“No!” he cut me off, stepping closer. “You’re mistaking familiarity for love. You think just because they smiled at you you were little and held your hand, that means they’re yours forever?”
“They hurt you, Olivia.” 1
I shut my eyes, gripping the edge of the table to steady myself. My heart thundered. My head spun. cold
“You don’t love them,” he said coldly. “You’re clinging to them.”
I took a shaky step back, my lips trembling, my eyes wide. This was a different Calvin.
I opened my mouth… but no sound came out.
“I don’t just love them, Calvin…” I said softly.
The part I had tried so hard to avoid.
Because saying yes would be a lie.
He turned his back to me, dragging his hands through his hair. “How can you love them when our families have hated each other for decades? We lost a life because of them!”
And saying no would break him.
Like he hadn’t heard me.
My heart sank. “I’m not defending them, Calvin.”
He took a step forward, and I saw it-the desperation behind his rage. The helplessness of a brother watching someone he loved walk into what he believed was a fire.
“I know!” I yelled. “I know what they did. I remember every detail. And I still love them. That’s what makes this a curse.”
“You’re rejecting them, right?” he asked, his voice tight. “Olivia, tell me you’re going to reject them.” 3
I took a shaky breath.
“You’re chasing ghosts, Olivia. You’re holding onto the past so tightly, you’re blind to the damage it’s doing. You’re trying to rebuild something that was never whole to begin with!”
And saying it out loud would only anger him more.
“Calvin, please-“
Or couldn’t believe he had.
“You think this is normal? You think this makes sense?” he demanded, his hands shaking. “Our families are tied by blood. Hate. Loss. And you’re telling me the Moon Goddess thought this-them-was your fate?” 2
The silence that followed was the loudest thing I’d ever heard.
So I stood there in silence/trembling.
“I do!” I cried. “I wish I didn’t, Calvin. Goddess knows I wish I didn’t. I wish I could wake up one day and feel nothing for them. I wish I could rip them out of my soul and throw them into the sea. But I can’t. I’ve tried. And it doesn’t work. Because the truth is… 1 love them.”
The moment those words left his mouth, my wolf let out a sharp, furious growl inside me, clawing at my chest like she wanted to tear free.
Calvin scoffed bitterly.
He stared at me like I had a hand in it.
My frown deepened, but I stayed silent.
I swallowed hard.
He turned away, gripping the edge of the broken table, breathing through gritted teeth like he was trying not to explode again.
But he wasn’t finished.
“Don’t,” he snapped, shaking his head violently. “Don’t blame your wolf, Olivia. She’s not stupid. You’re the stupid one.” 3
Then, without turning to face me, he asked quietly, “Do you love them?”
“I’m their mate.”
I nodded slowly. “The bond… it’s real. I’ve felt it since the day of my welcoming party. They are my second chance mates.”
“Calvin, stop-“
Then slowly, his voice hoarse, he asked, “…So what now?”
But because I did.
Calvin stared at me.
That was enough for him.
“You think you love them because you grew up around them. Because they were kind to you once. Because you were little and stupid and didn’t know what
You’re not in love, Olivia-you’re obsessed.” love was.
His face twisted. “No. No, you don’t-
“I didn’t choose it,” I said, shaking my head, my throat tightening with emotion. “I didn’t ask for this.”
And then his face twisted into something between grief and horror.
The question hung in the air like smoke.
Calvin’s chest rose and fell like a beast barely holding onto its leash. His eyes weren’t just angry-they were enraged.
“You let them touch you…” he spat, as if the very thought of it was driving him insane. “After everything they did… after what they made you suffer…”
“I know…” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Goddess, Calvin, I know. I’ve asked myself that same question a hundred times.”
So I did the only thing I could.
Not because I didn’t know the answer.
She smiled warmly. “The eyes are different, but everything else? It’s like looking in a mirror”
I stood still for a moment, just watching her. My chest tightened. She was my half-sibling… my sister.
Instead, Sofia stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.
“Hi,” I said quietly, extending my hand for a handshake. “I’m Olivia.”
I looked back at her and furrowed my brow. “We’re family. Why are we supposed to hate each other?”
She was facing the window, her chin resting in one palm, her fingers idly stirring her drink as she stared outside. She looked troubled. Like someone who had a lot of things weighing her down.
The bell above the door gave a soft chime as I stepped in, the warm scent of coffee and cinnamon hitting my nose. The few people inside turned briefly, their eyes widening when they saw me, but I barely noticed.
I stayed still, listening.
Sofia chuckled softly. “Of course I did… and seeing you now… Goddess.”
Reaching her table, I paused, unsure of what to say. My heart thudded in my chest as I gave her a soft smile.
And I needed to clear my head.
Because I knew that face.
I hadn’t meant to come here. But my wolf had brought me… maybe she just needed space. Maybe I did too.
I watched the blood drain from her face. Her hand froze mid-air. Her mouth parted, but no words came out.
Through the large glass window of the caf?, I saw someone sitting by herself, a tall glass of coffee in hand.
My eyes widened.
Warm. Tight. Familiar.
“But,” she sighed, “thank the Moon Goddess, I never did. I couldn’t bring myself to hate you. Not once. Not even when it would’ve made things easier.”
I didn’t know what they saw when they looked at me.
When she pulled back, her eyes were glistening a little. She offered a small, shy smile. “I would’ve come to the Pack House to see you sooner, but… I knew Calvin wouldn’t let me past the gates.”
“It’s so great to finally meet you,” she whispered against my shoulder.
Even from here, I would recognize her anywhere.
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.