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.

clenched his fists, his

stood

stop it anymore. But we also couldn’t let the truth come

broke slightly. "So I did what

He sighed.

you

in disbelief. Father’s eyes shimmered—not with tears, but shame. "I 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 Priestesses would get involved. Bloodline investigations would

to us," I said hoarsely, "and you still made us mark

And if the truth of her parentage came out, there would be

suffocating silence

I couldn’t breathe.

had loved—obsessed over, fought for, hurt, and broken—was

Our distant cousin.

me want

yet... even as the weight of the truth settled on my shoulders

hated it. I hated myself for it. But

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

know about my brothers. Maybe they felt the same. Maybe not. But one thing echoed painfully

told us the truth back

have loved her

would have

how far gone

his voice hoarse. "Who

immediately. "That’s not my place to

Father’s neck with his bare hands. "You made us hate her.

that part of

now?" I growled. "After all

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

and shook my head,

made her feel unloved, unwanted... you turned her into a ghost in her own home. And now

Neither of them answered.

the first time in my

forgiven for this," I

Not for the letters.

for making us

for forcing us to destroy her with our

Neither of them spoke.

tried to defend

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

me blindly through the hallways, my heart aching. I didn’t know where I was going—I just needed to be alone. Somewhere no one would

The library.

came here anymore.

how I needed

open and stepped inside, letting the rich scent of old books and polished wood wash over

I wanted to scream.

into the farthest corner near the windows. I

"Lennox?"

I froze.

saw Rebecca at

white gown, her long dark hair tumbling over her shoulders. But her eyes widened

she whispered. "I didn’t know anyone would

her. Her gaze drifted over me slowly... and then

in

way my

was approaching

fine," I muttered, turning my

moved faster, blocking my path gently with her hand on my