Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174: Monster

*~Hazel’s POV~*

"No... no..."

I collapsed to the floor, my body weak and trembling. Cayden’s screams had faded into silence. Once alive with his cries, the battlefield was filled only with the terrible sound of Jonathan’s wolf celebrating—.

Tears poured from my eyes, blinding me. My chest heaved as I turned toward my mother. "I promised my babies," I whispered, my voice breaking, "I promised them they would grow up in a normal household. But now... now they no longer have a father. And I couldn’t do anything to stop it."

Her arms closed around me, pulling me against her chest. Her hand stroked my hair gently, her heartbeat steady yet heavy. "There’s nothing we could do," she murmured, sorrow thick in her tone. "Nothing, Hazel. And I don’t even know if we can make it out of here alive. If Cayden is gone... then we must not run. If we run, Jonathan will hunt us down—and when he catches us, he will drain the life of others. Especially your babies."

Her words crushed me. My shoulders shook violently as I buried my face into her chest. "Then we should just stay here and die," I muttered. "At least if we die, my babies will be spared the pain of watching."

She flinched but said nothing, only holding me tighter. My voice cracked again. "Now my babies... they’ll live without a mother, without a father. Even worse than me. At least I had a father, even though he was the worst parent in the world. At least I had someone. But them? They’ll have no one."

She tilted my chin and pressed her lips together, her eyes swimming with regret. "No," she whispered. "They’ll still have family. They’ll have Cayden’s parents. They’ll have grandparents who love them. They won’t live a terrible life like you and I did. They’ll be loved. They’ll be safe."

Her words pierced me. For the first time, I saw it—the reason she had left me with my father. Perhaps she had thought it was safer. Maybe she had believed I’d at least survive. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it. Jonathan’s shadow loomed closer, and survival itself seemed impossible.

We clung to each other, bodies pressed close, waiting for death. And then—footsteps. The ruffling of leaves.

My heart leapt. "Cayden?" I scrambled to my feet, hope sparking in my chest. But when the figure stepped into view, my hope shattered.

It was Caspian.

Relief and dread warred inside me. I shoved at his chest. "Run. Leave here. Now!"

His eyes widened. "What? Hazel, what’s wrong with you?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Leave here!" I screamed, my voice raw. "Run before Jonathan gets here!"

He turned his gaze toward my mother behind me. She gave a solemn nod. "Go, Caspian. Leave."

But he only looked more confused. My hands shook as I grabbed his. "Please. Protect my babies. I’m leaving them in your care. Just... run. Before it’s too late."

"Where’s Cayden?" Caspian’s voice wavered, sharp with fear.

I froze, my throat tightening. My mother looked away, but I forced the words out. "He’s dead."

The glint in Caspian’s eyes dimmed instantly, the joy draining from him like blood from a wound. "What?"

"Cayden is dead," I repeated, my voice cracking. "And if you stay here, Jonathan will kill you too."

"Then we run," Caspian said firmly, jaw tight. "We leave together."

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