Lennox and Louis arrived quickly, and the moment Olivia saw Lennox, she didn't waste a second.
"I need to speak with my husband. Now!" she said firmly, her voice cracking but leaving no room for argument.
I exchanged glances with my brothers. Lennox, without a word, pulled out his phone and dialed Gabriel's number. He put it on loudspeaker and handed it to Olivia. She snatched the phone like it was the only thing holding her together.
The phone rang a few times, and then we heard that familiar, irritating voice.
"Hello?" Gabriel answered casually.
"Gabriel… honey… you have to come get me," Olivia cried out. "The full moon is in three days… I'll go into heat. Please… I don't want to be here when it happens."
Her voice shook with fear, and I clenched my jaw, barely holding in the growl rising in my throat. My fists tightened at my sides.
Gabriel's tone changed, becoming soft and sweet. "Olivia, baby… calm down, alright? I'm aware," he said gently. "The war is over. We've won. I've just been cleaning up the pack and setting things right again."
I blinked, frowning deeply. What?
I looked at Lennox and Louis—both of them were frowning too. Why would he say that? The plan was for him to keep lying, to keep pretending the war was still going. That was how we were keeping her here without her panicking.
But Gabriel just shattered that lie in one sentence.
Olivia let out a breath. "Then come get me," she begged softly. "Please, Gabriel… I'm scared. I don't want to go through this alone. I need you."
"I know, baby," he cooed. "And I promise, I'll come get you before the full moon. Just give me a little more time, alright? I miss you like crazy."
"I miss you too," Olivia whispered, clutching the phone to her chest for a moment.
I looked away, my jaw clenched. Hearing her say that to him broke my heart.
"Just hold on for me," Gabriel continued. "Soon, we'll be together again. I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered back.
The call ended, and she held the phone tightly, tears pooling in her eyes—not of sadness, but of hope of meeting him again.
I turned to my brothers, my angry voice vibrating through the mind-link. "Why the hell did he say the war is over?"
"I don't know," Louis replied. "But we need to figure this out."
Lennox gently reached for the phone, and Olivia handed it to him with trembling fingers. Her gaze was distant, her thoughts clearly still on Gabriel. For a second, none of us said anything. The air was heavy and tense.
Then she suddenly looked up at us, her expression shifting from dreamy hopefulness to anxious worry.
"Have any of you ever been with a woman… during her heat?" she asked nervously, her eyes darting between us.
I blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
Louis sighed quietly, already sensing trouble.
"This will be my first heat with Gabriel," she continued, her fingers twisting the blanket in her lap. "I've never gone through it before, and I'm freaking out. What if I do something weird? Or say something stupid? What if I hurt him or—oh my God, what if I bite him?"
I blinked slowly, trying to keep my face neutral, but I could feel my eyebrow twitch.
"I mean, you three are men," she kept going, ignoring how each word hurt us. "You're his friends. You must have talked about heat cycles, right? What do guys want? Is there a position that works better? Should I act more submissive or just—let it happen?"
Louis coughed hard and looked away.
Lennox's face turned red, like someone had slapped him.
I was ready to explode.
"Do you think he prefers clingy? Or like… teasing? Should I shower right before it hits or wait until he—"
"Olivia," I snapped, my voice a low growl. "Do you have to say all of this?"
She nodded. "I'm just curious, I don't know how long it'll last! Is it like… hours? Days? Does it hurt? Will I scream? Should I gag myself or something so Gabriel doesn't hear me moaning too loud?"
I saw Louis flinch like someone had thrown boiling water on him.
"I mean—what if I get really needy? Should I just like… throw myself at him? Or will he think that's too much? Do guys like it when girls are desperate? Does Gabriel like when a girl begs or should I be quiet and classy about it?"
Lennox growled, holding down his emotions. It was a miracle that he hasn't lost control yet.
"And—oh Goddess—should I shave everything? Like everything everything? What if he likes it natural? Or waxed? I haven't done this before, and I don't want to mess up our bond!"
I groaned and dragged a hand down my face.
"Also—do I sleep naked? Should I leave the door open when the heat starts? Maybe wear his T-shirt with nothing underneath? That's what they do in movies, right? And—oh wait, how do I know when the heat really hits? Will I smell different? Will he smell different? Will I just suddenly want to pounce on him like a wild animal?!"
"I CAN'T DO THIS!" I shouted, practically trembling with rage. "I am not your damn heat coach!"
"Do I look like someone who wants to hear about how wet you're going to be for Gabriel?!" I barked, and her mouth snapped shut, her eyes wide. "You've said more in five minutes than I've ever wanted to know in my entire life! You're literally asking three grown men to coach you through your first mating session—ARE YOU INSANE?!"
Her lower lip wobbled like she might cry.
She looked startled. "I just… I thought you could help me. Gabriel's your friend! Maybe he told you what he likes during—"
"ENOUGH!" I roared, stepping forward before I forced myself to stop.
The room went dead silent.
"You think I want to hear how my friend is going to screw you stupid while you're begging on your knees? You think I enjoy picturing the two of you tangled in sheets while you go into heat for the first time?"
Her lips parted, shocked.
I shook my head, laughing bitterly.
"You know what? Ask him those damn questions. Since you're so eager to throw yourself at him the second he shows up."
"No." I turned to the door, heart pounding. "I can't listen to this anymore. I swear to the Goddess, if I stay here one more second, I'll say something I can't take back."
I stormed out, not bothering to shut the door.
And still, I heard her voice as she continued asking my brothers, "Should I wear lace or silk? Do you think he likes red?"