“I was passing by the dining hall earlier,” she said, her tone calm, but I could hear the disappointment in it. “I saw everything. Lennox.”
My chest tightened, and I clenched my fists. I knew what was coming.
“I saw the way you slapped Olivia,” she continued, her voice laced with disappointment. “Your wife. Your Luna.”
I looked away, unable to meet her gaze. “It was a mistake.” I admitted, my voice rough. “I-I lost control.”
Mother sighed, shaking her head. “Lennox, I did not raise my sons to be weak men who let their anger rule them. You are an Alpha, but more than that, you are a husband. A leader. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Shame clawed at my chest. I had told myself that I wanted Olivia to pay for what she did years ago, for the pain she caused me-but never like this. Never with my own hands. My wolf growled. inside me, still furious-not at Olivia, but at myself.
“I know,” I muttered. “I regret it.”
Mother tilted her head, studying me. “Regret is not enough.”
I lifted my gaze, frowning. “What do you mean?” hey don’t
She folded her arms. “Olivia is your Luna. Your staff saw what happened. Even if speak of it, they will remember. They will question your control. And Olivia… she will remember too.
My jaw tightened. Of course, she would. How could she forget that her own mate-the man meant to protect her-raised a hand against her?
“It won’t ever happen again, Mother,” I said under my breath.
Mother was silent for another moment before she spoke, “What happened, Lennox?” she asked, her voice softer now, but no less firm. “When you were younger, you adored Olivia. You wanted her as your mate. I saw the way you and your brothers loved her. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when Anita didn’t turn out to be your mates. But Olivia…” She paused, tilting her head. “Tell me, Lennox. What changed? Why do you and your brothers suddenly hate this girl? Is it because her father stole? Because she’s now an Omega?”
She shook her head. “No, Lennox. You can’t tell me that’s the reason.”
I clenched my jaw, looking away.
I had never told anyone what Olivia said to me.
The pain she caused.
The words that, even after all these years, still echoed in my mind.
I was too ashamed to say them out loud.
“Mother, please, I don’t want to talk about it,” I said in a tone that left no room for argument.
She held my gaze for a long moment before finally sighing. “It seems you and your brothers really like Anita. If that’s the case, take her as your mistress. Sleeping with another woman while married is wrong, but you are Alphas. If you must, then do it properly-make Anita your official mistress.”
She paused. “But…”
I stiffened, waiting.
“You know what it would do to Olivia if you or your brothers slept with another woman.” She exhaled. “Have pity on the poor girl.”
And with that, she rose to her feet and left the room.
Where I sat, I remained seated, my mother’s words lingering in the air.
“Have pity on the poor girl.”
My hands curled into fists on my lap. Pity? That was the last thing I wanted to feel for Olivia. I wanted to hold onto my anger, to justify my actions, to remind myself of the pain she caused me years ago.
But deep down, I knew my mother was right.
If my brothers and I took Anita as an official mistress, it would destroy Olivia. The woman who once held my heart. The woman I swore to hate. The woman who was now my Luna.
And yet, despite everything-despite my thirst for vengeance-the idea of truly breaking Olivia in that way unsettled me.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
“Come in, I called out, my voice devoid of emotion.
The door opened, and Levi stepped inside. His face was unreadable, but I could see the tension in his stance. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, arms crossed over his chest. “So, he started, his tone cool. “What now?”
I exhaled sharply and ran a hand through my hair. “What do you mean?”
Levi scoffed. “I heard all mother said. Are you taking her suggestion on taking Anita as our official mistress?”
Lfrowned at his question and stood to my feet. “Excuse me I have work to do.” I brushed my shoulder against his before storming out of the room.
?
*
Lennox’s POV
I buried myself in work, hoping it would help me stop thinking about Olivia-and the mistake I had made. I signed documents, responded to calls, and drowned in endless paperwork. Even Clark, my Beta, had urged me to take a break for lunch or dinner, but I refused. I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t want to think.
The door to my study swung open, and Clark stepped in.
“Your brothers and parents are at the table having dinner, and your father specifically asked me to call you,” he said.
I growled, shutting the document in front of me. I wasn’t hungry. In fact, I had no appetite. My mood was already ruined for the day, and I wasn’t in the mood to sit at that damn table pretending everything was fine.
Clark narrowed his eyes at me. “Is this because of what happened this morning at the table? You still feel terrible for hitting her?”
I shot him a glare. “Why should I?” I snapped.
Clark shrugged. “Well, if that’s the case, a simple I’m sorry’ would get you out of this mess.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving his words lingering in my mind.
I clenched my jaw, my glare fixed on the door. An apology? From me?
She hadn’t even apologized for what she did to me, for the pain she caused me all these years. And Clark thought I should be the one to apologize?
No. I won’t do that.
I sighed, running a hand down my face, and tried to focus on my work again. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind refused to cooperate.
Eventually, I decided to just respect my father’s request and go to the dining hall.
But when I reached the table, Olivia wasn’t there. Father, Mother, Levi, and Louis were present, but Olivia wasn’t.
I frowned. “Where is she?” Lasked one of the maids.
The maid hesitated before answering. “We knocked, Alpha, but she didn’t let us in… so we left.” I groaned, pushing my chair back. Stubborn woman.
Without another word, I turned and headed for her room. When I reached her door, I knocked once. No response. I knocked again. Still nothing.
My frown deepened. Was she ignoring me?
I reached for the handle and pushed the door open. The sight before me made my heart skip a beat.
She was asleep.
For a moment, I just stood there, my gaze softening as I watched her. Beautiful. Even now, even after everything, she still had this effect on me.
But something was wrong.
The closer I stepped, the clearer it became.
Her breathin was too shallow. Her face was too pale. And when I reached out and touched her forehead-she was burning up.
Olivia, I called her name, but she didn’t stir.
Panic gripped me.
“Olivia!”
I shook her gently, but she remained still. My chest tightened, a strange fear clawing at me.
“Guards!” I yelled, my voice echoing around the walls.
The door burst open. Levi and Louis rushed in. So did my parents, Clark, and the guards.
“What is happening?” Levi asked as he touched Olivia’s forehead.
“Get the healer, I snapped at a guard.
Turning around, I looked at Olivia, only to realize her breathing was becoming too shallow. My breath hitched, my wolf howled in discomfort, and I lifted her up, placing her head on my lap as I sat on the bed.
Louis, who seemed as panicked as I was, touched her neck, and his worry increased. “This is not a fever, Lennox. Something is wrong,” he said, his worry so obvious in his voice.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.