To her surprise, none of them said a word. For a moment, they just stood there, staring. Maybe Blue caught a flicker of lust in their eyes. Maybe she imagined it. But she, too, felt it—the pull, the bond between them. Heavy.
"Wipe that shocked look off your face. There's nothing to stare at," Draven mocked, his voice cold as ice.
Shame rushed through her. She scrambled to grab the cloth nearby and cover her chest. No man had ever seen her like this, no man at all.
The air grew tight around her. She felt exposed, vulnerable… and yet, something about the way they looked at her stirred something dangerous and hot deep inside her.
"I thought I locked the door…" her voice barely above a whisper—then she saw it. The spare key, glinting in Kael's hand.
Of course. Of course they barged in.
"You thought wrong, Wolf," Laziel drawled from where he leaned in the corner, eyes still glued to her chest, even though it was covered now.
Her throat tightened. Their presence pressed down on her like a weight. She struggled to hold herself together, especially with the fever burning through her.
"What do I owe this visit?" she mumbled. She wanted them gone and yet she wanted them to stay. Even though they had left her behind at the camp, and during her sickness they had never come for her. Never cared.
The answer came in the form of a growl. Then another. Then all three of them.
So loud and deep her Wolf shrank back, her tail tucked and hidden. She wanted to run, but her feet stayed planted.
"We ask the questions here. Not some half-weakling wolf," Draven barked.
Even their Lycans hated her. That... that was a new kind of pain. It was one thing to be loathed by the triplets, but to feel the rejection of their beasts? It was too much.
Blue said nothing. Her mouth was dry. She just stood there, waiting, watching, and dreading.
"You should be grateful you're still breathing. You Albenians don't deserve to breathe the same air as us," Kael bit out.
The words cut so deep she swayed. Her chest tightened, vision blurring.
"Traitors. Murderers. Liars," Laziel snapped.
"And many more," Draven finished with venom.
The tears came then. Hot and unstoppable. Her heart cracked under the weight of their cruelty.
"If you've come here to rub salt in my wound," she said quietly, back to them now, voice trembling, "then I hope you're satisfied. You've done it. May I go to bed now, my lords?"
She bit her lip to hold back the sobs, but the tears rolled anyway. Down her cheeks, off her chin, onto the floor.
Then it happened. A blur of movement.
A rough grip yanked her back, spun her around—and then she was choking.
Draven's hand closed around her throat. His fingers dug in deep, cutting off her air.
Her claws came out, slashing at his wrist. Panic surged through her. Her eyes turned white, vision swimming. His icy blue gaze locked onto hers, so cold. The frost heart had taken over.
"Draven—!" Kael's voice broke through the haze. "You're killing her. Let go!"
A beat passed.
Then Draven released her.
Blue crumpled to the floor, coughing, gasping, clutching her neck as if trying to hold herself together. No one said another word. Draven stormed out, his brothers on his heels.
She stayed there, crying until the tears dried up. Eventually, she crawled into bed.
These days, the dream world was safer than the real one.
---
"Blue Sara…"
A soft voice stirred her from slumber.
"Blue Sara…" it called again, almost like a whisper in the wind.
She opened her eyes. But she wasn't in her room anymore. She stood in a vast, endless hall. Dark. So dark the only light came from a single candle burning in the corner.
"Dearest…" came a voice from the shadows. "The bond has clicked. Soon it will manifest. Together, the four chosen souls shall fulfill the prophecy of the first veiled one."
"Who are you?" she called out, heart racing.
"Together, the fire will break the ice."
Then came a loud crack, echoing through the hall like thunder. Blue jolted awake with a scream. Her eyes scanned the room. Her chest heaved. Sweat drenched her body. Even her Wolf trembled in fear.
"What was that?"
"A bad dream, I'm guessing," came a voice from the corner.
She gasped. "Dasia? You're here?"
"Yes, I am. Now get up we're leaving."
"Has the horn sounded?" Blue asked quickly, her body still remembering the last time.
"It's only past noon, princess. We've got time."
"Just Blue, please." She sat up, wiping her face. "Where are we going then?"
Dasia gave a soft, warm smile and looped her arm through Blue's. "You'll see."
The small town of Okposi was quiet. Unlike Albenia's bustling market at noon, before the war. Before the blood. Back then, laughter used to ring through the streets.
When they reached the clearing behind the mountain, Blue smiled. Genuinely smiled—for the first time in weeks.
A stream cut through the land, water so clear it shimmered like glass.
She didn't know when it happened, but she threw her arms around Dasia and kissed her cheek.
"I figured we both needed a bath," Dasia said, laughing.
"You're a lifesaver."
They stripped without shame. No one was there. Just the two of them. They sank into the cool water, laughter bouncing off the stones. For a while, Blue let herself feel free. Clean.
Later, when they were dressed again, Dasia adjusted Blue's new gown and brushed her damp hair away from her face. "You look more alive now."
They began walking the trail behind the mountain, soft dirt beneath their feet.
"I still don't understand them," Blue said eventually, voice low.
"The triplets?"
She nodded. "They hate me. I feel it. I see it. Every time they look at me…"
"It's not hate, Blue. It's pain. Anger. What happened to them—it scarred more than their flesh. The frost heart inside them… it changed everything. Took away warmth. Emotions."
Blue shook her head. "Still doesn't justify strangling me."
"No, it doesn't," Dasia agreed gently. "But grief makes monsters of men. And they're not whole, not really. Not until you."
They walked in silence after that, wandered deeper into the woods, the sun fading behind thick clouds above the mountains. A strange sound whispered through the trees, soft at first, like distant breathing. Then sharper. Rhythmic. Wet.
Blue slowed. Her ears twitched.
"You hear that?" she asked, her voice barely above a breath.
Dasia nodded, cautious. "Something's close."
They stepped quietly between the trees, careful not to snap a twig or rustle the leaves. The sound grew louder. Slap. Slap. Slap. A choked moan followed. Then another.
Blue's Wolf bristled. Her heart pounded.
She pushed past a thick curtain of vines and froze.
There, in the small clearing ahead, stood the triplets.
Completely naked.
Kael was behind a petite blonde girl, thrusting into her with savage, primal force. Her hands clawed into the mossy earth, her cries barely audible through the thick trees.
Laziel stood in front of her, one hand gripping her hair, the other buried in her mouth as she choked on his cock, eyes rolled back in submission.
And to the side, leaning against a tree like it was the throne of hell—Draven.
Also naked. Also watching.
His hand wrapped tight around his shaft, stroking himself with slow, deliberate precision. His icy blue gaze never left the scene. Dark. Possessive. Like he was feeding on it.
Blue stumbled back, but her boot snapped a twig.
Crack.
Every movement in the clearing halted.
The blonde moaned in confusion, but the triplets didn't move. Not yet.
Kael's head turned first. Then Laziel. Then Draven.
All three sets of eyes locked onto hers.
Blue's breath caught in her throat.
Their bodies didn't shift. Not yet. But something in the air did. It thickened. Darkened. Like the forest was holding its breath, waiting to see who would strike first.
Kael's cock still glistened with the girl's slick. Laziel's hand still fisted her hair. Draven's hand had stilled over his length, his eyes burning straight into Blue's.
She couldn't move. Couldn't look away.
And then Draven smiled. slow, dark, and dangerous.
Like a predator who'd just found something far more interesting than prey.