Chapter 195: Triplets..
*~Triplets’ POV~*
"Please... is this heaven?" Caspian asked quietly.
"No. Definitely hell," Cyrius muttered. "You guys are here with me, so this must be hell."
Cayden’s eyes blazed as he stared at him. "How in hell did you even wake up? And how in hell are you even here with us?"
Cyrius only laughed. "Yes, why am I here with you guys? Why am I standing here with my brothers—the same people I came to hell with, the same people who share the exact same blood as me? Because I don’t deserve to be with you, that’s why. The only thing I deserve is coughing, death, and being daggered all the time... isn’t that right?" He looked at Cayden. "Tell me. Isn’t it?"
"Oh, shut up," Cayden snapped. "You know damn well why we daggered you."
"Why?" Cyrius demanded. "Tell me why, brother."
"Because you’re a damn fool. You’re a monster. You’re not one of us and you never will be. You’re a disgrace to the name Salvatore."
"Am I?" Cyrius barked a laugh. "Look at you, calling yourself my brother while telling me I’m a disgrace. You kept me daggered my whole life—in a coffin, in darkness, unable to talk, unable to see, unable to feel. And for what?
"Because you were jealous of me! Because I became Alpha. Aren’t you supposed to bow down to me? Accept that I’m the Alpha?" Cayden thundered.
"How would I accept that?" Cyrius roared. "That throne is for all three of us. We are Alpha triplets. Not one."
"Quiet," Caspian interjected, but Cyrius barked back at him.
"Oh, now you’re the perfect gentleman," Cyrius sneered. "The noble one. The most sensible one. But deep down you’re the most unfair. You’re even more of a monster than him." He jabbed a finger at Caspian. "You always played the good one in public—the perfect brother. But secretly, you preferred him. You knew the throne was for all three of us. Yet you let him have it. You allowed him to be Alpha, and you became Beta under him."
"That is what he should do," Cayden snapped. "And that’s what he did. I’m more powerful than both of you. I should be the Alpha."
"No!" Cyrius thundered. "It’s for all three of us!"
"I’m not talking about this again," Cayden growled. "Caspian, get this bastard out of here."
"No, I won’t," Caspian said firmly. "He’s not a bastard. He’s our brother."
"He’s not my brother," Cayden shot back. "Cyrius will never be my brother. He’s not welcome in New Orleans, or my High House, or anything else."
"Of course," Cyrius spat. "You think I want to be part of your pack? To be your Gamma since Beta was already taken by this fool?" He pointed at Caspian. "Fuck off. I don’t want it. The only thing bonding us now is Hazel—and her babies. And I’m going to take her far away from you. I’m going to take them far away from you too."
"You will not dare touch Hazel or her babies!" Caspian roared, stepping forward. "I’ve listened to you spew nonsense all day, but I’ll never allow you to lay a hand on that girl or her children."
"That girl and those babies have been endangered multiple times under your watch," Cyrius hissed.
"And who caused it?" Cayden’s voice dropped to a deadly snarl. "It’s you. You’re the one who brought Dahlia. You’re the one who teamed up with her. My babies died and were kidnapped because of you. Over and over. But the goddess kept pushing you out of our lives and bringing them back to me. If we ever—if we ever get out of this place—and I see you near Hazel or her babies again..." He bared his teeth. "I will rip your head off myself."
"I dare you," Cyrius growled, stepping into his brother’s face.
The two of them squared off, fists clenched, their bodies trembling with rage.
"Back off, brothers!" Caspian shouted, stepping between them. He shoved them apart. "Back off! We should be figuring out where we are, not tearing each other apart!"
"We’re not together," Cyrius spat. "It’s always been the two of you against me."
Then he turned sharply and stomped off into the brownish haze.
Caspian darted after him, wrapping his arms around his brother from behind and pulling him back.
"Leave me alone, Caspian. F*ck, leave me alone!" Cyrius snarled.
"No. The three of us are supposed to be together here," Caspian said firmly. "We should be planning how to get out of here, not fighting."
"Fighting?!" Cyrius barked out a bitter laugh. "You heard what he said. I’m not a Salvatore. I’m not welcome in my own home. I’m not welcome in my own pack. I’m cast off. So please, you two just go and do your brotherly bond together. The f*ck I care."
He tried to wrench away again, but Caspian held on.
"I want you to stay. I want my brother back," Caspian said, his voice breaking. "I’ve missed you, Cyrius. Every day I woke up not seeing you in the High House. Every day I woke up seeing the pain in Mom and Dad’s eyes. Not having all three of their children together."
He swallowed hard. "I’ve missed you, brother. Please... come back home. Let’s settle all this nonsense once and for all."
Caspian turned to Cayden, who stood nearby, growling low in his chest.
"We came into this damn world together. We should live together. We’re supposed to be together," Caspian said. "The goddess gave us one mate, not three. One. Hazel is supposed to bond us together, not tear us apart. So please, brothers... let’s end this feud."
Cyrius slowed, his fists trembling. Caspian caught his hand and led him back toward Cayden.
Cayden turned his face away. "We should sit," he muttered.
The three of them sat down, an awkward silence hanging between them. Cayden reached for a few sticks, gathering them and striking them together. A spark hissed and a fire burst to life, warming their bodies with its glow.
"How are you able to do that?" Cyrius asked quietly.
"You’ve missed a lot," Caspian said. "Hazel’s mother, Lilith—when we were babies, she killed Cayden and brought him back with dark magic.
"So that is what made this bastard stronger." Cyrius chuckled.
Cayden chuckled, and to their surprise, all three of them shared a small, tired laugh. The fire crackled. Silence fell again.
"So," Caspian murmured, "how do we get out of here?"
"I don’t know," Cyrius admitted. "But I don’t think we should. Very soon nature will come to take something—either Hazel and her babies... or the entire supernatural packs. But if we stand together, if we sacrifice all three of us to nature, it will leave Hazel and her babies alone."
"You’re saying nature wants either Hazel and her babies or all supernatural creatures?" Cayden asked.
"Yes," Cyrius said. "All three of us will be sacrificed so it won’t take either."
"Perfect." Cayden exhaled. "But really? You chose that?"
"Yes," Cyrius said quietly. "I made that choice with Dahlia. I sent all three of us instead of Hazel and her babies. I believe it was the right choice."
Caspian reached out, clasping Cyrius’s hand. "Hazel and her babies need to live. It’s our responsibility as her mates to protect her. Even if it costs us everything."
"So this is practically our last moment together?" Cyrius chuckled softly. "Wow. Amazing."
Caspian smiled faintly. "When was the last time all three of us sat like this?"
"Probably when we were seven," Cyrius said. "Before the Alpha mess started. We used to sit in front of the High House, planning what we’d do when all of us became Alpha."
They all chuckled again, the memory warming them more than the fire.
"If we get a second chance at life," Cayden said suddenly, "I’ll step down as Alpha."
"What?" Cyrius blinked.
"I’ve been Alpha long enough. It’s tiring. Too much responsibility. I just want to enjoy my wife and my babies without a crown over my head."
"You mean our wife," Caspian corrected, and they all laughed again.
Then—
A sound echoed through the brownish air. A voice, faint but sharp, cutting through the haze.
"Caspian! Cayden! Cyrius!"
Cyrius shot to his feet, heart hammering. "Hazel?"