The dawn after the confrontation in the secret library was cloaked in a thick, restless fog.
She was dropped near her house by the twins. Alpha was sending her with his warriors but twins insisted on dropping her. Here she was at her doorstep. She saw them leaving and waved them bye. Her house was as silent as it could be. All her siblings are deep in sleep. She walked lightly to her room. There were only three hours left before Sunrise. She will just get some restful sleep before facing new trials tomorrow.
But, morning came and she had barely slept. Her body was still and silent in bed, but her thoughts had stormed through the night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Luna Priscilla's unreadable face, heard Alpha Magnus's cold voice, and felt the heaviness of the final words spoken before they disappeared into the shadows.
Now, hours later, the sun filtered through the clouds like a pale omen. Eila stood before the Seer's chambers at the edge of the Pack House. The guards bowed and let her pass without a word, clearly informed in advance of her arrival.
Inside, the chamber was dimly lit. Incense curled in long ribbons of smoke. Candles flickered in sconces, casting ghostly shadows on the ancient stone walls. And in the center sat the High Seer—a wizened woman wrapped in layers of white and silver, her cloudy eyes blind yet all-seeing.
"I've been waiting for you, mate of the three souls," the Seer rasped.
Eila's breath caught.
"How do you—"
"The prophecy speaks before the world listens." The Seer raised a trembling hand, motioning for her to come closer. "Come. Let the truth speak through you."
Eila stepped forward and knelt. The Seer placed her fingers on Eila's temples, and the world vanished.
A vision.
A swirling veil of silver mist. Blackened trees. A crimson sky. And a man standing at the center, his eyes hollow and black, veins pulsing with something unnatural. His red hair was unmistakable.
Jeremy Soren.
He raised his hand, and from it bloomed the Varium—a curse made solid. Dark smoke that wrapped around souls and strangled them until they dissolved into ash.
And behind him—a gate. Trembling. Cracking. Something ancient screamed on the other side, a cry only Eila could hear.
"Kill the summoner… or lose everything."
The vision broke. Eila stumbled back, gasping, trembling. The Seer remained unmoved.
"You saw him," she whispered.
"Yes. Jeremy Soren. He's the summoner."
"He is the key. But you are the lock, Eila," the Seer said solemnly. "Only you can stop what is to come. But you cannot do it alone. You will need all three."
Eila lowered her head. The words comforted her and terrified her in equal measure.
She remembered the fear in Alpha Magnus's voice. She remembered the prophecy the twins had referenced.
"When three souls will fall for one, the gate of souls will tremble."
Before leaving, the Seer handed her a rolled scroll—worn with age and sealed with the Alpha's crest. "Take this. It is your right now. The Alpha will not deny you."
Back in her room, hours later, Eila sat with the scroll clutched tightly in her hands. She hadn't dared open it yet. Her thoughts were too loud.
Her heart was pounding too loud.
"Maybe… maybe the twins should reject me."
The thought struck her like a cruel knife. If Lukas and Zois rejected her, it would sever the bond without death. It would save them from the shame of having one mate—her—when even their parents struggled to accept her presence in the sacred library. It would save them from judgment, scandal, and punishment . And maybe even the dangers that come with this trial.
She could take the burden alone.
She'd survive.
She had to.
When she found Jeremy, when she ended the Varium curse, then she could disappear from their lives before more harm came.
She was no longer sure what Luna had meant to say that night. Maybe they will banish her. Or maybe… maybe it was something more dangerous—something that would require her to choose between love and duty.
She knew she would spend the night thinking about how to break the mate bond with twins and even with Leonard if it came to save their reputation or even themselves.