Chapter 3 The Breaking Point

• Brianna’s POV
• They say fate is inevitable.
• I used to scoff at that. Thought it was just a romantic excuse for people too scared to fight for what they really wanted. But now? With the mate bond sinking deeper into my soul like a brand I never asked for?
• I was starting to believe it.
• And I hated every damn second of it.
• I stood before the Elders, every muscle in my body coiled tight. The council chamber was colder than usual—stone walls, harsh light, and the suffocating scent of incense and judgment. They sat like statues, all stern expressions and eyes that saw everything... except me.
• "Reject them," Elder Maynard said, his voice like cracked granite. "You have a duty to this pack. The laws are clear."
• I swallowed hard. My throat burned. My wolf paced inside me, ears flat, tail low but growling, ready to defend what was ours.
• "I….." I began, but a voice cut clean through the air.
• "She’s not going anywhere."
• Rowan’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. Calm. Deadly. Commanding. His presence filled the room like a storm rolling in.
• He stepped forward, standing beside me without hesitation. His hand brushed mine—not touching, but enough to ground me.
• "She’s our mate," he said. "Exile her, and you exile all of us."
• Gasps rippled through the room.
• Reid was next, quiet but unshakable, like ancient stone. "We don’t stand apart in this. We stand with her."
• And then Ryker.
• Leaning in the doorway like he owned the moon and the stars, arms crossed, that damn smirk on his face. "Go ahead. Try laying a hand on her. I’ll decorate this place with your limbs."
• The Elders did not appreciate the visual.
• "Three mates. One female," Elder Maynard snapped. "You know what that means. The prophecy….."
• "It's just a story," I snapped, unable to take it anymore. "You’re scared of something you don’t even understand."
• "The Blood Moon Triad," another Elder whispered, like even saying the words summoned a curse. "One woman bound to three fated mates. It always ends in blood."
• I flinched.
• "Enough," Elder Maynard growled. "You have three days, Brianna, Reject them or leave the pack. There is no in-between."
• The room spun. My chest tightened. My mouth was dry, but I refused to show weakness.
• Three days to destroy myself—or destroy everything I’d worked for.
• I turned on my heel, storming out, my wolves—yes, mine trailing behind like shadows.
• Outside the chamber, I spun around, fury rising like fire.
• "Stop following me like lost dogs." I whirled on them.
• Rowan didn’t flinch. "We’re not letting you go through this alone."
• "I am alone. Don’t you get it? If I accept this—you—I lose everything I’ve built here."
• Ryker scoffed. "What have you built? A lonely cottage on the edge of town and a reputation for biting everyone’s head off?"
• I shoved him. "Go to hell."
• He grinned. "Only if you’re coming with me."
• "Enough," Rowan cut in, his tone sharp. "She needs space."
• Reid stepped closer, his eyes unreadable. "We’ll give you space. But not distance."
• I hated how that sounded. Like a promise I might not be strong enough to run from.
• That night, Ryker found me.
• Of course he did.
• I was training behind the old barracks, unleashing every ounce of rage on a worn-out punching bag that had seen better days. Sweat clung to my skin, my knuckles were bruised, and I still wasn’t satisfied.
• "Trying to beat the bond out of yourself?" he asked, voice smooth, lazy.
• I didn’t even glance at him. "Piss off."
• He didn’t.
• Instead, he stepped into the ring.
• "Let’s spar."
• I spun toward him. "You’re kidding."
• "Scared I’ll kick your ass?"
• "I will kick your ass."
• He smirked. "Prove it."
• Something inside me snapped. Maybe it was the pressure, or the confusion, or the way his presence made everything ache. But I stepped into the ring, raised my fists, and nodded.
• "Fine."
• The fight was savage.
• I moved fast. He moved faster. Every blow was real, but underneath it, tension buzzed like a live wire. I landed a jab to his ribs. He slammed me down on the mat. I flipped him. He flipped me harder.
• Our bodies were locked in a battle we couldn’t name.
• And then—I had him. Pinned. My knees on his chest, my hands gripping his wrists.
• I was panting, sweat trickling down my spine. His eyes burned into mine—dark, unreadable, hungry.
• "Say it," he breathed.
• "Say what?" I hissed, even though I knew.
• "That you feel it. The bond. That you want me."
• My stomach twisted. The bond pulsed between us like a heartbeat. I hated how it made me weak, how it made me crave him.
• I hated it almost as much as I wanted it.
• "I don’t…." I began.
• But he surged up.
• One motion. One blur.
• And suddenly, I was beneath him, his body flush against mine, heat radiating between us.
• His lips crushed mine—hard, bruising. Desperate.
• I froze for a second.
• Then I kissed him back.
• Just for a second.
• The bond flared, a wildfire ripping through my veins. My body arched, aching, needy. His hands tangled in my hair, his lips devouring every shred of doubt.
• Then reality slammed back.
• I shoved him off. Hard.
• His chest was rising and falling fast, eyes wild with something he couldn’t cage.
• I stared at him like he’d burned me.
• "I’m not yours," I whispered, voice trembling.
• "Could’ve fooled me," he muttered, still breathless.
• I turned and ran—ran until my legs burned, and my lungs screamed and the weight of it all nearly crushed me.
• The woods were cold that night.
• Dark. Too quiet.
• I leaned against a tree, trying to calm the storm inside me. But it was no use. Everything felt like it was slipping. The bond. My control. My place in this world.
• I’d always thought I was strong. Independent.
• Now?
• I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
• A snap of a twig made me freeze.
• I turned quickly, scanning the trees.
• "Ryker?" I called, hoping maybe he followed me again.
• But no answer came.
• Only silence.
• Then, in the distance, I saw it.
• Red eyes.
• Watching.
• Unblinking.
• A chill shot down my spine. My wolf went still.
• Who the hell was that?
• And why were they watching me?