I looked at Olivia, whose breathing was normal, though she was still unconscious. The fact that she had tried to kill herself more than once was becoming alarming. Was she so desperate to die?
Today, we had almost lost her again. The mere thought of it was enough to drive me insane.
"I'll be back. I need to see Father," I muttered to my brothers before storming out of the room.
My wolf was still growling in pain at the thought of Olivia dying, and I groaned, simply making my way to Father. Sniffing the air, I caught a whiff of his scent and realized he was in his chambers.
Reaching his door, I knocked once.
"Come in," he called.
I entered to find him reclining in his chair, a glass of wine in hand. He had recently stepped down as Alpha, and for the first time in my life, he looked truly at ease.
"Lennox," Father greeted, his sharp gaze assessing me. He could already tell I was in no mood for pleasantries.
"Father, did you order the killing of Olivia's father?" I asked, going straight to the point.
Father sighed and set down the glass of wine in his hand, fixing me with a calm but wary look. "What brought this up all of a sudden?"
I clenched my fists, fighting to keep my voice respectful. "Olivia tried to kill herself again today. She almost bled out in front of us. The healer barely managed to save her."
His eyes narrowed slightly, but his expression remained stoic. "And what does that have to do with me?"
I growled, barely restraining my wolf. "She thinks we killed her father. That Louis, Levi, and I gave the order. But we just found out that you were the one who ordered his death. Is it true?"
Father leaned back in his chair, letting out a slow breath. "Yes."
The simple admission hit me like a punch to the gut, and I had to grip the edge of his desk to keep from lunging at him. "Why?" I demanded, my voice laced with anger. "Why the hell would you do that?"
He didn't flinch, didn't show even a shred of guilt. "Because he tried to escape."
"So?" I spat angrily. "He was your closest warrior, more like a friend to you. How could you order his killing?"
Father scoffed, picking up his wine again. "Sentiment doesn't rule a pack, Lennox. Strength does. He tried to escape jail. Letting him live would've made me look weak. You'll understand that one day."
My hands shook with barely controlled rage. "You didn't have to kill him. You could have punished him in some other way. Increased his sentence, made him work off his debt—anything but killing him. He didn't betray the pack or hurt anyone—he just stole. And because of that, Olivia is heartbroken."
Father eyed me, a sly smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're acting like you actually care about that girl. Last I checked, you and your brothers hated her. Treated her like dirt. So why the sudden change of heart?"
I froze, his words slicing through me like a blade. For a moment, I couldn't respond. The guilt clawed at me, choking me with memories of how we had treated Olivia. The pain we had caused her.
Father arched an eyebrow, clearly amused. "So what is it, Lennox? Feeling guilty? Or did you finally realize that you never stopped loving that girl?"
I stiffened. My frown deepened, but I couldn't deny it. He was right. I had never stopped loving Olivia.
Grunting angrily, I left his room and stormed back to Olivia's. My brothers were still there, along with her two personal maids.
I exchanged a brief glance with Louis and Levi before shifting my gaze back to Olivia.
My heart clenched painfully as I took in her pale face, still unconscious on the bed. The wound had been sealed, but her skin was still sickly pale, her breathing shallow. My wolf whimpered, pacing restlessly within me, desperate to see her open her eyes. I swallowed hard, the guilt gnawing at me from the inside.
I hated how things had turned out—how I had let my anger and bitterness consume me. Back then, she was my little sunshine, always trailing behind me with that wide, adoring smile. I was her hero, her protector. She used to look up at me like I could do no wrong, like I hung the moon just for her.
A memory hit me so suddenly that my heart clenched even more.
She couldn't have been more than eight years old, running around the garden with a crown of daisies she had made herself. I was thirteen then, training with Father, bruised and aching from a rough sparring session, but she didn't care. She darted right into the training ground, her tiny arms stretched wide as if to catch me.
"Lenny!" she had squealed, her black hair wild around her face. I couldn't help but smile as she crashed into my legs, barely making me budge. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel·fıre·net
"Careful, Liv," I warned, ruffling her hair. "What are you doing here?"
Her big, bright eyes looked up at me with pure adoration. "I made you a crown! 'Cause you're the strongest and bravest!" She lifted the daisy crown, tiptoeing to reach my head. I bent down, letting her place it there, feeling foolish but oddly proud.
Father had scoffed, muttering something about weak sentiment, but I didn't care. I had picked her up, swinging her in a circle just to hear her laugh. I had never forgotten how she had wrapped her arms around my neck, whispering, "You're my hero, Lenny. I want to be brave like you one day."
A shuddering breath left me as I looked at her now—so fragile and broken. I had become the exact opposite of what I had promised her that day. Instead of protecting her, I had been part of the reason she felt so helpless and alone.
"She'll be okay," Levi muttered, breaking me out of my thoughts. I glanced at him, noticing the worry etched into his features. Louis remained silent, his jaw clenched as he stared at Olivia's still form.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and we all turned toward it to see Anita barging in.