Wolves at the Window

Lily Carter POV

I slammed the bedroom door shut and pressed my back against it, my heart racing madly. The growling outside grew louder. Three sets of yellow eyes stared at me through the window - wild wolves had found me even here, inside the Alpha's house.

"Help!" I shouted, hoping someone would hear me. "Rogues!"

I grabbed a heavy silver candlestick from the cabinet, the only weapon I could find. My hands shook as the first wolf slammed its body against the window glass, making it crack. I'd only been in this fancy bedroom for one night, and already I was under attack.

The door behind me vibrated as someone beat on it.

"Lily! Let me in!" It was Brock's deep voice, urgent and dominating.

I jumped away and opened the door. Brock burst in, already half-shifted with claws extended. Behind him came Aiden and Caleb, their eyes glowing with protective rage.

"Get back," Aiden demanded, pushing me behind them.

The window broke inward. Glass sprayed across the soft carpet I'd been afraid to walk on just hours before. A massive black wolf jumped into the room, teeth bared.

Brock met the attack head-on, changing fully into his silver wolf form. The two rolled across the floor in a blur of growling and snapping. Aiden rushed to join the fight while Caleb pulled me toward the door.

"Wait," I said, stopping him. "I can help!"

Without thinking, I grabbed a handful of dried lavender from the box Elder Iris had given me and tossed it toward the window. The plant burst into blue flames when it hit the air - an old omega defense trick my grandmother had taught me that I'd never had reason to use before.

The remaining wolves at the window howled in pain as the smoke hit their sensitive noses. They backed away, giving Aiden and Brock the edge they needed to drive the first attacker back toward the window.

"That's... impossible," Caleb whispered, looking at the blue flames. "Only the old omegas knew that magic."

In seconds, it was over. The rogues fled, melting into the darkness outside. Brock changed back to human form, blood trickling from a cut on his shoulder.

"How did they get past our guards?" Aiden ordered, his voice tight with anger.

"They had help," Brock growled, pointing to something on the floor. A silver hair clip lay among the glass bits - Luna's clip.

"We don't know that for sure," Caleb said, always the sane one. He bent down to pick up the clip.

My legs suddenly felt weak, and I sat on the edge of the huge bed. Just yesterday, I'd been sleeping in my tiny cabin on the edge of pack territory. Now I was in the Alpha's house, in a room bigger than my entire old home, with three strong brothers arguing about who had just tried to kill me.

"Are you hurt?" Caleb asked, sitting beside me.

I shook my head. "Just scared. And confused. Why would anyone help rogues get to me?"

"The Triple Moon Mark threatens those who like things exactly as they are," Aiden said, pacing the room. "Change is coming to Silver Peak, and not everyone wants it."

Guards rushed in, alarmed by the noise. Alpha Marcus emerged in the doorway, his commanding presence filling the room.

"What happened?" he asked.

While Aiden explained, I looked around at my new room. The fancy curtains now hung in tatters. Glass covered the expensive rug. The beautiful room that had made me feel so out of place was now ruined.

"You can't stay here," Alpha Marcus said when Aiden finished. "It's not safe."

My heart sank. Would I be sent back to my cabin, left vulnerable after all?

"She'll stay in my quarters," Caleb said suddenly. Everyone stared at him. "I have the best security system, and my rooms connect to the library. We can study the Triple Moon Mark together."

"That's not proper," Alpha Marcus frowned.

"I'll sleep in the study," Caleb added quickly, his cheeks going pink. "Lily can have my bedroom."

After a moment of thought, Alpha Marcus nodded. "Very well. But guards at the door at all times."

An hour later, I stood in Caleb's personal rooms, amazed at the wall-to-wall bookshelves and the comfortable, lived-in feeling so different from the fancy guest room. Papers and books were stacked everywhere, but in a way that seemed organized to Caleb.

"Sorry about the mess," he said, moving books from a cozy chair. "I don't usually have visitors."

"It's perfect," I said honestly. This room felt like safety in a way the posh guest room never had.

As Caleb showed me around, I noticed how he kept a respectful space, unlike Brock's protective hovering or Aiden's formal politeness. There was something almost shy about the way Caleb watched me touch his books.

"I've got something to show you," he said, pulling an old leather book from a high shelf. "I found it after Elder Iris was attacked. It's about the Triple Moon Mark."

He opened it carefully to reveal old pictures of wolves with marks like mine.

"The mark has appeared seven times in our pack's history," he explained, his voice getting excited. "Always on an omega, always during times when the pack needed to change."

"Change how?" I asked, sitting beside him to see better.

"That's what I haven't worked out yet. But each time, there was pushback." His eyes met mine. "Dangerous resistance."

A knock at the door stopped us. A nervous-looking servant enters with a tray of food.

"Luna Morrison requests to speak with you, Miss Carter," the servant said, not meeting my eyes. "She's waiting in the main hall."

I traded looks with Caleb.

"I'll come with you," he said strongly.

"No," I surprised myself by saying. "I need to face her alone."

Caleb looked worried but nodded. "I'll be right outside if you need me."

The main hall felt huge and cold as I walked in. Luna stood by the fireplace, her beautiful hair shining in the firelight. When she turned to face me, I expected rage. Instead, her eyes were red from crying.

"Why you?" she asked, her voice breaking. "I've trained my whole life to be Luna. I've done everything right. And you... you're just an omega!"

"I didn't ask for this mark," I said quietly.

"Do you even understand what it means?" Luna stepped closer. "The power you could have?"

"It's not about power."

"It's always about power!" She grabbed my arm, pulling up my sleeve to reveal the Triple Moon Mark. "This should have been mine!"

As her fingers touched my mark, a strange force surged between us. Luna gasped and jumped back as if burned. The mark glowed brightly, sending silver light dancing across the walls.

"What was that?" she whispered, suddenly looking afraid.

Before I could answer, the doors burst open. Elder Iris hobbled in, looking pale and weak. Blood stained the patch on her head from the attack.

"Get away from her!" she yelled at Luna with unexpected strength.

"Elder Iris, you should be resting," I said, moving to help her.

The old woman ignored me, her eyes fixed on Luna. "I remember now," she said, her voice shaking. "I remember what I saw before I was attacked. It wasn't rogues working with Luna."

Luna backed away, her face drained of color.

"It was Luna working with someone else," Elder Iris continued. "Someone inside the Alpha's family."

I felt the blood drain from my face as Elder Iris's words hung in the air. Someone in the Alpha's family? That would mean one of the triplets or even Alpha Marcus himself.

"That's a lie!" Luna shouted.

"Then explain this," Elder Iris pulled something from her pocket – a torn piece of fabric with the Alpha family crest. "Found outside my cabin after the attack."

Luna's eyes widened in what looked like real shock.

My mind raced. If not Luna, then which of the Silver men was abandoning the pack? Which one was trying to court me while plotting against me?

The Triple Moon Mark on my wrist suddenly burned like fire, as if trying to warn me of something – or someone – coming from behind.

I spun around just in time to see a figure in the shadows, watching us.

"Who's there?" I called out, my voice stronger than I felt.

The figure stepped into the light, and my heart stopped.

"I think," they said with a cold smile, "we need to have a private conversation about your future in this pack, Lily Carter."