Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers

Chapter 4: Birthday and a burden

Hazel’s POV

Happy birthday to me.

Tomorrow had finally arrived. The day I’d been dreading and secretly hoping for all my life. My eighteenth birthday. The day I might.—feel the stir of a wolf inside me. But that hope was as fragile as a soap bubble. I hadn’t slept a wink last night, tossing and turning beneath thin sheets that did nothing to soothe the storm within me. My thoughts wouldn’t let me rest, each one clawing at my peace like a desperate prisoner.

And then there was the sound of Natasha’s overexcited laughter echoing through the walls, mingling with my other sisters’ shrill voices as they celebrated themselves, again. I knew that sound well. It meant new gowns had arrived. And when Selene and the others got new gowns, I got the old ones their castoffs, tossed at me like I was a walking ragdoll with no pride or feeling. It wasn’t even noon yet, and I already hated this day.

Then, the door creaked open softly. A tiny presence slipped through, and before I could blink, a small, warm body had wrapped itself around me.

"Happy birthday, big sis," Ariel said, her voice soft and sweet like honeyed tea.

She ran up to me and planted a kiss on my forehead, her blonde hair tickling my cheeks. Before I could say a word, she shoved something warm into my palm.

"I couldn’t make a cake," she said, cheeks flushed, "so I did this."

A cookie. Slightly lopsided, a little too crumbly, but perfect in every way that mattered. I felt tears sting the corners of my eyes, hot and unwelcome. No one had ever done anything like this for me. Not even close. I pulled her into a tight hug, burying my face in her soft, clean-smelling hair. Her tiny arms clutched me back with surprising strength.

She looked like her sisters—long blonde hair, pale skin, angelic blue eyes—but she was nothing like them. Ariel had a heart of gold, untouched by the rot that infected the rest of this family.

She pulled back, her big eyes searching mine with a flicker of concern. "Are you sure you don’t want to run away?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath.

I shook my head, a small, shaky smile tugging at my lips. "No, I don’t. I might have a wolf somewhere in me."

heavy in my throat, like I was choking on hope. Ariel’s brow furrowed. "But... but you don’t have a scent. And if

She didn’t need to finish. Her worried expression said

know," I murmured, brushing her hair back gently. "But it’s not

strand of her hair nervously. "Urm... are you starting to feel any weird signs yet? I mean, it’s your birthday. You’re

so clever, too clever for a

quietly, the word bitter in my

a mirror of

reached for my hair. "Well, you may not be a werewolf,

blinked. "Has

my hair weeks ago had somehow softened. The length had returned—not all

it with practiced fingers as she hummed a tune. It was a rare, fleeting moment of

the door burst

she truly was. Her presence infected the room with tension.

scurried out of the room. She knew the drill. She knew

room with irritation as if the mere existence of my things offended her. Then her gaze landed on me, and

said with a dramatic

as she sniffed the air, and then her

My silence was

laughed..a cruel, high-pitched giggle that grated on my nerves. "Your father has given you till sundown to shift. Or else..." Her voice trailed off into another giggle. "At least we’ll no longer have a