Olivia’s POV

The hall fell into complete silence as my words sank in. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to glance at the triplets seated across from me. All three stared back, their faces blank, but through the bond, I felt their pain—a suffocating agony.

Elder Grant cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “Lady Olivia, may you please explain why you wish to reject your mates? Remember, the mate bond is sacred—something we do not take lightly. If your reasons are not valid, we will have no choice but to deny your request…” He paused, his words hanging heavy in the air. “But if they are… we will dissolve the bond.”

The hall went silent as all eyes fixed on me, even the triplets. For a moment, words refused to come. My throat tightened. Where do I even begin?

“Lady Olivia, you don’t have to be scared… go on, speak,” the only female among them encouraged.

I nodded, bracing myself. For a moment, I forgot the triplets were even in the room. “A mate is supposed to love and protect their mate,” I said, my voice louder, clearer. “But that wasn’t the case with the triplets.”

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remember everything—to let it out. “These men didn’t just hurt me physically… they broke me mentally and emotionally. Where do I even start? Which pain should I speak of first? Which should I leave unsaid?”

My voice cracked, but I didn’t stop. I kept my gaze on the council of elders, remembering Alpha Damien’s advice: do not show hesitation.

“Go on, Lady Olivia,” the only female elder encouraged gently.

I nodded. “On my wedding night…” I swallowed hard, trying to steady my voice, “They didn’t just ignore me—they humiliated me. They brought their mistress into their chambers… and made me watch as they made love to her.”

Gasps filled the hall, but I didn’t stop. “They locked the door… forced me to watch as they touched her, kissed her, slept with her—while I stood there, helpless, shattered. I begged them to stop. I cried until my body gave out. And when I fainted from the pain, they had their guards throw me out.”

I closed my eyes for a second, then opened them again. My voice trembled, but I forced each word out. “They hated me. They said I was a mistake the Moon Goddess made. That I wasn’t worth the bond.”

I glanced at the triplets; their heads were bowed. But I didn’t care. I needed to say it. “Alpha Lennox once struck me physically,” I said firmly.

I turned to look at him, and for a moment, our eyes met. There were tears in his. But I looked away. I wasn’t done. “I bled for them. I cried for them. I begged them to see me, to accept me. But they chose cruelty over compassion. They chose another woman—over and over again—while I suffered quietly.”

My eyes burned, but I held the tears back. “I can’t be with these men anymore. Every time I look at them, I don’t see love. I see pain. I see the nights I curled up crying. I see my broken soul.”

I turned to the council again. My voice shook, but it was strong. “And besides, their concubine is pregnant with their pups… and the pregnancy is complicated. The children might die if they don’t mark her,” I added.

I didn’t say this because Anita pleaded… no… I used this as an advantage…

My eyes met with Alpha Damien, and he gave me an approving nod, as if happy I’d brought that up.

I drew in a breath and finished. “Please… I want to be free. Free of the men who destroyed me. I want distance. Freedom. I refuse to be their mate any longer.”

The room was silent.

I noticed the council members exchange silent glances before the woman among them spoke. “What you went through was heartbreaking, and such men who can make love to another woman in the presence of their mate on their wedding night are monsters,” she said, glaring directly at the triplets.

“Mariam, calm down and let the Alphas speak,” Elder Grant intervened gently.

Elder Mariam scoffed in anger. “What is there to talk about? What excuse do they have to say?” she spat.

“Mariam, hold your tongue,” Elder Grant warned. “We have not heard their side.”

The room was heavy with silence, the tension thick in the air. Elder Grant cleared his throat and turned to the triplets. “Alphas Lennox, Louis, Levi—do you have anything to say before the council decides?”

All three rose at once, stood side by side, heads bowed for a moment. Then Lennox looked up and turned to face me. “Olivia…” he began, his eyes searching mine. “There’s nothing I can say that will erase the pain we caused you. What we did… what I did… was unforgivable.”

He paused, breathing deeply. His voice cracked as he continued, “I was cruel. I let anger and pain blind me to the bond we were supposed to treasure. That night… every moment after… I saw your pain, and instead of helping, I added to it. I’m sorry. Truly.”

He looked down for a moment, then met my gaze again. “I don’t expect forgiveness. But I needed you to hear that. I failed you as a mate, and I hope one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me… us.”

Louis finally spoke, his voice full of guilt. “We don’t deserve you. Not now. Not ever. But I hope, Olivia, that you’ll someday find peace. That you’ll meet someone who will cherish you the way we never did.”

He stepped back, and Levi stepped forward, turning to the elders first. “We won’t fight Olivia’s wish. We hurt her. We betrayed the very bond that the Moon Goddess gave us. If she wants to reject us… we’ll respect that.”

My eyes widened in shock. This wasn’t what I expected. I expected excuses, justifications—something to make the council see their side. But they said nothing. They didn’t defend themselves. They didn’t mention the letters—the forged letters that poisoned their hearts against me.

Why? Why not use them now? They could have pointed to those lies and said, “We thought she hurt us first.” They could have shifted the blame, made the council pity them. But they didn’t. They stayed silent, choosing to take the weight of the blame onto their shoulders.

Why? Even the council exchanged startled glances, clearly unsettled by the triplets giving up so easily.

Alpha Grant released a heavy breath and shook his head. “So… you three accept her request?”

“Yes. But…” Levi added, lifting his chin, “there is one condition.”