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.

prophesied ones. The reason for all of this. And I got them. I

in awe, as if seeing holy relics. Her lips

I will become one if you waste my

suddenly, she straightened

is true, they’ll be

that

If they catch a whiff of one of those babies, they’ll sniff you out like meat on a

"What do I do?"

looked over her

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

eyes. "And you

"But what choice do

I paused.

Fair enough.

around her neck. It was a simple charm. A black

It doesn’t cast magic anymore. But it carries essence. I’ll enchant it

you said you

said we’re not witches anymore," she said.

an eyebrow. "You sound

us," she said softly. "We all sound like

looked down at

said. "But only once. If I smell a

she said quickly. "Tonight. I’ll leave a mark at the East Gate wall. A

...

left New Orleans just like she told me

knew she was

not just missing..twins. That alone would set off every siren in the pack. The

So I ran.

past the edge of the

go too far, in case something changed. But I needed to stay out

So I waited.

I used the time to care for the twins. I fed them coconut milk I’d saved from

Technically, I paid.

stole

didn’t

for the babies. That

fell and it

around my neck the one she gave me and tucked it inside my shirt. I cradled the twins close and sped toward the East Gate wall. But

There were wolves everywhere.

Moon patrol had already started locking down the border. I

the crow’s blood mark just like she’d told me to and it led me into a thick forest beyond the gate. The

Then..figures stepped out.

Three of them.

masked. Cloaked. Moving like shadows

I tensed.

babies tighter

the dagger beneath

of them pulled off her

her. The

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

She turned and gestured.

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

encircled by stones, ashes, and

they emerged dozens

behind trees, from under branches, from the shadows of the hut. All

One stepped forward.

gaze cut through the

trap. This is a Salvatore!