Fated To Three, And I Broke Them All

Jaguar:

”How is he?” I asked Theodore as I arrived at the hospital and spotted him outside the emergency.

He briskly closed the distance between us before answering.

”The doctors are still running tests on him,” Theodore replied.

”Did you call me first or the ambulance?” I asked, pointing at my chest.

Theodore rested his hands on his hips, looking at me as though he were judging me for even asking.

”Come on, I want to know,” I insisted.

This was the first time Theodore had ever been put in a situation like this.

”You,” Theodore admitted, slowly lowering his hands as his attitude faded.

”Are you fucking crazy? You should’ve called the ambulance first, and then me.”

As I shouted, Theodore turned to me with a grimace.

”Oh, please. I wasn’t even going to call you. It was Ragnar. He kept saying, ’I don’t know if Jaguar is okay. Where is he? Call him. Text him.’ He was the one who kept pushing me,” I saw Jaguars eyes getting filled with tears.

”Otherwise, why the fuck would I text someone who decided to skip dinner with his brother, breaking our years-long tradition of celebrating each other’s return from trips?” Theodore shot back in one emotional breath.

His words immediately filled me with shame because he wasn’t wrong.

I don’t know why, but it had completely slipped my mind.

I had no idea I’d spent so many hours at Verity’s place.

It was as though time simply didn’t move there.

I completely lost track of the outside world.

Her house might have been small, but her presence transformed it into an entirely different world.

The moment I stepped inside, I completely lost myself.

And, of course, because this was the first time Theodore had been given a responsibility like this, he was understandably upset and stressed.

I patted his back, noticing him slowly turn to look at me.

”You did a great job,” I told him as I pulled him into a hug.

The way he hugged me back, I could feel the anxiety in his body.

He must have been under so much stress over the last few hours.

The problem was that we’d always seen Ragnar as someone incredibly strong.

He had always been the older brother we looked up to.

So even the thought that something had happened to him must have shaken Theodore.

I was still holding Theodore when the sound of approaching footsteps drew our attention.

A doctor walked towards us with a clipboard in hand and offered us a reassuring smile.

”Theodore,” he called.

Theodore gently pulled away from the hug and turned his attention to the doctor.

”Yes?” he replied.

”I thought I’d let you know that Gigi is doing well.”

My frown deepened, and I turned sharply to Theodore.

”Gigi? What does he mean by Gigi is doing well?”

The doctor glanced between us before deciding to answer for him.

”She was brought in with the Alpha King after she collapsed. It appears the emotional stress overwhelmed her, causing her to faint. We’ve run the necessary examinations, and everything looks normal. There’s no sign of any underlying medical issue.”

The colour drained from my face.

”She— she passed out?” I stuttered.

”Yes,” the doctor answered gently. ”Fortunately, it wasn’t anything more serious. Her vital signs are stable, she’s fully conscious, and she’s been on her feet for a little while now.”

The tightness in my chest eased, if only slightly.

”Can we see her?” Theodore and I asked in unison.

”Of course,” the doctor replied with a smile. ”She’s already asking to go home, even though we’d like to keep her a little longer to make sure she’s completely steady before we discharge her. She’s well enough to be on her feet.”

I let out a shaky breath and rubbed a hand over my face before looking at Theodore.

”I didn’t even know she was here,” I uttered to Theodore.

”It’s all right. Theodore had his hands full,” the doctor said, giving me an understanding look. ”Don’t be too hard on him, okay?”

He’d known us since we were children, so he treated us more like family than patients.

Without another word, I looked at Theodore.

”It’s all right,” I murmured, letting him know I wasn’t going to judge him for it.

He’d already had more than enough to deal with, worrying about both my brother and Gigi at the same time.

Before we could go and check on Gigi, the doctor stepped out of Ragnar’s room with a patient file tucked beneath one arm.

He scanned the small crowd before his gaze settled on us.

The news hadn’t spread throughout the entire pack yet, but everyone at the hospital had seen Ragnar being wheeled in.

Naturally, they were on edge, wondering what had happened to their Alpha King.

”How long has he been experiencing this pain?” the doctor asked.

Theodore and I exchanged a worried glance, wondering what he was about to tell us.

”Um–” I began. ”He does get this pain. The three of us do. But it’s never been this bad.”

The doctor gave a slow nod.

”So that’s why you thought he was having a heart attack.”

Theodore and I both nodded.

”Well, it isn’t,” he replied, making us both let out a breath of relief. ”His heart is perfectly healthy. Healthier than most people’s, actually.”

The doctor smiled faintly at his own joke, but the relief barely had a chance to settle before he continued.

”What Ragnar experienced was an extremely intense fated mate response. Specifically, the pain caused by prolonged separation from his fated mate.”

Neither of us spoke. We simply watched him, waiting for him to continue.

”As Alpha Kings, your bodies are different from those of ordinary wolves. The three of you completed your transition at the age of twelve. By the time an Alpha King reaches eighteen, the body naturally expects to have found its fated mate.”

He opened the file and glanced over a few notes before looking back at us.

”The stronger your wolf becomes, the stronger its instinctive need for its fated mate grows. Most Alphas have already found their mates by that age. Otherwise, the pain continues to intensify as the body’s need becomes stronger.”

He paused, his expression growing thoughtful.

”Ragnar’s case is—unusual.”

A knot tightened in my stomach.

”What do you mean?” I asked, watching him hesitate for a moment before answering.

”I believe his body has finally reached the point where it can no longer tolerate the absence of its fated mate.”

Silence settled between us.

”Or–,” He looked down at the chart again before meeting my eyes. ”His fated mate may have already found someone else.”

The words hung in the air, leaving neither of us able to respond.

A sharp gasp from behind us broke the silence.

Theodore and I turned around to find Gigi standing there, tears brimming in her eyes.