Lennox’s POV

I followed the maid into Anita’s chambers, finding a healer already attending to her. Confused, I moved closer, only to realize Anita seemed unconscious—which was strange. Just a few minutes ago, she was fine… having breakfast with us. So, what the hell happened all of a sudden?

The door pushed open, and my brothers walked in, both sharing the same look of confusion.

“What happened?” Louis asked as he approached Anita’s side.

The healer didn’t respond. Instead, she kept chanting incantations we couldn’t understand. My brothers and I exchanged confused glances but said nothing, choosing to let her work in silence.

After a long moment filled with murmured incantations, the healer finally stopped and turned to face us.

“Greetings, Alphas,” she greeted respectfully, bowing her head.

“What is wrong with her?” Levi asked immediately.

The healer bowed her head once more before rising to speak.

“She is suffering from an imbalance in her blood,” the healer said calmly, her tone heavy with concern. “A rare condition, one that weakens her body and drains her strength. It’s why she fainted.”

“Is it fatal?” Levi asked quickly, his eyes darting to Anita’s still form on the bed.

“No, Alpha,” the healer reassured us. “It has a cure. Through regular incantations, herbs, and healing rituals, she will fully recover. But it will take time. If she follows the regimen precisely, she should be completely healed within two months.”

A collective breath of relief passed between us, but the healer wasn’t finished.

“She needs rest… love… and attention,” the healer added, her eyes flicking between us with something akin to judgment. “Her condition was worsened not only by the imbalance in her blood—but by emotional neglect.”

My frown deepened.

“What do you mean?” I asked carefully, though a part of me already knew where this was going.

“She lost a child just weeks ago,” the healer said softly. “A baby that was growing inside her. A life. And yet… she grieved alone. None of you came to her. None comforted her.”

The room went still. Louis shifted uncomfortably, and Levi’s expression hardened, guilt settling into his features. I stayed quiet, staring at Anita.

“She bled for hours in her chamber,” the healer continued. “Silently. In pain. In sorrow. And no one cared enough to ask what was wrong. Not one of you Alphas.”

I clenched my fists. Not out of defensiveness—but because she was right. All of us had been so preoccupied with Olivia. None of us had thought of Anita’s suffering.

“She is your concubine,” the healer said firmly. “Not your wife, yes—but still a woman who has your marks.”

“Enough,” I growled quietly, more to myself than to her. The shame was already cutting deep. The healer bowed her head respectfully but continued.

“She needs care. From now on, you must show that she matters,” she spoke softly.

I nodded, jaw tight. “She will have everything she needs,” I said.

The healer nodded. “Let her rest. She’s exhausted. I’ll return in the evening with the herbs and to begin the first full Incantation. Until then, do not upset her.”

As she left the room, I stepped closer to Anita. I didn’t even know what to feel. Maybe I felt guilty. Maybe I felt terrible. Anita didn’t just lose a child—we all did. And none of us mourned that pup. I didn’t even think about it the way I should have.

Louis moved beside me.

“We messed up,” he said simply.

I didn’t respond. Because he was right.

A few months back, we thought we loved Anita. We wanted her. Hell, we were practically competing for who she’d love more. But then everything changed the moment we realized Olivia was our mate. The woman we once despised turned out to be fated for us—and that shattered everything we had with Anita. We’d been so caught up in Olivia and her problems that we completely neglected Anita.

“She shouldn’t be alone… we should be taking turns spending time with her at least,” Louis said.

“I’ll stay with her,” Levi offered. “She needs to wake up to someone by her side.”

Louis looked at him for a moment, then gave a short nod. “We’ll rotate. I’ll come after you tonight. Then Lennox in the morning.”

I didn’t argue. I turned toward the door. “I’ll tell the kitchen to send something up in case she wakes hungry,” I said, and then left the room.

In the hallway, I stopped a staff member and asked her to prepare a meal for Anita. Then, I headed back to my room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, my thoughts drifted—straight to Olivia and the heated moment we’d just shared.

I hated it. I hated how much I loved it. I loved slamming my lips against hers. I loved hearing her moans. Fuck, I loved the feel of my fingers inside her. And when she moaned my name? It was everything.

“Fuck!” I growled, covering my face with my palm.

This was a woman who destroyed me… she hurt me. How could I be thinking of her this way? My wolf stirred. “Perhaps you should have a talk with her… ask her why she hurt you,” my wolf suggested.

I dropped my hands from my face and stared blankly at the floor, jaw tight.

“No,” I muttered out loud. There was nothing to talk about. I didn’t need answers. I didn’t need her justifications. I didn’t need the pain to be dragged back to the surface all over again.

“She hurt me,” I whispered bitterly. “She broke me. Destroyed me. And now… now she walks around like nothing happened.”

I ran a hand through my hair and stood abruptly, pacing across the room like a caged animal. The memory of her moaning my name echoed again in my head, her fingers digging into my back, her soft whimpers—damn it. My body ached just thinking about it, but my chest burned with pain.

I wasn’t supposed to want her. Not anymore.

“I have nothing to discuss with Olivia,” I said harshly, speaking more to myself than anyone else. “I don’t want her explanations. I don’t want her guilt or apologies or whatever the fuck she has to say. I don’t want to open old wounds.”

My wolf was quiet, but I felt him silently judging—or maybe understanding.

I continued, “Olivia nearly made me hate my brothers. She almost destroyed my bond with them. I could’ve seen them as enemies if I wasn’t smart. Fuck! Olivia was a bitch.”

My wolf stirred but said nothing.

“I’ll focus on Anita,” I said aloud, grounding myself. “I once desired her. I wanted her. It won’t be hard to want her again.”

A mind link interrupted my thoughts.

“Alpha, Luma Olivia just left the mansion. She says she’s going into the woods to shift. Should we follow her?” a guard at the gate asked through the mind link.

I frowned, rising to my feet immediately. “Don’t,” I said, already heading for the door. No need for the guards to follow her. Not when I could do it myself—and catch her red-handed. Maybe she was sneaking off to meet her lover. And God help them if I catch them together because if I do…