Fated To Not Just One, But Three

Chapter 276: The Decision

Levi’s POV

The moment Olivia disappeared into the air, Lennox released a growl so loud, it shook the walls.

"NO!" he bellowed, lunging forward as if he could tear through space to follow her. But it was too late—she was gone.

His fists slammed into the wall. His chest heaved, muscles bulging, veins rising under his skin as he snarled like a wild beast cornered and wounded.

"Lennox—" I reached out, cautiously.

"DON’T!" he snapped, spinning toward me, his eyes glowing a bright, deadly green. "You took her from me!"

Louis stepped forward, calm but firm. "We saved her, brother. You were losing control."

"She wanted me!" he snarled, his voice feral and guttural. "I could smell it. I could feel it. She is mine—mine!"

"She’s not just yours," I growled, stepping between him and Louis. "She’s ours. And if you had touched her like that while you weren’t yourself, do you think she would have forgiven you? You could have hurt her."

Lennox’s jaw tightened. His nostrils flared. He looked like he wanted to kill me. I thought he would attack me, but surprisingly he didn’t. But instead, he turned and violently kicked a stool aside, facing the wall.

Louis and I exchanged worried gazes as we watched him, waiting for his next line of action. But then I nodded—his once-trembling body was no longer trembling. It looked relaxed.

Slowly, he turned around, and this time there was no longer fury in his eyes—I saw something else. Pain. Shame.

His breathing slowed slightly. His shoulders slumped, just a bit.

"Damn it! What have I done?" he murmured regretfully, his eyes filled with guilt.

"I didn’t mean to hurt her," he whispered hoarsely. "I just... I couldn’t stop. The scent of her, the sound of her voice, her taste—Goddess, Levi, I’m losing it. Every day, it gets harder."

I nodded slowly, understanding all too well. "That’s the mate bond, Lennox. It’s driving us. But if we give in when we’re not in control... we’ll destroy her. And ourselves."

Lennox dropped to his knees beside the shattered bed, his fists clenched against the broken frame.

"I wanted to worship her," he murmured. "But I nearly—fuck. I nearly ruined everything."

Louis walked over, kneeling beside him. He placed a hand on Lennox’s back. "She’ll come back," he said softly. "But only if she knows she’s safe with us. You need to get yourself in check."

Lennox’s head dropped forward, sweat dripping from his hairline.

"I need her, Louis... I need her more than I need air."

"We all do," I said. "But if we don’t find balance, this desire will destroy us."

He looked up at me, his eyes still glowing, but wet with unshed tears.

"Where is she now?" noveldrama

"She should be back in the Nightshade Pack," Louis replied. "I can feel her aura. She’s scared. Still aroused, but scared."

Lennox winced like the words physically hurt.

"I have to talk to her."

"No," I said firmly. "Not like this. You’ll scare her even more. Go cool off. Shift. Run. Scream into the forest. Just don’t communicate with her until you’ve locked your wolf back down."

"I—" His voice cracked. "I don’t know if I can."

"You have to," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Because if you don’t... she’ll never trust you again."

Lennox shut his eyes, breathing heavily, then nodded.

"I’ll go," he whispered, rising to his feet. "But tell her..." His voice broke again. "Tell her I’m sorry. Tell her I’ll never lose control like that again."

He turned and walked toward the door, his body trembling from the aftermath—the shame.

Louis looked at me, his face unreadable. "You think he’ll be okay?"

I stared at the cracked bed, the sheets tangled with Olivia’s scent, the wild energy still lingering in the air.

"I don’t know," I admitted. "Tonight it was Lennox... next time it might be me. Or you, Louis."

Louis looked worried too. He understood what I meant.

It wasn’t easy—Goddess, it was torture.

To have our mate this close.

And still hold ourselves back.

Especially for Alphas like us. Born to claim. Built to dominate. Designed to mark, take, and make her ours.

But we hadn’t.

We couldn’t.

Louis ran a hand over his face, finally meeting my gaze.

"I know what you’re saying," he murmured, voice rough. "It’s not just Lennox. We’ve all been on edge. Every time she breathes near me, my wolf wants to pin her down and make her ours."

I sighed and sat on the bed. A moment of silence hung in the air before Louis spoke.

"We should come to a decision," Louis said out loud, and I moved my attention toward him.

"Olivia is still confused... so many things are going on right now, so I think it’s best we don’t engage in any sexual activities. That way, we won’t lose control," he suggested.

My wolf let out a disapproving growl inside me, but I ignored him and nodded in agreement.

"Good... I’ll speak to Lennox about it. I believe he will agree."

A long silence passed between us, broken only by the wind rustling outside the cracked window.

"Where’s Lennox now?" Louis asked.

I extended my senses, searching for the flicker of his presence.

"Heading toward the northern woods," I replied. "He’s shifting. I can feel it."

"Good," Louis muttered. "He needs to run."

Louis got up to his feet. "It’s late... see you tomorrow."

I nodded and watched him leave.

After Louis left, I remained seated on the edge of the bed, staring at the chaos left behind. Olivia’s scent lingering in the air made my wolf restless. Hungry. But I forced him back, swallowing the burn of desire in my throat. I couldn’t risk losing control, not like Lennox had.

Minutes turned into an hour. Then two.

Eventually, I stood and made my way to Lennox’s room.

I didn’t know why exactly.

Maybe to be close. Maybe to make sure he came back. Maybe because I needed to see with my own eyes that he was still Lennox and not the creature that had tried to take Olivia in a haze of wild, uncontrolled desire.

I opened the door slowly. The room was dark, quiet.

Empty.

So I walked in.

I sat down on the small couch near the window and leaned back, resting my head against the frame. I stared out at the trees, listening for the faintest echo of paws against soil.

I waited.

And waited.

The stars shifted in the sky, and eventually I dozed off—only to jolt awake when I felt it.

Lennox. Powerful, heavy presence.

The door creaked open, and Lennox stepped inside, drenched in sweat, his chest bare, his breathing low and steady like someone who’d been to hell and back and just barely made it out.

He paused when he saw me.

"I figured you’d be here," he said, his voice rough, but calm.

I stood slowly. "You okay?"

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he walked to the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face from the sink, and stared at his reflection like he didn’t recognize himself.

Then, quietly, he said, "I ran until my legs gave out. Then I shifted. Then I ran some more."

I nodded. "That’s good."

"I saw her," he added, voice quiet. "In my head. Over and over. The way she looked at me before she vanished. She was scared, Levi. Of me."

He turned back around, his eyes no longer glowing but raw with emotion.

"I hate myself for that."

"You didn’t hurt her," I reminded him. "You stopped. And that counts for something."

"No," he said. "You two stopped me. That’s the difference."

A silence settled between us again.

Then he walked past me and sat heavily on the couch. He rubbed his face with his hands and groaned.

"This bond... it’s messing with us. I can’t even think straight when she’s near."

I sat down beside him.

"That’s why Louis and I talked," I said. "We’re going to set boundaries. No more kisses. No serious physical contact until she’s sure she wants it."

His head lifted. "You’re serious?"

I nodded. "Dead serious. Until she’s ready, we don’t push. And if she is ready, then we still make sure we are too. We won’t hurt her. Not even by accident."

Lennox stared at the wall, his jaw clenched.

And then—finally—he nodded.

"Alright," he said. "That’s fair."

He exhaled long and deep, like the weight had finally started to lift.

"I’ll talk to her," he added.

"Not tonight," I warned. "Let her rest. She should be asleep by now."

He closed his eyes for a moment. Then opened them again.

"Tomorrow morning then."

I gave him a light pat on the back and stood. "Good. Get some rest, brother."

As I turned to leave, he called after me.

"Levi."

I paused.

"Thanks. For stopping me. For not letting me become a monster."

I didn’t say anything at first.

Then quietly, I said, "You’re not a monster, Lennox. You’re a mate who’s hurting."