Fated Mate to the Triplet Alpha

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Devil’s Fire

Pain burned through Selene’s body as flames danced across her skin. Elara’s followers pulled her through the dark tunnels, their grip tight on her arms. Each step sent fresh waves of pain through her. "Get your hands off her!" The voice cut through her pain like an icy blade. Dante emerged from the shadows, his eyes burning gold in the darkness. Behind him, Rowan moved like a ghost, taking down two guards before they could shout. Dante lunged at the guys holding Selene. His moves were a blur, his snarls echoing off the cave walls. In seconds, her kidnappers lay unconscious on the ground. "Selene," he whispered, reaching for her. He pulled back when flames licked at his fingers. "What did she do to you?" "Potion," Selene gasped, trying to control the fire bursting from her skin. "Can’t stop it." Dante’s face hardened. "Where’s Ivy?" "Main hall. Elara’s preparing the rite." She clutched her chest, feeling her strength building dangerously. "You need to go. I’m burning up. I’ll hurt you." "I’m not leaving you," Dante growled. "You have to. Save Ivy. I’ll find a way to control this." Footsteps echoed down the tunnel. More of Elara’s friends were coming. "Take her outside," Rowan urged, pointing to a side tunnel. "I’ll hold them off." Dante scooped Selene into his arms, ignoring the burns forming on his skin. Her fire couldn’t hurt him as badly as it would others – their mate bond offered some safety. Still, his face twisted with pain as he carried her through the winding tunnel. They emerged onto a small rock overlooking the valley. Snow had started to fall, melting instantly as it touched Selene’s fiery skin. "Put me down," she begged. Dante set her on the ground but stayed close, his eyes never leaving her face. "You should have stayed hidden," Selene hissed through clenched teeth. "Now Elara knows you’re here." "You expected me to let you face her alone?" Dante snapped. "That was your plan all along, wasn’t it? Sacrifice yourself for Ivy?" "She’s my sister!" "And you’re my mate!" The words hung between them, sharp and raw. Selene stared at him, her body trembling as fire and passion battled inside her. "You don’t even want me," she whispered. "You never did." Dante’s eyes flashed. "Is that what you think?"

"Stop lying. You’ve pushed me away from the beginning." Another wave of pain hit her, and she doubled over. "Go back. Save Ivy. I’ll only slow you down." "I’m not pretending anything," Dante growled, grabbing her shoulders despite the fire. "I pushed you away because I was afraid." "Afraid? The great Alpha, afraid?" Selene laughed bitterly. "Yes! Afraid of losing someone again. Afraid of feeling anything!" His voice broke. "After Clara died, I swore I’d never let anyone close enough to hurt me. Then you crashed into my life with your fire and your stubbornness and—" "And what?" Selene challenged, her pain briefly forgotten. "And made me feel alive again," he admitted, his voice dropping to a whisper. Snow whirled around them as they stared at each other. Selene’s anger clashed with the naked feeling in Dante’s eyes. "You’re a fool," she said, but her voice had softened. "So are you," he responded. "Trusting Rowan." Selene stiffened. "What?" "He knows too much about Elara. About this place." Dante’s eyes narrowed. "It’s not right." "He’s helping us!" "Is he? Or is he working with her?" Dante stepped closer.

"Think, Selene. How did he find us at exactly the right moment? How does he know all these secret passages?" "Stop it," Selene snapped, but doubt crept into her mind. "I don’t trust him. And you shouldn’t either." "Like I shouldn’t trust you?" The flames on her skin flared higher. "You’ve lied to me since the day we met!" "I never lied about what matters," Dante growled. "About this." He reached for her face, his hand cupping her cheek despite the flames that licked at his skin. "Don’t," she whispered, trying to pull away. "I’ll burn you." "I don’t care." His eyes locked with hers. "You’re worth the pain." Something broke inside Selene. The walls she’d built around her heart crumbled as Dante leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Fire burst between them – not just her wild magic, but something deeper. Something that had been building since the moment they met. Her flames circled them both, but instead of burning, they seemed to dance around their bodies, casting golden light across the snow. Dante’s kiss was hungry, desperate, a decade of loneliness pouring into this one moment. Selene clutched at his shirt, pulling him closer as her magic responded to his touch. The painful burning inside her began to ease, replaced by a different kind of heat. When they finally broke apart, both were breathing hard. Selene looked at him in wonder. The fire still covered her skin, but it no longer hurt. Somehow, Dante’s touch had helped her control it. "Dante," she whispered, reaching for him again. He stepped back, his face suddenly troubled. "We need to focus on saving Ivy." The sudden shift cut through Selene like a knife. "So that’s it? One kiss and you’re back to being the cold Alpha?" "That’s not—" He ran a hand through his hair. "I can’t lose focus. Not now." "Fine," Selene said, her voice cold despite the flames still dancing on her skin. "Let’s go save my sister. Then you can go back to pretending this never happened." She stepped toward the cave opening, but Dante caught her wrist. "Selene, that’s not what I meant. This—us—it’s complicated." "No, it’s simple," she shot back. "You’re just afraid." Before he could reply, a child’s scream echoed from inside the mine. Ivy. "We’ll finish this later," Dante growled, moving toward the door. "If there is a later," Selene whispered, following him into the darkness. The passage took them back toward the main chamber. As they rounded a curve, they nearly collided with Rowan.

"There you are!" he hissed. "They’ve started the ritual. We need to hurry." Dante shot Selene a meaningful look, but she ignored him, focusing on Rowan. "How many guards?" "At least twenty. And Elara has Ivy at the center of some kind of water circle." They crept forward until they could see into the chamber. What they saw made Selene’s blood turn cold despite her fiery skin. Ivy stood in the center of a pool of glowing blue water. Her eyes were vacant, her body rigid as Elara chanted around her. The crystal at Ivy’s neck pulsed with blinding light. "We’re too late," Rowan whispered. "The transformation has begun." "No," Selene said firmly. "I’m not losing her again." She stepped forward, but Dante pulled her back, pointing to a shadow moving along the far wall. Another person was sneaking toward Ivy from the opposite side. Jace. "What is he doing here?" Selene whispered. Dante’s face darkened. "I told him to stay behind." As they watched, Jace crept closer to the traditional circle, a knife glinting in his hand. "He’s going to kill her," Selene gasped, fear flooding through her. But Dante’s eyes narrowed. "No. Look who he’s going for." The knife was aimed not at Ivy, but at Elara’s back. "We need to create a distraction," Dante whispered.

"I’ll do it," Rowan offered, already moving away. "Be ready." As Rowan faded into the shadows, Dante turned to Selene, his eyes serious. "Remember what I said about not trusting him?" Selene nodded slowly, doubt creeping through her mind. A moment later, a huge explosion rocked the far side of the cavern. Guards ran toward the sound as flames engulfed a stack of supplies.

"Now!"

Dante growled, pulling Selene toward the traditional circle. But as they ran, Rowan suddenly emerged beside Elara, not fighting her but standing protectively at her side. He raised his hand, and a wall of energy slammed into Jace, sending him flying across the room. Elara turned, her eyes finding Selene and Dante. Her lips curved into a victorious smile. "Right on time," she called. "The fire-walker arrives to meet her destiny." Rowan’s eyes locked with Selene’s, filled not with apology but with cold resolve. "You were right," Selene whispered to Dante as the truth hit her like a physical blow. "He betrayed us." Dante’s fingers tightened around hers. "We’ll fight together." But before they could move, Ivy’s eyes snapped open. No longer empty, they blazed with blue fire as she turned to face her sister. "Selene," she called, her voice echoing weirdly. "Come join me in the water." Selene stepped forward, drawn by her sister’s words. Dante tried to hold her back, but his grip slipped as her fire flared in answer to Ivy’s call. "Selene, don’t!" Dante shouted. But it was too late. The fire inside her was already reaching for Ivy’s water, two opposite forces straining to connect. Fire and water. The key to the gateway. And somewhere in the darkness, Jace was moving again, the knife still clutched in his

hand.