Chapter 64: The rumours
Last night was a disaster and Eloise was not the only one who had a sleepless night. Aevia was in no better position either.
She paced the dimly lit corridors of the palace, her footsteps echoing softly against the cold stone floors. She never anticipated that Yuki would be mated to all three brothers. The revelation felt like a harsh slap across her face, an uncertainty that shattered every plan she had so meticulously crafted. She had been so close to becoming Alexander’s mate and Luna. Even if it would only last until the triplets succeeded him, it would have been enough for her. But now the biggest stumbling block was none other than her own sister.
The same sister she had brought to Ravencourt to protect. She could not leave Yuki behind at Xyrus University where enemies were clearly waiting to strike. They would have gone after her without hesitation. Yet the safest place in the world now felt like the most dangerous one of all.
Aevia did not need a seer to know the brothers hated her guts and equally hated Yuki. She had sensed their resentment from the very beginning. This mate bond was the biggest joke in history. It would never work.
And that was not even the worst part. Rumours had already begun spreading through the palace overnight. Someone had planted them deliberately, and the whispers did not sit well with her. By now the entire pack house knew Yuki was fated to the triplets, but that was not what they were murmuring about in shadowed corners. The darker accusations made her stomach churn with unease.
Whispers claimed Yuki was involved in witchcraft. The rumours insisted she had manipulated the sacred mate bond to entrance the brothers. These lies spread like wildfire because the entire pack had long believed the boys were fated to Eloise. The moment they had an excuse for why things had not gone as planned, everyone accepted it without question. After all, most of them had never truly accepted Aevia in the first place and were more than happy to rub dirt on their names.
Aevia’s fists clenched tightly until her knuckles turned white as she hurried towards Alexander’s office. Every hallway she passed suddenly fell into an uncomfortable silence the moment she appeared. She could feel their eyes on her. It was as if they were all eagerly waiting for her downfall.
Aevia gritted her teeth. "Who the hell started these rumours?" Just thinking about it made her blood boil.
She took a sharp turn into the hallway where the alpha’s office was located. For a moment her heart stopped, a subtle pain blooming in her chest. Her gaze fell on Yuki. In all the years she had known her sister, she had never seen her look so lonely and broken.
Yuki stood there completely devastated, her entire body trembling. Her shoulders hunched forward as if trying to make herself smaller, and her jade eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Aevia’s thoughts raced. She wondered if Yuki had already heard the rumours. She knew her sister could never do such a thing. Where would Yuki even find a witch strong enough to bewitch the future alphas?
Yuki sensed her presence first. She lifted her head slowly and just stared, barely able to force any words out.
"Yuki," Aevia said gently, her voice soft with concern. "Please, we need to talk."
Yuki glanced away, guilt written clearly across her pale face. Her voice came out small and shaky. "I am sorry, Aevia. I never wished for this to happen. I do not want to be their mates. I do not want..."
Aevia’s heart ached with every trembling word. She could not stand still any longer. She closed the distance between them in a few quick steps and pulled Yuki into her arms. The girl trembled violently in her embrace, her small frame shaking against Aevia’s chest. Aevia held her tighter, breathing in the familiar scent of her sister while questioning every choice she had made. Maybe she should never have brought her here, but leaving her at Xyrus would have been far too dangerous.
All it took was one glance for anyone to see the clear resemblance between them, two sisters bound by blood and now trapped by cruel fate.
"I know it is not your fault," Aevia whispered, her tone gentle yet filled with shared sorrow. "We cannot choose our fated mates, and sometimes the Moon Goddess can be cruel."
Yuki sniffed and pulled back slightly, her eyes searching Aevia’s face. "What am I going to do? I cannot leave like this. My wolf is in pain and they would never accept me," she stated, her voice cracking.
Something flickered across Aevia’s face. She rubbed her thumb across Yuki’s tear-streaked cheek with gentle care. "It is not that simple. I would have told you to reject them, but Ravencourt is cursed right now. You are the only one who can continue their succession..."
Yuki’s eyes went wide as the weight of the curse settled over her. She had almost forgotten. "Do you think they would not reject me because of the curse?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aevia did not answer. The solemn look in her eyes was enough.
Yuki felt completely lost. "Why would they hold onto me? Leaving me unclaimed would be torture."
"But they hate me. They would never make me their Luna," Yuki replied, her voice filled with despair.
Aevia’s gaze darkened. "They might never reject you precisely because they hate you, Yuki," she stated.
Yuki looked puzzled, her innocence shining through. Aevia saw the confusion and understood how naive her sister still was. Yuki had no idea how cruel people could truly be.
"The greatest torture, Yuki, is them not accepting you," Aevia whispered, her voice low and serious. "If they cannot make you Luna, they can keep you as their breeder. You cannot imagine how painful it would be to watch your mates be with another woman while you remain bound to them."
Yuki’s face turned deathly pale. Terror flooded her jade eyes. The horrifying possibility had never crossed her mind. "They could not be that cruel... could they?"
"What are we going to do?" Yuki asked desperately.
Aevia went silent for a long moment. She had been thinking the same thing. The possibility of the triplets refusing to reject her or fully claim her weighed heavily on her. She could not hide Yuki. Right now the entire pack had their eyes on her sister. Yuki was both a strong weakness and a dangerous liability. If she died, there was a chance the brothers would never get a second chance mate. The stakes were impossibly high.
"The only hope we have is if they hate you so much they cannot stand the sight of you," Aevia explained carefully. "Enough to put the pack at risk. The only way out of this is for them to reject you."
Aevia stated the words firmly even though this was what she wanted. Yet she saw Yuki’s heart still ached deeply. Aevia grabbed Yuki’s shoulders. "This is not just about you, Yuki. This bond also puts my marriage with Alexander at risk," she revealed.
Aevia was still contemplating whether she should tell Yuki about the witchcraft allegations. She had wanted to speak to Alexander first, but uncertainty gnawed at her. Alexander would not want his sons to take the risk of rejecting Yuki. In the end, she decided to speak up. Yuki needed to understand the full severity of the situation.
"There are even rumours going around," Aevia continued, her voice dropping lower. "They claim you committed treason by using witchcraft on the brothers..."
Everything was falling apart.
The heavy doors to the alpha’s office were pulled open with a loud creak, interrupting her words. Both sisters turned their heads. Alexander stood there, his broad frame filling the doorway. He looked quite troubled, his brows furrowed and his expression shadowed with tension.
His sharp gaze settled on Yuki, and she felt her stomach drop under the crushing weight of it.
"Where did you hear the rumours from?" Alexander demanded coldly, his deep voice cutting through the hallway like ice.
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