Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One

Dane's POV

I was already late for my meeting with Nathan. Since Hailee disappeared, we'd been more like strangers than cousins. We never talked about family or personal lives. Our conversations were strictly about business and contracts, nothing else. Even now, as the car rolled into his packhouse, it wasn't about catching up—it was about a business deal I wanted to propose to him. That was the only reason I was here. Or so I thought.

I stepped out, adjusting my jacket, my mind already on the numbers I'd rehearsed. But then— a small figure darted past the guards, almost colliding into me. A boy. Ten, maybe. His fiery red hair caught the sunlight, and for a moment my chest clenched so hard I couldn't breathe.

My wolf froze. Then it growled, sharp and certain, the sound echoing inside my head. Mine.

I staggered a step, staring down at him. Goddess. Those eyes—bright, brown eyes, unflinching. The same shade I saw in the mirror every morning. The same fire I carried in my blood.

The boy frowned, tilting his head up at me, suspicious and brave all at once. He looked so much like me it was painful, but his hair… that red hair reminded me of Hailee.

Suddenly my throat went dry. My heart thundered. Against my will, the words slipped out. "Who's your mother, boy?" I asked, my voice trembling out of control. The boy's lips parted, as if he wanted to answer but didn't trust me enough.

And then I heard it. A voice. A sharp, panicked, familiar voice I could recognize anyway.

"Ozzy!" The name rang out through the courtyard, carried by the wind. My blood turned cold. My wolf let out a howl so loud it rattled through my bones.

I spun, and there she was. Hailee. My Hailee. Ten years. Ten years of torture, of searching, of cursing the Goddess for taking her away—and there she stood, running toward the boy with that same red hair, her sea-blue eyes wide with fear.

I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. My chest felt like it was splitting open as her voice echoed again, closer this time. "Ozzy!"

She reached him, pulling him to her chest, her arms trembling as if she'd almost lost him. I just stood there, staring at them, unable to believe what I was seeing.

She clutched the boy—Ozzy—tight against her chest, her breath coming fast, relief softening her face for a heartbeat. Then her eyes lifted. And found mine.

Time stood still. Her body stiffened as if the ground had turned to stone beneath her feet. Her lips parted. No words came. Her eyes—those same eyes that once looked at me with love—went wide, filled with something I couldn't quite name. Shock. Fear. Maybe both.

"Hailee…" I whispered, the name tearing from my throat before I could stop it.

Her arms tightened protectively around the boy. Her gaze darted left and right, like a cornered animal. But she didn't run. She just froze, like seeing me had stopped time itself.

Ten years. Ten long years. And here she was—alive, breathing, close enough to touch. And I couldn't decide if I wanted to fall to my knees… or demand why the hell she left me to torture. "Hailee… is this you?" I asked in disbelief, taking a step closer.

She parted her lips but couldn't speak. "Mine." My wolf's voice thundered again, echoing inside me—not at Hailee, but at the boy in her arms.

My throat tightened. My chest felt like it was caving in. I took a shaky step closer, my voice shaking. "Hailee… whose son is he?" I demanded, my eyes never leaving the boy's face. "Is he… is he mine?"

Her head jerked in a sharp shake, her arms tightening protectively around the child. "No," she snapped, too quickly, too defensively. "No, Dane. Why would you even think that?"

I swallowed hard, my wolf clawing at me. "Because my wolf…" My voice cracked. "My wolf recognises him."

Her sea-blue eyes narrowed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Seriously?" she hissed. "First it was Nathan, now you? What next, Dane? Will every man I've ever known claim my sons as theirs?" The words stabbed, but I didn't back down.

"Hailee—"

"They're not yours!" she cut me off sharply. "They're my triplets. My late husband's children. Do you hear me? Mine and his." She practically spat the words, her voice shaking.

For a second, silence hung between us, my wolf still howling, still insisting. But she turned her head, her jaw trembling, refusing to meet my eyes. Then she straightened, her tone turning cold. "Well," she said flatly, "it was… nice meeting you again, Dane." She shifted Ozzy in her arms and turned, making to leave.

"Hailee, wait—" I grabbed her wrist before she could move farther. The contact burned, memory flooding me—her touch, her warmth, everything I'd lost.

And that's when I heard the heavy footsteps approaching. I turned to see Nathan. His presence filled the courtyard. His eyes flicked from me to Hailee… then to the boy in her arms. His jaw tightened, his wolf barely restrained. The air turned thick, suffocating, as his eyes met with mine. "And what is going on here?" He sounded not happy.

Before I could even open my mouth, Hailee snapped back, her voice laced with anger. "Oh, what's going on? Nothing new, Nathan. Just like you're claiming Oscar to be your son, now Dane here is claiming Ozzy as his. Who's next? Maybe Callum will show up and decide Oliver is his son." She laughed bitterly in a mocking tone. "My triplets, apparently, have three fathers now. Isn't that funny?"

Her words hit me like a fist to the gut. Triplets. The world spun. My gaze shot back to the boy in her arms and then to the thought of two others. She had triplets.

"Triplets…" I whispered, barely hearing my own voice. My wolf clawed at me, howling again, louder, surer. Mine.

Hailee turned, her chin high, her arms gripping the boy tighter as if shielding him from us both. She started to walk away.

"Hailee, wait," I said hoarsely, my voice breaking with desperation. "I will do a DNA test."

She froze, stiff as stone. For a second, I thought she might lash out, might scream—but instead she only turned her head slightly, her sea-blue eyes flashing with annoyance. "Fine," she said, sounding less bothered about it. "Do whatever you want." Then she walked away, her back rigid, her son clutched close, her steps quickening until she disappeared around the corner.

I stood there, my fists clenched, my chest heaving, my wolf restless. I have no idea what was going on here, but I was certain of one thing—that boy was my son. And nothing in this world was going to stop me from finding out the truth.