Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers

Chapter 20: The Rooftop pain

~ Cayden’s POV ~

Daggering my brother was never a choice.

It was mandatory.

A cruel, bloodstained necessity I’ve had to live with every single day for four years. NovelFire

Cyrius wasn’t always like this. Gods, no. As kids, he was the softest of the three of us—the one who always tried to mediate, to patch us up after our fights, the first to laugh and the last to hold a grudge. He was the most excited about the prophecy, about the three of us taking the Alpha throne together.

He believed in the bond between brothers. In the idea of us.

But when the moon chose me—me alone—something in him snapped.

He didn’t just distance himself. He didn’t walk away. He turned rogue. Not in the traditional way—not with claws or violence or open rebellion. No, his betrayal was quieter. More venomous. He turned to the witches. To Crescent magic.

And if anyone ever finds out he’s still alive...

It’ll burn.

Everything.

The pack. The council. Our name.

And I’ll have to kill him. Properly this time.

The beer in my hand sweated in the night air. I stared out at the moon, trying to quiet the noise in my head.

Then Caspian landed beside me on the rooftop. He didn’t say a word. Just dropped down beside me like his spine had given up. His face was blank, but I knew that look. The way his jaw tensed. The twitch behind his eye. He was processing the kind of truth that changes a man forever.

I poured him a cup. He took it without hesitation.

One gulp. And then a scowl.

He coughed. "What the hell did you put in that, you bastard?"

I snorted, already feeling the heat in my limbs. "Look at my perfect Beta," I teased, "brought to his knees by one bottle of alcohol."

"Shut up and help me get up," he grunted, trying to push himself upright. He managed about two inches before sliding back to the floorboards.

I doubled over laughing. "We’re getting married tomorrow," I wheezed. "To our mates. And here we are. Puking on the roof and unable to move our limbs."

He glared at me. "You drugged the drink."

"In my defense," I said, raising a finger dramatically, "you took it from me. Voluntarily."

He reached over, grabbed my hand, then immediately yanked it away like I had thorns. "It’s not every day you find out your long-dead brother is actually alive, Cayden," he muttered, bitterly.

I sobered a little.

"Are we still hung up on that?" I tried to play it off.

His glare burned through me. I poked his side. His scowl deepened. Then, reluctantly, it cracked—and he burst into a laugh he clearly didn’t want to have.

It was brief. But real.

just need time,"

into the sky. "Cyrius should remain

that followed wasn’t empty. It was full. Heavy with what hadn’t been said. Full of trust, too—trust that my brother,

the alcohol took

move. Just laid there side by side under

night, that the world

---

"Are you two serious?"

snapped through the morning like a

my eyes like punishment. My mouth was dry. My bones felt like bricks.

beside me,

the edge of the rooftop with his arms crossed. "And this is where I find you? Drunk? On the roof? What is wrong

struggled into a sitting position, his hair a

him," he jabbed a thumb at me, "but you? You were supposed to keep him in check. Are you now part of his

Caspian didn’t answer.

I almost said it.

the truth

a bomb on Caspian’s shoulders—resurrected a ghost that should’ve stayed dead. That this wasn’t a drunk night of wedding nerves, but the result

But I didn’t.

Father would never

pure rage before hearing us out. He

So I stayed quiet.

We both did.

half-assed apologies, and climbed down the stairs.

bottom of the staircase. Caspian turned left. I

are supposed to be

laughter, proud parents, cheering pack members, and giddy anticipation. But as I stared at my reflection in the mirror,

fated mates. My hair had been combed back, a fresh cut to sharpen

Like I was about to walk down an aisle made of glass, every step echoing

excited. Not

I would be

impatience. He didn’t care that she wasn’t like us—didn’t care that her life would be a blink in our eternal world, or

He wanted her. Desperately.

to scab. It wasn’t even about the mistake. Not anymore. It was about how my body had betrayed me... how

matter how my wolf clawed

told myself. That’s all I had to survive. Sixty years, and her fragile human body

years... that weren’t really

thoughts. Mother entered, dressed in elegant pale blue, her silver hair swept into an updo that screamed grace and dominance all at once. She looked at

smiled lightly, and kissed me on the lips—gently, but full of meaning. Then she whispered, "Please... is there any way you can not kiss the

laced with desperation and pride, a contradiction I’d grown

this to Natasha when she walks down the aisle. Try to look like you

I nodded.

waiting for

chamber, chaos

like a leaf in a

the room as he yelled Caspian’s

he?! We’ll be late—he’ll be late. Oh my gods—he’ll

toward him and gently held him by the shoulders. "Go. Get

"But—"

know where

silent as I walked. Everyone else had gathered near the ceremonial grove, preparing for the grand entrance. The air was thick with anticipation,