Chapter 1 The Alphas With No Heartbeat.

Elara's pov.

If I'd known the night would end with three of Lunacrest's most feared Alphas staring at me like I'd just cursed them, I would've stayed in my dorm and minded my business.

But no. Here I am, in a bold silver dress that smells faintly of expensive perfume, standing beneath chandeliers that drip gold like melting sunlight.

The welcome ball of Lunacrest Academy. The most elite werewolf institution in the realm. Every student here is someone; future alphas, betas, council heirs, purebloods. Everyone belongs.

Everyone except me.

The air buzzes with music, laughter, and dominance. Wolves showing off their lineage in expensive suits, girls tossing their hair just enough for everyone to notice the glow of their pack marks. I stand near a marble pillar, clutching my glass of punch like it's a lifeline.

I shouldn't even be here. I told Claude I wouldn't come.

My brother, the Beta heir of Crescent Claw, top of his class, always perfect, always in control. He warned me to stay away from the party.

"People talk, Elara. They'll notice you don't have a wolf. Just stay out of sight. Please."

So I promised. And then I lied.

Because hiding gets tiring. Pretending to be smaller than everyone else is tiring.

So I came. In a mask, at least. A mask makes everyone equal for one night. Or so I thought.

I'm seconds from leaving when a hush rolls through the hall like a living thing.

Then I feel them; three distinct pulses of energy, sharp enough to make the hair on my neck rise.

Every head turns toward the grand doors. The crowd parts.

And the triplets walk in.

The Veyron brothers. The Alphas of Alphas. The triplets Claude never missed a chance to talk about.

They move together, but not in sync, like a melody broken into three different parts.

Alpha Lucien leads, his calm slicing cleaner than a blade. He wears black, simple but elegant, and his cold, intelligent eyes sweep the room as if memorizing every face for a reason he'll never explain.

Alpha Riven follows, his presence wild and burning. There's something dangerous in the way his jaw tightens, the way his aura crackles with raw power barely contained.

And then Alpha Cassian, the last, the contrast. Smiling, lazy, golden-haired devilry in a tuxedo. He walks like the world belongs to him, and maybe it does.

The whispers start immediately.

"They're cursed."

"The hybrid triplets."

"No one's ever heard their heartbeats."

They're myths wrapped in beautiful faces. And for some reason, my chest tightens.

Because walking behind them, looking painfully familiar in his Beta badge, is my brother.

Claude.

Oh, moon. No, no, no.

He's with them?

Of course he is. He's their closest friend. The Beta's son who gets invited into every inner circle I'll never belong to.

He shouldn't see me here. I told him I was studying.

I pull my mask lower, shrinking behind the pillar again. But my eyes betray me, they stay fixed on the triplets.

Alpha Lucien gives a subtle nod to the headmistress. Alpha Riven ignores everyone. And Alpha Cassian... his gaze drifts over the crowd lazily, until it lands on me.

I freeze.

For a second, I tell myself he's looking past me. There's no way he's actually...

He starts walking toward me.

No, no, no. Of all the people in this cursed ballroom...

My pulse kicks hard. Claude turns to speak to someone, thankfully not noticing. But Alpha Cassian's still coming, each step slow and deliberate, a wide smile playing on his lips like he knows exactly what he's doing.

He stops right in front of me.

"Running away so soon?" His voice is smooth, deep, and entirely too amused.

"I wasn't running," I say, though my body betrays me by leaning back a little.

"Sure you weren't." He studies me, eyes glinting behind his mask. "Most people would give anything to have me notice them. You look like you'd rather vanish."

"Maybe I would."

He grins wider. "Now that's interesting."

The scent of him hits next, cedar, smoke, and something darker, almost metallic. His aura hums in the air, causing every hair on my body to stand on end.

He tilts his head. "You don't look familiar. Whose pack?"

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. If I say Crescent Claw, he'll know. Claude will definitely know.

"I'm..."

Alpha Cassian chuckles. "Never mind. You don't have to answer. I like mysteries."

He extends a hand. "Dance with me."

I blink. "What?"

"It's a ball," he says, stepping closer, grinning wider. "That's what people do here."

"I don't dance."

"Neither do I." His grin turns wicked. "But I fake it beautifully."

Before I can protest, he takes my hand. His fingers are warm, steady. The world blurs as he leads me to the center of the ballroom.

The music swells again. Eyes follow. I can feel Claude somewhere in the crowd, if he looks this way, I'm dead.

Alpha Cassian spins me once, laughing softly when I stumble. "Relax. I'm not going to bite."

"Funny," I mutter. "People say you already did."

That earns a real laugh, low and rough. "You've got a mouth on you. I like that."

I roll my eyes but I can't stop the tiny smile tugging my lips. For a moment, I almost forget where I am.

Then I feel it, a faint, electric thrum under my skin. Like something ancient and waiting just woke up inside me.

Alpha Cassian's smile falters. His grip tightens slightly, and for the first time, his confidence slips.

Behind him, Alpha Lucien's posture changes. His eyes lock on us, unreadable but tense. Alpha Riven shifts his weight, jaw clenching like he feels it too.

The music fades again.

Alpha Cassian's fingers tremble against mine.

And then, impossibly, I hear it.

A heartbeat.

One. Then another.

Slow. Unsteady. Alive.

My breath catches. Alpha Cassian blinks, confused, as if he feels it too. Alpha Lucien's eyes narrow. Alpha Riven's nostrils flare like an angry beast.

The room tilts. Someone calls Alpha Cassian's name, distant and distorted. I pull my hand back like I've touched fire.

"Wait..." he starts, but I'm already gone.

I push through the crowd, out the marble doors, heart hammering.

Cold night air hits my lungs as I stumble into the courtyard. My pulse is racing, my skin tingling.

I shouldn't have come. I shouldn't..."

"Elara?"

Claude's voice cuts through the night.

I freeze.

He's standing at the top of the steps, disbelief twisting his face. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I can't answer. Not when my palms still tingle where Alpha Cassian's hand had been. Not when I can still hear that impossible heartbeat echoing faintly in my ears.

So I whisper the only truth I can manage.

"I don't know."

Then I run off. The beginning of my life at Lunacrest.