BOUND TO THREE ALPHAS
Chapter 68: THE GREAT CONCLAVE

Chapter 68: THE GREAT CONCLAVE

Chapter 68: The Great Conclave

The trip back to Shadowfang territory felt like a dream. Six Coalition Alphas rode alongside Liana’s carriage, their looks serious but no longer hostile. Magnus himself led the group, his transformation from enemy to friend still shocking everyone.

"I can’t believe this is happening," Jace whispered to his brothers as they flanked the truck. "A Great Conclave hasn’t been called in three hundred years." "Because three hundred years ago, the last one nearly started a war," Kael answered grimly.

"Alphas gathering in one place... it’s dangerous." Rowan’s gentle voice carried worry. "What if they change their minds? What if this unity doesn’t last?" Through the carriage window, Liana heard their worries. Her own doubts whispered similar fears, but Selene’s words in her mind offered comfort. Change is never easy, little wolf. But it’s always worth fighting for. The Shadowfang estate appeared through the trees, its ancient walls gleaming in afternoon sunshine. Guards rushed to meet them, confusion clear on their faces as they recognized both friends and past foes in the approaching group. Alpha James met them at the main door, his weathered face showing surprise and cautious hope. "Magnus," he said slowly. "I didn’t expect to see you here. At least, not without a sword in your hand." Magnus dismounted, his face humble. "Times change, James. Sometimes we change with them, or we get left behind." "The Great Conclave," Alpha Serena stated as she joined the group. "Every pack leader in North America. All meeting here in one week." James’s eyes widened. "Every pack? That’s over a hundred Alphas." "One hundred and thirty-seven, to be exact," Alpha Cameron added. "We’ve already sent messengers to each territory." "Some will refuse to come," Magnus said honestly. "But enough will attend to make history." As the group entered the house, excited voices filled the halls.

Pack members gathered to stare at the unlikely partnership. Omegas mumbled among themselves, hardly believing their eyes. But in a shadowy corner of the estate, other ideas were forming. Celeste pressed herself against the cold stone wall of the servant’s hallway, listening to the conversations echoing from the main hall. Her escape from the holding cells had been easier than expected—everyone was too distracted by the returning heroes to notice one prisoner getting away. Her ice-blue eyes burned with anger as she heard them discussing the Great Conclave. "They think they’ve won," she whispered, her fingers tracing the dark magic symbols carved into her palm. "They have no idea what’s coming." She pulled a small communication crystal from her robes, stolen from Elder Mira’s personal rooms. The stone glowed with eerie purple light as she whispered into it. "The meeting is confirmed. One week. Every Alpha will be here." Her smile was cold as winter night.

"Yes, she’ll be there too. Unprotected. Perfect." The crystal went dark, and Celeste melted back into the darkness. Meanwhile, in another part of the estate, Talia sat bolt upright in her bed, gasping from another vision. Sweat covered her face, and her hands shook like leaves in a storm. Liana ran to her friend’s side. "What did you see?" "Blood," Talia whispered, her hazel eyes wide with fear. "So much blood on the Conclave stones. And a knife—silver with old markings. Someone’s going to try to kill you during the service." "Who?" Liana asked quickly. "Did you see their face?" Talia shook her head furiously. "They wore a hat. But there was something else..." She grabbed Liana’s arm. "They weren’t alone. There were others, all wearing the same dark robes. Like some kind of cult." Kael burst through the door, having heard Talia’s cries from the hallway. "What’s wrong?" "Another vision," Liana explained quickly. "Someone’s planning to attack during the Conclave." Kael’s face went hard as stone.

"Then we cancel it. Send everyone home. The risk is too great." "No." Liana’s voice held absolute determination. "This is exactly what they want—to keep us separated through fear. We can’t let them win." "You could die," Rowan complained, joining them with Jace close behind. "I could die tomorrow crossing the road," Liana responded. "That doesn’t mean I stop walking." Jace ran his hands through his hair in anger. "This isn’t a joke, Liana. If Talia’s dreams are accurate—" "They always are," Talia interrupted softly. "I’ve never been wrong about the important ones." The room fell silent as everyone accepted this truth. "Then we prepare," Liana said finally. "Extra guards. Security steps. But the Conclave happens." Three days into the preparations, disturbing news started arriving from across the territories. Alpha Cameron’s servant arrived first, his face pale with shock. "Three wolves found dead in our area. All had unusual bloodlines—traced back to old royal families." The next day brought similar stories from Alpha Serena’s pack. "Two killings. Both victims came from old Luna bloodlines." By the third day, the pattern was obvious. Elder Mira spread a map across the war room table, marking each attack with red pins. "Seventeen deaths in five regions. All victims share shared ancestry." "What kind of ancestry?" Magnus asked, studying the pattern. Mira’s voice was grave. "The same royal family as Liana. Someone is systematically hunting down anyone connected to her family." The room erupted in worried voices, but Liana felt ice settle in her veins. "How is that possible?" she asked. "I thought my family was lost. Hidden." "Hidden, yes. Lost, no." Mira pulled out an ancient leather notebook. "Your great-grandmother had six children. Your grandma was the youngest. The others scattered across the continent after the betrayal, taking new names, hiding their origins." "But someone found them anyway," Jace realized. "Someone with access to old records."

"Or someone who lived through those times," Rowan added softly. Magnus leaned forward. "You think we’re dealing with an immortal? Someone old enough to remember the original royal family?" Before Mira could answer, a commotion exploded in the hallway outside. Shouting voices, running footsteps, and then— "Celeste is gone!" A guard burst through the door. "She fled during the night. No one saw how." Kael cursed under his breath. "How long has she been free?" "Unknown. Could be hours, could be days. She’s clever enough to stay hidden." Talia suddenly grabbed Liana’s hand, her eyes blurred with vision-sight. "The hooded figure in my dreams... I can see their hands now." "What about them?" Liana asked quickly. "Ice-blue nail polish," Talia whispered. "And a scar on the left wrist shaped like a crescent moon." Everyone in the room turned to look at Elder Mira, who was examining her own left wrist with growing alarm. "Celeste has that exact scar," Mira said slowly. "From a ritual she tried years ago. And she always wears ice-blue polish." "So Celeste is behind the murders?" Alpha Cameron asked. "Or working with whoever is," Magnus replied grimly. Liana stood up, pacing to the window that overlooked the estate grounds. Already, the first early-arriving Alphas were setting up camps in the nearby fields. Dozens of pack flags fluttered in the breeze. "There’s something else," she said softly. "Something we’re missing." "What do you mean?" Kael joined her at the window.

"Think about it. If someone wanted to kill me, why murder random relatives across different regions first? Why not just come after me directly?" Rowan’s eyes widened with understanding. "Unless killing them serves another purpose." "Like what?" Jace demanded. Talia’s voice was barely a whisper. "Like stealing their power. Absorbing their royal blood to fuel some kind of rite." The pieces clicked together in Liana’s mind like puzzle pieces finding their perfect fit. "The Great Conclave," she breathed. "They need me living for it. All those Alphas in one place, all that focused power..." She turned to face the others. "What better time to attempt something that requires massive amounts of magical energy?" "The blood ritual Talia saw," Mira realized. "Not just to kill you, but to use your death as a catalyst for something bigger." "But what?" Magnus asked. "What could require that much power?" Before anyone could answer, another messenger burst through the door. This one wore the colors of the Northern Territories, and his face was white with fear. "The Frost Pack," he gasped. "All of them. Every single wolf in the area.

They’re all dead." Silence fell like a physical weight. "How many?" Kael asked hoarsely. "Three hundred and forty-seven souls," the messenger answered. "Men, women, children. Even the baby pups." "That’s not possible," Magnus objected. "An entire pack doesn’t just die." "They weren’t killed by violence," the messenger added. "No wounds, no signs of fight. They just... drained. Like something sucked the life right out of them." Liana’s blood turned to ice water in her veins. "When?" she whispered. "Three days ago. The same night Celeste vanished." The math was easy and terrifying. Seventeen royal-blooded wolves plus three hundred and forty-seven pack members means enough stolen life force to fuel magic beyond imagination. "We have to cancel the Conclave," Kael said strongly. "Right now. Send everyone home." But even as he spoke, they could hear more arrivals outside. Dozens of packs, hundreds of wolves, all gathering for the historic meeting. "It’s too late," Liana realized with growing fear. "They’re already here. All of them." Talia’s eyes rolled back, and when she spoke, her voice held the weight of prophecy.

"The moon turns red tomorrow night. The Conclave stones will run with royal blood. And something old will awaken that should have stayed buried forever." She fell, the vision leaving her as quickly as it came. Outside, the sun was setting behind the mountains. In twenty-four hours, the Great Conclave would begin. And somewhere in the darkness, something that had eaten an entire pack was getting ready to finish what it started.

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