The grand hall was alive with music and laughter as Jade stepped through the doors, Harper by her side. The triplets’ 21st birthday party was the event of the year, and everyone who mattered at Stonehaven Academy was here. Jade’s heart pounded in her chest as she scanned the room, searching for the three Alphas who had issued her the ultimatum.
Dressed in the sleek black dress Harper had picked out, Jade felt both exposed and determined. She had to make it through this night, even if every instinct told her to run. Her wolf was still silent, but deep inside, there was a growing restlessness she couldn’t explain.
“Remember, you’ve got this,” Harper whispered as they wove through the crowd. “Just breathe.”
Jade nodded, though her stomach churned with nerves. She hadn’t seen the triplets since the night they had threatened to expel her, and the thought of facing them again made her skin prickle. But Harper was right. She couldn’t hide forever. She needed to show them—and herself—that she wasn’t afraid.
As they approached the center of the hall, Jade spotted them. Eric, Liam, and Cole stood together like sentinels, commanding the attention of everyone around them. Eric, the eldest, stood with his usual stoic expression, his icy blue eyes scanning the crowd. Liam, always calculating, was deep in conversation with a few pack members, though his gaze flicked toward Jade the moment she entered the room. And Cole—the wild one—leaned casually against a pillar, his smirk unmistakable as his eyes locked on her.
Jade’s breath hitched when all three turned their attention to her.
Harper squeezed her arm. “Stay calm.”
Jade wasn’t so sure. The triplets were more than just guys—they were the most powerful wolves at Stonehaven. And right now, they looked like predators who had spotted their prey.
Eric was the first to break from the group, his long strides carrying him toward her. The crowd parted as he approached, and Jade felt her pulse quicken. He stopped in front of her, his gaze sweeping over her like a cold wind.
“You made it,” he said, his voice as unreadable as ever.
Jade forced herself to hold his gaze. “I wasn’t going to hide.”
Liam appeared beside him, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. “You haven’t shifted yet, have you?”
The question hit her like a slap. Her throat tightened, but she refused to look away. “No. Not yet.”
“We’ll be watching,” Eric said, his gaze never leaving hers. “You have until the end of the week.”
With that, the triplets turned and walked away.
“Come on,” Harper whispered, pulling her toward the dance floor. “Don’t let them get in your head.”
The music thumped around them, the crowd dancing and celebrating, but Jade felt like an outsider, standing at the edge of her own life. She couldn’t stop thinking about the triplets, their cold gazes, and the weight of their expectations.
Her wolf was still silent, and with each passing moment, the fear of failure gnawed at her.
Suddenly, she felt a strange, tingling sensation wash over her—an unfamiliar warmth spreading through her body. Her heart raced, her senses sharpened, and for a brief moment, she thought she could feel her wolf stirring, just beneath the surface.
But before she could grasp it, the feeling vanished, leaving her breathless and confused.
“Jade?” Harper’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Are you okay?”
Jade blinked, the haze of the moment fading. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “Something... I think something’s happening.”
Harper frowned, her concern deepening. “Do you think it’s your wolf?”
Jade shook her head, unsure. Whatever it was, it had been fleeting—just a spark. But it was enough to give her hope.
Maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t as powerless as she feared.