Chapter : Wrong House

The estate was a fortress.

Grand, ancient, and built on the bones of a legacy that stretched beyond centuries.

At night, the grounds transformed into something else entirely—a labyrinth of shadows and whispers, where the towering trees swayed like watchful sentinels and the wind carried secrets only the darkness could hear.

The mansion itself loomed in the distance, its dark stone exterior illuminated by the silver glow of the moon. Its walls were impossibly high, its iron gates a formidable barrier, and its security measures… unforgiving.

No one entered without permission.

No one left without consequence.

And tonight, someone had dared to test that boundary.

Outside—The Perimeter...

Alexander moved first.

His body was a force of precision—fluid, controlled, and deadly. His golden eyes cut through the darkness like a blade, scanning every inch of the perimeter with the sharpness of a predator.

Behind him, Alec and Ace followed, their postures just as rigid, their instincts honed to lethal perfection.

The scent of intruders stained the air.

Alec curled his fingers into fists, his jaw tightening as he inhaled. "Five. Maybe six."

Ace cracked his knuckles, his usual lazy smirk nowhere in sight. "Idiots."

Alexander didn't speak.

He didn't need to.

A sharp movement of his fingers and they split.

Ace moved left, his steps soundless as he melted into the trees, his presence vanishing like a phantom. Alec took the right, his shadow gliding across the moonlit path with eerie grace.

And Alexander…

He went straight ahead.

Toward the heartbeat that didn't belong.

Inside—Roo's Room...

The room was too empty.

For weeks, Roo had been surrounded by them—their warmth, their suffocating presence, the way their scent clung to the very air.

Now…

It was just him.

Alone.

In the dim glow of the bedside lamp, the room looked impossibly large. The furniture was modern yet dark—polished mahogany, sleek black leather, deep navy sheets that swallowed the light.

Everything in the estate was luxury.

Everything was perfect.

But right now, perfection felt like a cage.

Roo pushed the blankets away, his bare feet meeting the cool marble floor. The moment he moved, his skin prickled—an instinct, a warning.

Something wasn't right.

The night had shifted.

The wind outside no longer howled.

The cicadas had gone silent.

His breath hitched.

Slowly, carefully, he rose from the bed, his heartbeat echoing in his ears. He stepped toward the window, his fingers barely brushing against the thick velvet curtains before—

Click.

His blood ran cold.

That sound—

It wasn't the wind.

It wasn't the house settling.

It was a lock.

Turning.

From the inside.

Outside—The Hunt Begins...

Ace reached the first intruder before they even knew he was there.

One second, they were moving.

The next—

His hand closed around their throat.

A sharp gasp. A struggle.

Ace's grip tightened, his claws pressing just enough to break the skin.

"You should've stayed home," he murmured, his voice dark with amusement.

The rogue thrashed, but Ace only smiled before twisting his wrist—

Crack.

The body hit the ground.

Ace exhaled.

One down.

Without hesitation, he vanished into the trees again.

Alec was next.

His approach was quieter, slower, the way a snake moved through the grass before the strike. His eyes gleamed with something dangerous as he watched his prey—a man dressed in dark tactical gear, a dagger glinting in his hand.

Alec moved like a whisper.

The rogue barely had time to react before Alec's arm was around his throat, yanking him back into the shadows.

A strangled sound—choked, desperate.

Alec leaned in.

"Wrong place," he murmured, his voice like silk. "Wrong house."

The rogue tried to speak—tried to plead—

Alec's claws slid through his ribs.

He let the body slump forward before flicking the blood from his fingers, his expression unreadable.

The air was still heavy.

There were more.

And somewhere, deeper in the night—

Alexander was waiting.

Inside—Roo's Escape...

Roo didn't breathe.

His body froze.

The door was still closed.

But the lock…

Had turned.

Someone was in here.

His mind raced.

The triplets never locked the door when they left.

Which meant—

This wasn't them.

Cold fear spread through his limbs as he stepped backward, his pulse thudding in his throat. His eyes darted across the room—searching, calculating.

He wasn't strong enough to fight.

Not against them.

But he could run.

His heart pounded as he inched toward the bathroom, where a second door led to the hallway.

Slow.

Silent.

One step.

Two.

Creaaaak.

The sound of a footstep.

Not his.

Roo's breath hitched.

His body moved on instinct—he ran.

His hand barely grazed the bathroom door before—

A shadow lunged.

A hand grabbed his wrist.

Roo gasped, twisting, struggling—

A voice whispered against his ear.

"Shhh."

His blood went ice cold.

It wasn't the triplets.

It wasn't them.

It was—

An intruder.

And Roo was trapped.

To Be Continued...