Mated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 44: Hunted

Pure panic shot through me. My survival instincts kicked in instantly. I drove my elbow backward as hard as I could, making contact with something solid—a stomach or ribs. The attacker grunted, his grip loosening just enough for me to wrench away, stumbling forward and spinning around to face him.

He was massive—at least six and a half feet tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in black. A bandana covered the lower half of his face, and a hood shadowed his eyes. My heart hammered against my ribs as I backed away, measuring the distance between us.

I couldn’t take him in a fight. Even with wolf strength, he outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds.

"Who are you?" I demanded, voice shaking despite my effort to sound strong. "What do you want?"

He didn’t answer, just lunged forward with surprising speed. I dodged sideways, nearly tripping over an exposed root. The packhouse lights glimmered in the distance, but he stood between me and safety.

My instincts screamed at me to call for help.

"LIA—" I started to scream, but he moved with shocking speed, clamping his hand over my mouth.

I bit down hard on his palm. He snarled, jerking his hand away, and I seized my chance. I bolted—not toward the house where he could intercept me, but deeper into the woods where I might lose him in the darkness.

Branches whipped at my face as I ran, my lungs burning. I could hear him crashing through the undergrowth behind me. He was fast—too fast. My heart pounded in my ears as I zigzagged between trees, desperately trying to throw him off. frёewebnoѵēl.com

"You can’t escape," he growled, his voice unfamiliar and rough.

I pushed harder.

Shift, I thought. But I wasn’t nearly practiced enough to shift in such circumstances.

My wolf lent me speed, but the forest floor was treacherous with hidden roots and fallen branches. My foot caught on something, and I went down hard, pain shooting through my ankle.

Before I could scramble up, a weight crashed onto my back, pinning me to the ground. Rough hands flipped me over. The cloth descended again, pressed firmly over my nose and mouth despite my thrashing.

"Stop fighting," he hissed. "It’ll only make this worse."

I clawed at his arms, kicked wildly, but he was too strong. The sickly sweet smell of chloroform filled my lungs. My limbs grew heavier with each second, my vision blurring at the edges.

My last conscious thought was a desperate plea through the mate bond before darkness swallowed me whole.

---

Levi slammed his fist on the dining table, rattling the crystal glasses. "Mother, that’s enough. Hazel is our mate. Our priority."

"You’re being manipulated," Evelyn insisted, her voice cold and controlled. "She’s marked all three of you, and now she can leave whenever she pleases, taking pieces of your souls with her."

"We’ve marked her too," Liam countered. "And she’s already said she’s staying."

"Words are easy," Jessie interjected sweetly. "Actions are what matter. And her actions have always shown she wants to leave Emberfang behind."

Lucas opened his mouth to retort when suddenly all three brothers stiffened simultaneously. A strange sensation washed over them—distant but unmistakable. Fear. Panic. Desperation.

"What is it?" Evelyn asked, noticing their change in demeanor.

Lucas tilted his head, concentrating on the mate bond. "Something’s wrong."

"I’m sure it’s nothing," Jessie said quickly. "Maybe she’s just upset about dinner."

Liam was already on his feet. "No. This is different."

A muffled sound carried from outside—barely audible through the mansion’s soundproofing, but their enhanced hearing caught it.

"That was a scream," Levi said, already moving toward the door.

"You’re overreacting," Evelyn called after them. "Hazel’s fine—"

But they were already gone, bursting through the front door into the night. Liam led the charge, his instincts pulling him toward the tree line where Hazel’s scent trail disappeared.

"She’s in trouble," he growled, stripping off his shirt. "I can feel it."

Without another word, all three brothers shifted, bones cracking and reforming as human bodies gave way to massive black wolves. Three pairs of golden eyes gleamed in the darkness as they lowered their noses to the ground, tracking Hazel’s scent.

’She was taken this way,’ Lucas’s voice echoed through their pack link. ’There’s a second scent. Male. Unfamiliar.’

’If he’s hurt her—’ Levi’s thought was a snarl of rage.

’Focus,’ Liam commanded. ’Find her first. Kill later.’

They moved like shadows through the trees, following the trail of disturbed earth and broken branches. The scent of chloroform hung in the air, mixing with the unmistakable tang of Hazel’s fear.

’There!’ Levi spotted movement ahead—a dark figure carrying something over his shoulder. Hazel’s blonde hair caught the moonlight, her body limp.

Lucas took the lead position. ’Levi, flank left. Liam, right. I’ll confront him.’

They spread out, using the darkness for cover. The masked man seemed unaware of their presence, continuing to carry Hazel deeper into the forest.

Lucas broke the silence with a bone-chilling growl. The man froze, turning slowly to find himself surrounded by three massive wolves, their teeth bared and hackles raised.

He cursed, reaching for something at his belt—but Levi was faster. The youngest triplet launched himself through the air, a blur of black fur and fury. He slammed into the attacker’s chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

Hazel’s unconscious form was flung from his shoulder. Liam shifted back to human form in an instant, diving forward to catch her before she hit the forest floor. He cradled her against his chest, checking for injuries.

"Hazel? Baby, can you hear me?" he murmured urgently, brushing hair from her face.

Her eyelids fluttered, a small groan escaping her lips as consciousness slowly returned. "Liam?"

Meanwhile, Levi had the attacker pinned, massive paws pressing against his chest. With a ripple of muscle and fur, Levi shifted back to human form, his hand wrapping around the man’s throat, squeezing just enough to make breathing difficult.

He ripped away the bandana, revealing a face none of them recognized.

"Who are you?!" Levi demanded, eyes blazing with fury.