Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers

Chapter 8: The Wrong Girl

~Caspian’s POV~

What in the hell of the Moon Goddess is this?

Cayden crept beside her slowly, his every breath shaky, like he couldn’t believe what he saw. And truthfully—I couldn’t either. Too many thoughts clawing through my head like ravenous wolves, but they all came back to one thing.

Her.

The unconscious girl lying on the cold forest floor, bloodied, bruised, and horrifyingly still... was our mate?

It didn’t make sense. None of it did.

We had been following the scent for hours now through the woods, over the ridge, past the riverbank where the moonlight shimmered like glass on the water. Both of us were silent, focused, bonded by the same instinct.

Mate.

We smelled her before we saw her. The scent was soft and fresh, like jasmine and warm vanilla had wrapped around my wolf like a promise. My beast had howled, begged, and clawed at me from the inside.

And now?

Now she was lying here in front of us. Barely breathing.

"This... can’t be," I whispered, voice hoarse as I stared at her. She was limp, a ragdoll crumpled on a bed of leaves and dirt, moonlight spilling across her soft skin like a spotlight.

"She’s so beautiful..." Cayden murmured beside me, crouching down slowly. He brushed her hair away from her face with the back of his hand like she was the most fragile thing he’d ever touched.

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t.

His fingers trailed along her jaw, down her neck his eyes wide, lips parted in something like awe.

"She’s exquisite. I’ve never seen anyone like her," he said, breathcatching. "It’s like the moon sculpted her herself."

"Let’s help her," he added, gently lifting her into his arms.

He didn’t know. He couldn’t know. Not yet.

His wolf was practically foaming at the mouth, vibrating with the need to protect her, to claim her. I felt it too. That maddening pull. That invisible thread tying our souls to hers. But I couldn’t move. I was rooted to the spot, frozen, nauseous.

Cayden grinned softly, glancing at me. "I’ve never felt

wonder why I’ve never seen her before. She must be

former," I said flatly, my voice

Cayden frowned. "What?"

she’s a

Silence.

eyes widened. "A Gilbert? As in...

I nodded slowly.

His voice

"Yes."

her like he was seeing her for the first time. "No... no,

human," I said, my words sharp and

He flinched.

"No, that can’t be. Werewolves don’t get mated to humans.

"Open your eyes, Cayden."

truth physically repelled him. "Humans don’t get pulled into the mate bond. It’s not even

I said darkly, stepping closer. "That’s why she smells like nothing but perfume. No wolf. No shift. No energy. Just skin and bones and blood. She’s not healing. Her

has to be one of us. Maybe her wolf hasn’t surfaced yet maybe something

I growled, shoving him

Cayden. Just a few days ago—I was at their estate. I recognized her the moment I saw her face. Her scent didn’t even register because she didn’t

my collar and slammed

"She. Is. Human."

snarled and flung

a tree trunk hard enough to crack it down the center.

he roared. "She has

What kind of werewolf loses consciousness mid-Mate Party and

her, knelt beside her

time,

"She

I nodded silently.

looked back at me,

"Yes."