Fated To Not Just One, But Three

Chapter 495: The Mate He Is Refusing

Calvin’s POV

FOUR YEARS BACK

The morning had been peaceful until I looked up from my plate.

Nora was standing across the table, holding a tray, serving breakfast like a maid. The sight made something inside me snap. My wolf growled low in my head, his anger rising just as sharply as mine. She was more like a friend to Olivia, so why was she serving us breakfast?

My chair scraped the floor as I stood. "Who asked you to serve breakfast?"

Every eye at the table turned toward me. Nora froze mid-motion, her hands trembling slightly as she held the jug of milk.

"I—"

"You are not a maid," I cut her off sharply, my voice dropping low, commanding. "You’re a guest in this house. Know your place. Get out."

The silence that followed was heavy. Even Mother paused mid-bite, her eyes flicking from me to Nora with quiet suspicion.

Nora looked at me—no, through me—with those soft hazel eyes that had haunted my dreams for months. I could see the flicker of hurt behind her calm expression, but she bowed slightly and turned to leave without a word.

The moment she disappeared through the door, I realized my hands were shaking.

Mother’s tone was gentle but probing. "Calvin," she said, her brow arching slightly. "That was rather harsh. What exactly did that girl do to make you so angry?"

I clenched my jaw. I didn’t answer. How could I tell her that every time I saw Nora, my pulse quickened—that every night, I dreamt of touching her, kissing her, claiming her? That the reason I was angry wasn’t because she was serving us but because her presence rattled me.

My wolf scoffed inside me. "All this is on you. You’re the one refusing the bond."

"Shut up," I muttered under my breath.

He growled back. "You think ignoring it will make it go away? She’s your mate, Calvin. You can smell her in your soul."

I shut my eyes, forcing a deep breath, trying to drown the voice. But even then, her scent lingered—sweet jasmine with a hint of rain. It pulled at something primal inside me.

Mother was still watching. "You seem... unsettled," she observed softly. "Is there something I should know about this girl?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, Mother. Nothing."

But she didn’t look convinced. Her lips curved slightly, the way they always did when she sensed I was hiding something.

I grabbed my cup, downed the rest of my drink, and rose from the table. "If you’ll excuse me, I have things to attend to."

As I left the dining room, my wolf continued. "You can lie to her, to yourself, to everyone... but you can’t lie to me."

I stopped in the hallway, hands clenched. "I don’t want her," I hissed under my breath.

my mind. "Then why does her name make your

but deep down, I knew the

the morning, though every time I caught even a whiff of her scent, my wolf stirred restlessly inside me. I told myself it was better this way. It was better I kept my distance so I wouldn’t get my heart broken for the second time. I may have survived

peace

into my office, her face bright and a little too cheerful for my liking. "Alpha Calvin," she said, breathless but smiling. "Olivia sent word. She

hit me like a blow to the chest.

Leaving.

Tomorrow.

Nora... gone.

slowly, forcing my voice to stay even.

eagerly. "Yes. She said she’s pregnant!

Olivia being pregnant. In fact, that didn’t

this should have been good news. Out of sight meant

The thought of her leaving

pretending to shuffle through some papers. "When exactly

Lolita

Tomorrow. That soon.

through my head, amused and taunting. "So she’s really going.

But I wasn’t.

you guys can’t

Lolita blinked. "What?"

her, keeping my tone sharp and authoritative.

brows furrowed.

near the borders two nights ago. They’re still investigating.

Those were lies.

"But...

care what the message said," I cut in, my voice firm enough to make her flinch. "You’ll both stay a few more days.

clearly unsure whether to argue or obey. "Should I... tell

once, curtly. "Yes.

quickly, bowing before

shut, I exhaled slowly and leaned back in my chair, dragging

on the sound of her laugh, the way she tucked her

I muttered,

know what’s

I went over patrol reports, met with warriors, even sparred in the training yard, but nothing

I couldn’t sit still any

letting the cool twilight breeze hit my face. The compound was quiet, the last rays of sunlight bleeding into the horizon.

I

sitting under the maple tree near the fountain, a book in her hands, her legs folded neatly beneath her. She looked relaxed, completely at peace. That wasn’t

my attention

Nora were always together—inseparable. If you saw one, you’d see the other. But right

My brow furrowed.

I called, walking