I didn't know why or how it had happened, but I was suddenly surrounded by three muscular beings. I didn't know what I should feel at that moment, but somehow, I was glad that I was no longer alone.
I thought they knew each other, but now, maybe they didn't at all, because they looked at each other as if they were staring at their greatest enemies.
Like me, it seemed they were also trying to make sense of everything.
The first one who had found me, the one who had almost kissed me, clenched his jaw. His steely eyes narrowed as he looked around.
The other one, just as defined and as hot as the first, sighed heavily. The youngest among them, based on his smaller frame, stretched his muscles as if ready to kill someone.
"What the hell is going on here?" the first one asked, glancing between me—still sitting on the ground—and the others. "She's mine. She's my fate. And I knew it the moment I laid eyes on her."
The youngest of the three added, "But Alpha Damien, I felt her too." He sighed. "But that's impossible, right? Each of us is only supposed to have one mate, one pull, one bond. So, this... it doesn't make sense at all…"
They both turned to the last one. I expected him to be confused as well, but instead, he just smirked. It seemed he had already acknowledged the truth that confused the other two.
"Well, we've shared countless women before, Alpha Damien, Magnus," he began. "But obviously, this one is different. I think this isn't just desire we're talking about. This is the mate bond, and I think it's binding all three of us to her. Whether we like it or not."
The one they called Alpha Damien spoke. "How could you say that? We were supposed to find our own mate in this hunt, not share one. It goes against everything we've ever been taught about ourselves."
Magnus, the youngest, exhaled. "Alpha Damien… Beta Xavier…" He paused. "I don't think the Moon Goddess has even done this before. I never thought this was likely. So why now? And why us?"
Beta Xavier, as he was called, looked at me, but I immediately looked away, afraid of what they would do to me. "Or maybe this is what the Moon Goddess wanted for us all along, Magnus. Maybe she knew this was what we really needed, even if we didn't know it yet. So that we would be stronger together. Forever."
In that moment, as they argued with each other, I thought about running away. I was just scared. For one, I had never encountered a werewolf before. Second, I had never been this close to their kind.
Third, I had never dreamed of being claimed by them, and fourth, although they were freaking handsome, I did not want them. Not at all.
Alpha Damien violently shook his head. "Can't you hear yourself, Xavier? This is wrong. Besides, how do we even begin to explain this to the Moonlit Pack? To ourselves?"
Magnus, who had been silent for a long while, finally spoke. "Let's forget about that for now. I'm sure we'll figure this out sooner or later. What matters is her safety. Besides, we can't let this tear us apart, can we?"
The beats of my heart tripled when three hungry sets of eyes finally landed on mine. I almost fainted as they began to step closer to where I was sitting.
I braced myself, hugging my arms as I tried to think of what I could do to protect myself. I just knew I could never fight them, and it seemed I couldn't outrun them. So, with nothing else left, I pleaded for my life.
"Please…" I whispered, looking at each of them, letting my tears fall. "Don't kill me yet. I don't want to die. I don't want to be part of this. Please, let me go."
For a second, I really thought they might actually set me free. But I was wrong. They just paused for a moment and exchanged glances.
Magnus was the one who broke the silence. "I think you have it all wrong. The Annual Purge isn't really what you humans think. Us werewolves are not here to harm you. Of course not."
Beta Xavier added, "The Annual Purge isn't about killing. Just think of it as finding our partners. Those lucky ones, according to the Moon Goddess' will…"
"We didn't expect it would turn out like this. Three of us mated to one." Alpha Damien cautiously approached me. "But that's what's happening now, and it's already beyond any of us to reject. Whether you want it or not, you're now ours, just as we are now yours."
My heart beat faster than I'd ever felt. Everything they told me seemed to just pass through my mind, and I couldn't understand any of it.
I looked at their faces. They definitely looked human right now, and somehow I could see that they believed what they were saying was the truth. That I had no choice but to accept being bound by this fate.
I thought about it and realized I had no other options. I could just pretend to accept it all, act innocently, and later think of a way to escape this nightmare.
I clutched my temples, as if they really hurt. "I… I don't understand any of this," I said quietly. "But if what you're telling me is true… If this is what your God wants…" I bit my lip. "Then, I guess I have no choice but to agree." I paused for a moment. "But I want all of you to promise me that no one will hurt me in any way."
They all looked at each other, and after a while, finally nodded.
"We promise," Alpha Damien assured me. "I swear no harm will come to you. I promise to protect you." He clenched his fists. "You're my mate now, and we'll honor that fact in every way we can."
I just sighed shakily afterward. I realized that I was now tied to these werewolves by something I could not even begin to understand. But at least, for now, I was safe.
Hopefully.