Fated Mate to the Triplet Alpha-Chapter 41: Darian’s Secret

"You expect us to trust you?" Ronan growled at Gideon, moving protectively in front of Elara. "Trust?" Gideon’s laugh echoed through the trees. "No. But you need me." Rain soaked through Elara’s clothes as she weighed their choices. The rebel alpha wasn’t wrong—they were miles from the pack house with midnight coming fast. "Why help us?" she asked. Gideon’s eyes gleamed. "Marcus stole something valuable from me years ago. Now I’ll steal something valuable from him—his chance at immortality."

Before Elara could ask him further, howls pierced the air. The twisted wolves had found their tracks. "Decide quickly," Gideon warned. "Those creatures aren’t wild wolves anymore. Marcus has broken pack rule with blood magic." "Fine," Ronan growled. "But if you betray us—" "Save your threats, pup. Follow me." The rebels moved with amazing speed through the dense forest. Elara stayed close to Ronan, whose shoulder still bled from their fall. After twenty minutes of running, they reached a network of secret caves. "Your brothers are here," Gideon stated, pointing to a narrow passage. "What?" Elara gasped. "How?" A familiar voice rang out from the dark. "Because I brought them." Tobias stepped into view, his face grim. Beside him stood Darian, whose face lit up when he spotted Elara. "You’re alive!" Darian rushed forward, pulling her into a tight hug. His usual composure had fled, replaced by raw relief.

"When you disappeared, we feared the worst." "Where’s Kael?" Ronan asked, looking around. Tobias and Darian traded dark looks. "Marcus took him," Darian said quietly. "He needs one of us for the ritual." Elara’s stomach dropped. "We have to save him." Gideon led them deeper into the caves, where maps of the area covered the walls. "My spies report Marcus has moved the ritual to the old temple ruins. More power there, from the old stones." "We don’t have much time," Tobias added. "The silver moon will peak at midnight." Darian pulled an old leather book from his jacket. "I managed to grab this before they caught Kael. It’s Mother’s book." Elara gasped. "The key! Luna gave me a silver key." She fumbled in her pocket, glad to find it still there. The key slid neatly into the tiny lock on the journal’s cover. It clicked open, showing pages filled with elegant handwriting. "We need to understand the ritual before we attempt a rescue," Darian insisted. "Take the notebook to the back chamber. I’ll help you search while the others plan our method." The private room was lit by a single lantern. Maps and ancient texts were spread across a rough wooden table. Darian closed the door behind them, his face half-hidden in darkness. "I was so worried," he whispered. His voice, normally controlled, trembled slightly. "When Father’s guards said they’d found Ronan’s blood by the river..." "We jumped," Elara explained, showing him her own bruises. "It was the only escape." Darian nodded, his eyes staying on her face longer than usual. "Let’s find what we need." They hunched over the book together, flipping through pages filled with Luna Evelyn’s research. Symbols and diagrams filled the margins, alongside notes about the silver wolf prophecy. "Here," Darian pointed to a section.

"The blood ritual requires four elements: the silver wolf’s power, willing sacrifice, blood of the father, and—" He stopped suddenly. "And what?" Elara pressed. Darian’s face paled. "The heart of a mate." Cold fear gripped Elara. "Marcus is going to kill Kael?" "Not just kill him." Darian’s voice dropped. "The ritual requires the mate’s heart to be removed while still beating." Elara’s stomach lurched. Images of Kael, proud and strong, reduced to an offering made her silver power surge beneath her skin. The lantern flickered wildly. "We’ll stop him," she vowed, her voice shaking with rage and fear. "There’s more." Darian turned the page. "Mother found a counter-ritual. Something that could not just stop Father, but destroy the dark power he’s been using." "How?" "It requires the combined power of all three mates and the silver wolf." Darian looked up, his eyes fierce. "The triplet link wasn’t an accident, Elara. It was the moon’s protection against this exact moment." Understanding dawned on her. "That’s why I’m bound to all three of you. We’re meant to stop this together." Darian nodded, moving closer. "But there’s a problem. The counter-ritual needs all three bonds to be made and equal in strength." "Sealed?" Elara asked, though she already knew the answer. "The mate bond must be completed with each of us." His voice dropped to a whisper. "You’ve kissed Kael. And now Ronan." Heat rushed to Elara’s face. "How did you—" "I felt it through our shared bond." Darian’s normal calm mask slipped, revealing a flash of longing. "Each time, the bond grew stronger." Their eyes locked.

For the first time, Elara saw past Darian’s careful control to the desire he kept hidden. Not cold like Kael or wild like Ronan—his was a quiet fire, burning just as hot but carefully controlled. "We need to complete the circle," he murmured, moving closer. Her heart pounded as he reached for her hand. Unlike his brothers’ touch, Darian’s was gentle, almost timid. Where his fingers met her skin, silver light bloomed. "I’ve watched you," he admitted. "While my brothers fought over you, I watched how you faced each task with courage. How you never broke, even when everything was taken from you." Elara shook as he traced the silver lines on her wrist. "They love parts of you," Darian continued. "Kael loves your strength. Ronan loves your energy. But I see all of you, Elara. The worries. The fears. The times when you think you’re not enough." "Darian—" His lips found hers before she could finish.

The kiss wasn’t forceful like Kael’s or sweet like Ronan’s. It was deep and consuming, as if he’d been hungry for her touch. Silver light exploded around them, brighter than before. The mate bond flared open, and through it flowed feelings Darian had kept locked away—his jealousy of his brothers, his fear of being forgotten, and beneath it all, a devotion so profound it stole Elara’s breath. When they finally broke apart, the silver light had settled into her skin like a network of glowing veins. She could feel all three ties now, equally strong, humming with power. "It worked," she whispered. Darian nodded, his composure returning though his eyes stayed bright. "Now we can perform the counter-ritual." A sudden commotion outside the room drew their attention. The door burst open as Tobias rushed in. "They’re moving Kael to the altar," he reported anxiously. "We need to go now."

As they hurried to join the others, Darian caught Elara’s arm, pulling her close one last time. "There’s something you should know," he whispered, his voice so low only she could hear. "Something not even my brothers know." Elara stressed. "What is it?" "The prophecy speaks of betrayal," Darian said, his eyes darkening. "But it doesn’t say who the betrayer is." "What are you saying?" Darian looked toward the main chamber where Ronan waited with the rebels. "Don’t trust anyone tonight. Not even me." Before she could ask him further, Gideon called for them.

As they joined the group, Elara noticed something strange on Darian’s wrist—a faint mark that looked eerily similar to the symbols in Marcus’s routine. Had it always been there? Or was Darian warning her about himself? The rogue pack moved out under the rising silver moon. As they raced toward the temple ruins, Elara couldn’t shake Darian’s words from her thoughts. The prophecy speaks of deception. But as the temple came into view, with Kael bound to an old stone altar and Marcus standing over him with a ritual dagger, she realized they were already too late.