Lennox's POV
Olivia looked hurt and worried by what Louis had said, and I completely understood her feelings.
"I'll go talk to him," I said.
She didn't say anything at all. She only nodded.
I pulled myself out of the water, grabbed my shirt, and left the pool area. I still didn't have my wolf, but my sense of smell was intact—sharp enough to guide me. At least I had that.
I found Louis in Levi's room.
They had clearly been talking, but the moment I walked in, the conversation died. The air went thick and heavy.
I sat on the edge of Levi's bed, the heavy silence of the room pressing against my chest. Louis was still staring out the window, his jaw tight enough to snap, while Levi leaned against the dresser, his arms crossed in a defensive posture.
"I'm not betraying anyone," I said finally, my voice rough. "And I'm not sneaking around behind your backs."
Louis let out a sharp, mocking laugh, finally turning to face me. "Really, Lennox? Because I just caught you kissing our mate in the pool while we were upstairs trying to figure out how to give her the 'space' you insisted she needed."
"You didn't 'catch' me, Louis," I countered, standing up to meet his gaze. "I wasn't hiding, and I sure as hell wasn't scared of being seen. If you want to talk about what's happening, let's talk. But stop with this pathetic narrative that I'm stealing her from you."
I took a step forward, looking at both of them. "This is exactly why our relationship went sour. This constant, simmering resentment because you think Olivia loves me more. You act like she's a prize I've rigged the game to win."
"Isn't she?" Levi muttered.
"No," I snapped. "If Olivia responds to me, it's not because of some unfair advantage. It's because even in the middle of a break, I am paying attention to the details. I study her. I know the exact moment she's about to break, and I know the exact shade of red her eyes get when she's been crying in secret. While you two are busy being 'respectful' or 'hurt,' I am putting in the effort."
Louis opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.
"You say she loves me more? Maybe she does right now. But that's not because I'm better—it's because I'm present. Look at tonight. We are supposed to be on a break, but I'm fighting for her. I'm in the kitchen burning cupcakes with her, I'm in the pool challenging her. Meanwhile, what have you two done? You've sat back and waited for her to come to you."
"We were following the rules!" Louis shouted.
"There are no rules when your family is falling apart!" I roared back. "You are her mates. She is supposed to feel bonded to you, to feel that pull in her soul, but you aren't even trying to trigger it. You're waiting for an invitation that she's too broken to send. You have to fight for her, Louis. You have to make her remember why she loves you too."
I shook my head, walking toward the door. "I cannot help you with this. I can't hand-deliver her heart to you on a silver platter. So stop saying she loves me more as an excuse for your own hesitation. If you want her back in that circle, stop standing on the outside looking in."
I paused at the handle, looking back at their stunned faces. "I love her. And I'm going to keep showing her that. If that makes you uncomfortable, then start showing her yourself."
I walked out, the adrenaline still coursing through me, leaving them to deal with the truth they had been avoiding for months.
The next morning, the dining room was suffused with morning light, but the atmosphere was as cold as a tomb.
I sat at the head of the table, my coffee gone cold in my hand. Olivia was seated to my right, picking at a plate of fruit. She looked exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes telling me she hadn't slept much more than I had. Across from her sat Aurora.
The change in Aurora was startling. She was quiet—subdued in a way that made my chest tighten with a flicker of guilt. She kept her head down, her movements small and hesitant, as if she were trying to make herself invisible. It seemed the "authoritative" talk from Levi and Louis last night had hit her harder than I intended. We had been harsh—perhaps too harsh—but the boundaries had to exist.
Levi and Louis entered the room together. They didn't look at me. They sat down in silence, the clink of silverware against porcelain the only sound in the room.
I felt Olivia's gaze on me. I looked up, and for a split second, our eyes locked. There was a world of unspoken questions in her sea-blue eyes—shame, longing, and a lingering spark of the fire from the pool. But as soon as the connection was made, she looked away, staring intensely at her coffee cup.
"Aurora," Louis said, his voice softer than usual, breaking the suffocating silence. "Would you like some more juice?"
Aurora flinched slightly before shaking her head. "No, thank you, Louis. I'm… I'm finished." She looked toward Olivia, a tentative, fearful glance. "I think I'll go for a walk in the gardens. In the common areas, like you said."
The reminder of the "rules" felt like a jagged blade in the room. Olivia's hand stilled over her plate.
"The boys will be down in a minute," Louis said, his voice flat as he looked at Olivia. He was trying to use the "effort" I had screamed about last night, but it felt forced, like he was reading from a script. "Since it's Sunday, I thought maybe we could take them to the lake today. All of us."
Olivia didn't look up. "I have a lot of work to catch up on, Louis. But you guys should go. It could be a sons-and-fathers bond."
The rejection was quiet, but it stung.
I could see Louis flinch in pain.