LAYLA'S POV
I know I'm being watched. I can feel it deep inside me.
It's not paranoia. It's instinct.
Since the night of the attack, I haven't slept without flinching. The image of the hooded figure lunging from the shadows plays over and over in my mind. Kieran's snarl, the sound of the man's body slamming against stone, and the way his eyes rolled back after he whispered those haunting words: "She must not uncover the truth."
And now I need to know.
What truth?
What did he mean? Why me? is this somehow connected to what that other lady told me? I haven't told anyone about that. I mean, who will I tell? It's not like I have any close associates here I can confide in.
But there's no time to dwell on that.
Not tonight. Because the full moon is rising.
I feel it before I see it.
The air is different—charged. Like lightning is trapped in the sky. I can feel the energy crawling beneath my skin. The palace walls seem to be filled with it too. this is the time when wolves, especially mated ones, are on heat. It's usually unbearable. I can't take two steps without getting my panties wet.
The closer it gets to moonrise, the harder it is to think. My thoughts come in bursts now—hot and distracted.
And the triplets... God, the triplets.
They're changing. i can see it.
Kaiden snapped at a guard earlier for brushing past me too closely. Killian crushed a silver goblet in his hand when I served another warrior during breakfast. Kieran… he's been avoiding me altogether. His eyes are dark and unreadable as usual but I can feel the tension radiating from him like a storm waiting to break.
I can feel them even when I can't see them. The bond between us spreads like fire in my veins.
And I'm in heat.
The worst timing possible.
Everything aches. I want to crawl out of my own skin. Every part of me is sensitive, on edge, needing. My body burns for them—all of them—but I try to stay away, bury myself in tasks. Hide in the laundry room or kitchen. Drown myself in cold water.
It doesn't help.
And fate is a cruel, cruel thing.
-
I meet Janet two days ago. She's a junior cook with wild curly hair and a voice that always sounds like she's one second away from laughing. She caught me staring at the triplets from across the hall and leaned in with a grin.
"You know, most girls would kill to be in your shoes. Or, uh... beds?" she teases me.
I flushed so hard I almost dropped the tray I was holding. "I'm not in their—!"
"Yet," she winked, helping me balance the plates. "Relax. I'm joking. Kind of."
She made me laugh when I needed it most.
We eat lunch together now. Talk about everything and nothing. She tells me which guards are secretly sweethearts, which maids have crushes on Killian, and how she once spilled soup on Kaiden's boots and lived to tell the tale.
Being around her makes the palace feel less suffocating. Less like a cage.
I guess it's safe to call her a friend now.
-
Tonight, there's a gathering in the courtyard. I don't want to go. I ask to be excused, but the head maid insists.
"Everyone is expected," she says firmly, handing me a silver tray and ushering me out the doors.
The second I step into the courtyard, I know it's a mistake.
The tension hits me like a wave.
The crowd is dressed in silks and armor. Warriors drink and laugh, unaware. But not the triplets.
Kaiden is the first one I see. He's standing by the fountain. His now dark eyes reflect in the moonlight. His jaw is clenched so tightly that I can see the muscle twitch.
His gaze locks onto mine instantly.
He looks like a fucking predator. I can feel the desire radiating off him. With the way he's looking me up and down, he has no issue with pinning me against a tree and fucking me right now.
Oh goddess.
The thought makes me wet again.
I shift uncomfortably, my breath catching.
Killian isn't far. He's lounging like a king in one of the carved chairs, a goblet in his hand. But when his eyes meet mine, he doesn't smirk or tease like usual. His expression is dark. Possessive.
Kieran...
Kieran stands farther back, near the pillars. He's still and observant as usual.
But his eyes...
His eyes burn.
They follow me like a magnet. Every step I take, he's watching.
My pulse thunders.
The air feels hotter. Thicker.
Then the drums start. The drummers start to beat a rhythmic beat for the rising moon.
I feel it crest the horizon before I see it. I see the moon's silver light pouring over the courtyard stones.
As soon as the moon comes out, everything changes. Something in the bond cracks open.
Kaiden snarls. His hands twitch and I can see his claws beginning to form.
Killian drops his goblet. It shatters.
Kieran's chest heaves as his jaw grinds.
Their wolves are right there, beneath the surface.
I can feel it all, the things they are trying to keep together – fur. Fangs. Fury.
And desire.
I stumble back. My body is burning. My breath comes in sharp gasps, and my legs feel weak.
Kaiden moves first. His voice is raw and barely human.
"Run." He commands.
It's just a singly word yet it implies a whole lot.
My heart stops.
I look between them, stunned. "W-What?"
"Run, Layla," Killian growls. His pupils are blown wide. "Now."
Kieran hasn't said a word. But his body trembles. I can feel his muscles straining. He's losing control.
I take a shaky step back. Then another.
But I know the truth.
No matter how fast I run, they'll catch me.
Because I'm theirs.
And tonight... they're not holding back.