Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers novel Chapter 199

Chapter 199: Crazy Dahlia

*~Hazel’s POV~*

Things had already gotten serious.

The wolves had gone ahead, and the sudden halt in their movement signaled something—they’d reached the perimeter. Dahlia wasn’t far now.

Meanwhile, we were still in the carriage. I sat with Mother and Klaus, while Alice and Leon rode in the second carriage behind us. Only a handful of wolves accompanied us, watching our flanks in case anything unexpected happened.

My body was shaking. Not visibly. But the tremors pulsed beneath my skin like thunder waiting to burst. Still, I refused to let it show.

If I break, what happens to those following me?

I swallowed and forced myself to breathe. Calmly. Then, without a word, my mother reached out and gently squeezed my hand. She didn’t have to say anything. She already knew. Of course she did. Mother always knew best.

I gave her a soft nod in return and a smile. When our carriage stopped, I knew instantly we had arrived.

The air shifted. I could smell the presence of our wolves nearby. This was the point where they had halted. The spot where Alice had last tracked Dahlia. She couldn’t be far.

I stepped down from the carriage. Immediately, seven wolves materialized from the shadows, surrounding me protectively. Their ears were perked, ready to pounce at the slightest movement.

"Stand down," I said, my voice even.

They obeyed, though tension still clung to the air like fog.

Dahlia could appear at any moment. That woman was unpredictable—appearing and disappearing as she pleased. I wouldn’t be surprised if she stepped out from under our feet.

Mother and Klaus stepped down next, both alert. We all knew illusions were one of Dahlia’s favorite games. We couldn’t trust anything—not the wind, not the trees, not even the ground beneath us.

Just then, the second carriage came to a stop. Alice and Leon got out, their eyes scanning the trees.

"She’s close," Alice said, stepping beside me. She pointed down a path, partially hidden behind thick trees.

I nodded and began to move forward—only to feel my mother pull me back.

"You can’t lead the front," she said sharply. "You’re the Alpha. We protect you."

I turned to her. "No. The Alpha protects the pack."

I gently removed her hand from my arm and stepped ahead. The seven wolves closed in around me, and the others formed behind us.

We moved quietly through the forest path. Step after step, the trail stretched forward endlessly... But something was wrong. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The path wasn’t changing.

I stopped. Reached up. Pulled the necklace off my neck, snapped the pendant open, and used the sharp edge to carve a mark into a nearby tree.

"Alice," I whispered, "are we close?"

"Yes. According to my spellbook, we should be almost there."

We kept walking. But... A few minutes later, I spotted it again. The same tree. The same mark.

I froze.

"No," I murmured. "We passed this."

We moved again. And again. I passed that mark three more times. Then I stopped.

"Everyone halt," I commanded.

I pointed at the mark. "Look. I made that. We’ve passed it five times. We’re walking in circles. We’re not going forward or backward. We’re stuck."

Leon stepped closer, frowning. "Guys... we’re in an illusion," I said. "Dahlia is here."

"What?!" my mother gasped and immediately shifted into her wolf.

She growled low and deadly, eyes fixed on the very tree I had marked. She lunged.

The tree shattered into pieces. And then, we heard an applause near us and a sarcastic smile.

Dahlia.

She was alone. No vampires. No Crescents. Just her—smirking, confident, radiating darkness.

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