Fated To Not Just One, But Three

Chapter 187: Bad Father

Louis' POV

We left Anita at the hospital. The doctor said she'd be discharged later in the day, so there was no point sticking around.

The drive back home was tense. Heavy. Silent.

I was in the driver's seat. Levi sat beside me, and Lennox was in the back. I glanced at Levi briefly. He looked completely lost in thought, staring out the window like the road wasn't even there.

I wondered what was running through his mind.

Was he having second thoughts about saving the pups?

I gritted my

Hell no—not me.

I didn't care how loud their tiny heartbeats sounded on that screen or how weak one of them looked. There was no way I'd make Anita my mate. Not for them. Not for anyone.

Because doing that… would mean losing Olivia.

And I'd rather lose everything—my rank, my power, my pride—than lose her.

That woman… Olivia. I'd rip my own heart out before I let us hurt her again.

She already hates us for everything we did to her—for all the ways we broke her. For the pain we caused her just because of a stupid payback. And now, what? We're to mate Anita? Officially tie ourselves to the one woman who caused her pain, too?

No. Absolutely not.

I didn't care if the pups were mine.

I didn't care if they were all of ours.

There was no going back.

Suddenly, from the back seat, Lennox groaned.

"Ugh. This is a damn mess," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "I can't get the image out of my head."

"You mean the ultrasound?" Levi asked, finally speaking up, his voice flat.

"Yeah. That," Lennox answered grimly.

"They might not be ours," I snapped, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "We don't even know for sure. Until we do, we're not doing anything."

filled the air

temples. "And

deal with it then," I replied coldly. "But we are not making her a mate. That's not even an

Ever. I

deeply,

this," Levi muttered. "It

going to live with it. We

No one responded.

heavier with every mile we

guilt tried to crawl its way

Nothing—nothing—was worth losing Olivia.

I think we all knew

we didn't say it

pulled into the mansion just as the afternoon sun was dipping behind the trees, casting long shadows across

I spotted our mother—waiting by the entrance, with a tight expression and

swept over us sharply, narrowing with worry. "I heard from the staff," she said, her voice tight. "They said Anita was rushed to the hospital. What happened? Are the

I muttered, not meeting

Levi added, "the doctor said there's a chance… the

widened. "What? Why? What are you

I took a breath and

We told her everything.

give the pups a fighting chance was for the three of us to mark Anita again—this time as our mate, not

her eyes

would let your children die just because you

stepping forward. "We're not

us like we

and entitled at times—but she's not a whore. She's not the kind of

his jaw

you're scared," she continued, her voice rising, "even if you're unsure—those pups exist. They are already growing inside her! And what do you do? Stand there

affected me more than

Even Lennox didn't have

"For letting innocent children die just so you

of us with disappointment in

or without your mark. But when they grow up, they'll know exactly what

she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving

a long time, none of

stared at the

Terrible fathers.

That part stuck.

if they were mine… and yet her words still