Lennox's POV
I stood there, breathing hard, my hands shaking at my sides.
God, I wanted to hit them.
Both of them.
How dare they even think of giving Olivia away like that.
Like she was something to be passed around.
Like she wasn't their mate. Their Luna.
I clenched my fists tighter and forced myself to breathe.
Slow. Deep. Controlled.
"If you really love her," I said, my voice low but burning, "how can you even say those words?"
They both stared at me.
"How can you claim you love your mate," I went on, "and then talk about handing her to another man?" My chest ached as the words poured out. "How do you think your late brother would feel if he heard this?"
The room went still.
"How do you think Lennox would feel," I pressed, my voice shaking now, "knowing the people he trusted most were ready to give up on the woman he loved?"
Levi flinched.
Louis looked away.
"You think this is love?" I asked. "This isn't love. This is fear. This is desperation. And you're letting it turn you into men you're not."
I took another breath and steadied myself.
"Olivia is confused," I said more quietly. "Just like both of you are."
They looked back at me.
"You feel something when you look at me," I continued. "You feel your brother. His presence. His memory. And that's exactly what's happening to her."
Levi's eyes narrowed.
"She doesn't like me because I'm special," I said. "She likes me because I remind her of Lennox. The way I stand. The way I speak. The way I act."
My throat tightened.
"She's holding onto the feelings Lennox left behind," I said softly. "Not because she wants someone new—but because she hasn't healed yet."
Silence filled the room.
"I'll help," I said at last.
Levi looked up sharply. "You will?"
"Yes," I said. "But not like this. Not the way you're asking."
I shook my head.
"I won't touch her. I won't use her confusion to make things easier for you." My voice hardened. "I'll help you fix what's broken. I'll help you win her back—the right way."
Levi swallowed.
"You need to give her time," I said. "Space. Safety. You need to stop pulling and start listening."
Louis finally spoke. "Why should we trust you?" he asked quietly. "Why should we believe you won't take advantage of this?"
I met his gaze.
"Because you don't have a choice," I said simply. "And because if you keep going the way you are, you will lose her."
The truth hung heavy between us.
Louis stared at me for a long moment. Then he shook his head, ran a hand through his hair, and turned toward the door.
"I can't do this right now," he muttered.
He walked out, leaving the door closing softly behind him.
That left me alone with Levi.
Levi sank back into his chair, staring at the floor, looking smaller than I'd ever seen him.
For a moment, tense silence hung in the room.
Neither of us spoke.
The air felt thick, heavy with things left unsaid.
Slowly, I moved to the chair across from him and sat down.
I knew Levi.
If he kept all this inside, it would eat him alive.
And yet… how did I help him when I was only a guard in his eyes?
A stranger wearing another man's shadow.
I looked at him carefully.
"Is there something," I asked gently, "you need to get off your chest?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he reached for a cigarette.
Lit it.
Took a long drag.
Then another.
He poured himself a drink.
Drank it in one go.
Poured another.
Smoke filled the room.
The silence stretched.
I waited.
Finally, his voice came out low and rough.
"I miss him."
My heart clenched.
"I miss Lennox," Levi said. His hand shook as he held the glass. "Every damn day."
He laughed bitterly.
"You know what the sick part is?" he asked. "Sometimes I wish it was me who died. Not him."
The words hit like a blow.
"I don't even recognize myself anymore," he went on, staring into his drink. "The things I've done these past four years… the choices I made… I can't believe I became this person."
He swallowed hard.
"I don't deserve forgiveness."
My pulse raced.
Slowly, carefully, I asked, "What did you do?"
My heart was pounding.
Was he the one who wanted me dead?
He laughed again, hollow and broken.
"I lied," he said. "So many times."
He took another drink.
"When Olivia was unconscious… when Lennox was dying… I told her he wanted her to reject him."
His jaw clenched.
"That was a lie. Lennox never said that. It was my idea. Mine."
My chest tightened.
"I rejected her on his behalf," Levi continued. "I broke her heart and told myself it was for her own good."
He dragged a hand through his hair.
"And when Lennox was unconscious… I stopped anyone from seeing him for years. Olivia. Everyone."
I frowned. "Why?"
"Because I didn't want Olivia to see him like that," he said. "I didn't want her heart broken. That's what I told myself."
His voice cracked.
"But the truth? It was for my own selfish reason."
He shook his head slowly.
"I turned into a monster."
My breath caught.
"When Lennox came back," Levi said, his voice dropping, "instead of protecting him… I fought him. I made him feel useless. Like he didn't belong."
Tears filled his eyes now.
"And then he died."
He laughed softly, but it sounded like pain.
"Now that he's really gone, I finally see how terrible I've become."
He drank again.
More.
Too much.
"I can't even look at myself in the mirror," he whispered. "I don't know who that man is anymore."
Silence fell.
Then he spoke again, quieter.
"I wish he was here. I have so much to say to him. So many things I should have said before."
My chest felt like it was splitting open.
I leaned forward slightly.
"You can," I said softly.
He looked up at me, confused.
"For now," I continued, keeping my voice steady, "you can imagine I'm Lennox."
His breath hitched.
"Say it," I told him gently. "Whatever you need to say. Let it out."
Levi stared at me for a long moment.
Then his shoulders began to shake.