Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers

Chapter 81: Sacrifice

**~ Cyrius’s POV ~**

They told me to stand back as they lit the candles around the half-fallen tree—where they had placed the babies. The air shifted, thick with incantations and strange power. The atmosphere was no longer natural; it had turned darker, heavier.

Then they started crying.

First Heather, then her brother.

Sharp, guttural cries. Cries that pierced through me like daggers.

I stepped forward immediately, heart racing, but one of the witches held me back.

"Don’t worry," she said quickly, her voice calm but her eyes watching me closely. "They’re fine. It’s just the beginning of the sacrifice. I’m sure they’ll survive it."

Survive it? The hell did she mean by that?

She could see it in my eyes—I wasn’t playing around. I didn’t care how powerful their little spell was. I wasn’t about to let these babies suffer.

They’re like mine now.. I’ve been with them since birth. I know their cries, habits, what makes them calm down, and what triggers them. I kept my damn sanity because of them.

But the witches didn’t stop. They began circling the tree stump, forming a tight barrier around the twins until I could no longer see them. Only their cries echoed back to me, muffled, but real. Painful.

I gritted my teeth.

"Calm down, Cyrius," I whispered to myself. "This is for the greater good. Think about the future. Think about the power."

But my heart was pounding like war drums. My whole body was on edge.

"Are you sure nothing’s going to happen to them?" I turned to the witch who was still standing beside me.

"I’m sure," she nodded softly. "You just need to breathe. If you need a break, take one—"

And then Heather let out a scream. Not just a cry.

A scream and it was high-pitched. Guttural. Painful. Before I even realized it, I snapped.

I shoved past the witches, ignoring their protests. I tore into the circle and grabbed both babies from the half-tree, wrapping them into my arms. Their cries began to settle immediately as I cradled them against my chest.

"You idiot!" one of the witches shouted. "You ruined the sacrifice! We’ll have to start all over!"

"I don’t give a damn," I snapped, glaring at them. "I said no pain. I meant it."

Their chanting stopped. I walked away from the circle, still holding the twins close. Their bodies were warm against mine, still a little shaken, but safe.

a tree and sat down. With one arm holding both of them close, I reached into the small cloth pouch at my side and brought out the

slowly. "You’re

voice sounded behind me. "You’re quite the

same witch from earlier. The one who had first brought me to the coven. She sat beside

quickly, raising her hands. "If anything,

sitting so close,"

way." She offered a hand, then noticed mine were

right. You’re a bit

me and the twins. "You’re... really good at this," she admitted. "That was, you know, until you kidnapped them. But they’re quiet. Calm. Well-fed. You’d

Hazel’s babies," I said after a pause. "She’s my mate. That makes me

her head. "So you

nodded. "The girl

god," she breathed, "It fits

the boy, still

about... Sebastian?" she

"It feels right. That scowl? He’s definitely going to break hearts

huffed. "I’ll think

you to understand something. We’re witches, yes—but that doesn’t mean we’re cruel. We’re not trying to harm the babies. The scream you heard from Heather? That wasn’t pain—it was power. We were removing magic from

swallowed hard. She was right. They looked fine

just... a little pain," Davina said gently. "They’ll survive it. But you—" she looked me dead in the eye, "you’re going to

looked down at the

Heather. Sebastian?

I’d become. A

expected, she wouldn’t let anyone else touch her—she was stubborn, just like her mother. We returned to the altar, and the witches scowled the moment

again," one of them snapped, glaring at

locked on the half tree as we laid the babies back down. Heather whimpered slightly, and it took everything in me not to snatch her

shifted sharply. The atmosphere turned electric and heavy—like the very air was

Davina beside me. Her bow was already in her hand, her fingers tense against the

under her

"How?" I hissed.

jaw clenched. "It must be that damn Aurora... or that Crescent bitch

prison. "They’d figure it out eventually," I muttered. "Caspian’s probably with them. Maybe

nodded grimly and gave a quiet signal. I watched the witches spring into motion—scaling trees, blending into the shadows. I joined her atop one of the thicker branches, crouching low with my eyes sweeping across the

spotted us?"

Not yet," I said. "But

scent. That familiar softness

all my brothers, he was the one I once called a friend. Out of the three of us, I had always preferred him. And yet he knew... he knew they