THE LYCANS FATED WEAK MATE

The forest whispered ancient secrets as moonlight pierced through the canopy of thick, gnarled trees. Shadows danced across the earth like restless spirits, and somewhere in the distance, a low howl broke the silence. It was a sound that made the animals freeze, and even the wind seemed to pause to listen.

Selene Hartley didn't flinch. She couldn't afford to. Not tonight.

Her bare feet skimmed over damp earth, dodging roots and thorns as she sprinted deeper into the woods. Blood pounded in her ears, each beat a reminder of the ticking clock inside her. Her Awakening had begun-too soon, too violently.

And the twins would feel it.

They already do.

A heat bloomed in her chest, pulsing outward like a beacon. She gritted her teeth, clutching the satchel around her shoulder tighter. Her heart wasn't just calling-it was screaming.

Half a mile away, Andrew Goldwick froze mid-step, the silver blade in his hand falling slack at his side. His amber eyes narrowed, the golden flecks in them brightening under the full moon.

"She's close," he muttered.

From behind, his twin brother Andy emerged from the shadows, blood smeared on his jaw from the rogue he'd just dealt with. "You felt it too."

Andrew turned toward him, nodding once. "The bond snapped into place. Hard."

Andy's brow furrowed. "She's Awakening. That can't be right. She's-what? Twenty-two?"

"Twenty-three," Andrew said softly, eyes scanning the trees. "It's supposed to happen at twenty-five. Unless she's not-"

"A normal Omega," Andy finished.

They didn't need to say more. Both knew what this meant. The prophecy. The Blood Moon. The mate who would stand beside them-or between them.

Selene stumbled into a clearing, her breath ragged. Her limbs trembled as if she'd run miles instead of minutes. The air shimmered around her, thick with magic and moonlight. Her knees gave out, and she collapsed, clawing at the earth.

And then she screamed.

It wasn't human. It wasn't animal. It was hers-raw, primal, terrifying. A sound born of pain and power. Her veins lit up like molten fire, and her back arched as a sudden, invisible force surged through her.

From the treeline, two figures burst into view, both tall, broad, and radiating dominance.

Andrew was first, the Alpha heir with a storm burning behind his eyes. Andy followed, a shadow at his brother's side, equally lethal but with a calm that chilled.

Selene's eyes met Andrew's, and time stopped.

She saw everything in that look-the pain he carried, the weight of his crown, the rage he kept leashed behind thick walls of duty. And then her gaze flicked to Andy, and it was like being wrapped in velvet. He was quiet stormlight, secrets and softness hidden beneath blades.

Their scents hit her at once-spiced pine and smoky cedar. Her wolf howled in recognition.

Andrew took a cautious step forward. "Selene?"

Her name from his lips was a promise. From Andy's, it was a prayer.

She whimpered. "What's happening to me?"

"You're Awakening," Andy said softly, his voice like silk over rough bark. "And we're your-"

"Mates," Andrew finished. "Both of us."

The days that followed were a blur.

Selene lay in a secluded cabin tucked deep within Goldwick territory, guarded by wards and warriors. The twins took shifts watching over her, tending to her while trying not to kill each other.

It wasn't easy.

Andrew, ever the Alpha, was possessive, protective, and pissed at the world for handing him a fate he hadn't asked for.

Andy, more reserved but no less intense, watched her with eyes full of longing he tried to hide.

Selene felt caught between them-drawn to Andrew's fire and Andy's ice. Her heart didn't know where to land. Her wolf didn't care.

Every time they touched her-even accidentally-it ignited something wild inside her. A pull so magnetic it made her tremble.

On the third night, she finally asked, "How is this possible? Aren't mates supposed to be one-on-one?"

Andrew stood at the hearth, his jaw tight. "Usually. But there's a prophecy. An old one."

Andy spoke from the shadows. "A daughter of two bloodlines, born under the eclipsed moon, will bear the mark of fate. She will choose the Alpha to unite the broken."

Selene blinked. "I don't even know who my parents were."

Andrew turned slowly. "You're adopted?"

"I was abandoned at the edge of a human town. Raised by an old healer. She died when I was sixteen."

Andy stepped closer, crouching in front of her. "You've felt different your whole life, haven't you?"

She nodded. "Like something was asleep inside me. Until that night."

Andrew moved beside her, his voice low. "You carry more than you know, Selene. And now that it's awake, others will come for you."

Her heart thundered. "Why?"

"Because the one you choose," Andy said, "will become more than Alpha. He'll become King."

That night, Selene stood outside the cabin, her fingers brushing the carved railing as wind tugged at her hair. The moon was high, full and red. Blood Moon.

Andrew stepped behind her, close enough for warmth. "I know what you're thinking."

"I doubt it."

"You feel like you're being torn in two."

She laughed bitterly. "Do you always read minds?"

"No. But I know that look. I wore it the day my father made me Alpha heir. The day Andy was told he'd always stand behind me."

She turned to him. "Do you hate it?"

Andrew's eyes flickered. "Not as much as I hate what it's doing to him."

Before she could respond, Andy appeared on the porch, a bottle in one hand. "Moon's not the only thing bleeding tonight."

Selene raised a brow. "Is that your idea of small talk?"

He grinned. "It got you to smile, didn't it?"

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Don't encourage him."

Selene's gaze bounced between them. They were night and day. One a blazing wildfire, the other the cool dusk after a storm.

And both were hers.

Or neither.

She didn't know yet.

But she would have to choose soon.

Because something darker than fate was coming. Something ancient. Hungry. And it wanted what only Selene could give.

Selene stepped off the porch and into the moonlight, her bare feet sinking slightly into the grass. The forest beyond swayed in rhythm with the wind, and the smell of damp earth, pine, and something more primal drifted on the air. She tilted her head back, eyes closed, letting the energy of the night seep into her bones.

Behind her, the twins remained silent. She could feel both their gazes on her like a fire and a shadow wrapped around her soul.

"You know this can't last," she whispered, still not turning around.

Andy stepped closer. "What can't?"