Chapter 183: What Is Wrong With Me
Oliviaโs POV
His touch was almost unbearableโteasing, slow, driving me mad. My whole body ached with confusion. Shame. Desire. Regret.
But thenโ
A flash.
Leviโs face. Lifeless. Pale. The way heโd looked just hours ago, lying there unconscious. โYouโre still their wife.โ A voice which wasnโt that of my wolf echoed in my head.
My breath caught sharply in my throat.
No.
I couldnโt do this.
In that split second, while Damienโs guard was down, drunk on the momentโmy body jolted with speed. I twisted, yanked myself upright with everything I had left, and stood.
His eyes widened in surprise, hand still reaching for where I had just been.
I grabbed my gown, yanked it down, my fingers trembling as I fixed my underwear. My breath was ragged, my heart pounding like a drum.
โNo,โ I said, barely able to get the word out.
โOliviaโโ he started, his voice low, strained.
But I shook my head, taking a shaky step backward. โDonโt. Justโฆ donโt.โ
I didnโt wait for his response. I turned and rushed out of my room, my feet flying over the tiled floors. A few staff furrowed their brows as they glanced at me, but I didnโt care. I ran like I was trying to escape a storm.
Because maybe I was.
I didnโt stop until I reached the garden. Only then did I collapse onto the grass, burying my face in my hands. My whole body still burned from where he had touched me.
โDamn it! What is wrong with me!โ I groaned, angry at myself.
I pulled my hand from my face and stared up at the night sky. The stars blurred as unshed tears clung stubbornly to my lashes.
โWhat is wrong with meโฆโ I whispered againโthis time softer. Less angry. More confused.
My hands curled into the grass.
I closed my eyes, trying to calm the storm inside me.
โIโm just confusedโฆโ I said aloud, needing to hear the words. Maybe if I said it enough times, it would feel true.
โIโm confused,โ I repeated. โThatโs all. Thatโs why my body reacted. It didnโt mean anything.โ
But even as I said it, I didnโt believe it.
Because it had meant something. Not love, noโat least, I hoped not. But it wasnโt nothing either. It was the ache of loneliness. The pain of betrayal. The hunger of someone who hadnโt been touched gently.
That was the worst part. It wasnโt Damien I had wantedโit was the comfort. The illusion of being loved. Of being seen.
I pressed my fists to my eyes and let out a long, trembling breath.
I thought of them.
โIโm still their wife,โ I reminded myself, my voice barely a whisper now. โStill their mate.โ I wished that truth didnโt hurt.
And until the Council settles all of this mess, I wonโt let anybody touch me. Not because I care for them, but because of my own sanity. My own conscience.
I stayed in the garden a little longer, gathering what little strength I had.
Eventually, I rose and returned to my room. Alpha Damien was gone, but his scent still lingered in the air.
I locked the door and crawled straight into bed.
Lying beneath the blankets, I stared up at the ceiling.
The truth was, I didnโt know who I was anymore. Not since all of this began.
The triplets.
My mates.
Men I had grown to loveโฆ so deeply it scared me.
Lennox โfierce, impulsive, reckless. He made my blood boil and my heart race all in one breath.
Levi โgentle but sharp. Observant. Calculated. The one who always saw right through me. Who made me feel safe even when I didnโt want to be.
And Louis โฆ gods. Sweet, tortured Louis. The quiet one.
They were mine. My mates. And they broke me. They loved me. Hurt me. Gave me everything. Took everything away.
And I still cared for them.
No matter how much I wished I didnโt.
Then there was Gabriel.
The man I barely knewโbut who made my heart flutter every time he looked at me. Like I mattered.
He stared at me with the eyes of a man in love. When he smiled, my stomach twisted. When he spoke, I listened too closely. And when he offered to meet me at the borderโฆ Iโd said yes far too quickly. Just to see him.
I didnโt know what we were. Not yet. But something was starting. A tiny spark of desireโฆ maybe even love.
And thenโฆ
Damien.
Alpha Damien.
The tripletsโ uncle.
A man I should have never allowed that close.
Cold. Dangerous. Infuriating.
But gods โmysterious.
He didnโt say much. He didnโt have to. His presence was enough to stir something in me I didnโt want to name. Something dark. Forbidden. Exciting.
The way he touched meโฆ the way he looked at me. Not like the others. Not even like a woman he desired. Like a challenge. Like I was something wild he wanted to tame.
And I hated how much that thrilled me.
Maybe it was wrong. Maybe it was all just loneliness and confusion and a desperate need to feel like someoneโsโanyoneโsโchoice.
But that didnโt make it any less real.
I sighed and closed my eyes.
Five men.
Five different kinds of danger.
I forced myself to sleep, leaving everything in the hands of the moon goddess. Morning came. I hadnโt slept much. I spent the whole night tossing and turning.
Now, Nora and Lolita were in my room, helping me get ready for a pack meeting with the she-wolves. They moved around quietly, laying out clothes, brushing my hair, and setting out shoesโnever asking too many questions. Maybe they understood I wasnโt in the mood to chit-chat.
I sat in front of the mirror, my eyes tired, my heart still heavy from the night before.
Thenโa sharp knock at the door made all three of us turn.
Lolita moved to open it, and there he was.
Lennox.
Standing tall, dressed in black, his expression unreadable. He held a box in his hands. His eyes landed on me and softenedโjust a little.
โThereโs a function tonight,โ he said, walking in like he still owned the place. โAlpha Damienโs birthday. I assume you are attending.โ
He set the box down on the table beside me. โI and my brothers got this dress for you. Please, will you accept it.โ
I looked at the boxโฆ then up at him.
I frowned.
โOh, so now you remember to bring me a dress?โ I said, standing. โWhere was this energy when I needed one before? Rather, you showered it on Anita!โ
He opened his mouth, but before he could speakโ
The door opened again.
Alpha Damien stepped in.
He didnโt look at Lennox. Not even once.
His eyes went straight to me.
โI brought you a dress,โ he said simply, his voice deep and authoritative. โI hope youโll wear it tonight. For me.โ
My heart dropped. Two dresses. Two men. Both claiming me in their own ways. And I just stood there, caught between old vows and new sins.
Lennoxโs jaw clenched. โSheโs still my wife,โ he snapped, stepping forward. โAnd my brothers. You should be ashamed, Uncle Damien. What is this?โ He looked at the box Damien held. โYouโre really planning to steal her from us?โ
Damienโs face didnโt change.
Lennox kept going.
โIs that your plan?โ he growled. โTo snatch her awayโjust like Sofia was taken from you?โ