Olivia's POV
I didn't even know what had gotten into me.
The moment the words left my mouth, I felt it.
That sharp twist in my chest.
That old, ugly feeling I thought I had buried years ago.
Aurora.
I knew her.
Everyone did.
She wasn't just any woman.
She was more like a sister to the triplets. Especially to Lennox.
And that was the problem.
I stayed quiet at the table, my eyes lowering to my plate, but my mind was racing. I could feel Lennox's anger burning across from me, but I couldn't stop myself. The jealousy was already there, crawling through my veins like it used to when we were younger.
Back then, whenever Aurora visited, everything changed.
She would stay for weeks sometimes.
And those weeks were always the worst for me.
Because suddenly, I wasn't the center of their world anymore.
They laughed with her more.
Listened to her more.
Protected her like she was fragile glass.
Especially Lennox.
I remembered it so clearly it hurt.
I had been younger. Angry. Insecure.
One night, I couldn't take it anymore.
I had looked straight at Lennox and asked,
"You seem to like Aurora a lot. Are you going to marry her?"
He had laughed. Not angrily. Just surprised.
"What?" he said. "No. Never. Aurora is my sister."
He had pulled me close and kissed my forehead like it was the most ridiculous question in the world.
But even then…
I hadn't been reassured.
Because words were easy.
But feelings were louder.
And now, years later, sitting across from Aurora again, watching Lennox fill her plate, watching the way his voice softened when he spoke to her…
That same fear came rushing back.
Only this time, it hurt more.
Because we were already broken.
Already on a break.
Already falling apart.
And suddenly, I wasn't just scared of losing attention.
I was scared of losing them.
I lifted my eyes slowly and met Aurora's confused gaze.
I hated myself for it.
Hated that jealousy still had this much power over me.
But I couldn't take the words back.
Lennox spoke sharply.
"Ignore her. She's just joking."
I didn't answer.
But I felt it.
Aurora's eyes on me.
Then she spoke softly, "Olivia… can we talk for a minute?"
Lennox reacted instantly.
"No."
His voice was firm. Protective. Almost angry.
"Please," Aurora said, turning to him. "We need to talk."
Then she looked back at me.
I hesitated. Every part of me wanted to refuse. To stay right there and pretend I hadn't just made everything worse.
But I stood up anyway.
"Fine," I said quietly.
We walked out of the dining hall together. I could feel Lennox's stare burning into my back, but neither of us stopped.
The garden was quiet. Moonlight spilled over the flowers and stone paths. The night air was cool against my skin.
Aurora stopped walking.
Then she slowly turned to face me.
She didn't look angry.
She didn't look defensive.
She looked… tired.
Like someone who had carried too much for too long.
"I know you never liked me," she said gently.
The words landed softly, but they still hit hard.
My chest tightened. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
"I understand why," she continued calmly. "You always thought I would take the triplets from you. That I would steal their attention. Their love."
I looked away, my fingers curling into my palms.
She gave a small, sad smile. "You don't have to deny it. I knew even back then."
My heart dropped into my stomach.
"I saw the little things," Aurora went on quietly. "The way you would suddenly feel sick when I arrived. The way you'd act weak or tired so they would rush to you first."
I closed my eyes.
"The way you'd pull Lennox aside," she continued, her voice steady, "or Levi… or Louis. Just so you wouldn't have to share them. Just so you could remind yourself you were still the center."
Shame burned through me.
"I knew all of it," she said softly. "Every trick. Every move."
I swallowed hard, my throat aching.
"I just didn't care."
I snapped my head up, staring at her in shock.
She placed a hand over her chest, her voice turning even gentler.
"Because to me," she said, "they were never men I wanted."
She looked past me for a moment, toward the pack house.
"They were my brothers," she finished. "Always."
Her words sank deep.
"I never competed with you," Aurora added quietly. "Not when we were young. Not now. I never saw them the way you feared I did."
She met my eyes again, steady and honest.
"I loved them," she said, "but not like that. I protected them. I worried about them. I cared for them the way family does."
My chest felt tight, like something was slowly cracking open.
"You were never being replaced, Olivia," she said softly. "You just didn't believe you were enough on your own."
Silence fell between us.
"Please stop assuming things in your head," she said gently. "I'm not here to take your men. I never was."
She stepped closer, her voice lowering.
"And as their sister," she added, "I'm begging you… please stop hurting them."
My throat burned.
"They love you," Aurora said. "Deeply. All three of them. And watching you push them away, watching them break because they don't know how to reach you anymore… it hurts them more than you realize."
Tears stung my eyes.
"I don't want to replace you," she finished quietly. "I just want peace in this house. And I want the people I love to stop bleeding."
I stood there, frozen.
Silence fell between us.
Then she took a slow breath.
"And when I get back on my feet," Aurora added quietly, "I'll leave."
I frowned, startled.
"I won't stay longer than I have to," she continued. "I never planned to. This is just a place to heal. Not to settle. Not to interfere."
Her voice was firm now, like she was passing an important message to me.
"I won't stand between you and them," she said. "I never have. I never will."
She looked at me one last time.
"All I ask," she said softly, "is that you stop fighting ghosts that were never real. I am not your enemy or your competitor, so please stop making me one."
Then she turned and walked back toward the house, leaving me standing there, feeling foolish.