Louis’ POV

Instead of heading to the training grounds as I should have, I went to Anita’s room. Not because I wanted to; hell, I’d rather claw my own eyes out than see her again. But I had a task—a necessary one. I had to interrogate her. To find out if she was really pregnant… and whether those babies could be ours. But beneath the anger, I was worried.

Anita would never risk cheating on us. She wasn’t that stupid. So if she was truly pregnant… there was a chance the babies were ours. My wolf growled in frustration. I sighed and pushed open her unlocked door.

I stepped inside and saw Anita seated at her dresser, her two maids fussing over her like she was some queen. My frown deepened. They all froze when they saw me—shocked, clearly not expecting my presence. I narrowed my eyes at the maids.

“How dare you,” I snapped, my voice cold and sharp. “How dare you dress her like royalty?” Their hands dropped instantly from her hair, their eyes widening.

“She’s nothing but a concubine,” I said harshly, glaring at Anita. “And she’s been stripped of even that title. She no longer holds any position in this house.” The room fell silent. One maid looked like she wanted to speak but thought better of it.

I stepped further into the room, my voice loud and authoritative. “She’s not to be pampered. She’s not to be served. From now on, no one in this house is to wait on her. Is that clear?” Both maids nodded quickly.

“Now, leave us,” I ordered. They bowed and rushed out, silent. It was just me and Anita. She stood slowly, looking pale but trying to maintain her composure.

“Why are you here, Alpha Louis?” she asked, a little panicked. I didn’t respond. I just looked at her belly. It was flat. No visible bump. I narrowed my gaze, studying her with suspicion.

“How far along are you again?” I asked, my voice tight. Anita’s lips curved slightly, pride flashing in her eyes. “Almost three months.” Three months.

I frowned, still staring at her stomach. I felt nothing. No instinct. No pull. My wolf was silent. No connection. No bond. Just a void where fatherly instinct should be.

“You don’t look pregnant,” I muttered. As if reading my thoughts, she folded her arms and said softly, “The healers said my baby bump will start showing by the fourth month.”

I looked at her, my expression hard. “How can you be pregnant?” I asked sharply. “You were on heat. You shouldn’t have been on heat if you were already pregnant.” She blinked, then looked away.

“I was never on heat,” she said quietly. “I faked it.” My frown deepened. “What?” I growled.

She finally looked up, meeting my eyes. “I just… I wanted you all to touch me again. I wanted all of you to want me. So I pretended. I acted like I was in heat, like I needed you.”

I took a step back, fury and disbelief warring in my chest. “Why am I not surprised.” She lifted her chin. “I was just… horny. Lonely. Desperate. I thought if I could be close to you again, you’d love me like before. If you touched me, maybe you’d remember.”

I stared at her, disgusted. “How the hell did my brothers and I end up with a bitch like you?” I spat, my voice full of anger and hate. Anita flinched, but I didn’t care.

“Years ago,” I said coldly, “you were always following Olivia around like a damn shadow. Wherever she went, there you were. Clinging to her, copying her, smiling like a fool every time one of us looked your way.” I stepped closer, fury bubbling in my chest.

“If we ever wanted you, Anita, we would’ve said something. We’re Alphas-to-be. We get what we want. But none of us did. Not once. You know why?” She stayed quiet, her mouth trembling.

“Because you were irritating,” I said bluntly. “You were always too loud. Too fake. Too desperate. Everything about you rubbed us the wrong way.” I eyed her with hate.

“We asked Olivia to stop bringing you to the pack house because we couldn’t stand it anymore. Your presence made us uncomfortable. We didn’t like you then, and we sure as hell don’t like you now.”

She looked like she was trying to hold back tears, but I didn’t stop. “You fooled yourself into thinking we’d love you. That we’d see you as more than a mistake. But here’s the truth—you were never even close to being what Olivia was to us. Never.”

My voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “You were a mistake. Just bait we used for our stupid revenge on Olivia.” I stared at her a moment longer, then said darkly, “You know, I used to wonder why you hated Olivia so much. I thought maybe she hurt you somehow. But now I see it clearly.”

I shook my head, the realization sinking in. “She did nothing. You were just jealous. That’s all it ever was. You hated her because she had what you never could.”

I turned my back, disgusted. “Enjoy the little time you have left—because you will pay dearly for selling Olivia to human traffickers,” I spat, the words a promise. “And if you’re lying about that pregnancy too… the fallout will be worse than anything you’ve ever imagined.”

I started walking toward the door, paused, scanning her lavish room with anger. “You don’t deserve this place. Pack your things. You’re being moved to the servants’ quarters.” And with that, I walked out, slamming the door.

Leaving her room, I headed toward the combat ground—if not to train, then at least to check on the warriors. I needed a distraction. Something to keep my thoughts from spiraling.

When I got there, I saw Lennox and Levi near the training circle. They seemed deep in conversation, but turned to me as I approached. I let out a tired sigh, running a hand through my hair.

Lennox raised a brow. “Any news?” I grunted. “Anita said she was never on heat. That she faked it just to get us to touch her again.” My jaw clenched. “And I don’t feel any connection to the babies yet. My wolf is quiet.”

Levi exhaled slowly. “The pregnancy is still early,” he said. “We won’t feel the connection until the fourth month. That’s when our wolves start to react—if they’re ours.”

I frowned. “Why don’t we just do a blood test? That would give us a direct answer.” But before I could finish, Lennox cut in sharply. “No.”

Levi nodded. “We can’t risk it, Louis. Not yet.” “Why the hell not?” I asked, my voice rising. “It’s a simple test. We could know for sure.”

“It’s not just about the results,” Lennox replied, calm but firm. “I don’t trust anyone anymore. If the test is tampered with, we’ll be neck-deep in trouble. And you know damn well Anita is desperate enough to make that happen.”

I bit my cheek, pacing. They were right, even if I hated it. The best way to know was through our wolves. “So what?” I snapped. “We wait and do nothing?”

Lennox shook his head. “No. We watch. We prepare. If the bond kicks in at four months, we’ll know.” I stopped pacing and looked between them.

“And what if it does? What if we wake up one morning and our wolves recognize the pregnancy? What if those babies are really ours?” My voice dropped, heavy with frustration. “Then what the hell are we supposed to do?”

The question hung in the air. Levi looked away, his jaw tight. Lennox didn’t answer immediately. I clenched my fists. “Olivia will never want to be with us!”

Lennox’s expression darkened. “If those babies are ours…” he said slowly, “we protect them. They are our blood.”

“Exactly,” Levi agreed. “The moment our wolves recognize them as ours, they become pack—our blood. That means we keep them safe. But regardless of that, we are not losing Olivia.”

“I wish we never did it that day,” I said, feeling regret. “Me too,” they echoed. I stared toward the training field, feeling the storm in my chest worsen.

Because deep down, I knew… if the bond confirmed it—if those babies really were ours… then things were about to get a hell of a lot more complicated.

I was about to speak when I noticed Damien strolling through the combat ground, but he wasn’t alone. With him was Olivia.