Fated Mate to the Triplet Alpha
Chapter 59: The Prophecy’s Dark Truth

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: The Prophecy’s Dark Truth

While Ronan fought in the Northern Territories, Darian sat alone in the deepest part of the cave, surrounded by old books that Margaret had hidden for decades. "Find anything useful?" Kael asked, appearing at the entry with worry etched on his face. Darian didn’t look up from the broken pages. "Still searching." But that was a lie.

He’d found something twenty minutes ago. Something that made his blood run cold and his hands shake. "The six remaining creatures are moving faster," Kael continued. "Elara’s getting weaker, and we need answers." "I know," Darian answered quietly, his fingers tracing ancient symbols that spelled doom. After Kael left, Darian returned to the page that had changed everything. The text was written in Old Norse, a language he’d learned secretly as a child. "When the Moon Alpha awakens, three sons of darkness shall be bound to her light. Two shall stay true, their hearts pure as silver flame. But the third..." Darian’s throat stiffened as he read the next line. "The third shall be devoured by shadow, his love turned to betrayal.

Only through his treachery can the old curse be broken, but only through his sacrifice can the world be saved." "No," he whispered, flipping furiously through more pages. "There has to be another way." But every book told the same story. Every prophecy led to the same terrible truth. One of the triplets had to betray Elara to save her. "Darian?" Elara’s voice made him jump. She stood in the cave opening, her silver glow barely noticeable. "Are you okay?" He slammed the book shut, faking a smile. "Just tired. These old books are giving me a headache." She moved closer, and he could smell her sweet scent mixed with tiredness. "You’ve been down here for hours. Come eat something." "In a minute," he said, not trusting himself to stand. "Did you hear from Ronan?" "He found allies," she said with real happiness. "The Northern Territories are sending warriors." "That’s good," Darian managed, though his heart was breaking. "Really good." Elara studied his face carefully. "Something’s wrong. Through our connection, I can feel it." Of course you can, he thought angrily. The mate bond shows everything except the one secret that could destroy us all. "I’m fine," he lied again. "Just worried about the creatures coming." She knelt beside him, her hand touching his face. The contact sent fire through his blood and made lying even harder. "We’ll face them together," she said softly. "All of us. No matter what happens." But we won’t, he thought desperately. Because I’m going to have to choose between saving you and staying true to my brothers.

After she left, Darian opened another book. This one featured detailed drawings of the betrayal scene. In every shot, one triplet stood apart from the others, darkness swirling around him like a living thing. The face was always turned away, but Darian knew. He’d always known. His whole life, he’d been the different one. The smart one. The one who thought five steps ahead while his brothers moved on instinct. The one who could make the hard choices. "Still reading?" Margaret appeared quietly, her ancient eyes seeing too much. "Did you know?" Darian asked without looking up. "Know what?" "About the prophesy. About the betrayal." Margaret was quiet for so long that Darian finally raised his head. Her face was full of sadness. "I suspected," she admitted. "The signs were always there." "Why didn’t you tell us?" "Because prophecies have a way of fulfilling themselves when people know about them," she said gently. "Sometimes knowledge becomes the very trap that destroys us." "So what do I do?" Darian’s voice cracked like a child’s. "How do I choose between saving Elara and destroying my brothers?" Margaret sat beside him, her worn hand covering his.

"Maybe the prophecy doesn’t mean what you think it means." "I’ve read it in seven different languages," Darian said angrily. "It’s pretty clear." "Is it?" she challenged. "What if treachery doesn’t mean what we assume? What if sacrifice doesn’t mean death?" Before Darian could answer, screaming emerged from the main cave. They ran toward the sound, finding chaos. Pack members were backing away from the cave entrance, their faces pale with fear. "What’s happening?" Darian asked. "Look outside," Derek said, his voice shaking. Darian stepped forward and immediately understood their fear. The sky was no longer dark. Six massive shapes hung in the air above them, each one the size of a house. But that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was the voice that boomed from all six beings at once. "Little Luna," they called in perfect unison. "We know you’re weak. We know you’re scared. We know you’re hiding." Elara appeared beside Darian, her silver light flickering wildly. "What do they want?" "To make you an offer," the animals continued. "Give us the one who betrays, and we’ll leave the others alone." "What does that mean?" Kael asked, joining them. The monsters laughed, a sound like breaking mountains. "One of your precious triplets is destined to turn against you, little Luna. Give him to us now, and we’ll spare your life and theirs." "Never," Elara said strongly, though Darian could feel her trembling. "No?" The creatures sounded amused. "Then we’ll take him ourselves. Along with everyone else you love." "How do you know about the prophecy?" Margaret called out. "Because we wrote it," they answered with dark pleasure. "Centuries ago, we planted the seeds of this moment. Every choice, every alliance, every love story—all led to this beautiful betrayal." Darian felt the blood drain from his face. "You’re lying." "Are we, young Blackwood?" they asked, their attention turning to him. "You’ve read the ancient books. You know the truth. One of you three is our key to success." "Which one?" Kael asked. "The smart one," they answered. "The smart one. The one who always stands apart." Every eye in the cave turned to Darian.

He saw understanding dawn on face after face. "No," Ronan’s voice came from behind them. He’d returned with a dozen Northern Territory wolves, but his focus was completely on his youngest brother. "Not Darian." "Yes, Darian," the creatures said with satisfaction. "He’s been ours since birth. Every plan he makes, every scheme he creates—all leading to this moment of perfect treachery." "That’s not true," Elara said furiously, moving to Darian’s side. "I know his heart. He would never—" "Wouldn’t he?" the creatures interrupted. "Ask him about the books he’s been reading. Ask him about the prophecy he found. Ask him about the choice he’s already made." All eyes turned to Darian. He saw suspicion growing in faces that had trusted him totally just moments before. "Tell them," the creatures ordered. "Tell them what you learned." Darian’s mouth opened, but no words came. How could he explain that saving Elara meant abandoning everything he’d ever loved? "He can’t deny it," the creatures said with joy. "Because it’s true. Darian Blackwood belongs to us now." "No," Kael said desperately. "We can fight this. We can change it." "Can you?" the creatures asked.

"When the time comes, when you have to choose between your mate’s life and your brother’s loyalty, what will you do?" The question hung in the air like poison. "I won’t let you manipulate us," Elara said, her power flaring slightly. "We don’t need to manipulate anyone," they responded. "The promise will fulfill itself. Darian will make his choice, just as it was written." "What choice?" Ronan demanded. The animals’ laughter filled the cave. "Soon, you’ll face your final fight. And when the moment comes, Darian will have to decide: save his mate by joining us, or watch her die to stay true to you." "There has to be another way," Kael said desperately. "There is," the animals agreed. "Give him to us now, and we’ll make his betrayal quick and painless." "Never," all three triplets said at once. "Then you’ve chosen the hard path," the creatures replied. "When we return tomorrow night, the promise will be fulfilled. Darian will betray you all, just as it was written." The six forms began to fade from the sky, but their final words echoed clearly. "Until tomorrow, little Luna. Try to enjoy your last day together." As silence fell over the cave, Darian felt every look burning into him. Trust was replaced by fear. Love was shadowed by doubt. And somewhere deep inside, a voice that sounded like the creatures whispered: You know what you have to do. You’ve always known. "Darian," Elara said softly, reaching for him. He stepped back, unable to bear her touch. "Don’t." "We can figure this out," Kael said strongly.

"We can beat the prophecy." "Can we?" Darian asked, his voice hollow. "Or are we just delaying the inevitable?" As he walked deeper into the cave, away from their worried faces, one thought consumed him completely: Tomorrow night, he would have to choose between love and duty. And he already knew which one he would pick. Behind him, he heard Elara whisper to his brothers: "We can’t lose him. Not Darian. Not like this." But as he sat alone in the darkness, Darian touched the ancient book one more time and read the final line of the prophecy: "Only through the third son’s willing sacrifice can the Moon Alpha’s true power be released. His betrayal shall become redemption, his darkness shall birth the light." Maybe Margaret was right. Maybe treachery didn’t mean what everyone thought. Maybe it meant something much worse. Or much better. Tomorrow, he would find out which.