Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers

Chapter 78: Danger

**~ Cyrius’s POV ~**

I dashed after her, into the crumbling ruins of the old building.

The air inside was thick cold and damp, with the heavy scent of moss and dust. The aura clung to my skin like a warning. Something terrible had happened here before. Maybe magic. Maybe blood. Maybe both.

I adjusted the twins, wrapped in cloth around my back. Their warmth pressed into me, steady and fragile. I kept one hand on them and the other ready at my side.

I spotted her silhouette tucked in the corner.

I moved carefully. Just as I turned around the pillar..

Steel met my throat.

A sharp dagger pressed into my neck, and I froze.

Her breath was shaky. Her brown eyes wide with fear, shimmering with tears—but her hand didn’t tremble. She was scared, yes, but brave.

I reacted quickly.

I knocked the blade aside and shoved her backward. She slammed against the cracked wall with a grunt. I closed the distance between us before she could recover, pinning her with one hand.

And then...Heather cried.

A soft, high-pitched wail. Muffled but undeniable. The girl’s expression twisted in confusion, her gaze darting to the babies strapped against my back.

She hadn’t expected that.

"What do you want?" she whispered, voice trembling, breath shallow.

I stared her down. "Your help," I said, voice low. "You. Your coven. The rest of Dahlia’s witches...what’s left of them."

Her lips parted. "Dahlia?"

"Don’t lie to me," I growled. "I’ve seen her. And you" I glanced her up and down. "You have her eyes. You move like her. You smell like her. You are one of them."

"I.." she started, but I wasn’t in the mood.

I pressed my arm across her throat. Just enough to make her cough.

"I don’t want games. I’ll end you right now. Then I’ll find the others and end them too. So choose wisely. Help me or die."

She gasped. "We..we don’t have anything left!" she choked out. "There’s nothing to help you with! We’ve lost everything. Our powers. Our anchor. Dahlia is dead. Our Queen Mother is gone. Without her, we’re not witches. We’re just women now. Human."

I narrowed my eyes. "You’re lying."

She shook her head, desperate. "You think we want this? You think we chose to live in hiding, powerless? We need her too."

I looked at her for a long moment. My jaw clenched. My fingers flexed against my palm. And then, finally..I spoke.

"I’m on your side."

Her eyebrows knit. "What?"

"I said—I’m on Dahlia’s side," I repeated. "She found me. Woke me from the coffin. Promised to help me become a Crescent. Promised me power. In exchange, I promised her the babies."

Her eyes widened.

She looked past me—toward the twins, now silent but watchful, pressed against my back.

"Are they—?" she whispered.

reason for all of this.

in awe, as if seeing holy relics. Her lips parted.

I said. "But I

Then, suddenly, she straightened back

true, they’ll

know that

Trackers with blood ties. If they catch a

"What do I do?"

looked over her shoulder—then back to

Now. Lay low. I’ll gather the others. I’ll call

my eyes. "And you expect me to

she said honestly. "But what choice do

I paused.

Fair enough.

her neck. It was a simple charm. A black stone, cracked in the center, with a small rune etched onto

magic anymore. But it carries essence. I’ll enchant it with my own blood. If you wear

you said you lost

witches anymore," she said. "I didn’t say we

eyebrow. "You sound a

softly. "We all sound

at the stone....Then

said. "But only once. If I smell

"Tonight. I’ll leave a mark at the East Gate wall. A crow’s blood sigil. Follow it.

...

left New Orleans just like she told me

deep down..I knew she

And not just missing..twins. That alone would set off every siren in the pack. The moment their wolves caught the scent of it,

So I ran.

go far. Just past the edge of

wards—where the pack border ends and wild forest begins. I didn’t want to go too far, in case

So I waited.

twisted branches of a pine grove. At dusk, I used the time to care for the twins. I fed

Technically, I paid.

I stole

I didn’t

the babies.

fell and it

me and tucked it inside my shirt. I cradled the twins close and sped toward the East Gate wall. But the moment I got near it, my

There were wolves everywhere.

Moon patrol had already started locking

to and it led me into a thick forest beyond the gate. The

Then..figures stepped out.

Three of them.

were masked. Cloaked. Moving like shadows in

I tensed.

babies

the dagger

of them pulled off

her. The

you," she said softly, "I’d find you with the necklace. You

She turned and gestured.

in silence, the forest growing denser around us. We moved for several minutes until the path

small hut stood at the center, encircled by stones, ashes, and glowing

then they emerged

branches, from the shadows of the hut. All women. Some old, some young. All of them

One stepped forward.

cut through

sharply, pointing at me. "This is a trap. This is a Salvatore!