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.

The reason for all of this. And I got them. I kept

awe, as if seeing

said. "But I will become one if you waste

looked stunned. Then, suddenly, she straightened back to the wall,

she said quickly. "If what you say is true, they’ll be hunting you. They’ll find

that already,"

mages now. Trackers with blood ties. If they catch a whiff of

"What do I do?"

her shoulder—then back to

gather the others. I’ll

eyes. "And you expect me to trust

honestly. "But what choice do

I paused.

Fair enough.

from around her neck. It was a simple charm. A black stone, cracked in

doesn’t cast magic anymore. But it carries essence. I’ll enchant it with my own blood. If you wear

said you

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

an eyebrow. "You sound

softly. "We all

down at the

only once. If

won’t be one," she said quickly. "Tonight. I’ll leave a mark at the East Gate wall. A crow’s blood sigil. Follow it.

...

New Orleans just like she

deep down..I knew she was

just missing..twins. That

So I ran.

Just past the edge of the

wild forest begins. I didn’t want to go too far, in case something changed. But I needed to stay out of range. Needed to keep

So I waited.

for the twins. I fed them coconut milk I’d saved from earlier and managed to change their clothes thanks to a nearby clothing store I’d,

Technically, I paid.

stole

didn’t steal

for the babies. That

and

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

There were wolves everywhere.

already started locking down the border.

blood mark just like she’d told me to and it led me into a thick forest beyond the gate. The deeper I went, the darker

Then..figures stepped out.

Three of them.

masked. Cloaked. Moving

I tensed.

gripped the babies tighter against

hovered near the dagger beneath

pulled off her

her. The witch

"I’d

She turned and gestured.

growing denser around us. We moved for several minutes until the path opened—and in

stood at the center, encircled by stones, ashes, and glowing runes. The scent of herbs and burnt

emerged dozens of

the hut. All women. Some old, some young. All of them murmuring, eyes flickering

One stepped forward.

gaze cut through the

trap. This