<h4>Chapter 696: Sneak peak</h4>


    Dear Readers,


    This is a sneak peek of Liam, Leon, and Leo’s story.


    Yes... the triplets areing. And trust me, their story is going to be intense, emotional, andpletely different from anything I’ve written before.


    As Fated is slowlying to an end, I know some of you might be feeling emotional or even worried. But please don’t panic .This is not goodbye. It’s just the beginning of something even bigger.


    Title:.The Triplet Alphas’ Secret Mate


    Scarlett’s POV


    ?A light tap-tap-tap against the ss made me bolt upright.


    ?I didn’t scream; I knew that rhythm. It was the secret beat we had used since we were toddlers. I scrambled out of bed, my heart already racing, and pushed the window open. Three tall, dark silhouettes were perched on the roof ledge like oversized crows.


    ?"You guys are going to get caught," I whispered, though a smile was already tugging at my lips. "The guards just finished their rounds."


    ?Liam, the oldest and most serious, climbed in first with a grace that shouldn’t belong to someone so big. He was followed by Leon and Leo. At twenty, the triplets were already massive—broad-shouldered and smelling of fresh mint and the biting cold of the night air. They crowded into my small room, making the walls feel like they were closing in, but in a way that made me feelpletely safe.


    ?"Like we’d let you turn eighteen without us being the first to say it," Leon grinned. He leaned against my desk, looking at me with a yful glint in his eyes. He reached out and ruffled my hair, intentionally messing up the neat braids my mother had finished only hours ago.


    ?"Stop it, Leon!" I swatted his hand away,ughing softly so I wouldn’t wake my parents downstairs.


    ?"Happy Birthday, Little Fox," Leo said. His voice was softer, more tender. He stepped closer and handed me a small, leather-bound journal. The leather was soft and smelled of cedar. "For all the secrets you’re going to tell your wolf once you shift today. Don’t let these two idiots read it."


    ?I ran my thumb over the cover, looking up at them. These were my protectors, my best friends, the boys I’d trailed behind since I could barely walk. To the pack, they were the powerful heirs to the three Alphas—Lennox, Levi, and Louis. They were royalty. But to me, they were just them.


    ?I loved them like brothers, but as I looked at Liam, who was watching me with an intensity that made my breath hitch, I knew I felt something more.


    ?Liam stepped forward, the gravity of his future Alpha aura always hanging around him. He didn’t joke like Leon or tease like Leo. He reached out, his hand resting on my shoulder. His touch was warm, even through the thin fabric of my nightgown, and I felt a spark of electricity where his skin met mine.


    ?"Go to sleep, Scarlett," he murmured, his voice deep and vibrating in his chest. He leaned in closer, his gaze dropping to my lips for a split second before meeting my eyes again. "You’ll need your strength for the shift. We have a surprise for you at the ceremony."


    ?My heart did a somersault... a surprise.


    ?One by one, they leaned down to say goodbye. Leo kissed my forehead gently, lingering for a second. Then Leon gave my shoulder a yful squeeze before kissing my temple.


    ?When it was Liam’s turn, the air in the room seemed to vanish. He didn’t just brush my skin; he stepped into my personal space, his chest almost touching mine. He leaned down, and his lips stayed against my forehead for a second, then two, then three. It felt like a seal—a silent promise that no matter what happened in the world, he would be there to guard me.


    ?"See you at the party," Liam whispered against my skin, his breath warm.


    ?Then, as quickly as they had arrived, they vanished back into the night, leaping from the ledge into the shadows below. I stood by the window for a long time, the cool air hitting my face, but my forehead still tingling where his lips had lingered.


    ?I crawled back into bed, hugging my new journal to my chest, a silly, happy smile stered on my face.


    ?I woke up with a lingering smile, my skin still warm from where Liam, Leon, and Leo had kissed me. Today, I was eighteen. Today, I would get my wolf. I spent an hour in front of the mirror, carefully braiding my hair and smoothing out the skirt of the pale blue dress my mother had surprised me with. I looked like a girl on the brink of a new life.


    ?But as I reached for the door handle to head downstairs, a sound shattered the morning peace. It wasn’t the sound of celebration. It was the heavy, rhythmic thud ofbat boots and the sound of wood splintering.


    ?"Get off me!" my father’s voice boomed—a Beta’s roar that shook the very foundations of our home.


    ?I raced down the stairs, my heart hammering against my ribs. In our dining room, the birthday breakfast my mother had prepared was scattered on the table. Instead of my parents waiting to hug me, I found them pinned against the wall. Four pack warriors—men I had known my entire life—were forcing my father into silverced shackles.


    ?"Dad? Mom?" My voice came out small, trembling.


    ?"Scarlett, stay back!" my mother cried. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes wide with a terror I had never seen. Two guards held her arms so tightly I could see her skin bruising.


    ?"Golden, what is this?" my father snarled, his eyes shing amber as his wolf struggled to be let free. "I am your Beta. Release my mate this instant!"


    ?Golden, the lead warrior, didn’t look him in the eye. "By order of Alphas Lennox, Levi, and Louis, you are under arrest for high treason and the murder of Luna Olivia."