Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers

Chapter 3: Devil’s in disguise

Hazel’s POV

I didn’t waste a single second.

The moment Caspian disappeared from sight, I spun around and bolted to my room. My bare feet thudded softly against the wooden floor, and my breath came in shallow gasps. My hand shook as I grabbed the doorknob, and the second I crossed the threshold, I slammed the door shut behind me.

He saw me.

Beta Caspian. The second most powerful man in the Blue Moon pack. The second of the Triplets. The same man who was supposed to mate with my sister.

Saw me—the disgrace. The shame. The bruised, pathetic girl cowering at the top of the stairs in a torn nightgown and a haunted expression.

What if he tells my father?

What if Father storms up here, drags me downstairs by the hair, and finishes what he started whipping me raw right in front of Caspian?

My stomach twisted at the thought. My hands curled tightly around my gown, fingers digging into the fabric until my knuckles turned white. It was a habit I’d formed over the years clutching my dress to ground myself, to stop my body from shaking. A way to stop myself from breaking.

A skill born from survival.

Then I heard it.

An engine. Rumbling outside.

I gasped and ran to the window, heart pounding in my ears. I pushed the curtain aside and peered through the cracked glass.

There he was.

Beta Caspian stood by the car, impossibly tall and devastatingly poised. His driver had already started the engine. Sophia was clinging to him like a leech in silk, and before he could get into the vehicle, she leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek.

My stomach churned.

Ugh. Seriously?

He didn’t flinch or push her away, but he didn’t smile either. Caspian turned to shake hands with my father, expression unreadable. But then... his gaze drifted upward—straight to my window.

And our eyes met. Again.

I froze.

not into a

and got

back from the window like I’d been

hell...

He smiled at me?

He smiled at me?!

filth? Like every other wolf in this damn house did? Why

he thought I was someone else. That’s the

into the distance. I pressed my hand to my cheek and sighed before collapsing onto the worn-out bed in the corner of my room.

over my head, burying myself in the scratchy fabric as if it could hide the ridiculous blush on my

What’s wrong with me?

from where Natasha clawed at me. But instead of thinking about how close I was to breaking... I was thinking

Damn it, Hazel.

The door creaked open.

in one panicked motion. My father stood in the doorway, tall and silent as a shadow. I shot to my feet and bowed, keeping my

tried to

my greeting

the man that

once. "Beta

a stiff

ceremony for him and his brother.

my throat

your last chance," he continued coldly. "The final opportunity to prove you’re a true-born Gilbert. To prove you

casually, like love was something that needed to be earned. Like it wasn’t something a father owed

again. A mechanical

you turn eighteen. And if you don’t wolf out... if you don’t shift" he took a step closer, "that

suddenly shot out and wrapped around my

if you’re human," he hissed, "you didn’t

you myself. And no one will stop me. Because you’ll

corners of my eyes, but I didn’t sob. I couldn’t. Crying never helped me.

survive this

let go, turned,