Chapter 13: Three Hearts as One
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"Where have you been?" His voice was low and dangerous, amber eyes glinting in the dim hallway.
Valerian flashed that infuriating lazy smile. "Night walk. Lyra needed to understand her sensory abilities."
"On the edge of enemy territory?" Griffin growled. "With hunters patrolling?"
"We were careful—" I began.
"Careful?" Griffin cut me off, his voice tight with restrained anger. "The two of you sneaking out, telling no one, that's your idea of careful?"
"Oh, relax, Northerner," Valerian leaned against the wall, looking entirely unbothered. "We didn't cross any boundaries, and I kept her protected."
Griffin stepped forward, fists clenched. "Stay away from her."
Valerian raised an eyebrow. "What, afraid of competition?"
The tension in the air became almost tangible, and I could feel the wolves in both men rising to the surface. Just as I thought they might actually come to blows, Lucien's voice came from the end of the corridor.
"Could you two possibly act like adults?"
He approached us, blue eyes weary and annoyed. "Your arguing has woken half the temple."
"He took her out into danger," Griffin accused.
"She's not a child," Valerian shot back.
"Enough!" I finally exploded, my voice echoing down the hallway. All three men looked at me in surprise. "I am not a prize, or a territory. I'm a person with my own choices."
I turned to Griffin: "Yes, we went out, but I went willingly."
Then to Valerian: "And you shouldn't deliberately antagonize him."
Finally to Lucien: "And I don't need anyone to 'adult' my problems for me."
An awkward silence fell over the four of us.
"I'm going to bed," I announced, then stalked off toward my room, leaving the three guardians staring after me.
---
I woke in the afternoon with a pounding headache. Last night's adventure and the subsequent argument had drained me. I curled deeper into my blankets, contemplating the absurdity of my situation—three powerful, attractive, and obviously jealous werewolf guardians, with me caught in the middle like some supernatural version of The Bachelorette.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.
"Go away," I groaned, pulling a pillow over my head.
"Lyra," it was Lucien's voice, gentle but firm. "The Council wants to see you. And... the three of us have something to say."
I sighed, struggling to sit up. "Give me ten minutes."
After washing up, I found all three guardians waiting in the courtyard, the atmosphere between them surprisingly peaceful.
"What happened?" I asked suspiciously. "You don't look like you're plotting each other's murders."
"We've come to an understanding," Griffin said, the stiffness in his voice suggesting it hadn't been easy.
"What understanding?"
"We all care about you," Lucien explained. "In different ways."
"And our... competition isn't helping you," Valerian added, looking almost sincere.
I narrowed my eyes. "So?"
"So we've decided to work together," Griffin said. "At least until the crisis is over."
"How mature," I said dryly. "What does the Council want?"
The three exchanged an odd look.
"Actually," Lucien smiled, "that was just to get you out of bed. We have a surprise."
---
The "surprise" was in a small dining room deep in the temple. I nearly laughed out loud when I walked in. A table was set with three completely different meals, obviously prepared by three different people.
Griffin's contribution was a massive, nearly raw steak with simple roasted vegetables on the side—traditional North Territory fare, emphasizing strength and practicality.
Lucien had prepared an elegant herb-crusted fish with complex Eastern spices and healing herbs—beautiful to look at and healthy to eat.
And Valerian—of course—had brought champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, plus some desserts that looked suspiciously like they'd been "borrowed" from a high-end restaurant.
"You three made dinner for me?" I asked, unsure whether to be touched or amused.
"A reconciliation dinner," Valerian raised his champagne glass. "To apologize for our... immature behavior."
"It's a start," I said, sitting down to face the strange feast. "Though I'm not sure steak, fish, and chocolate are an ideal combination."
"Like us," Lucien said softly. "Not a traditional combination, but perhaps exactly what you need."
The dinner was surprisingly pleasant. Griffin told stories of Northern Territory legends, Lucien shared healing knowledge from the Eastern families, and Valerian made us laugh with anecdotes and gossip from the Western Territory.
Looking at the three of them, each so different yet each caring for me in their own way, I felt a strange warmth. Griffin's protectiveness, Lucien's gentleness, Valerian's passion—they should have been mutually exclusive, yet somehow they found balance in me.
"What are you thinking?" Lucien asked, noticing my silence.
"I'm thinking about how I'm somehow attracted to three completely different approaches," I answered honestly. "What is this, some supernatural sandwich? I never knew I was so greedy."
Valerian laughed. "It's not greed, darling. It's destiny."
Griffin frowned. "Or a side effect of the triple bond."
"Or," Lucien said gently, "perhaps your heart is simply big enough for all of us."
I was about to respond when the door suddenly opened and a Council messenger burst in.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said breathlessly, "but Dominic from the South Territory has just arrived at the temple boundaries. He's requesting an audience with the female Alpha."
Four pairs of eyes met as our moment of peace shattered.
"What does he want?" Griffin asked, immediately going into protection mode.
The messenger looked uncomfortable. "He says he has information about the prophecy—and clues about who wants Lyra dead."
