Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-103. Responsibilities

[Xanthea]

All the information about the generational curses in my mother's knowledge and memories flooded my mind.

My eyes leafed through the pages of the books and diaries.

"Generational curses feed on the existence of the affected immortal. The stronger the immortal it consumes, the more malignant and deadlier it gets." I thought out loud. "Spreading through the bloodline, it spares no direct legitimate lineage..."

I looked at Asher, no longer plagued by questions, but haunted by the answers and an unsettling realization.

'Your demon husbands are going down very soon, and I'll make sure it happens faster.' Nikolai's threat wasn't empty.

Did he know about the demon lord's curse?

"Your pack knows about your curse?" I asked hesitantly.

Asher shook his head.

"No. Only a few people know about it - our family and a handful of celestials," he said gravely. "But the celestials have planned to use mortals to catalyze the curse and end us sooner. And the mortal they've chosen to execute their plan is your brother, Nikolai."

I widened my eyes, shaking my head. "No... why him?"

"I don't know... yet..." he said.

"No. No. No!" I looked around the fog frantically. "There has to be more. I need more of her memories. After everything she did, she can't do this to you! To Ezra! No!"

I reached out, my fingers trembling as I tried to touch the clouds, desperately searching for fragments of memories that could guide me - anything to show me the path to cure the curse. But no matter how hard I clawed at the haze, there was nothing. Just an endless expanse of white, blank fog that swallowed every flicker of hope.

"There has to be more..."

Asher's hands held mine in a firm yet achingly gentle grip as he lowered them.

"Xanthea," he said, his voice low, almost pleading. "Stop."

"No!" I thrashed against his grip, but he didn't let go. His thumbs slowly caressed my knuckles to calm me.

"This is the end of her memories for you," he murmured, leaning closer until I could feel the heat of his breath against my skin.

"It can't be!" My voice broke as I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. "S-she can't do this! She can't-" I gritted my teeth, hatred and anger flowing in my veins like venom. "I need more - I have to fix this!"

"Xanthea..." His tone softened, and he stepped closer, closing the space between us. "We'll fix this... together."

I took back my hands from him. "How can you be so calm? Why are you so gentle with me when I don't even deserve it?"

"I will not allow you to hate yourself." Asher's tone turned grim as he glared at the self-loathing and guilt that disgusted me from within.

Asher contemplated me, his eyes gleaming with emotions I failed to fathom amidst my own.

I frowned, lowering my gaze, my heart pounding painfully as waves of shame and confusion crashed over me.

"Don't you?" I asked, holding his gaze.

Asher lowered his head, a strange mixture of a sigh and a smile playing on his lips.

He gave me enough time to settle myself down before he changed the subject.

sure to work," he said. Staying out of my mind

consumed my father, becoming a lot more malignant when it passed down to us. A curse that remained hidden for years and even now, my brothers know nothing about its origin."

she cursed my father," Asher said,

Why was Asher there?

was he until

all those questions aside, I asked the one that had occupied my mind the most. "Is-is there a way to

tell me. You have your mother's knowledge and now her memories... is

looked at me with his unreadable eyes. I couldn't tell if he genuinely wanted me to answer or if he was testing

a nervous gulp, I blinked fast, lowering my

but I didn't want to put it into words.

closed up, but

with an intensity that made the

answers, still you choose the one that's

into my

choose what's convenient for me, love. And I can't let you, my wife, choose what's less painful for you. Do you know why?"

trying to bite back my

said, my voice trembling as I looked into his

down on me like a judgment I wasn't prepared

Infernal Realm came into existence," Asher said, his gaze falling to his hand as if

slightly, a shadow of tension

in check. And I provide it with just enough of myself

mine,

else as Alpha. And a pack without an Alpha turns rogue. In Hell, a rogue pack doesn't just mean disorder. It means disorder on a scale that can

gravity of his words hung between us,

staggering on the edge of my tongue,

could see right through me. "Illegitimate children won't work either. I've

tell if it was exhaustion or something darker. But for the first time, I truly felt the weight of the burdens Asher had been

the throne nearly tears him apart - even with me present." His words slowed as he drew in a deep breath. "I can't imagine what will

heaven to hell, everything would fall

as the words I dreaded clawed their way out of me. "The only way left... is to block the curse. Offspring from the forbidden union of a mortal and an immortal carry blockers in their genes

next words slipping out

"O-our kids..."

desperately - for denial, for reassurance, for anything that might

he said, and a horrifying chill ran

knot in my

children... only to lose them to the

clawed its way up my throat, but I choked it down, my hands trembling as they

who'd be born to die..." I said, holding his

"Yes..." he said.

made my stomach churn violently, a wave of nausea

it?" I questioned him, tilting my

you, only to be destroyed by us, for us.

my gaze,

atmosphere of hatred would humble you. Maybe that's why she conceived you from an affair with your father -

gritted my teeth, quickly wiping off my

In trying to heal her victims, she created her biggest victim - you. She probably only realized this when she understood motherhood. I hope she resented herself, repented day and night

him, tears burning

you want to do to our kids?" I

backups to stop the curse. Even if it doesn't end with us, it'll

still doesn't solve anything," I

kids will be weak. While they wouldn't feed the curse, they wouldn't be heirs strong enough to

It was as though he spoke of a mere strategy, not the lives we might