Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers

Chapter 79: She’s awake!

**~ Hazel’s POV ~**

"Is she awake?"

"Hazel...?"

Voices. Familiar ones..muffled, cracking through the pounding in my skull like the aftermath of an explosion. Aurora’s silhouette hovered beside me, her hand carefully tipping a spoon toward my lips, whispering something I couldn’t quite catch.

Caspian’s hands were wrapped around mine, thumbs tracing soothing circles over my knuckles like he was holding onto a lifeline. Or maybe I was his.

My head throbbed. My chest ached.

My breath hitched, and my fingers trembled. I felt it. That pain. That... weight. The cold grip in my chest had loosened.

Wait...was that an emotion?

Did it come back?

Caspian’s grip on my hand tightened as his gaze met mine and his eyes shimmered. No, more than shimmered. They glowed with tears that clung to the corners, refusing to fall, but threatening with every breath.

"Oh my god," he whispered, a desperate grin cracking through his stunned face. "Hazel... it’s you. You’re back. It worked!"

Before I could even process it, he pulled me into his arms like he never wanted to let go again. His hold was warm, trembling, frantic.

Aurora exhaled a breath she must’ve been holding for days. Her shoulders dropped, eyes fluttering closed as if the entire war she’d been carrying eased in one moment.

And then everything came crashing back.

Like a tidal wave slamming into my soul.

The pain.

The sorrow.

The screams.

The bodies.

The blood.

The hurtful things they said.

The hurtful things I said.

The people I killed

It all came flooding back and it hurt. Oh god, it hurt so much. My chest heaved. My lungs burned. And then I whispered

Caspian’s name.

"Caspian," I choked, tears now freely falling. "I’m a monster."

my cheeks, eyes wide with

let it take over..I hurt people—I.." my voice broke, breath hitched, and

"I need to see him. I

"Hazel... what are you

me. That he hurt me. But they don’t know. He didn’t. My mother wiped his memory. But before she did... he loved me. Even if it was just for a minute. He loved me. He was going to run away with her..but she stopped him. She had to protect me. She needed to keep me safe. Where is she

was crawling its way

My breath hitched. "I hope I

gently,

to me..your mom will wake up soon.

on to that—just

added, quieter this time, "As for

need to ask. My eyes snapped

Standing still he didn’t say a word. But he

He was the one who killed my father. Killing my father is

But Ariel?

"No," I breathed.

me again, but I

the room in two steps and grabbed

face.

didn’t answer. He didn’t even

hard. My hand stung

expression. No

a child! She didn’t even get to live! Why are you

word echoed in

Monster.

said it out loud. And then... it cracked something

I stumbled back.

Monster.

now. Bitter. Because suddenly,

had killed too. Wolves. Pack members. Innocent people who were just doing their

my knees, shaking, my

a monster," I whispered. "I’m

for me again, but I pushed him

Cayden finally

know what it feels like. When your

at

and can do nothing about it. That’s

at me, and I couldn’t read him.

pain. But me? I’ve always been awake. I’ve always remembered. I’ve always had to live

to Caspian, his voice clipped

Lilith. We need to find the babies. And we need

walked

words didn’t. They stayed behind with

there, frozen, replaying every syllable. Every

wrong about him

busy labeling him as a monster that

gently and whispered something to him but it wasn’t really a whisper to me. It echoed loud in my ears, like

into everything. She’s going through too much right now. She’s a paranoid mother

to leave—his whole body screamed to stay. But Aurora tugged at him again. This time, he gave in. Quietly. And the door shut behind them with