Lily Carter POV
I yanked my sleeve down, but it was too late. Luna's eyes narrowed as she saw the silver glow on my wrist.
"What is that?" she asked, grabbing for my arm.
I stumbled backward, nearly falling into the Moon Pool. My heart pounded so hard I could barely breathe.
"Nothing! I—I scratched myself," I lied.
Luna didn't believe me. "Show me your wrist, omega."
Before she could grab me again, a deep voice called out, "Luna? Are you out here?"
We both froze. Aiden Silver stepped into the opening, his silver-blue eyes reflecting the moonlight. Behind him were his brothers, Brock and Caleb.
The three most important wolves in our pack had just saved me without even knowing it.
Luna's face quickly changed from angry to sweet. "Aiden! I was just about to come find you."
She moved away from me like I was nothing – which to her, I was. I used that moment to slip my hand into my pocket, hiding the bright mark.
"The dancing is starting," Aiden said, offering Luna his arm. "Father wants us all there."
Luna took his arm with a smile that would melt snow. "Of course."
As she walked past me, she whispered so only I could hear: "This isn't over, omega."
I stood frozen, hoping the triplets would follow her and not notice me standing there like a scared rabbit. No such luck.
"You're Lily, right?" Caleb asked, staying behind while his brothers walked ahead with Luna. "From the nursery?"
I nearly choked in surprise. He knew my name?
"Y-yes," I managed to say, keeping my hand firmly in my pocket.
Caleb tilted his head, studying me with curious eyes. Unlike his brothers, who always seemed busy and important, Caleb had a quieter way about him. Like he was always thinking about something interesting.
"Aren't you coming to the celebration?" he asked.
I shook my head. "I don't really like big parties."
"Me neither," he admitted with a small smile. "Too loud to think."
For a moment, we just looked at each other. My marked wrist burned inside my pocket, and I wondered what would happen if I showed it to him right now. Would he believe it? Would he want an omega mate?
"Caleb!" Brock called from ahead. "Come on!"
"Well," Caleb said, backing away, "happy birthday, Lily."
My mouth fell open. How did he know?
Before I could ask, he was gone, leaving me alone by the Moon Pool with my impossible mate mark and a million questions.
I barely slept that night. I wrapped a bandage around my wrist to hide the glowing mark and spent hours looking at my ceiling, trying to make sense of what had happened.
The Triple Moon Mark meant I was set to mate with one of the Alpha's sons. But which one? And how could the moon choose an omega like me for someone so important?
By morning, I had chosen to talk to Elder Iris. If anyone would know about this mark, she would.
As I rushed across the pack grounds toward Elder Iris's cabin, I heard shouting coming from the training field. Despite needing to run, I couldn't help but peek.
The three Silver brothers were training, surrounded by a crowd of fans. Even this early, Luna was there looking from the sidelines, cheering loudly.
Aiden stood in the center of the field leading younger wolves in combat moves. His voice carried with natural authority as he demonstrated the right way to defend against an attack.
"Balance is key," he said, standing perfectly straight. "An Alpha leads not just with strength, but with control."
The smaller wolves nodded eagerly, copying his stance. Everything about Aiden screamed "future Alpha" – the way he stood, the way others looked to him for direction.
On the far side of the field, Brock was showing fighting techniques to another group. Where Aiden was all about control, Brock was pure power. He moved like a storm, fast and strong.
"An enemy won't give you time to think," he growled, easily flipping a wolf twice his size. "You need to be ready to protect the pack at all times."
His kids looked both scared and impressed. No one would dare challenge Brock Silver.
And then there was Caleb, sitting under a tree with a small group. Instead of physical training, he looked to be teaching strategy, using sticks to draw maps in the dirt. His voice was too quiet for me to hear, but the wolves around him leaned in, fully focused on whatever he was saying.
Three brothers, so different yet equally strong in their own ways.
Luna moved between the groups, comfortable in this world of power and luxury that I could only watch from the outside. When she reached Aiden, she touched his shoulder and whispered something that made him smile. With Brock, she teased and laughed at his jokes. But with Caleb, she seemed to try extra hard, bringing him a drink and sitting close as he described something from his book.
I should have kept walking to Elder Iris's home. Instead, I stayed hidden behind a tree, watching and wondering which of these powerful dogs might be my mate. The very idea seemed impossible.
Suddenly, Caleb's head snapped up. He looked right at my hiding spot, his nose slightly raised as if catching a smell. My scent.
I ducked away quickly, but not before seeing the curious look in his eyes. Somehow, he always seemed to notice me when no one else did.
I finally made it to Elder Iris's cabin, only to find a note pinned to her door: "Gone to pick moon herbs. Back tomorrow."
Perfect. The one person who could help me understand this mark was gone, and the festival's mating event was tomorrow night.
I turned away, only to smack straight into someone's chest.
"Whoa there," said a deep voice.
I looked up into Brock Silver's shocked face. His training session must have ended while I was at Elder Iris's door.
"S-sorry," I stammered, quickly stepping back and lowering my eyes as omegas were supposed to do around higher-ranked wolves.
"You're the nursery girl," he said, not unkindly. "Lily, right?"
That was twice now. Two of the Silver triplets knew my name.
"Yes," I answered, keeping my bandaged hand hidden in the folds of my dress.
Brock nodded toward Elder Iris's home. "Looking for the old omega?"
I nodded. "It's not important. I'll come back tomorrow."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "You smell... different today."
My heart skipped. Could he smell the mate mark? Was that even possible?
Before I could reply, Luna's voice called out, "Brock! Your father wants you at the main house!"
Brock looked over his shoulder and nodded, then turned back to me with a curious face. "See you around, nursery girl."
I rushed away, my face burning. First Caleb knew my birthday, and now Brock had actually talked to me. After being invisible for so long, it felt strange to be recognized by the Silver brothers.
Back at my cabin, I removed the bandage to check my mark. The three moons glowed even brighter than before, pulsing like a heartbeat. One moon seemed to shine slightly brighter than the others, but I couldn't tell which one.
A knock at my door made me jump. I quickly covered my wrist again and opened the door a crack.
Caleb Silver stood on my porch, holding a small package wrapped in brown paper.
"I brought you something," he said quietly. "For your birthday."
I stared at him in shock. No one had ever given me a birthday gift except Elder Iris.
"How did you know it was my birthday?" I asked, taking the package with my unmarked hand.
Caleb smiled, a gentle look that made his silver-blue eyes crinkle at the corners. "I notice things others don't."
As I stood there speechless, his eyes drifted to my bandaged wrist. Something flashed in his eyes – curiosity? Recognition?
"What happened to your arm?" he asked.
Before I could answer, a howl sounded through the pack grounds – the call for an emergency meeting.
"That's Father calling," Caleb said, already turning to go. "Open it later and let me know what you think."
He jogged away, leaving me holding his gift and wondering why the quiet, thoughtful brother of the three most powerful wolves in our pack had noticed me at all.
I closed my door and unwrapped the package with shaking hands. Inside was a small, leather-bound book named "Forgotten Omega Wisdom." I opened it to find a note slipped between the pages: "Some say the moon remembers what the pack has forgotten. Meet me at the old library t
onight at midnight. I think we need to talk about what's on your wrist."