Fated To Not Just One, But Three

Chapter 241: Their Reasons

Lennox’s POV

Silence.

The kind of silence that swallows you whole.

The kind that sinks its claws into your chest and squeezes until you can’t tell if you want to scream, vomit, or laugh.

Cousins.

After everything... after the bond we thought we had? After the way we loved her?

Louis turned around so fast his boots scraped the marble, his fists clenched, so tightly his knuckles looked like bone. "No... no, this can’t be right."

But it made sense. It made horrible, painful sense.

I thought back to Great-grandmother Hailee’s words. "Something is coming... something that will break you. But don’t be afraid—it was meant to be."

This was what she meant.

It was Olivia.

I buried my face in my hands. "Why... why didn’t you tell us? Why keep this a secret?"

Father exhaled slowly. "Because it wasn’t my place. Parker told me Olivia’s story in confidence. But when I discovered the truth... when I realized she was part of our bloodline, I knew things had to end between you."

I looked up at him sharply. "So you forged letters and destroyed her life instead?"

"She’s family, Lennox!" Father snapped suddenly, the calm in his voice breaking for the first time. "You were falling for her. All of you were. It wasn’t right."

"You could’ve told us the truth!" Levi shouted.

"And what would you have done?" Father shot back. "Would you have believed me? Or would you have loved her anyway? And besides, I knew none of you would have left her."

"We would have had the right to know!" I roared.

Father looked at me, pain flashing in his eyes. "Maybe. But I wasn’t willing to take that risk. So yes, we forged the letters. We gave them to the guards to pass on. I acted as if I believed Parker had stolen from the pack, though I didn’t. But I needed Olivia to be cast down. I needed her to become someone you wouldn’t look at again."

My stomach churned.

"So you turned her into an omega," I muttered bitterly. "Just so we’d reject her."

"Just so you’d forget her," Mother added softly. "We didn’t know the letters would be spelled. We only wanted her to leave you. We never wanted her dead."

Father ran a hand through his hair, looking more exhausted than I’d ever seen him. His voice lowered.

"The plan was working," he said, as if trying to convince himself more than us. "You hated her. She had no place in your hearts anymore. She was an omega, disgraced, avoided by everyone. And you... you were slowly moving on."

Mother nodded faintly. "You were getting closer to Anita. We thought... maybe you’d finally forget Olivia."

But the moment she said it, something snapped inside me.

Forget her?

They wanted us to erase Olivia like she was nothing. Like she hadn’t been our whole damn world at one point.

Father continued before I could speak. "Then the Moon Goddess... decided to bind you to her. All three of you."

He looked at each of us, his eyes dark. "Your mate. Your blood. The same girl we fought so hard to push away from you three."

Louis cursed under his breath and turned away, shaking.

his fists, his jaw

just stood there.

went on, "we knew we couldn’t stop it anymore. But we

voice broke slightly. "So I did what I had to

He sighed.

forced you to

was pained... Goodness, I was. I knew what I was asking you to do. Marking her meant sealing the bond forever. But if you didn’t... if you refused... the council would ask questions. The Moon

she was related to us," I said hoarsely, "and you

reject his mate—it would have raised alarms. Questions. And if the truth of her parentage came out, there would be consequences for everyone. For you. For the pack. For her. So

silence fell

I couldn’t breathe.

over, fought for,

Our distant cousin.

made me want to

as the weight of the truth settled on my shoulders like a boulder, the love

hated myself for it. But it was

this ache... this invisible string that tied me to her.

same. Maybe not. But one thing echoed painfully in my chest—Father was

told us the truth

would have loved her

have

far gone we

voice hoarse. "Who are her real

"That’s not my

like he’d break Father’s neck with his bare hands. "You made us hate her. And now

Parker I’d protect that part of her story.

I growled.

a whisper. "He’s right. It’s not our story

and shook my head, pain swelling in

turned her into a ghost in her own home. And now you want to act noble? Now you want

Neither of them answered.

time in my life, I felt nothing but

never be forgiven for this,"

Not for the letters.

for making us

for forcing us to destroy her with our

Neither of them spoke.

to defend their

throne room, not looking back. I didn’t want to hear another word.

carried me blindly through the hallways, my heart aching. I didn’t know where I was going—I

The library.

one ever came here anymore. It

how I needed it to

the rich scent of old books and polished wood wash over me. I walked slowly through the aisles, trying to breathe, trying to think, but nothing made

I wanted to scream.

windows. I thought

"Lennox?"

I froze.

and saw Rebecca at

gown, her long dark hair tumbling over her shoulders. But her eyes widened in surprise the moment she saw

whispered. "I didn’t know anyone would

Her gaze drifted

redness in

my fists were

was approaching something fragile. "Lennox... are

muttered, turning my face

a move to leave—quick, sharp steps—but she moved faster, blocking my path gently