Chapter 3: Midnight Wish

Words : 1723 Updated : Sep 9th, 2025

I clutched the book to my chest and paced my tiny house. My mind ran with a thousand thoughts. "He knows," I whispered to myself. "Caleb knows about my mark." The emergency howl had called all pack members to the main lodge—everyone except omegas, of course. We weren’t important enough for emergency talks. I stared at the note again. "Meet me at the old library tonight at midnight." Should I go? What if it was a trap? What if Luna had somehow gotten Caleb to trick me? But deep down, I knew Caleb wasn’t like that. Of the three brothers, he was the one who actually seemed to see people others overlooked. The clock showed only 8 PM. Four hours until midnight. Four hours to decide what to do. I unwrapped my wrist again and gasped. The mark was changing. One of the three moons now glowed distinctly brighter than the others. What did that mean? A sharp knock at my door made me jump. I quickly wrapped my wrist and hid the book under my pillow. "Lily! Are you in there?" It was Max’s mother, sounding frantic. I yanked open the door to find her holding Max, who was whimpering in pain. "He fell from a tree," she explained quickly. "The pack healer is at the emergency meeting, and I remembered you know about herbs and—" "Bring him in," I said, immediately clearing room on my small table. Max’s arm was badly scraped, and a nasty bruise was already forming on his brow. His little face was streaked with tears. "Hey buddy," I said softly, studying his injuries. "That must have been some climb." "I was trying to hang festival lanterns like the big wolves," he sniffled. I smiled and reached for my plant box—the one my grandmother had given me before she died. Inside were plants and mixtures I’d gathered over years of learning the healing ways omegas once practiced before they were relegated to just childcare and cleaning. "This might sting a little," I warned as I cleaned his cuts with a mixture of yarrow and clean water. Max was brave, only crying slightly as I worked. Next, I applied a paste of arnica and comfrey to reduce the swelling and help heal the bruises. "You’re so good at this," his mother gushed. "Where did you learn?" "My grandmother taught me," I explained while wrapping Max’s arm with clean cloth. "She said omegas were once the pack’s healers before..." I trailed off, not wanting to say before alphas took over everything. "Well, you have a real gift," she said, sounding truly impressed. As they left, Max hugged me with his good arm. "Thanks, Lily. You’re my favorite." His words warmed me in a way few things did. It wasn’t often anyone in the pack valued an omega’s skills. I checked the clock again. 9 PM. The meeting must have finished because I could hear music and laughter from the festival resuming in the distance. I chose to walk to the Moon Pool before meeting Caleb. Something about that holy place called to me, especially now that I bore this strange mark. The night was clear and cold, stars sparkling like diamonds above the snow-covered ground. Most pack members were at the gathering, so the path to the Moon Pool was deserted. I approached the small pond carefully, almost afraid of what might happen this time. The water glowed silver under the moonlight, just as it had when my mark appeared. I knelt beside it, unwrapping my wrist. The mark’s glow mirrored in the water, making ripples of light dance across the surface. "What are you trying to tell me?" I whispered to the moon. "Why me? Why now?" Only silence answered, but as I stared into the water, images started to form. Three wolves running through snow, a flash of danger, a hidden cave with old markings. The visions came so fast I could barely understand them. A twig snapped behind me. I spun around, half-expecting to see Caleb or Luna. Instead, I found myself face-to-face with an unknown wolf. He was tall and rough-looking, certainly not from our pack. "Well, what do we have here?" he growled, his eyes glinting dangerously in the moonlight. "A little omega all alone?" I scrambled to my feet, backing away. "Who are you?" "Just a visitor," he said with a smile that showed too many teeth. "From beyond the northern border." A wild wolf. My pulse quickened. Rogues were dogs without packs, dangerous and unpredictable. What was one doing in our land during the festival? "The celebration is that way," I said, pointing toward the faraway lights and music. "This area is sacred." He stepped closer, sniffing the air. "You smell different. Special." I realized with fear that he could smell my mark. I backed away further, but he followed, his eyes never leaving my covered wrist. "What’s on your arm, little omega?" he asked, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Nothing," I lied, heart racing. I was no match for a wild wolf. I needed to run, to call for help. Before I could move, he grabbed my arm, pulling at the bandage. "Let’s see what you’re hiding." I screamed and kicked, catching him by surprise. He relaxed his grip just enough for me to twist free and run. I dashed through the trees, the rogue close behind. The festival grounds were too far, but the old library was nearby. Maybe Caleb would already be there. The old library stood on the edge of pack territory, a stone building mostly ignored except by Caleb and a few others who valued books more than fighting. I burst through the door, shutting it behind me. "Hello?" I called out, hoping Caleb was already here. "Anyone?" Only silence met me. It was still before midnight—too early for our meeting. I pushed a heavy shelf against the door and moved deeper into the library, looking for a place to hide. Outside, I could hear the rogue sniffing around the building. "I know you’re in there, omega," he called. "I just want to talk about that special mark of yours." How did he know about my mark? Had someone sent him? The back of the library held a small reading room with a fireplace. I slipped inside, looking for any way out. There was a window, but it was too small for me to fit through. As I frantically searched for choices, my eyes fell on a book lying open on the table. The page showed an image of my exact mark—three crescent moons in a circle. Below the picture were words that made my blood run cold: "The Triple Moon Mark shows only in times of great danger to the pack. It binds the bearer to the pack’s strongest defenders, making a bond that cannot be broken. In wolf history, only five omegas have ever carried this mark. Each promised a coming darkness that threatened to destroy the pack." My hands shook as I read. My mark wasn’t just about finding a mate—it was a warning. The sound of breaking glass came from the front of the library. The thief was breaking in. I grabbed the book and looked for somewhere to hide. A small door behind a bookshelf caught my eye—a storage room I hadn’t noticed before. I slipped inside just as heavy footsteps entered the reading room. "I can smell you, omega," the rogue called, his voice closer now. "And I can smell your fear." I held my breath, holding the book to my chest. My mark burned beneath the bandage, burning brighter than ever. Suddenly, the closet door was yanked open. I screamed as rough hands grabbed me, pulling me into the light. But instead of the rogue, I found myself looking into Caleb’s scared face. "Lily! Are you okay?" he asked, pulling me to safety. "I saw a rogue wolf breaking into the library and I—" A growl stopped him. We both turned to see the rogue standing in the doorway, his eyes now glowing red in a way no normal wolf’s eyes should. "So the rumors are true," the rogue said, looking between us. "The Triple Moon Omega has appeared." Caleb stepped in front of me protectively. "Who sent you?" The rogue smiled. "Those who remember the old ways. Those who won’t let history repeat itself." He pointed at my wrist. "That mark means the end of everything you know, little omega. And there are many who would kill to prevent that change." Caleb’s hands began to shift, claws extending as he prepared to fight. "You need to leave. Now." The rogue laughed. "I’m just the messenger. There are others coming." He backed toward the door. "The Triple Moon Omega must die before the final ceremony." With those chilling words, he darted away into the night. I stood frozen in shock. "They want to kill me? Why?" Caleb turned to me, his face grim. "Because your mark threatens to change everything. And Lily..." He pointed to the book I was still holding. "According to the old texts, the last omega who bore that mark died before she could complete the bond." My mark flashed brightly, one moon still shining stronger than the others as if in warning. "Which means," Caleb continued softly, "someone in our pack has been waiting for this mark to appear again. Someone who doesn’t want change." A howl heard in the distance—not a pack howl, but something wilder and more dangerous. "More rogues," Caleb whispered. "We need to get you to safety." The mark on my wrist burned like fire as the moonlight through the window lit the open book in my hands. There on the page was a line I hadn’t noticed before: "The Triple Moon Bearer must unite with all three brothers before the festival’s end, or all will be lost." I looked up at Caleb in shock. "All three brothers? But that’s impossible!" His silver-blue eyes mirrored the moonlight as he said, "Nothing is impossible under the Winter Moon, Lily. Including the fall of Silver Peak Pack if we don’t figure this out." More howls rose in the night, closer now. My birthday wish had come true in th e worst possible way—now everyone would see me, including those who wanted me dead.

Chapter 3: Midnight Wish

Comments (0)