MATED TO THE THREE ALPHA KINGS

MATED TO THE THREE ALPHA KINGS

Chapter 1: The Night Everything Changed

"Get on your knees."

The command cracked through the ballroom, silencing every conversation.

I stood frozen beneath the golden chandeliers, my fingers trembling around the broken tray in my hands. Champagne dripped onto the marble floor, forming a sparkling puddle around my worn shoes.

Hundreds of werewolves stared at me.

Some laughed. Others whispered behind their jeweled fingers. A few looked away, pretending not to witness the humiliation.

I knew those expressions.

Pity. Disgust. Satisfaction.

To them, I was nothing more than a wolfless servant who had forgotten her place.

"I'm talking to you, girl." Alpha Victor Blackwood stepped closer, his expensive shoes crushing a shard of glass. "Kneel and apologize for ruining my daughter's celebration."

I swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry about the tray, Alpha. Someone pushed me."

His hand struck my cheek before I finished speaking.

Pain exploded across my face. I stumbled sideways, catching myself against a table.

Laughter erupted around me.

"Did you hear that?" Victor sneered. "The little wolfless rat thinks she can blame someone else."

I pressed my palm against my burning cheek.

I wanted to fight back. I wanted to scream that I had done nothing wrong.

But I had learned a long time ago that people like me didn't get to defend themselves.

My name is Aria Moon. I was twenty-one years old, and I had spent my entire life being reminded that I was a mistake.

Every werewolf received a wolf when they came of age. Mine had never awakened. The pack healer called it an unfortunate defect. My stepmother called it proof that my mother had been cursed before giving birth to me.

My father had simply stopped looking me in the eyes.

After he died, my stepmother sold almost everything he had left behind and forced me into servitude.

Tonight, she had ordered me to serve drinks at the annual Alpha Gathering.

I had no idea it would become the worst night of my life.

"Apologize properly," Victor demanded.

I lowered my head.

"I'm sorry, Alpha."

"Not to me." He pointed toward his daughter, Isabella, who stood beside him in a silver dress. "Apologize to Isabella. You ruined the moment she was supposed to announce her engagement."

Isabella smiled sweetly.

"Don't be too hard on her, Father. She probably doesn't understand how important tonight is. After all, a girl without a wolf has nothing worth celebrating."

The crowd laughed again.

I clenched my fists.

Then the enormous ballroom doors swung open.

The laughter stopped.

One by one, the werewolves turned toward the entrance. Even Alpha Victor straightened, his arrogance disappearing beneath an expression of sudden respect.

Three men entered the ballroom.

I had heard stories about them since childhood.

Everyone had.

King Kael Draven walked in front. Tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in a black suit, he carried himself like a man who had never needed to ask for anything. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his cold gray eyes seemed capable of freezing anyone who dared to meet them.

Beside him was King Damon Draven, whose handsome face wore a lazy smile. His dark eyes moved across the room with effortless confidence, as though he already knew every secret hidden within it.

The third man followed a step behind.

King Lucien Draven.

He was the youngest, but there was nothing youthful about the danger in his expression. His black hair fell slightly across his forehead, and his sharp eyes revealed no warmth whatsoever.

The three Alpha kings.

Brothers born minutes apart.

Rulers of the three most powerful territories in the werewolf kingdom.

People said their combined strength was enough to bring an entire pack to its knees.

People also said none of them had ever found a woman worthy of becoming their queen.

"Your Majesties." Alpha Victor hurried forward, bowing so low that his head nearly touched his chest. "What an unexpected honor."

Kael barely glanced at him.

"We received reports of suspicious activity in this territory," he replied. His voice was deep and controlled. "We decided to investigate personally."

"Of course, Your Majesty. You are welcome to inspect anything you wish."

Damon smiled.

"How generous of you."

Lucien said nothing.

His gaze moved over the crowd with unmistakable boredom.

Then, for reasons I couldn't explain, I felt a strange pressure in my chest.

I looked up.

Lucien was staring directly at me.

For one terrifying second, neither of us moved.

Then he looked away.

I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Get out of sight!" Isabella hissed, grabbing my arm. "You're embarrassing us in front of the kings."

She shoved me toward the servants' entrance.

My heel caught on the edge of the carpet.

I stumbled.

The tray slipped from my hands.

It crashed onto the marble floor.

The sound echoed through the ballroom.

Every head turned.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Please, Moon Goddess. Just let me disappear.

Instead, a voice spoke.

"Who did that?"

The question came from Kael.

Nobody answered.

His gaze settled on the shattered glass, then moved to me.

I could feel the entire ballroom holding its breath.

"Come here," he ordered.

My feet refused to move.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"Do you need me to repeat myself?"

I forced myself forward until I stood a few feet away from him.

"Look at me."

I lifted my head.

The instant our eyes met, something inside my chest snapped.

A wave of heat rushed through my body. My knees weakened, and a strange, unfamiliar scent filled my lungs. It smelled like winter rain, burning cedar, and something impossibly sweet.

My heart began to pound.

No.

It couldn't be.

I had no wolf. No wolf meant no mate.

Yet my body was reacting as though it had recognized something my mind couldn't understand.

Kael's expression changed.

The cold ruler suddenly looked like a man who had seen a ghost.

His nostrils flared.

His fingers curled into fists.

Then he whispered a single word.

"Mate."

The ballroom erupted into shocked murmurs.

I stared at him, unable to breathe.

Before I could speak, Damon stepped forward.

His smile had vanished.

He looked at me with wide eyes, his chest rising sharply as though he had just run a great distance.

"No," he muttered.

He took another step toward me.

"That's impossible."

Lucien, who had remained silent since entering the room, suddenly went rigid.

His eyes flashed gold.

A low growl vibrated through the ballroom.

Every werewolf present immediately lowered their head.

Except me.

I couldn't move.

Lucien approached slowly, his gaze locked on my face. When he stopped in front of me, something fierce flickered behind his eyes.

"Tell me you can smell her too," Damon said, his voice strained.

Lucien's jaw tightened.

Kael looked between his brothers.

For the first time in my life, I watched three powerful kings appear completely shaken.

Then all three spoke at once.

"She's our mate."

Silence swallowed the ballroom.

Someone dropped a glass.

It shattered against the floor.

I stared at the three men standing before me, desperately searching for an explanation.

Three mates.

Three Alpha kings.

One wolfless girl.

It was impossible. It violated everything I had ever been taught about the mate bond.

And yet, the warmth spreading through my body told me that something extraordinary had happened.

Kael reached for my wrist.

The moment his fingers touched my skin, a silver mark appeared beneath my wrist, glowing like moonlight beneath water.

Damon caught my other hand.

A second mark formed.

Lucien stared at the symbols appearing across my skin, and for the first time, genuine fear crossed his face.

"No," he whispered. "Not her."

My stomach twisted.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

Nobody answered.

Kael's expression hardened as he turned toward the crowd.

"Everyone out."

Nobody dared question him.

Within seconds, the ballroom emptied, leaving only the three kings, Alpha Victor, Isabella, and me.

Victor looked as though he might faint.

"Your Majesties, there must be some mistake. That girl is wolfless. She has no family, no rank, and no standing in any pack. Surely the Moon Goddess would never-"

Kael turned his head.

Victor immediately fell silent.

"Speak about her that way again," Kael said softly, "and you will lose your tongue."

Victor went pale.

Damon released my hand and paced across the ballroom.

"This cannot be a normal mate bond. Three separate bonds forming around one woman? I've never heard of such a thing."

"Because it has never happened before," Lucien replied.

His voice was strangely bitter.

I looked at him.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

His eyes snapped toward mine.

"Like what?"

"Like you know me."

For a moment, something almost like pain crossed his face.

Then it disappeared.

"You should pray that I don't."

Before I could respond, a sharp pain tore through my chest.

I gasped and grabbed the front of my dress.

The ballroom lights flickered.

A strange sound echoed inside my head, like distant howling beneath a blood-red moon.

Then a voice whispered from somewhere deep within me.

Finally.

I froze.

The voice sounded female, ancient, and furious.

After all these years, you've found them.

My vision blurred.

I saw three enormous wolves standing beneath a dark sky. One had silver-gray eyes. Another had golden eyes. The third had eyes as black as midnight.

Behind them stood a fourth figure.

A woman wearing a crown of bones.

Her face was hidden, but I could feel her hatred.

Run, little queen, the voice whispered.

They will either make you their queen or become the reason you die.

The vision vanished.

I collapsed.

Three pairs of arms reached for me at once.

"Aria!"

It was the first time any of them had spoken my name.

I had never told them what it was.

As darkness swallowed my vision, I heard Lucien whisper something that made the blood in my veins turn cold.

"The prophecy was real."

And then Kael answered.

"Then we have to kill her before the others find out."

MATED TO THE THREE ALPHA KINGS

Chapter 2: The King Who Wanted Me Dead

"Then we have to kill her before the others find out."

The words followed me into the darkness.

Kill her.

I wanted to open my eyes. I wanted to scream that I could hear everything, that I wasn't dead, and that the three men who had just claimed me as their mate were discussing my execution.

But my body refused to respond.

I was trapped somewhere between consciousness and a terrifying dream.

"Say that again, Lucien," Damon demanded.

"I said what I said."

"She's our mate!"

"And she's connected to a prophecy that could destroy the kingdom. Do you understand what that means?"

"She's a woman, not a weapon!"

Lucien laughed without humor.

"That's exactly what everyone said about our mother."

Silence followed.

Even through the darkness, I sensed the sudden change in the room.

"What does our mother have to do with this?" Damon asked quietly.

"Everything."

A door slammed.

Someone approached me.

I felt fingers press against my neck, searching for my pulse.

"She's alive," Kael said.

"Unfortunately," Lucien muttered.

"Enough!" Kael's voice thundered through the room. "Neither of you will touch her until we understand what has happened."

"And what happens when we discover the truth?" Damon asked. "Will you still want her dead?"

Kael didn't answer.

That silence frightened me more than Lucien's threats.

Because somehow, I knew the eldest king was the most dangerous of them all.

He didn't make empty promises.

If Kael Draven decided I had to die, he would find a way to do it.

---

When I finally opened my eyes, I was lying in an enormous bed.

Silk sheets covered my body, and a warm blanket rested over my legs. The room smelled of cedar, expensive cologne, and something wild that reminded me of a forest after rain.

For several seconds, I simply stared at the ceiling.

Where was I?

I sat up too quickly.

Pain shot through my head.

"Oh, you're awake."

I turned toward the voice.

Damon stood beside the window, holding a glass of water. He had removed his suit jacket, and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled to his elbows.

He looked different without the cold expression he had worn in the ballroom.

Still dangerous.

But less distant.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Blackthorn Palace."

My eyes widened.

"The royal palace?"

He nodded.

I immediately threw back the covers.

"I have to leave."

Damon raised an eyebrow.

"You're not going anywhere."

"Excuse me?"

"You fainted after receiving three mate bonds simultaneously. Our healer says your body is struggling to process the connection."

I stared at him.

"Three mate bonds?"

He sighed and placed the water on the bedside table.

"You heard what happened."

"I heard you say I was your mate. All three of you." My voice rose. "That's impossible! I'm wolfless. I can't even shift!"

Damon's expression softened.

"Apparently, the Moon Goddess disagrees."

"Then the Moon Goddess has made a mistake."

He didn't smile.

"Be careful what you say about the Goddess in this palace."

"I don't care about your palace or your Goddess! I want to go home."

"Home?" He repeated the word as though it offended him. "You mean the pack where they were about to sacrifice you?"

I froze.

He was right.

My home had never been a place where I was safe.

Still, that didn't mean I belonged here.

"I can take care of myself."

"Clearly."

I glared at him.

He lifted both hands.

"All right. I deserve that."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he approached the bed and held out the glass of water.

"Drink."

I hesitated.

"It's not poisoned," he said.

"How reassuring."

A genuine smile touched his lips.

"There she is."

"Who?"

"The woman who looked ready to challenge three kings while barely standing on her feet."

I took the glass, mostly because my throat felt painfully dry.

As I drank, I noticed a dark mark on the inside of my wrist.

It resembled a crescent moon surrounded by three tiny stars.

I lowered the glass.

"What is this?"

Damon's smile disappeared.

He caught my wrist and examined the mark.

For the first time since I had met him, he looked genuinely disturbed.

"Don't touch it," he whispered.

"Why?"

He released me as though the mark had burned his fingers.

"Because that symbol hasn't appeared in our kingdom for over five hundred years."

Before I could ask another question, the bedroom door opened.

Kael entered.

He had changed into a black shirt and dark trousers. His expression was as cold as it had been in the ballroom.

Lucien followed behind him.

The moment Lucien saw me sitting upright, his eyes narrowed.

"She's awake."

"I noticed," Damon replied.

Kael approached the bed.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I've been kidnapped by three lunatics."

Damon coughed into his fist.

Lucien looked offended.

Kael didn't react.

"You are in the royal palace under our protection."

"Protection?" I repeated. "One of you said I should be killed."

Lucien folded his arms.

"At least you were listening."

Damon rounded on him.

"Can you stop being unbearable for five minutes?"

"Can you stop pretending this is a love story?"

"Enough!" Kael snapped.

The room fell silent.

He turned toward me.

"Aria Moon, you will remain in this palace until we determine the nature of your bond and the meaning of that symbol."

I stared at him.

"And if I refuse?"

His gray eyes hardened.

"Then I will have you confined to your chambers."

My mouth fell open.

"You cannot be serious."

"I never joke about security."

"You don't own me!"

Something flashed in his eyes.

For a brief second, the air between us became heavy. The strange warmth inside my chest returned, spreading through my body in slow, unsettling waves.

Kael noticed.

His jaw tightened.

"Neither do I intend to let you wander into danger because you are too stubborn to understand your situation."

"Then explain it to me!"

He stared at me for several seconds.

Finally, he pulled a chair toward the bed and sat down.

"Five hundred and twenty years ago, a woman named Queen Seraphina was born into the Moon bloodline. She possessed a power that even the oldest Alpha kings feared. According to the prophecy, she would bear a daughter whose bond would unite three royal bloodlines."

My heart began to pound.

"What happened to her?"

"She disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"On the night she was supposed to marry the three kings who ruled before our ancestors, she vanished. Her disappearance triggered a war that lasted nearly a century."

I looked down at the symbol on my wrist.

"And you think I'm related to her?"

"We don't think," Lucien said. "We know."

I stared at him.

"How?"

He reached into his pocket and removed a small silver pendant.

My breath caught.

I knew that pendant.

I had seen it only once before, on the night my mother died.

She had pressed it into my palm and told me never to let anyone take it from me.

The pendant had disappeared after my stepmother searched my belongings.

I had believed it was lost forever.

"Where did you get that?" I whispered.

Lucien held it up.

"We found it among your possessions."

"You stole it!"

"I confiscated it."

"Give it back!"

I lunged toward him.

He caught my wrist before I could reach the pendant.

The moment our skin touched, a violent surge of energy exploded through the room.

The windows shattered.

The lights went out.

A deep, thunderous growl shook the palace walls.

Lucien staggered backward, releasing me.

For one brief second, his eyes turned completely silver.

Then something impossible happened.

A voice echoed through the room, although none of us had spoken.

THE MOON HEIR HAS AWAKENED.

I clutched my chest.

The mark on my wrist burned like fire.

Kael stood so quickly that his chair crashed to the floor.

Damon stared at the ceiling.

Lucien looked at me with an expression I couldn't understand.

Fear.

Pure, unmistakable fear.

Then the voice spoke again.

THREE KINGS SHALL CLAIM HER.

A pause followed.

ONE SHALL BETRAY HER.

The mark on my wrist flashed.

AND ONE SHALL DIE BY HER HAND.

The silence that followed was absolute.

I looked at the three men.

None of them looked at me the same way anymore.

Damon was the first to speak.

"That wasn't part of the prophecy we know."

Kael's expression turned grim.

"Because there is another prophecy."

Lucien shook his head.

"No. There can't be."

Kael looked directly at me.

"Aria, listen carefully. Whatever happens next, you must never reveal what you just heard to anyone outside this room."

I swallowed.

"Why?"

His answer made my blood run cold.

"Because if the other royal families discover that the Moon heir has awakened, they will come for you."

"And what will happen if they find me?"

Lucien stepped closer.

"They won't try to capture you."

His silver eyes held mine.

"They'll burn every pack in the kingdom until you're dead."

A knock sounded at the door.

All three brothers turned.

A royal guard entered, bowed, and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Your Majesties, forgive the interruption. We have an urgent message from the Northern Border."

Kael stood.

"What is it?"

The guard hesitated.

"An entire patrol has been slaughtered. Every soldier was found with the same symbol carved into their chest."

He handed Kael a folded piece of black parchment.

Kael opened it.

I watched his expression change as he read the message.

"What does it say?" Damon asked.

Kael slowly lifted his eyes toward me.

His face had become frighteningly still.

"It says the Moon heir has awakened."

He crushed the parchment in his fist.

"And whoever finds her first will rule the kingdom."

I stopped breathing.

Because beneath those words, written in fresh blood, was a final sentence.

WE KNOW WHERE SHE IS.

MATED TO THE THREE ALPHA KINGS

Chapter 3: The Stranger in My Bedroom

"WE KNOW WHERE SHE IS."

The words seemed to burn through the parchment.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then Kael turned toward the royal guard.

"Seal every entrance to this palace. Double the guards at the northern and eastern borders. Nobody enters or leaves without my permission."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And find out who sent this message."

The guard bowed and hurried out.

Kael turned toward his brothers.

"Damon, take command of the eastern patrol. Lucien, I want the royal council assembled within the hour."

"And what about her?" Damon asked, glancing at me.

Kael's eyes settled on my face.

"She stays here."

I folded my arms.

"You keep saying that as if I have agreed to it."

All three brothers looked at me.

I lifted my chin, even though my heart was pounding.

"You brought me to this palace without my permission. You keep talking about prophecies and people who want me dead, but nobody has bothered to explain why I should trust any of you."

Damon opened his mouth, but Kael raised a hand.

For a moment, I thought he would order me to be silent.

Instead, he said, "You shouldn't."

I blinked.

"What?"

"Trust is earned, Aria. You have no reason to trust us yet."

His answer caught me off guard.

Kael walked toward the door.

"But until we understand what is happening, you will have guards outside your room. You will not leave the palace grounds, and you will not touch that pendant again without supervision."

He paused.

"If you need anything, tell the guards."

Then he left.

Damon lingered beside the bed.

"Don't let him frighten you. Kael believes giving orders is the same thing as having a conversation."

"I noticed."

A smile tugged at his mouth.

"Try to rest. I'll come back later."

He followed his brother out.

Lucien remained.

He stood near the window, staring at the broken glass scattered across the floor.

I watched him for a moment.

"Are you going to threaten me again?"

He turned.

"Would it make you feel better if I did?"

"At least then I would know what to expect."

Something flickered in his expression.

He walked toward the bed, stopping just beyond my reach.

"Listen carefully, Aria. Whatever happens between you and my brothers, do not mistake the mate bond for love."

My stomach tightened.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because the bond can make you believe you belong to someone who might destroy you."

I stared at him.

"Are you speaking from experience?"

His expression darkened.

For one brief moment, I thought he might answer honestly.

Instead, he leaned closer.

"If you value your life, stay away from me."

Then he walked out.

The door slammed behind him.

I sat motionless, staring at the empty doorway.

Three kings had claimed me as their mate.

One wanted to protect me.

One seemed determined to keep me alive, though I couldn't tell whether it was affection or curiosity.

And the third looked at me as though my existence was a personal insult.

Wonderful.

I had somehow managed to become the center of a royal disaster before I had even eaten breakfast.

I looked down at my wrist.

The crescent-shaped mark had faded, leaving only a faint silver outline.

"What are you?" I whispered.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then a soft voice answered inside my head.

Your inheritance.

I jerked upright.

"Who's there?"

Silence.

I glanced toward the door.

No guards had entered. Nobody stood near the windows.

My heartbeat quickened.

"Who said that?"

You ask too many questions, little one.

I stared at my wrist.

"Am I losing my mind?"

A strange sensation stirred inside my chest.

Almost like laughter.

Not yet.

Before I could demand an explanation, the presence vanished.

I sat there for several minutes, trying to convince myself that exhaustion had made me imagine everything.

Eventually, I climbed out of bed.

I needed air.

I needed to think.

And most importantly, I needed to find a way out of this palace.

I crossed the room and approached the wardrobe. Inside were dozens of dresses, shoes, and expensive accessories.

Someone had already decided what I would wear.

I pushed everything aside until I found a simple black dress.

After changing, I slipped toward the bedroom door.

Two guards stood outside.

"Where are you going, miss?" one asked.

"To find a bathroom."

The younger guard glanced at the other.

"There's one inside your room."

I stared at him.

Of course there was.

"Then I'm going to find a window."

Neither guard laughed.

I sighed.

"Fine. I want breakfast."

"The royal kitchen is on the lower floor. We'll have someone bring it to you."

"I want to walk there myself."

"I'm afraid that's not permitted."

I looked from one guard to the other.

"Does the king know you're keeping me prisoner?"

The older guard cleared his throat.

"His Majesty gave us specific instructions."

"And what happens if I disobey?"

He hesitated.

"Please don't make this difficult, miss."

I smiled without humor.

"Trust me. You haven't seen difficult yet."

I stepped back into the bedroom and closed the door.

Fine.

If the front door was guarded, I would find another way out.

There had to be a balcony or a servant's staircase somewhere.

I returned to the window and examined the stone ledge.

The palace gardens lay several floors below.

Too far to jump.

I looked toward the adjoining wall and noticed a narrow door partially hidden behind a heavy curtain.

My heart lifted.

A secret passage?

I crossed the room and turned the handle.

The door opened with a soft creak.

Beyond it was a dim corridor lined with portraits of people I didn't recognize.

I stepped inside.

The door clicked shut behind me.

For the first time since arriving at Blackthorn Palace, I smiled.

Maybe escaping three overprotective kings wouldn't be as difficult as I had imagined.

I took several steps down the corridor.

Then I heard a sound.

A low growl.

I froze.

It came from the darkness ahead.

"Hello?" I called cautiously.

No answer.

I should have turned back.

Instead, I continued forward until I reached a door standing slightly ajar.

A narrow beam of moonlight spilled across the floor.

I pushed it open.

And immediately wished I hadn't.

A man stood in the center of the room with his back to me.

He was tall, dressed in black, and covered in fresh blood.

Not his own.

The bodies of two guards lay at his feet.

My breath caught.

The man slowly turned his head.

His face was unfamiliar, but his eyes were unmistakably wolfish.

Red.

Brilliant, unnatural red.

He smiled when he saw me.

"There you are."

I stumbled backward.

"Who are you?"

He ignored the question.

Instead, he tilted his head, studying me as though I were something he had been searching for his entire life.

"The little Moon heir."

My blood ran cold.

"How do you know that name?"

He took a step toward me.

"Because your mother begged me to spare you."

The world seemed to stop.

My mother.

I hadn't heard anyone mention her without contempt in years.

"What did you say?"

He smiled wider.

"Your mother was a foolish woman, Aria. She believed she could hide you from us forever."

My fingers curled around the door handle.

"What do you know about my mother?"

"More than your precious kings will ever tell you."

He took another step.

I tried to run.

He moved faster.

One moment, I was standing near the doorway. The next, his hand closed around my throat, lifting me until my feet barely touched the floor.

Pain shot through my neck.

I clawed at his wrist.

"Let me go!"

He leaned closer.

"Your mother stole something from us before she died. Something that belongs to the rightful rulers of this kingdom."

I struggled to breathe.

"What?"

His red eyes burned.

"Your blood."

A violent wave of heat exploded through my chest.

The silver mark on my wrist blazed to life.

The stranger's smile disappeared.

He released me so suddenly that I crashed onto the floor.

"What the hell are you?"

I scrambled backward.

The air around me began to tremble.

A strange sound filled the room, deep and powerful, like thunder trapped beneath the earth.

The stranger stared at my wrist.

Then, for the first time, he looked afraid.

"No," he whispered. "You weren't supposed to awaken yet."

The lights shattered.

Darkness swallowed the room.

I heard the man scream.

Something struck the wall with enough force to shake the floor beneath me.

Then a familiar voice roared through the darkness.

"ARIA!"

Strong arms pulled me away from the floor.

I knew that voice.

Kael.

He held me against his chest while Damon rushed into the room behind him, followed by several armed guards.

Lucien entered last.

His eyes immediately found the stranger lying motionless near the wall.

"Who is he?" Damon demanded.

Kael didn't answer.

He was looking at me.

His hand moved to my throat, examining the bruises left by the stranger.

Something terrible flickered in his eyes.

"Did he hurt you?"

I tried to speak, but my throat burned.

Kael's expression changed.

A low, murderous growl escaped him.

Behind us, the stranger began to laugh.

It was a horrible sound.

Even injured, even surrounded by royal guards, he seemed completely unafraid.

"You're too late, King Kael."

Kael turned slowly.

The stranger spat blood onto the floor.

"The girl has awakened."

Lucien drew his weapon.

"Tell us who sent you."

The man laughed again.

"You still don't understand, do you?"

His red eyes shifted toward me.

"The ones who sent me are already inside your palace."

A guard shouted from the corridor.

Then another scream rang out.

Damon immediately rushed toward the door.

Kael tightened his hold around me.

Lucien stared at the stranger, his face turning pale.

"What do you mean they're inside the palace?"

The stranger smiled.

"Check the royal nursery."

Lucien went completely still.

For the first time, the coldest of the three kings looked genuinely terrified.

Because the royal nursery had been locked for twenty-one years.

And nobody was supposed to know it existed.

End of Chapter 3