Scarred Wolf Queen Chapter 45

**Briony's POV**

I took the seat Isabella saved for me, unsure how to handle her enthusiastic praise. Direct compliments still felt strange, like shoes that didn't quite fit.

The cool breeze from Silver Pines swept across the terrace. My wolf rumbled contentedly in my mind, pleased to be called "pretty and powerful."

"She's been growing steadily since her first appearance," I said carefully. "I'm not sure if that's normal. Maybe because I awakened earlier than usual? I've been meaning to ask Professor Lyons or Thomas about it."

"I've never heard of a wolf continuing to grow after first manifestation," Alpha Nathan said. "But your theory makes sense. Based on your performance these past two days, when you fully master this power, you'll be quite formidable."

I smiled awkwardly, still uncomfortable with praise from someone so important. Just then, Christopher sat beside me with a plate of food, placing a light kiss on my head. Maxwell did the same before sitting across from me.

I turned to my left, deliberately using his full name: "Christopher, what's all this?" I emphasized his name, testing my little experiment.

"Figured you didn't get enough food during testing, so I grabbed everything you like," he answered, then glanced at his brothers. "She's still the only one who can do it."

"Do what?" Isabella asked, eyebrow raised.

"Tell us apart even when we're wearing identical clothes without any clues," Christopher explained.

"Since we deliberately wore matching outfits coming downstairs, she's the first person to immediately call us by the right names," Maxwell added.

"You can really distinguish them?" Isabella's eyes widened. "Even I sometimes mix them up, especially when they're being mischievous."

"Yes, and honestly, I don't get why this is such a big deal," I said, genuinely confused. "If people paid attention, there are tons of differences. And thanks for the food - I'm starving."

"It seems only you can catch these differences," Maxwell said. "Bri, what color are their eyes? Tell Isabella what you see."

I quickly swallowed my food, caught off guard by being put on the spot.

"Maxwell's eyes are deep forest green. Christopher's are blue-green, lighter and warmer. Benjamin's are green with gold flecks that show up in sunlight," I described. "They're all green, but the tones are completely different."

"And what do they smell like?" Isabella pressed, eyes sparkling.

"Maxwell smells like crisp pine, Christopher has that warm cinnamon sweetness, and Benjamin has honey with a hint of sandalwood," I answered simply, like it was obvious.

"Fascinating," Isabella whispered. "To me, they have a similar base note, like a winter forest blend. It's one of my favorite scents." The triplets all blushed slightly.

"Briony, tell me more about the other differences you've noticed," Alpha Nathan said, suddenly interested.

"Maxwell's shoulders are straighter, Benjamin's back muscles are more defined, and Christopher's arms have a smoother line," I continued. "Their hair texture and curl patterns are different too. They're just... three completely different people to me."

The Alphas and Luna Queen looked genuinely surprised.

"Truly fascinating," Alpha Nathan said. "I wonder if you could identify them in a black and white photo. We should test that sometime. But now, let this young warrior enjoy her dinner - she's earned it." He winked at me, and I smiled back gratefully.

"Speaking of today's performance," he continued, "you gave some of my best guards a serious challenge. Even Derek noticed your skills."

"What? He never mentioned facing me!" I looked around for Prince Derek, but didn't see him. "Did you guys know about this?" I asked the triplets, whose faces showed embarrassment. "Which opponent was he?"

"We're not telling, Little Lightning," Maxwell laughed. "If he wants you to know which wolf you beat, that's his call. In his place, I might take that secret to my grave." Everyone laughed.

We broke into smaller conversations as I ate, enjoying the relaxed mood. I hadn't even noticed the sun setting and the terrace lights coming on until Ethan pulled my chair back.

"Come on, shorty, they've changed the music," he said, dragging me toward the dance floor over the pool area. The current song needed only simple swaying and jumping - this kind of group dancing I could handle. Complicated social dances were my nightmare.

The playlist was mostly nostalgic hits with some faster songs mixed in. Whenever those came on, I tried to escape, but one of the boys always pulled me back, refusing to let me stand awkwardly on the sidelines.

When a popular dance track started, Layla rushed over to me, and I finally relaxed. We danced together, making ridiculous moves and laughing uncontrollably.

Apparently every girl knew this choreography. The boys wisely retreated, forming a circle to watch our exaggerated but joyful performance. For the first time, I felt completely at ease surrounded by so many people.

After several songs, I needed water. Standing at the kitchen counter gulping it down, I overheard voices from the hallway.

"I just don't understand why she'd keep this secret," Chloe said. "If it were me, I'd have told everyone."

"I know, right? There must be more to it," Zoey agreed. "We should keep an eye on this."

Victoria's minions. I quickly moved to the fridge, pretending to search for something as they passed by without noticing me.

"She's probably lying," Chloe continued. "Everyone knows the triplets want their true mates. I've heard they're saving themselves for whoever the Moon Goddess blesses them with. How romantic! With the Alpha King here, how could they possibly be interested in her? No one's that stupid."

"I'm not sure," Zoey hesitated. "She exaggerates, but would she lie about something this important? She's been saying they're her destined mates for years."

"She can't confirm a mate for at least two more years," Chloe scoffed. "It's impossible. But I won't stop her fantasy. She could never actually be Luna; she's totally unqualified. The Moon Goddess wouldn't make us suffer like that. She's annoying enough now - imagine if she had power?" She giggled, and Zoey joined in. "We just need to act nice until the truth comes out. She'll probably end up with some useless, abusive Omega. That would be justice."

Their words left me with mixed feelings. I was shocked Victoria's closest friends would talk about her this way, but she was mean-spirited and had clearly been claiming to be the triplets' future Luna. This realization left me oddly uncomfortable.

I returned to the terrace, planning to tell the boys I wanted to rest, but Ethan had other ideas. When a slow song began, he grabbed both my hand and Layla's, dramatically serenading us with completely off-key singing. We covered our mouths to stop laughing. The other boys quickly joined our circle, taking turns dancing with us and singing terribly but enthusiastically.

Strangely, no one interrupted our little group, giving me a rare sense of security. For once, doing normal teenage stuff felt comfortable.

When the song ended, I disentangled myself from Noah. "I need to head upstairs and rest. See you tomorrow."