Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-97. The relapse

[Asher]

Taken aback by her unexpected question, Raven froze in his place, his grip loosening on her.

Ezra opened his eyes wide.

"Once they are born, will my kids have the right to live? Will they live? Or will they suffer?" Her words shuddered out of her lips. Her eyes skimmed from Raven to me.

So this was her real reason for protecting the boy.

Then her eyes gazed up in the air and although she couldn't make a direct eye-contact with Ezra, he was watching her.

"They will be half of me. It's obvious they'll be weak. They might not activate their immortality genes. They might not be born with it. Will you kill them too? Can I trust you with my children's lives? Can I entrust their fate in your hand!?" Wrenching her arm from Raven's grip, she stepped back. Wiping her tears, she gathered herself and her thoughts.

Silence. A brutal, restless silence cut through the four of us.

"I'm not stupid!" she yelled, tears trailing down her eyes. "You don't want my kids to be your heirs. You need weak kids with your genes for some other reasons. Someone who can die or perhaps... someone you can kill. A sacrifice for something? Am I wrong?"

This had always been a sensitive topic among us and in that moment, none of us could muster anything but cold blankness.

"I thought so," Xanthea smiled bitterly. "That is why I'm risking it all, because I'd rather die than bear kids for you."

I licked my lips, lowering my gaze.

"No matter the place, the weak will always be at the mercy of the strong and the strong will never have strength to fend for the weak, for all they know is to assert their dominance on whoever they deem lesser than themselves. And while I know I shouldn't expect humane emotions from the demon lords, I really didn't expect this..."

"You know nothing!" Raven snapped.

"I don't care!" she roared. "If you are going to kill me, do it now and let's just get over with it!"

Ezra clenched the tremble in his fingers into a tight fist. He had handled himself far better than I had expected. Even he must have been surprised by just how much he was willing to be in control - for her. Xanthea has started to mean something important to him, and maybe that was why her words meant a lot more to him. I could sense his restraint cracking slowly.

Only if she knew the power she held over Ezra at that very moment, she wouldn't look so disappointed.

"When three most powerful alphas of the underworld are so powerless that they can't even save a child, then there really is no hope for anyone else. It will be wise for you if you end me here," she glared at Raven. "Why the hell don't you understand? You can't change anything! You can't save anyone!" Raven snarled.

"True. I can't, but you can... and you are not even trying," she retorted.

Irritation and rage zapped across Raven's face, his eyes narrowed piercing through her. It was in moments like these he didn't know what to feel or how to react, so he reacted the only way he knew - with anger. He advanced towards her only to halt as Ezra stretched his hand through the space between them, holding him at bay.

"Ezra..." Raven's face grew paler.

"It's ok. I'm ok," he said. Then he looked at Xanthea.

They stared at each other, words and thoughts slipping away, drowned by the raw flood of emotions that bound them in silence... yet it only tore them further apart. "Trust me," Ezra's voice was strained, his gaze heavy with a kind of pain that only he could endure. "Let the boy go while he still can. It will be a kindness, not cruelty." And with those words, Ezra extinguished the last dimming light in Xanthea's blank eyes. Her lips trembled as she drew in a shaky breath.

me, too. Let me

through the hardened lines of his face. His eyes, pained and bleary, betrayed all his senses. Unable to summon words or reason, Ezra stepped forward and

His voice cracked, unguarded. "Please, don't make

her face against his chest, her hands clenching the fabric of his shirt,

but it's everything to me," she whispered, her words muffled against him as

did mean something to him - a lot more than

young to know death." Xanthea's words came out as a soft plea. "Unlike me... he

limits, getting closer and closer to

face, his touch weak and faltering as he tried to

you understand... that there is no hope left for him?"

sure. Her voice cut through his despair with a

who activated his immortality

heartbeats instantly spiked. His hands fell away from her, his breaths turning sharp,

hung heavy in the

you say?" he groaned, his eyes

almost alive, the raging glow writhed like it had a life of its own. It screamed at such a high-pitched vibration,

bloods that still clung to his soul - from tearing

her eyes petrified with horror as red glowing cracks webbed its way along Ezra's arms

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with caution, as though

open, a violent crimson glow that crackled like

of energy all around the room at an

buckling under the

teleported to her side, catching her just before she collapsed on the floor. Her

I didn't see him the night he walked out of the wall as the

Brother!" Raven stood before Ezra, shielding us behind

gaze was wild,

out of everyone...

as Ezra's words cut through her. A frozen,

burst in a violent chorus of splintering glass. Shards rained down on us, tinkling like a

the glass and

with my hand, I pulled Xanthea close, sheltering her from the

crisis healers who hurriedly raised

her sobs as fear, confusion, and heartache

please... no," she hiccupped, her voice barely a whisper, her fingers clutching desperately

staggered backward. His gaze flickered toward her one last time

few minutes felt to have

the soldier's attempt to

was there with mother. They must have sensed the abnormal

mindlinked with the kids, dousing off the fire around

looked at me and nodded before helping mother and the kids get away

clashing against mana rang across