Olivia's POV

I stood quietly, watching them spar. Louis was so deeply drawn into it that he didn’t even sense my presence at first. The lady struck him with the head of her sword, and Louis laughed—a full, hearty laugh, the kind he only ever shared with me. My frown deepened, and my wolf stirred restlessly inside me, growling with jealousy.

“Oh, Louis, it seems you’re losing your charm,” the young woman teased.

Instead of getting annoyed, Louis only chuckled and shook his head. But then—almost as if he suddenly felt me—his head snapped to the side. His eyes found mine. At first, he looked shocked to see me there, like a child caught doing something wrong. But almost immediately, a bright smile spread across his face.

“Olivia… you’re here.”

He dropped the sword carelessly onto the dirt and strolled toward me. Every step he took made the young woman’s gaze linger on him, and that only fueled the unease in my chest. My wolf pushed forward, demanding I claim him, demanding I remind everyone—remind her—who he belonged to.

Before Louis could say another word, I reached for him. My hands on his arms, I pulled him down into a kiss—hard, claiming, shameless. His lips parted in surprise, but then he melted into me, his arms circling my waist as though he’d been waiting for this moment.

I didn’t kiss him softly. No. I kissed him with heat, with fire, with all the jealousy burning in my chest. I kissed him in a way that made it impossible for anyone watching to doubt that he was mine.

When I finally pulled back, breathless, her stunned look made my wolf purr in triumph.

Louis leaned closer, his breath warm against my lips, his eyes still dazed from the force of the kiss. A crooked grin tugged at his mouth.

“That was hot,” he murmured, his voice low and teasing. “Can we continue… inside?”

I would have blushed, but my gaze stayed fixed on the young woman still holding her sword, still watching us. My wolf bristled again. I didn’t like her eyes on him.

Louis followed the line of my stare and chuckled softly. He brushed his thumb across my cheek, then stepped aside so the woman could approach.

“Olivia,” he said, his tone shifting into something more formal, “this is Selene.”

Selene dipped her head politely, but I kept my eyes sharp, my arms folded. Louis seemed to notice, because he quickly continued.

“You remember our great-grandmother Hailee had three sons by three men, right?”

“Yes,” I said carefully, my eyes still narrowed.

“Well…” he glanced between me and Selene, “one of those sons was my grandfather. The second was yours. And the third—” he hesitated, then smiled faintly—"the third son was her grandfather."

My brows furrowed, unsure where he was leading.

Louis turned back to Selene. “She’s the great-granddaughter of Hailee, the one she had with Sir Dane—who, by the way, was cousin to our great-grandfather Nathan.”

Selene’s eyes softened as she met mine, but I still felt the tight coil of jealousy in my chest.

“So…” I tilted my head, my voice sharp despite how hard I tried for it not to be. “She’s related to you? Just like I’m related to you?”

Louis nodded slowly, but then shook his head with a small smile. “Yes, but not exactly the same, Olivia. My great-grandfather Nathan and her great-grandfather Dane were cousins. So we’re connected through that line. Distant—but still related.”

I should have been at peace with that. Blood was blood, family was family. It should have silenced the storm inside me, but it didn’t.

Because if I could still love the triplets despite how tangled our bloodlines were… then this Selene could too.

My chest tightened, my wolf snarled under my skin, and I forced myself to keep my face calm, even as unease coiled like fire in my stomach.

“Nice to meet you,” I said tightly, forcing a polite smile.

Selene smiled back, but it didn’t reach her eyes. I could see it—she didn’t like me, just the same way I didn’t like her.

“Why haven’t I seen you before?” I asked, unable to stop myself.

She shifted slightly, lowering her sword. “Actually… my father doesn’t let me travel much. But the triplets and I usually talk on the phone. They even visit sometimes.”

Her words were casual, but each one pricked at me like thorns. The triplets and I… they visit. My jaw clenched.

Before I could respond, a familiar aura swept into the training ground. Lennox.

The moment Selene saw him, she lit up. She dropped her sword and ran straight into his arms. He didn’t hesitate—he caught her, wrapping her in a hug that looked far too comfortable for my liking.

There was nothing wrong with it. It was innocent, friendly. But damn it, jealousy ripped through me like claws to the chest. My wolf snapped inside me, demanding I rip her away from him.

I stood frozen, my fists curling at my sides, my heart pounding with a mixture of rage and hurt.

“When did you get here?” Lennox asked her, his voice warm in a way that made my chest tighten.

“A few hours ago,” Selene answered quickly, still holding onto him like she belonged there.

Then Lennox’s eyes lifted—and found mine. For a heartbeat, his entire face softened, and a smile pulled at his lips. He even took a step, like he meant to come to me.

But Selene’s voice cut through. “I’ll be staying here for a while.”

At once, the others nodded. Louis clapped his hands together. “Then you’re welcome. This is your home too.”

Lennox echoed the words, his smile easy, reassuring. “Yes, Selene. You’re family. You belong here.”

Family. Home. The words echoed in my head like stones dropping into water, one after the other, sinking straight to the bottom of my stomach.

Staying here… for a while?

My throat tightened. My wolf paced inside me, restless, agitated. I should have felt calm, I should have told myself it was nothing. But I couldn’t. The thought of her under the same roof, sharing the same halls, laughing with my men—it suffocated me until all I could feel was the fire of jealousy threatening to burn me alive.