“And yet he’s already claiming her,” Lennox shot back, his voice rising. “You think that’s something a normal uncle does? He looked our father in the eye and said he wanted her for himself!”
“He was probably joking! You know how he is!”
“Wake up, Levi!” Lennox barked. “This is not a joke. He wants her. And if we don’t do something, he’s going to take her-just like he takes everything he wants.”
“That’s not true!” Levi shouted. “He’s not like that!”
The tension in the room was boiling now. Both of them were breathing hard, standing just a few feet apart, their hands clenched, and their eyes locked in a silent war. I could see where this was going, and I had to step in.
“Enough!” I snapped, rising to my feet and stepping between them. “Both of you, calm down!”
They both froze, the room falling silent again except for the sound of our uneven breathing. “Arguing about it won’t solve anything. We’re all angry. We’re all confused. But fighting each other isn’t the answer.”
They both turned their eyes on me, still brimming with emotion.
I took a breath and spoke more calmly, “Let’s wait for Father. He’s having a talk with Damien. If Damien is serious about claiming Olivia, then we’ll know what to do.”
Levi muttered something under his breath and turned away again, raking a hand through his hair.
Lennox shook his head, still fuming, but he didn’t argue.
“I’m not losing her,” I said quietly, looking at both of them. “Not to some lie, not to fate, and definitely not to Damien. But we have to stay united.”
Lennox scoffed and shook his head. “And you think Olivia will want to forgive us? That woman practically hates us now… and with Anita claiming to be pregnant… it’s worse now…” Lennox spat.
I frowned, but he wasn’t wrong…
Levi sighed as he massaged his forehead. “Where do we begin from? How do we even start apologizing? W hurt her. We hurt her for a crime she didn’t commit… damn it.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but just then the door pushed open and Father walked in. We all turned to him, and I took a calculated look at him. The look on his face told me whatever he was about to say… wasn’t going to be news we’d like.
Lennox’s POV
I stepped forward to Father. The look on his face was the kind that told us his little talk with his brother didn’t go well.
My frown deepened, my wolf already howling possessively inside me. “Father, what did he say?” I asked, the anger in my voice already so obvious. I knew Uncle Damien. Levi might think he’s just messing around, but I knew it was more than that. I saw the way he looked at Olivia… he gave me an uncomfortable feeling that crawled down my spine.
“Father, say something,” Levi urged, watching as Father remained silent.
Father sighed and sat on the couch. Impatiently, I folded my arms. I just needed to hear what he had to say before I exploded.
“Father…”
“Calm down, Father cut me off. “Just calm down. Losing your temper won’t solve anything.”
My wolf growled angrily inside me.
“Are you trying to say Damien is still insisting on claiming Olivia?” Levi asked.
Father nodded. “Yes… and not just that. He wants Olivia to bear him an heir,” he revealed.
My wolf growled, and my breath became ragged. My wolf was on the verge of forcing me to shift into him and go attack Damien, but I controlled it.
“You must be fucking kidding,” Louis spat, his voice filled with rage.
Father scoffed. “I wish I was… but this is the truth… he wants Olivia, and he isn’t joking about it.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My breath hitched, and my whole body tensed. My wolf was pacing inside me, growling furiously, scratching to break free. The room seemed smaller now, tighter- like the air was too heavy to breathe.
‘s Hands
“What did you just say?” I asked, my voice low and sharp. “He wants Olivia to bear him an heir?”
Father nodded gravely. “That’s what he said.”
A red haze clouded my vision.
That was it.
I moved forward, my fists clenched, my wolf snarling inside, taking over. “I’m going to kill him!” I shouted, turning toward the door.
Before I could get two steps in, Father was on me.
In one swift motion, he grabbed me by the shoulder, spun me around, and slammed me against the wall. Hard.
“Enough!” he barked.
I growled, struggling against his grip, but he pinned me there with force. I didn’t want to hurt him, so I stayed still.
“Let me go!” I roared. “He’s crossed the line, Father! He doesn’t get to touch her-“
‘s Hands
“Have you forgotten who Damien is?!” Father snapped, his face inches from mine. “He’s my brother. Your uncle. You think I don’t want to tear him apart myself for saying such?!”
His eyes burned with anger, but there was something deeper in them-fear. Worry.
“But He’s not just anyone, Lennox. He’s the leading candidate to become the next Alpha King. The Council of Werewolves wants him. Half the packs fear him. Do you even understand what would happen if you went after him without thinking?
My frown deepened.
My chest heaved with heavy breaths. I could still feel my wolf raging inside me, begging me to shift, to fight. But I stayed still, my eyes locked with Father’s.
“We’re not just fighting a man,” Father continued, voice lower now but deadly serious. “We’re fighting influence. Power. Politics.”
I gritted my teeth, my eyes burning. “So what, we just sit back and do nothing? Let him take her?!”
‘s Hands
“No,” Father said firmly. “We will work with strategy.”
His grip loosened slightly.
“I know you love her. I know what she means to all of you,” he said, looking between me, Louis, and Levi. “But if we let rage guide us, you will lose her for good.”
I clenched my fists, anger still burning inside me, but I gave a sharp nod.
Levi stepped forward slowly. “Then what’s the plan, Father?”
Father finally released me and stepped back, running a hand through his hair.
“He’s staying here for a few days, and that gives us an advantage,” he said, but I wasn’t relieved… I still wanted to hear his plan.
Father continued. “Olivia is legally married to you three,” he said, his voice hopeful. “And she’s your fated mate. That gives you a solid claim-but since Damien isn’t backing down. I’ll report this to the Council of Werewolves. They’ll call for a hearing.”
‘s Honds
Levi’s eyes flashed sharply. “That’s not a good idea, Father.”
The Council of Werewolves is made up of six old men, about 50 years and above. Governing them is Alpha Matthew of the Moon Walker Pack… who is sixty years, and he is about to step down. Rumors have it that Uncle Damien, despite just being thirty-five years old, is the favorite to succeed despite not being a member of the Council.
Father looked at him, his brows furrowed. “And why not?”
Levi stepped forward, his eyes filled with worry. “Because if the Council gets involved, they’ll make Olivia choose-publicly. And if she says something… anything against us… we lose her. For good.”
The room fell into a suffocating silence.
Father nodded slowly. “You’re right. This could go either way. That’s why everything now depends on
Olivia.”
My heart sank.
‘s Hands
Father’s voice dropped, heavy with worry. “If she tells the Council that she wants nothing to do with Damien, that she chooses you-her mates-then he’ll be forced to back off. The Council will have no choice but to protect her bond with you.”
“And if she says we treated her badly?” I asked, my voice rough with fear. The Olivia we hurt might never want anything to do with us again.
“Then the Council will annul the marriage,” Father said without hesitation. “Your mating bond won’t matter. They’ll declare it broken. And if Olivia requests a formal rejection…” He exhaled slowly. “You’ll lose her.”
“No,” Louis muttered, barely above a whisper. “We can’t let that happen.”
My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind.
“And that’s why this plan is a risk,” Father said. “It depends on Olivia’s words. You three need to fix whatever is broken between you and Olivia before that hearing comes. If there’s even a shadow of doubt in her heart… Damien will win.”
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.