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.

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

at them in awe, as if seeing holy relics.

"But I will become one if you waste

straightened back

is true, they’ll be hunting you. They’ll find you. The High House.

know that already," I

Trackers with blood ties. If they catch a whiff of one of those babies, they’ll sniff you out

"What do I do?"

looked over her shoulder—then back

Now. Lay low. I’ll gather

"And you expect me

she said honestly. "But what choice do you

I paused.

Fair enough.

a simple charm. A black stone, cracked in

it in my palm, "is all we have left of Dahlia’s protection. It doesn’t cast magic anymore. But it carries essence. I’ll enchant it with my own blood. If you wear

you said you lost your

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

"You

said softly. "We

looked down at the stone....Then

only once. If I smell

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

...

left New Orleans just like she told

deep down..I knew she was

a city where half the population would soon realize their Alpha’s heirs were missing. And not just missing..twins. That alone would set off every siren in

So I ran.

far. Just past

the wards—where the pack border ends and 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 them

So I waited.

to care for the twins. I fed them coconut milk I’d saved from earlier and managed

Technically, I paid.

stole

I didn’t

for the babies.

and

I cradled the

There were wolves everywhere.

started locking down the

me into a thick forest beyond the

Then..figures stepped out.

Three of them.

Cloaked. Moving like

I tensed.

babies tighter

the dagger beneath

pulled off

her. The witch

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

She turned and gestured.

We moved for several minutes

by stones, ashes, and glowing runes. The scent of herbs and

emerged

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

One stepped forward.

gaze cut through the

pointing at me. "This is a trap. This is a Salvatore! He reeks