Aria couldn't sleep. The old prophecy burned in her mind:
One to love. One to hate. One to give.
She had hidden the paper under her mattress, afraid of what it meant.
As dawn painted the sky pink, someone knocked on her door.
"Go away," she mumbled, expecting another guard.
"Is that any way to greet your future mate?" Cyrus's voice teased from the hallway.
Aria sat up, suddenly alert. "I'm not your mate."
"Not yet," Cyrus responded. "But may I come in? I have something for you."
Curious, Aria wrapped a robe around herself and opened the door.
Cyrus stood there grinning, a bunch of wild blue flowers in one hand. "Morning, beautiful," he said, offering the flowers with a dramatic bow.
Aria took them carefully. "What's this for?"
"Can't a guy bring flowers to a pretty girl?" Cyrus strolled into her room uninvited.
Aria noticed he'd made an effort—his blond hair was combed, his green eyes sparkled, and he smelled like pine and cinnamon.
"We leave for the rogue camp in three hours," he said, sitting on her window seat. "Thought you might want a friendly face before the chaos begins."
"Why are you being nice to me?" Aria asked, looking for a vase.
Cyrus's smile faded slightly. "Maybe I'm tired of being the forgotten brother."
"Forgotten? You're the pack's golden boy."
He laughed bitterly. "Golden boy? Caleb gets the crown, Caden gets the girl. What do I get?"
For the first time, Aria saw past his cocky smile to something raw underneath. She put the flowers in a water glass and sat across from him. "What do you want, Cyrus? Really?"
His eyes met hers, suddenly serious. "To matter. To someone. Anyone."
The mate bond between them hummed faintly—not as strong as with Caden, but clearly present.
Aria felt a tug of pity. "You do matter," she said softly.
Quick as lightning, Cyrus's mask slipped back into place. He winked. "Of course I do. I'm the handsome one."
Before Aria could reply, the door burst open. Caden stood there, his blue eyes dark with anger.
"What are you doing here?" he asked of his brother.
Cyrus stretched lazily. "Just welcoming our friend properly. Someone has to show her not all Dravens are grumpy."
Caden's jaw tightened. "Out. Now."
"Jealous, brother?" Cyrus stood, his smile sharp as a knife. "Afraid she might prefer me?"
The tension crackled between them.
Aria stepped between the boys. "Stop it," she said strongly. "I'm not a prize to be won."
"No," a new voice agreed. "You're a weapon to be used." Caleb appeared in the doorway, a map in his hands.
Unlike Cyrus, he looked like he hadn't slept—his eyes were rimmed with red, his hair messy. "Father wants to see us," he told his brothers. "Now."
After they left, Aria reached under her mattress for the prophecy page. Something felt wrong. The paper was still there, but it had been opened and refolded differently. Someone had found it.
Luna Seraphina appears at her door. "We need to talk before you leave."
She slid in, shutting the door behind her. Her silver-streaked hair was braided tightly, her face stressed.
"I know about the prophecy page," she said quietly. "Caleb shouldn't have shown you."
Aria's heart skipped. "You know what it means?"
"Yes," Seraphina sighed. "It's why I became Luna. To protect Selene—your mother—from it."
"I don't understand."
"The prophecy wasn't meant for you," Seraphina stated. "It was for your mother. But she ran away with your father rather than fulfill it."
"So I'm supposed to take her place?" Aria asked, dread growing in her stomach.
Seraphina nodded sadly. "Magnus thinks so. That's why he's sending you to the rogues—to bring your mother back."
"But what does it mean? One to love, one to hate, one to sacrifice?"
"It means exactly what it says," Seraphina answered. "And it's happening already. You love Caden. You fight with Caleb. And Cyrus..."
She didn't finish, but Aria understood. Cyrus would be the price.
"I have to warn him," Aria said, making for the door.
Seraphina caught her arm. "No! You can't change fate. Trying will only make it worse."
"I won't let someone die because of an old piece of paper!"
"It's not just a prophecy," Seraphina maintained. "It's a cure."
Aria froze. "A cure for what?"
"The sickness in our genes. The reason Alphas grow cruel and power-hungry." Seraphina's eyes filled with tears. "Why Magnus changed from the man I loved into someone I barely recognize."
A knock stopped them.
A servant girl—not Mira—bowed uncomfortably. "They're waiting for you in the courtyard," she told Aria. "For the journey."
In the courtyard, the boys stood with their father. Liana and Dorian waited nearby, hands bound, surrounded by guards.
"There she is," Magnus stated when Aria approached. "Our Moon Wolf."
Aria hated the way he said it—like she was a thing he owned.
"Remember," Magnus told his sons, "find the rogues' camp, locate Selene Callen, and bring her back."
"And if she refuses?" Caleb asked.
Magnus's eyes hardened. "Then kill her."
"That's my mother!" Aria cried.
"That's a traitor," Magnus corrected coldly. "Who abandoned her pack—and her daughter."
Aria felt a hand slip into hers. To her surprise, it was Cyrus. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I won't let anything happen to her."
The action seemed genuine, but doubt crept in. Was Cyrus being kind, or playing another angle?
They set off—three brothers, two criminals, and Aria—into the deep forest. Caleb led, tracking quietly. Caden guarded the prisoners. Cyrus walked beside Aria.
"Why did you really bring me flowers?" she asked quietly.
Cyrus smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe I'm tired of losing."
"This isn't a game," Aria warned.
"Everything's a game," he responded. "And I'm playing to win."
Hours passed. The forest grew wilder, the trees higher. They stopped in a clearing to rest.
While the others checked the map,
Cyrus pulled Aria aside behind a big oak. "I know about the prophecy," he whispered anxiously.
Aria's blood went cold. "Did you look under my mattress?"
He shook his head. "I've known for years. I found the storage room when I was twelve—read everything about Moon Wolves and triple bonds."
"Then you know what it says about..." Aria couldn't finish.
"About me being sacrificed?" His smile was sad. "Yes."
"I won't let that happen," she promised.
Cyrus touched her cheek gently. "What if it's already happening? What if I'm already falling for you?"
Before she could answer, he leaned in and kissed her. The mate bond flared between them—weaker than with Caden but clearly real.
Aria pulled away, confused. "Why did you do that?"
"To show you I'm not just playing games," Cyrus said, his usual grin gone. "I may be the middle brother, the forgotten one, but I feel this bond too."
A twig snapped nearby. They turned to find Caden watching them, his face a mask of hurt and anger.
"I trusted you," he said to Aria. "Both of you."
"Caden, it's not what you think," Aria reached for him, but he stepped back.
"Isn't it?" he asked angrily. "The prophecy needs all three of us, doesn't it? Was I just the easiest to catch first?"
"No!" Aria cried, but Caden was already walking away.
Cyrus looked truly troubled. "I didn't mean for him to see."
"Didn't you?" Aria demanded.
Before he could answer, a scream cut through the trees. Caleb's voice shouted from the clearing: "Ambush!"
They ran back to find a dozen rogues surrounding them. Dorian and Liana were already free, standing with the invaders.
"Hello, daughter," said a silver-haired woman stepping forward. "I've been waiting for you."
Aria let out a gasp.
The woman was her mirror image—same violet eyes, same gray hair. But while Aria's power felt new and unsure, this woman radiated strength.
"Mother?" Aria whispered.
Selene Callen smiled. "Yes. And I'm here to save you from the prophecy that nearly killed me."
She looked at the three brothers with cold eyes. "Even if it means killing every Draven who stands in my way."