Thorne’s gaze swept the room, taking in the mixed groups of wolves from different packs mixing together. His lip curled in disgust. "Though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The things we’ve heard about this place—" "Stories?" Liana stepped forward. "That the natural order has been abandoned. That Alphas bow to Omegas. That ancient rules are being rewritten by children who think they know better than their ancestors." The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Conversations stopped.

Every wolf present turned to watch the fight. "We’re building a better future," Liana said quietly. "One where wolves aren’t limited by the circumstances of their birth." Thorne laughed, but there was no fun in it. "Better? Child, you’ve caused chaos. Confusion. Wolves who don’t know their place in the world." "Maybe their place was never as small as you told them it was." "Careful, little Luna." Thorne’s voice held a warning. "Your name precedes you, but so does your inexperience. There are those who view your... experiments... as dangerous." "Is that a threat?" Jace stepped up beside Liana, hand moving to his weapon. "It’s a fact." Thorne’s soldiers shifted restlessly behind him. "Not everyone is willing to watch you tear down everything our ancestors built." "Then they’re welcome to visit tomorrow," Liana said strongly. "See for themselves what we’re actually building.

The ceremony is open to all." Thorne’s smile was sharp as a blade. "Oh, we’ll be there. You can count on it." He left with his troops, but the promise in his words hung in the air like smoke. That night, Liana couldn’t sleep. She stood on her balcony, watching the moon and trying to quiet the worry gnawing at her stomach. You’re worried about tomorrow, Luna noted. Aren’t you? Worried? No. Prepared? Yes. There’s a difference.

What if Thorne’s right? What if we’re going too fast, changing too much— Then we’ll handle whatever comes, Mara interrupted firmly. That’s what leaders do. Dawn broke gloomy and cloudy, matching Liana’s mood. The groundbreaking ceremony was set for noon, and already wolves were gathering from across the area. The site buzzed with activity—workers setting up chairs, artists tuning instruments, caterers arranging tables. "Nervous?" Kael asked, appearing beside her as she surveyed the crowd. "Terrified," she revealed. "Good. Means you care." The ceremony started with Elder Mira offering a blessing to the Moon Goddess. Then each Alpha was asked to place a stone in the foundation pit, symbolizing their commitment to the alliance.

One by one, they stepped forward. Marcus, Thompson, Sarah, even Darius. The crowd cheered as each stone was placed. Finally, it was Liana and Kael’s turn. They approached the pit together, bringing a large moonstone that would serve as the cornerstone. "For the future," Kael said, his voice carrying across the gathering wolves. "For all of us," Liana added. They lifted the stone together, preparing to place it— And that’s when the arrows flew. Three silver-tipped shafts whistled through the air, aimed straight at Liana’s heart. Time slowed as she saw them coming, saw the shocked faces of the crowd, saw Kael’s mouth opening in a shout of warning. But before the arrows could strike, something impossible happened. A shield of pure moonlight exploded around her, deflecting the projectiles harmlessly into the ground. The light was so bright it turned the gray day silver-white. In that blinding brightness, Liana heard a voice that made her blood freeze. "Did you really think it would be that easy?" The light faded, showing a figure standing at the edge of the ceremony ground. Not Thorne—he looked as shocked as everyone else. This was someone else.

Someone whose very presence made the air taste of copper and fear. Someone who smiled with too many teeth and eyes that held the memory of stars dying. "Hello, little Luna," the figure said. "We meet again." But Liana had never seen this thing before in her life. Had she?