Gabriel stood too, his hands raised in a small, apologetic gesture. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly, his voice full of regret. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Olivia. Really!”

I hesitated, swallowing the surge of conflicting emotions churning inside me. His voice sounded… sincere.

“If you want,” he said cautiously, like testing the waters, “I could show you around? This place can feel like a prison if you stay locked up in one room.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek, considering. Part of me wanted to crawl back to the Full Moon Pack, but another part of me wanted to stay here a little longer.

“Fine,” I muttered, crossing my arms again. “I’ll leave after that.”

Gabriel chuckled lowly. “As your lordship wishes,” he said with a wink, and I shyly looked away.

He led the way, walking beside me but keeping a respectful distance. First, he took me outside, down a wide path that opened into a sprawling, open field. The grass was trimmed low, and sturdy wooden dummies lined one side like silent sentinels.

“The combat grounds,” Gabriel said, waving a hand. “Where all the future warriors train.”

I nodded, impressed by the size. He then showed me the gardens, the training rooms, even a small armory tucked away in a stone building. Gabriel talked easily, filling the silence with light stories and funny facts about the place. I found myself listening despite myself, the heavy knot in my chest loosening a little.

If only one of them spoke this way to me, I thought suddenly, the image of three pairs of familiar eyes flashing through my mind—Lennox’s angry intensity, Louis’ teasing smirks, Levi’s guarded tenderness.

My wolf, silent until now, stirred suddenly inside me, her voice urgent and low. “They’re getting worried,” she said. “The triplets… they’re searching for you. I can feel it, Olivia.”

I stiffened mid-step. Gabriel noticed but said nothing.

“You should at least unblock them,” my wolf urged. “Let them know you’re safe.”

My throat tightened painfully. No. I wasn’t ready. Not after everything.

“I won’t,” I whispered to myself harshly, earning a concerned glance from Gabriel.

“Just tell them you’re fine,” my wolf pleaded. “They are so worried!”

What about my pain? I thought bitterly. Did anyone ever care about that?

I gritted my teeth and shoved the feelings down. Gabriel, sensing my shift in mood, slowed his pace, giving me space.

“Want to see the lake next?” he asked, his voice careful, like he didn’t want to spook me again.

I nodded stiffly, forcing my legs to move forward, trying to push any thought of them away. The walk to the lake was silent. At first, I thought it was a comfortable kind of silence—the kind that settled when two people had said all they needed to say. But after a few steps, I realized something was… off.

Gabriel’s expression had shifted. His shoulders were tense now, his jaw tight. He wasn’t relaxed like before. His eyes, usually sharp and focused on me, were glazed, distant.

He’s mind-linking someone, I realized instantly. I stopped walking. My heart kicked painfully against my ribs. Something was wrong. I could feel it.

Gabriel finally blinked and shook himself like he was shaking off water. He turned toward me, his expression serious now—so serious it made my stomach twist. He took a slow step closer, lowering his voice like he didn’t want anyone else to hear, even though we were alone.

“They know you’re here, Olivia,” he said grimly. “The triplets.”

My blood ran cold.

“They’re at the border right now,” Gabriel continued, his mouth a tight line. “My men are trying to hold them back, but…” He let out a breath, dragging a hand through his messy hair. “It’s not looking good.”

I swallowed hard, my legs suddenly feeling like they were made of lead.

“What do you mean… not looking good?” I managed to whisper.

Gabriel gave me a look that said he hated what he was about to say next. “They’re threatening to come back with hundreds of warriors if you don’t show yourself within the next ten minutes.”

The words slammed into me like a punch to the gut. Hundreds. Of warriors. For me. My mind reeled, trying to grasp the insanity of it all. They’re willing to start a damn war… for me?

My wolf whimpered low in my mind, hope flickering so violently it almost hurt. “They care, Olivia,” she whispered.

I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing hard, trying to shove the emotions back down into the broken, locked-up parts of myself. Gabriel shifted uncomfortably beside me, clearly waiting for an answer.

I looked at him. “I have to go back. Thank you for your time,” I said.

I tried walking away, my legs stiff and my heart hammering so loud it drowned out everything else. But Gabriel matched my pace easily, falling into step beside me without saying a word. His presence was quiet, steady. Like he didn’t want me to feel like I was facing this alone, even if, deep down, I knew I was.

The silence between us was different now—not tense, not awkward. Just heavy. When the towering border gates finally came into view, I saw them immediately. Lennox. Levi. Louis.

All three of them standing there like avenging gods, their bodies coiled tight with barely restrained fury, their auras so thick it was hard to breathe. Warriors behind them bristled with tension, ready to move on a single command.

For a second, my feet faltered. God, they looked so furious…

Gabriel stopped with me, his gaze lingering on the triplets before shifting back to me. “I hope…” he started, then paused, his voice rougher than usual. “I hope we see each other again, Olivia.” He gave me a small, almost sad smile—the kind that didn’t quite reach his eyes—and for the first time, I realized something. He hadn’t just been helping me out of politeness. He genuinely liked me.

The thought twisted painfully in my chest.

“Thank you,” I whispered, meaning it more than I could explain.

Gabriel gave a single nod, then took a step back, giving me space to face what was waiting for me. I turned back toward the gates—and them.

Lennox’s eyes locked onto me first, and his entire body stiffened like he was barely holding himself back. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his nostrils flaring with barely contained rage. Louis was next, his jaw tight, his lips pressed into a harsh line. His usual playful smirk was gone—replaced by something raw, something feral. And Levi… Levi looked like he was barely breathing. His eyes, usually so guarded, were wide open, filled with a storm of emotion I couldn’t even begin to untangle.

None of them moved. For one stretched-out heartbeat, we just stared at each other across the distance, the space between us buzzing with tension. And then, like a snapped thread, all three of them moved forward at once.