<h4>Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Brothers Divided</h4>
ra had trouble sleeping. The words of Alpha Marcus kept
ying over and over in her mind: the prophecy calls for her
blood to be spilled freely. Dawn wasn’ting for hours, but she
needed to find Luna Evelyn right away. It was quiet in the west
wing as ra crept through the dark halls. She jumped at every
sound. The old nursery door was slightly open, and there was a
dim light inside. "Luna Evelyn?" ra whispered, pushing the
door. There was no one in the room. There were toys all over
the floor. Three small beds that were once used by the triplets
were strewn around in the corner. "She’s noting." ra
spun around. In the dark, Darian stood in the doorway, his silver
eyes shining. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Saving
your life." He stepped closer. "My mother was caught trying to
leave you a message. Father has her locked away." Fear gripped
ra’s chest. "Is she okay?" "For now." Darian looked at the
hallway. "But we don’t have much time. The second trial begins
at noon tomorrow." "The hunt," ra remembered. Darian
nodded. "It’s not just any hunt. You’re the prey." The blood
drained from ra’s face. "What?" "Father changed the rules.
Whoever catches you first wins." His eyes darkened. "But that’s
not all he wants." "The prophecy," ra whispered. "What is
it?" Darian pulled an old, worn paper from his pocket. "This
belonged to my mother. It speaks of an omega who isn’t an
omega—a Luna born with the power to break the curse that’s
gued our pack for generations." ra studied the faded
writing. Her hands trembled as she read: When three wolves
share one mate, only blood freely given will break the chain. One
will love her, one will leave her, one will take her to her doom.
"That’s why your father wants me here," she realized. "He needs
my blood." "Yes, but—" Darian tensed suddenly. "Someone’s
ing." Footsteps echoed down the hall. Darian grabbed
ra’s hand and pulled her behind arge closet. They pressed
together in the tight space, barely breathing. The nursery door
swung open. Kael walked in, followed by Celeste. "This better
be important," Kael growled. "I need rest before tomorrow’s
trial." Celeste smiled sweetly. "Just wanted to be sure we’re still
on the same page, Alpha-to-be." "I told you I’d refuse the bond.
An omega can’t lead this pack." "And if Ronan wins?" Celeste
pressed. Kael’s jaw clenched. "He won’t." From their hidden
spot, ra could see Darian’s face harden at his brother’s words.
"Good," Celeste purred, moving closer to Kael. "Because once
you’re Alpha, we can finally be together. Just as we nned."
Kael didn’t push her away when she kissed him. ra felt a
strange ache in her chest—not jealousy, but sadness. "Just
make sure you win tomorrow," Celeste whispered before leaving.
After Kael left, Darian and ra emerged from hiding. "Well,"
Darian said dryly, "now you know where my big brother stands."
"And Ronan?" ra asked, hating how much she cared about
the answer. "Ronan’s feelings are real." Darian’s voice held
a feeling ra couldn’t name. "He’s been searching for you all night." "And what about you?" ra dared to ask. "Where
do you stand?" Darian’s eyes met hers. "I’m still deciding."
Before she could ask him further, shouts erupted from outside.
They ran to the window. In the open below, Ronan faced off
against three pack guards. "What’s he doing?" ra gasped.
"Being Ronan," Darian sighed. "Come on." They ran downstairs
and burst outside just as Ronan knocked down thest guard.
"Ronan!" ra called. He turned, relief filling his face. "ra.
I’ve been looking everywhere." "What happened?" Darian
demanded. "Father changed the hunt," Ronan growled. "He
wants us to hunt her." "I know," Darian said quietly. "I told
her." Ronan’s eyes narrowed. "And why would you do that,
brother? nning to win yourself?" "Stop it," ra stepped
between them. "We need to focus. Your father wants my blood
for some prophecy." "The Luna Prophecy," Ronan nodded.
"Mother told me parts of it years ago. I never thought..." He
trailed off, looking at ra with new understanding. A slow p
stopped them. Kael emerged from the shadows, his face cold.
"Secret meeting without me?" he asked. "How touching." "Just
telling the truth," Ronan snapped. "Something you wouldn’t
understand." Kael’s eyes shed dangerously. "The truth? The
truth is one of us will be Alpha. The rest will submit." "And
ra?" Darian asked quietly. "What about her?" Kael nced
at her, something like regret crossing his face before hardening
again. "She’s part of the prize." "She’s not a prize!" Ronan
lunged at his brother. The two crashed to the ground, Ronan’s
fist meeting with Kael’s jaw. Kael flipped him over, holding him
down. Their barks filled the night air. "Stop!" ra shouted.
"This is exactly what your father wants!" Darian pulled them
apart with surprising power. "She’s right. We’re ying into
his hands." The brothers looked at each other, breathing hard.
"The hunt starts at noon," Kael said finally. "Father will expect
us all there." "I won’t hunt her," Ronan vowed. "Then you’ll
lose," Kael answered coldly. "And she’ll belong to whoever
wins." "I don’t belong to anyone," ra snapped. Kael studied
her, something shifting in his eyes. "You’re braver than I gave
you credit for, omega." "My name is ra." The corner of his
mouth twitched—almost a smile. "ra, then." A howl cut
through the night. Alpha Marcus was calling the pack. "He
knows we’re missing," Darian warned. Kael fixed his clothes.
"We need a n." "Since when do you care?" Ronan chal-lenged. "Since I realized Father is using all of us." Kael’s voice
hardened. "Even Celeste." Darian raised an eyebrow. "Your
girlfriend won’t like that." "She’s not my—" Kael stopped,
shaking his head. "That doesn’t matter now." Another scream,
closer this time. "We need to split up," Darian decided. "I’ll
make a distraction. Ronan, take ra to the east border cave.
Kael—" "I’ll handle Father," Kael ended. Ronan looked un-certain. "Can we trust you?" For a moment, the mask slipped
from Kael’s face, showing the weight he carried. "I don’t know.
But I won’t let him hurt her." ra felt the mate bond pulse
at his words. Darian nodded once before fleeing into the trees.
Ronan took ra’s hand, his touch warm and safe. "Be careful,"
Kael said, his eyes meeting ra’s onest time. As he walked
away, ra called after him. "Why did you reject me? The real
reason." Kael paused. "Because I saw how you looked at Ronan."
Before she could reply, he was gone. Ronan squeezed her hand.
"Come on. We don’t have much time." As they ran toward the
forest, ra looked back at the pack house onest time. In an
upstairs window, she caught a glimpse of Tobias watching them
run. He wasn’t alone. Beside him stood Luna Evelyn, her face
streaked with tears as she mouthed a single word: Run. Behind them, barely visible in the shadows, stood Alpha Marcus, his
cruel smile obvious even from a distance. The hunt had already
started.ra had trouble sleeping. The words of Alpha Marcus kept
ying over and over in her mind: the prophecy calls for her
blood to be spilled freely. Dawn wasn’ting for hours, but she
needed to find Luna Evelyn right away. It was quiet in the west
wing as ra crept through the dark halls. She jumped at every
sound. The old nursery door was slightly open, and there was a
dim light inside. "Luna Evelyn?" ra whispered, pushing the
door. There was no one in the room. There were toys all over
the floor. Three small beds that were once used by the triplets
were strewn around in the corner. "She’s noting." ra
spun around. In the dark, Darian stood in the doorway, his silver
eyes shining. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Saving
your life." He stepped closer. "My mother was caught trying to
leave you a message. Father has her locked away." Fear gripped
ra’s chest. "Is she okay?" "For now." Darian looked at the
hallway. "But we don’t have much time. The second trial begins
at noon tomorrow." "The hunt," ra remembered. Darian
nodded. "It’s not just any hunt. You’re the prey." The blood
drained from ra’s face. "What?" "Father changed the rules.
Whoever catches you first wins." His eyes darkened. "But that’s
not all he wants." "The prophecy," ra whispered. "What is
it?" Darian pulled an old, worn paper from his pocket. "This
belonged to my mother. It speaks of an omega who isn’t an
omega—a Luna born with the power to break the curse that’s
gued our pack for generations." ra studied the faded
writing. Her hands trembled as she read: When three wolves
share one mate, only blood freely given will break the chain. One
will love her, one will leave her, one will take her to her doom.
"That’s why your father wants me here," she realized. "He needs
my blood." "Yes, but—" Darian tensed suddenly. "Someone’s
ing." Footsteps echoed down the hall. Darian grabbed
ra’s hand and pulled her behind arge closet. They pressed
together in the tight space, barely breathing. The nursery door
swung open. Kael walked in, followed by Celeste. "This better
be important," Kael growled. "I need rest before tomorrow’s
trial." Celeste smiled sweetly. "Just wanted to be sure we’re still
on the same page, Alpha-to-be." "I told you I’d refuse the bond.
An omega can’t lead this pack." "And if Ronan wins?" Celeste
pressed. Kael’s jaw clenched. "He won’t." From their hidden
spot, ra could see Darian’s face harden at his brother’s words.
"Good," Celeste purred, moving closer to Kael. "Because once
you’re Alpha, we can finally be together. Just as we nned."
Kael didn’t push her away when she kissed him. ra felt a
strange ache in her chest—not jealousy, but sadness. "Just
make sure you win tomorrow," Celeste whispered before leaving.
After Kael left, Darian and ra emerged from hiding. "Well,"
Darian said dryly, "now you know where my big brother stands."
"And Ronan?" ra asked, hating how much she cared about
the answer. "Ronan’s feelings are real." Darian’s voice held
a feeling ra couldn’t name. "He’s been searching for you all night." "And what about you?" ra dared to ask. "Where
do you stand?" Darian’s eyes met hers. "I’m still deciding."
Before she could ask him further, shouts erupted from outside.
They ran to the window. In the open below, Ronan faced off
against three pack guards. "What’s he doing?" ra gasped.
"Being Ronan," Darian sighed. "Come on." They ran downstairs
and burst outside just as Ronan knocked down thest guard.
"Ronan!" ra called. He turned, relief filling his face. "ra.
I’ve been looking everywhere." "What happened?" Darian
demanded. "Father changed the hunt," Ronan growled. "He
wants us to hunt her." "I know," Darian said quietly. "I told
her." Ronan’s eyes narrowed. "And why would you do that,
brother? nning to win yourself?" "Stop it," ra stepped
between them. "We need to focus. Your father wants my blood
for some prophecy." "The Luna Prophecy," Ronan nodded.
"Mother told me parts of it years ago. I never thought..." He
trailed off, looking at ra with new understanding. A slow p
stopped them. Kael emerged from the shadows, his face cold.
"Secret meeting without me?" he asked. "How touching." "Just
telling the truth," Ronan snapped. "Something you wouldn’t
understand." Kael’s eyes shed dangerously. "The truth? The
truth is one of us will be Alpha. The rest will submit." "And
ra?" Darian asked quietly. "What about her?" Kael nced
at her, something like regret crossing his face before hardening
again. "She’s part of the prize." "She’s not a prize!" Ronan
lunged at his brother. The two crashed to the ground, Ronan’s
fist meeting with Kael’s jaw. Kael flipped him over, holding him
down. Their barks filled the night air. "Stop!" ra shouted.
"This is exactly what your father wants!" Darian pulled them
apart with surprising power. "She’s right. We’re ying into
his hands." The brothers looked at each other, breathing hard.
"The hunt starts at noon," Kael said finally. "Father will expect
us all there." "I won’t hunt her," Ronan vowed. "Then you’ll
lose," Kael answered coldly. "And she’ll belong to whoever
wins." "I don’t belong to anyone," ra snapped. Kael studied
her, something shifting in his eyes. "You’re braver than I gave
you credit for, omega." "My name is ra." The corner of his
mouth twitched—almost a smile. "ra, then." A howl cut
through the night. Alpha Marcus was calling the pack. "He
knows we’re missing," Darian warned. Kael fixed his clothes.
"We need a n." "Since when do you care?" Ronan chal-lenged. "Since I realized Father is using all of us." Kael’s voice
hardened. "Even Celeste." Darian raised an eyebrow. "Your
girlfriend won’t like that." "She’s not my—" Kael stopped,
shaking his head. "That doesn’t matter now." Another scream,
closer this time. "We need to split up," Darian decided. "I’ll
make a distraction. Ronan, take ra to the east border cave.
Kael—" "I’ll handle Father," Kael ended. Ronan looked un-certain. "Can we trust you?" For a moment, the mask slipped
from Kael’s face, showing the weight he carried. "I don’t know.
But I won’t let him hurt her." ra felt the mate bond pulse
at his words. Darian nodded once before fleeing into the trees.
Ronan took ra’s hand, his touch warm and safe. "Be careful,"
Kael said, his eyes meeting ra’s onest time. As he walked
away, ra called after him. "Why did you reject me? The real
reason." Kael paused. "Because I saw how you looked at Ronan."
Before she could reply, he was gone. Ronan squeezed her hand.
"Come on. We don’t have much time." As they ran toward the
forest, ra looked back at the pack house onest time. In an
upstairs window, she caught a glimpse of Tobias watching them
run. He wasn’t alone. Beside him stood Luna Evelyn, her face
streaked with tears as she mouthed a single word: Run. Behind them, barely visible in the shadows, stood Alpha Marcus, his
cruel smile obvious even from a distance. The hunt had already started.