4

I stared at the key resting in my palm, its silver surface cool against my skin. Dante’s words replayed in my head.

"Consider it an experiment."

What did that mean?

Was this some kind of test? A trap? Or was it a challenge—an opportunity to see what I would do when given the illusion of freedom?

Either way, I wasn’t about to waste it.

I slipped the key into the pocket of my dress and forced my expression into something neutral. There were too many eyes on me, and if I gave away any indication that I had just been given something important, it could cost me.

I walked down the hallway at a steady pace, keeping track of every guard, every possible exit. Moonstone Pack was built like a fortress, and while it wasn’t impossible to escape, it would be damn near suicidal without knowing what was waiting beyond these walls.

I needed information before I made any reckless moves.

The afternoon sun burned high above as I wandered toward the lower levels of the estate. The sounds of combat echoed through the open archways—the sharp clash of steel against steel, the rhythmic thud of bodies hitting the ground.

Curious, I stepped through the stone entrance and into a massive outdoor training ground.

Dozens of warriors were locked in combat, their bodies moving with brutal precision. Some fought with weapons, others with nothing but claws and fists. I caught glimpses of powerful shifters, their movements too fast, too strong for the average wolf.

My stomach tightened.

This wasn’t just any pack. These wolves were trained for war.

A low whistle snapped me out of my thoughts.

“You lost, omega?”

I turned to find a broad-shouldered man watching me with a smirk. His dark brown hair was cropped short, and his golden eyes gleamed with amusement.

“I’m exactly where I meant to be,” I said smoothly, folding my arms.

He chuckled, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Not many omegas wander down here.”

“Not many omegas belong to three Alphas,” I countered.

The smirk faltered slightly, and I saw something flicker in his expression—pity.

“They won’t go easy on you,” he said after a pause.

“Good,” I said. “I don’t want them to.”

Before he could respond, a sharp growl cut through the air.

A powerful presence swept over the training ground, thick with command and dominance. The warriors stopped fighting instantly, their heads snapping toward the source of the sound.

I turned, my pulse stuttering.

Sebastian stood at the far end of the arena, his green eyes locked directly on me.

The air shifted, his power crackling like a storm. He didn’t have to say a single word—his rage was written in the sharp line of his jaw, the clench of his fists.

Shit.

I knew that look.

I had just made a very dangerous mistake.

Sebastian didn’t speak as he led me back inside the estate.

Kai and Dante were already waiting in the main hall when we arrived. Kai’s expression was somewhere between amusement and irritation, while Dante studied me with that same unreadable gaze.

Sebastian turned to me, his voice dangerously calm.

“Explain.”

I lifted my chin. “I was exploring.”

His eyes flashed. “You were in the training grounds.”

“So?”

“You don’t belong there.”

Heat flared in my chest, but I kept my voice level. “I belong where I choose to be.”

Silence. A thick, suffocating silence.

Kai exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “You really have no idea how things work here, do you?”

Dante tilted his head slightly. “Did anyone touch you?”

I blinked. “What?”

He didn’t repeat the question. He just stared, waiting for an answer.

“No,” I said after a pause. “But someone warned me.”

Sebastian’s jaw tightened. “Who?”

I hesitated. “One of the warriors. I didn’t catch his name.”

Sebastian didn’t like that answer. I could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

I narrowed my eyes. “Am I not allowed to interact with the pack?”

Kai’s smirk returned. “You’re allowed. But there are… rules.”

“Rules?” I repeated, crossing my arms.

Sebastian’s gaze hardened. “You are our mate, whether you accept it or not. The pack will not see you as just another wolf. They will see you as a claim, and claims are challenged.”

I stilled.

The weight of his words sank deep into my bones.

I wasn’t just an omega in this pack. I was an Alpha’s mate—a triple Alpha’s mate. And if the wrong wolves got ideas…

Challenges. Fights to the death.

I swallowed, but I refused to let them see my unease. “So what, I’m supposed to stay locked in a room like some caged pet?”

Sebastian leaned in slightly, his presence overwhelming. “I expect you to be smart about where you go and who you interact with.”

My pulse spiked, but I held my ground.

I wasn’t used to backing down. And I wouldn’t start now.

Later that night, I pulled out the small silver key Dante had given me.

I turned it over in my fingers, studying the smooth metal. It was small—too small for most doors in the estate.

I knew Dante hadn’t given it to me as an act of kindness.

It was a test.

And I intended to find out exactly what it unlocked.

I waited until the hallways were quiet before slipping out of my room, moving quickly and carefully. The estate was too big, too confusing, but I had paid attention to every door, every locked entrance.

I moved down the east wing, past the guards who had begun switching shifts for the night. My heart pounded as I reached a secluded hallway—one that most wolves avoided.

There.

A small iron door, tucked away in the shadows. It didn’t belong in a place like this—too old, too forgotten.

I slid the key into the lock.

It turned smoothly.

I pushed the door open, stepping into the darkness beyond.

And what I found changed everything.

The air inside was thick with dust, the scent of something ancient curling around me. Moonlight from a single cracked window illuminated rows of old, forgotten documents. Scrolls, books, faded maps—all meticulously organized.

A library?

No… this was something more.

I reached for the closest document, my fingers brushing against parchment so old it nearly crumbled beneath my touch.

The words written across the page made my blood run cold.

GENETIC EXPERIMENTATION FILES

SUBJECT NAME: ARIA LOCKHART

I sucked in a sharp breath.

My name.

My name was in the archives of the Moonstone Pack.

Before I could even process what that meant, the hair on the back of my neck rose.

I wasn’t alone.

A presence shifted in the darkness behind me.

A whisper of air. A silent predator.

I turned just in time to see the shadow move.

And then, the world went black.