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“The readings were off the charts.” Dr. Xu gestured enthusiastically to the floating data. “His power signature kept shifting, adapting, growing stronger. We’ve never seen anything like it!”

Lord Johnathan cleared his throat, the sound cutting through the excited chatter like a blade. His expression, while still proud, had taken on a more contemplative edge. “While these signs are… promising,” he began carefully, “there is another possibility we must consider.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over his nephews. “Could Prince Luca’s fever be the beginning of his first heat?”

The chamber fell silent so quickly it was as if someone had cast a void spell.

“Heat?” Lady Victoria’s celestial light flickered with concern. “But he’s barely twenty-one—far too young for a vampire’s first cycle.”

“Under normal circumstances, yes,” Lord Thanatos mused, shadows curling thoughtfully around his wings. “However, the ancient texts speak of certain… triggers.”

Lady Wei leaned forward. “Close proximity to a fated mate has been known to accelerate such things.”

The entire chamber seemed to hold its breath as every head turned toward the Whitlock brothers. Zane felt his wolf surge forward, suddenly very aware of how many eyes were fixed on them.

“Which raises an interesting question,” Lady Wei continued, her ancient eyes studying each brother in turn. “Which of you might be the fated mate?”

“Surely it would be Alpha Zane Whitlock,” Lord Harold Kingston suggested. “He is the alpha of the clan, after all.”

“But Luca is a vampire,” Lady Lucia Bellini countered. “Wouldn’t Alpha Sebastian Blackthorn be the more logical choice?”

Sebastian straightened in his chair, his aristocratic features thoughtful. “I’ve studied the pamphlet the elders provided quite thoroughly.” His lips twitched. “The one with the… interesting diagrams.”

“Those diagrams are essential reference material,” Lord Thanatos muttered.

“Indeed,” Sebastian continued smoothly. “But I don’t experience any of the signs listed. No overwhelming desire to claim or mark. No possessive urges. No dreams of eternal bonding under the midnight moon…” He glanced at the pamphlet. “Page twelve, subsection three, I believe.”

“Then what do you feel?” Lady Helena leaned forward eagerly.

“The same as Alan described,” Sebastian admitted. “An instinct to kneel, to protect and serve. Which, I must say, is quite fascinating for a vampire lord of my standing to feel toward such a young vampire.”

All eyes swung back to the brothers. Lord Johnathan’s gaze was particularly penetrating as he addressed Zane directly.

“And you, nephew? What do you feel toward Prince Luca?”

The brothers exchanged loaded glances, silent communication passing between them in seconds. All those moments of intense attraction, the overwhelming urges, the constant pull toward Luca… Could they really be signs of a fated bond?

Archer, in his typical fashion, broke the tension first. “Well, if we’re sharing…” He grinned, though there was an edge of nervousness beneath his usual charm. “He smells like cherry blossoms and moonlight. I haven’t been able to think straight since… Keep wanting to wrap him in blankets and feed him blood-infused cookies.”

The scratching of crystal styluses filled the air as scholars frantically recorded his words. But beneath the academic excitement, shock rippled through the chamber.

“You?” Lady Victoria’s celestial light pulsed with surprise. “Not Alpha Zane?”

“Actually…” Ryker’s quiet voice carried clearly in the stunned silence. “I’ve been experiencing similar reactions.”

The shock in the room doubled. Lady Wei’s teacup slipped from her fingers, saved only by her dragon reflexes.

“Both of you?” Lord Thanatos’s shadows twisted with interest. “Most unusual…”

“Three, actually,” Zane finally admitted, his wolf practically preening as he spoke the words aloud. “Since that first day he came out of seclusion and bit me… I’ve felt this pull. This need to claim him, to mark him as ours.”

The chamber erupted in chaos.

“Three mates?” “Is that even possible?” “The texts never mentioned—” “The power implications alone?—”

“SILENCE!” Lady Wei’s dragon magic crackled through the air, restoring order. “This is unprecedented.”

“Three alpha mates,” Lady Victoria breathed, her celestial light dancing with excitement. “And not just any alphas—the Whitlock brothers themselves!”

“The strongest wolf pack in New Vale,” Sebastian added thoughtfully. “Combined with a potentially powerful fated one…”