For the past hours, we have sat in silence, each of us lost in thoughts.
โI know who took Rebecca,โ she announced, her voice firm.
I looked up at my brothers and cleared my throat. โWhat are we going to doโฆ if it really is her? And what if our parents werenโt lying? What if sheโs really our distant relative?โ
My heart ached at the thought. I wanted to hold her close, to tell her Iโm sorry for everythingโfor not protecting her, for letting her go. But thenโฆ I remembered something.
Leviโs POV
โHe is going to deny it,โ Louis sighed.
None of us answered right away. It felt strange. Wrong. Was it a trap?
I stared at her, unsure how to tell her the truthโthat the woman she thinks is Rebecca wasnโt her friend. That Rebeccaโฆ was already dead. But that could wait. First, we needed to get Olivia back.
Lennox didnโt answer right away. He stood by the window, arms folded tightly across his chest, jaw clenched.
He turned to face us, his eyes dark with emotion.
He didnโt finish the sentence. He didnโt need to.
โCome in,โ Lennox called out.
โItโs an invitation,โ Lennox said slowly. โFrom Alpha Calvin.โ
Lennoxโs eyes turned cold. โThen itโs war.โ
โWhat is it?โ Louis asked.
The door opened and, to our surprise, it was Sofia. She stepped in and closed the door behind her, walking straight toward us. Before we could even ask why she was here, she spoke.
โAnd if he refuses?โ Louis asked.
It didnโt matter because, for Olivia, we were really ready to do anything.
My parents. Their words. They told us once that Olivia was our distant cousin. That we werenโt supposed to feel anything beyond family love for her. That what we had for her wasnโt right.
โI just want you to see her,โ Sofia added quietly. โThereโs so much I need to ask her. So many things I donโt understand.โ
Before either of my brothers could respond, a knock echoed at the door. We all exchanged quick glances. It was still earlyโwho would be knocking at this time?
She looked hurt. Broken. Betrayed.
As soon as the door closed, Lennox let out a groan, dragging his hand down his face.
I looked between them both, the weight in my chest growing heavier. First Olivia. Then the truth. And only after thatโฆ would we know who we were really allowed to love.
โGod help him,โ he muttered. โIf thatโs really Olivia, I swear Iโm going to kill Damien with my bare hands.โ
I frowned. โThen we show him the dead body.โ
โI think we should just confront him already,โ I said sharply.
Lennox opened it and read quickly. His eyes narrowed.
My brows furrowed. Calvin was one of the people Damien had mentioned as a suspect beforeโฆ so maybe Sofia was telling the truth.
But deep down, I already knew. No bloodline could ever change what I felt for her.
Finally, he spoke. โI donโt want to think about that right now,โ he said sharply. โI donโt even trust them.โ
โWhat?โ I asked, frowning. โWe donโt even know him. Weโre not friends. We have no alliance.โ
โWho?โ we asked at once, panic tightening our chests. We already knew the woman wasnโt Rebeccaโit was Olivja.
โAlpha Calvin,โ she said. โOf the Nightshade Pack. He was the one who held me captive.โ
โWe need evidence against Damienโฆ there has to be something,โ Lennox muttered again, for what felt like the hundredth time.
Dustin nodded without a word and walked out, leaving the three of us in heavy silence.
โExactly,โ Louis added. โWhy invite us?โ
โAnd when we get there,โ I added, โwe demand the release of Olivia. We donโt care what silly games he is playing with Damien.โ
โYou need to see this,โ he said, walking in and handing it to Lennox.
Sofia nodded. โIโm sure of it. I saw him. I remember everything now.โ
โCalvin?โ I repeated, frowning deeply.
Louis nodded slowly. โWeโll make them talk. No more lies.โ
I sat back down, but my mind wasnโt calm. What if it really was Olivia? How would I even react? Would I hug her? Would I kiss her? Or would I freeze, like a fool, unable to believe it was really her?
โWeโre going,โ Lennox said after a moment.
I turned to look at my brothers. Lennoxโs jaw clenched, and Louis looked just as shocked as I felt.
โThank you, Sofia,โ Lennox said with a nod. โWeโll bring her back before the day ends. Thatโs a promise.โ
Before I could go deeper into my thoughts, the door opened againโthis time, it was Dustin. He held a letter in his hand.
I let out a deep sigh and leaned back in my seat, thinking about the discovery we had made just hours ago. Everything pointed to Damienโbut we couldnโt confront him without solid proof. Still, we were getting impatient. Very impatient.
โHeโs inviting all Alphas to his pack,โ Lennox continued. โHe says itโs for the โwelcomeโhomeโ party of his longโlost little sister.โ
Sofia gave a small nod, then turned and quietly left the room.
That name made all of us freeze.
โFirst, we find Olivia,โ he continued. โThenโฆ our parents are going to prove everything. Who she really is. Where she came from. Who her real family is. And if they canโtโฆ if they lied to us-โ
I stared at the wall, lost in thought. What was our uncle trying to gain from all of this? How did he change her appearance? Her smell? Subdued her wolf? Parade her as his wife? And more than thatโฆ why did Olivia stay quiet? She had so many chances to speak. Did he threaten her? Was he blackmailing her?
But it felt right. Everything about her felt like mine. Like she was made for me, carved out of my ribs and stitched into my soul. And no matter how many times I tried to smother it, the feeling only grew stronger, wilder, and impossible to deny.
The moment she said that, all three of us jumped to our feet.
I turned to Dustin. โArrange our best guards. We are attending.โ