Chapter 1: ARIA POV
The kitchen door crashed open, and I dropped the heavy tray of food. Everyone turned to gaze at me as plates fell to the floor.
"Can't you do anything right?" Cook exclaimed, her face crimson with rage. "That was for the Beta's table!"
My cheeks burned as I knelt to clear up the mess. It's just another day for Aria, the clumsy omega that no one notices—unless I mess up.
"Sorry," I muttered, picking up broken plates while the other kitchen workers walked around me as if I were invisible.
The entire group was busy preparing for tonight's huge celebration. The Alpha's three kids, the famous triplets, were returning home after two years away. Everyone was excited except me. Tomorrow was my 18th birthday, but no one remembered or cared.
"Need help?" A friendly voice inquired. My best friend Mira knelt alongside me, her compassionate eyes the only ones that had ever seen me.
"Thanks," I replied. "I was thinking about tomorrow and wasn't paying attention."
Mira nodded immediately, indicating comprehension. "It's your birthday. Don't worry; I remembered."
We immediately cleaned up the mess before Cook could yell again. Through the kitchen window, I could see the pack's central clearing, where wolves were running back and forth hanging lights and setting up tables. In the midst of it all stood Elira, the Beta's daughter, delivering commands with a flawless smile.
"Look at her," I muttered. "Acting like she's already the Luna."
"Everyone thinks she'll mate with one of the triplets," Mira said softly. "It's probably Kael, the oldest. "
I had never even seen the triplets. When I was fifteen, they left for special Alpha training, and I began working in the pack home. All I knew were the stories: Kael was cold and serious, Jaxon was wild and dangerous, and Lucien was quiet but intelligent.
"Aria! Stop daydreaming and get those beverages out!" Cook thrust a new tray into my hands, heavier than the first.
I moved cautiously outdoors, hoping not to spill anything. The midday sun made me squint as I approached a table where four pack warriors were taking a rest.
"Watch it, omega," a tall girl said, intentionally knocking into me. Elira's friend, Maya. I wobbled but held on to the tray this time.
"Sorry," I said automatically, even though it was not my fault.
"You should be," Maya joked. "Omegas like you should keep their eyes down."
I bit my tongue. Omegas were in the bottom of our pack. We served everyone else and remained quiet. I'd already learnt that lesson several times.
When I gave the beverages and dashed back to the kitchen, ecstatic shouts erupted from the pack entrance. People began running that direction, ignoring me.
"They're coming!" someone exclaimed. "The Alpha triplets are arriving early!"
My heart jumped. I should have returned to the kitchen, but something compelled me to follow the crowd instead. I'd never seen the famous brothers before, and now I needed to.
I slipped among the enthusiastic wolves until I spotted Mira. She grabbed my arm. "What are you doing?" "Cook will be furious!"
"I just want to see them once," I told them. "Everyone talks about them all the time."
The crowd thinned as three motorcyclists blasted through the pack gates. They came to a halt in front of the Alpha House, and three tall people took off their helmets.
My breath got locked in my throat.
They did not look like brothers. They resembled three distinct forms of power.
The man in front stood straight and serious, his dark hair cut short, his eyes scanning the throng for any dangers. Kael is the future Alpha.
Beside him, a sibling with wild hair and a threatening smile winked at some waving girls. Jaxon, the troublemaker.
The third hung back somewhat, quieter but looking about with inquisitive eyes. Lucien, a healer.
"They're even more impressive than the stories," Mira remarked.
I could not explain the weird sensation in my chest. As if I were being yanked forward. My feet began going before I could stop them.
"Aria, what are you doing?" Mira shrieked and grabbed my arm.
I startled, realizing I had taken three steps toward the triplets. "I—I don't know."
Alpha Darius, their father, emerged from the pack home to meet his boys. His thunderous voice echoed over the clearing. "Welcome home."
Then Elira went forward, looking stunning in a blue outfit that matched her eyes. She smiled at Kael, who gave a polite nod. Everyone could see it: the future Alpha and his lovely Luna.
"Let's go back," I told Mira, suddenly feeling dumb. "I'll be in trouble if—"
"ARIA!" Cook's harsh tone made me jump. She marched through the mob, face flushed with wrath. "I have been seeking everywhere for you! "Get back to work now!"
People turned and stared. My face burned with shame as I bowed my head and attempted to disappear. But when I turned to follow Cook, I had a peculiar feeling—like if someone was watching me.
I cast one glance back. Lucien's eyes met mine as he moved through the gathering, past the ecstatic wolves greeting the triplets and Elira's lovely grin.
He cocked his head slightly, as if he were bewildered. Then Kael spoke to him, and he glanced aside.
"You're in big trouble," Cook hissed, yanking my arm back to the kitchen. "Alpha Darius specifically requested his favorite meal for tonight's feast, and we're behind schedule because of you!"
We returned to a hot and crowded kitchen. Cook gestured at a mound of potatoes. "Peel all of them. "No breaks."
My hands were already sore, but I nodded and began to work. Through the glass, I saw the celebration begin without me. Music sounded as wolves greeted the triplets.
I spent hours peeling potatoes till my fingers cramped. The sun began to fall, and servers hurried in and out, delivering food for the feast.
"You can go now," Cook finally remarked, his expression slightly less hostile. "But be back early tomorrow to clean up."
My back ached as I walked slowly to the modest cabin that I shared with three other omegas. The pack grounds were mostly empty, as was the welcoming feast, which I had not been invited to.
The moon was rising, nearly full. It would be completed tomorrow night—on my birthday. According to pack legend, the Moon Goddess revealed your partner when you were eighteen beneath a full moon. Not that it mattered to omegas like myself. We rarely found partners.
I was almost to my cabin when a peculiar feeling caused me to pause. The hairs on my arms stood up. Something was not right.
I slowly turned around.
A stranger stood in the darkness, watching me. Tall. Still. Silent.
My heart pounded in my chest. "Who's there?"
The figure moved forward into the moonlight.
It was Lucien, the quietest of the triplets. His eyes appeared to glow in the darkness.
"You," he replied softly. "Why do you smell like pack but not pack?"
I froze, not comprehending. "What?"
He took another step closer and sniffed the air. His eyes narrowed. "Who are you really?"
"I'm nobody," I murmured. "Just an omega."
Lucien stared at me for a long time. Then he uttered something that made my blood run cold: "No, you are not. My brothers can also sense it."