The Omega Mated To The Four

The Alpha Bond 135

The fire crackled softly, sending sparks into the cool night air as we sat in a tight circle-Isaiah, Alex, Austin, and me. The tension that had weighed on us since the attack still lingered, but for now, we had a new puzzle to solve.

Austin leaned forward, his sharp eyes scanning the parchment I had been obsessing over for days. His lips moved silently as he read the words once more.

"Whispers from ancient Willows..." he muttered under his breath, tapping the paper against his palm.

Alex huffed, stretching his long legs out toward the fire. "Does that mean we have to find a talking willow? A tree that actually whispers?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "It's possible. We can't ignore anything at this point."

Before anyone could say more, a quiet voice cut through the night.

"You might not be far off."

We turned sharply to see Eira standing just outside the firelight, arms crossed over her chest. None of us had noticed her approach, which was impressive considering how attuned we were to our surroundings.

Austin let out a breath. "Damn it, Eira. A little warning next time?"

She ignored him and stepped closer, her gaze locking onto the parchment. "When

I was younger, my mother told me a story about a place called the Grove of Whispering Willows."

That caught my attention. "Go on."

Eira knelt beside us, her expression unreadable. "According to legend there were once women who couldn't keep secrets. They thrived on gossip, spreading truths that weren't theirs to tell and were shared to them in confidence. Their punishment was... unusual. They were cursed, their spirits bound to the ancient willow trees, forced to whisper the secrets they had once betrayed."

A shiver ran down my spine. "So the trees actually whisper?"

Eira nodded. "That's what the story says. If you stand among them, you can hear the echoes of secrets long forgotten."

Isaiah scoffed. "That sounds like a fairy tale. What if

it

was just a story to scare kids into keeping their mouths shut?"

the riddle is pointing us there, then we

was researching her

frowned, trying to recall the moment. Then it hit me-that day in the library after I found out

been reading alone when the twins, Isaiah, and Elijah had come looking for me. Back then, I had resented them for constantly bothering me after

we should look through some old book you

crossed his arms. "Do you have

Silence.

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Chapter 129

sighed. "Part of the school burned down, but the library and

surprise me. It was said that after the school was built a witch had enchanted it to

"I'll go get

in. “Let him rest.” The

speaking since the attack.

then offered us keys to the trucks the people the Umbral society had sent and with

silent. Each of us was lost in our thoughts, and when we finally

flooded back. The whispers, the taunts, the cruelty. I had spent years walking these

looked at my reflection in the car window, I barely recognized the girl I used to

was the Silver Wolf. Isaiah nudged my shoulder. "You

nodded once. "Let's get

were lined

in silence until we reached the library

"So? Do

scratched his head. "Uh... not

the back

and just

eyes before grabbing both their heads and knocking them

then, turned my attention to the library. If I could retrace my steps that day, maybe

worn spines. I could still remember where I

is it! This is where we

my old seat, my mind working through the details.

glanced over my shoulder at the