“What should I do?” I whispered to my wolf.

The way Levi had spoken, it felt like he had been carrying that thought in his head for a long time. I inhaled deeply and spoke into the mirror as I stared at my reflection.

Olivia’s POV

I gave a faint shrug. “I’m fine.”

That made me turn to her fully. “For what?”

She studied me for a long moment, her eyes calculating, then her tone shifted from harsh to a whisper. “Fine,” she said slowly, “if you’re so obsessed with those triplets, there’s… another way.”

Her lips curved into the faintest of smiles. “You marry Frederick. You give him the title of being your husband, the appearance of a perfect union. And behind closed doors… you keep your little affair with the triplets. No one has to know. Frederick won’t care—as long as you play the part of his wife in public.”

Still, the doubt lingered. My wolf’s words had planted a seed I didn’t like but couldn’t ignore. I thought of the way Levi’s eyes had dimmed earlier… the way Louis had looked away instead of meeting my gaze. It was like they’d been holding that thought in for a long time, like this wasn’t the first time they’d wondered.

Before I could dwell on what had just happened, a knock came on my door, but the person didn’t wait for me to ask them in before they pushed the door open. When I looked at the door through the mirror, I realized it was Mother.

She scoffed. “Then on your dead body it shall be,” she spat, before vanishing as suddenly as she’d come.

Her eyes softened then, and for a moment I thought she might just leave… but instead, she spoke again. “I came here to apologize.”

Mother’s frown deepened, her lips pressing into a thin line. “This is about the triplets? I wonder what you see in them… those men are not worthy of you. Do you even know who you are, Olivia? The blood that runs in your veins? You are destined for more than this… petty entanglement.”

I didn’t answer. I just stood there, frozen… confused… wondering if she was insane.

I glared at her through the mirror. “They’re not an entanglement. They’re my mates. And I love them.”

A bitter reply threatened to spill from my mouth, but I swallowed it.

I arrived back in my room, and thankfully, no one was there. The quiet was a relief. I went straight to the shower, letting the warm water run over me, trying to wash away the heaviness clinging to my chest.

“I don’t care!” I snapped, spinning to face her fully. “I don’t love him, I don’t want him, and I will never marry him!”

“I don’t fucking care,” I spat in spite. “I don’t love him, and I don’t want to be with him. Why is that so hard for you all to understand!”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned around as I watched her approach where I stood. As I stared at her, I didn’t know what to feel… this woman was my mother. Ever since I knew of her existence, I had wanted to meet with her… have a lot of deep conversations that only mothers and daughters have. But with her… it felt different. Cold. Strained. Like we were strangers forced to share the same blood.

“Just leave the three of them and be with Lord Frederick,” she hissed.

She scoffed softly, giving me a pitiful look. “Love… such a fragile, dangerous thing. It blinds you. And right now, it’s going to get you killed. Frederick can protect you in ways those three never could.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy and poisonous, wrapping around my mind like smoke.

She took a step closer, her reflection now beside mine. “Maybe not. But you are the daughter of the Beckhams… my daughter…”

I stared at her, stunned. “You’re saying… I could marry him… and still…”

The words hung in the air, and my chest tightened. “Is there a problem with that?” I said, turning back toward the mirror. “I’m not a kid.”

“Over my dead body,” I gritted my teeth.

I frowned, my hands tightening around the edge of the dresser. “That’s not fair,” I whispered back. “I can’t just… ration my love like it’s something I can measure. They’re all mine. They’re all part of me. I love them in my own way, differently, yes—but not more, not less.”

Suddenly, that voice rebounded in my head… that voice which wasn’t that of my wolf.

No answer came this time. Just the steady thud of my heartbeat and the quiet hum of my thoughts—thoughts I wished I could silence.

My frown deepened as I glared right at the mirror in front of me, as if I could see her in it—not actually, but it was only my reflection.

“You look troubled,” she finally said, her tone soft but carrying that weight of authority she always wore like a crown.

She was silent for a moment before finally speaking. “Maybe you should give Lennox less attention… and more to Louis and Levi.”

My brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I sighed heavily and pressed my palms flat against the table, leaning closer to the mirror. “What am I supposed to do?” I muttered again.

“Yes,” she said without hesitation, stepping closer. “You get the safety, the power, the status. And you keep your lovers. You’d have it all, Olivia. What do you think?”

Afterward, I dressed in something simple—a black denim skirt that stopped just above my knees and a fitted yellow off-shoulder top. I tied my hair into a neat ponytail, slipped on a pair of sandals, and stood for a moment in front of the mirror. But my mind wasn’t on my reflection.

“For… what happened the last time we spoke,” she said quietly, her gaze dropping to the floor. “But whatever I’m doing, it’s for your own good, Olivia… your life is in danger if you don’t marry Frederick. And besides, Lord Frederick is a good man…”

As I adjusted my top, the earlier confrontation with the triplets replayed in my mind. I couldn’t understand why Levi and Louis thought I loved Lennox more than them. I’d never shown favoritism… at least, not intentionally. Yes, I loved them differently, but never more or less. Or… was I doing something wrong without realizing it? Was it my words? My actions? My reactions?

She stopped just a step away from me, her eyes scanning me as if trying to read what was in my mind. I didn’t speak. I didn’t trust my voice not to crack.