Louis’s POV
It was Levi’s voice on the other end, calm and curious. For a mont, I froze. My throat tightened, and a dozen excuses rushed through my mind. I thought of telling him the truth—that I was with Olivia—but the idea died before it could leave my lips. Things between us were already strained, and throwing this into the fire would only make the tension worse.
"I had to check on a contact," I said finally, keeping my tone as calm as I could.
There was a pause, then Levi’s voice cut back, laced with disbelief. "A contact? Since when? Why don’t I know about this? What’s going on, Louis?"
I clenched my jaw, forcing my voice to stay relaxed. "Not everything I do has to run through you, Levi. This one’s... personal. It ca up last minute."
The silence on the line stretched uncomfortably, heavy with suspicion. I could almost feel his frown through the mind link, his mind racing to piece together the lie. My heart thudded against my ribs, but I kept my emotions intact.
"When are you coming back ho?" Levi finally asked, his voice clipped, businesslike now. "I need your signature on so files."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, shutting my eyes for a mont. "Tomorrow," I said. My voice was firm, leaving no room for argunt.
"Tomorrow?" Suspicion colored his tone again. "Louis, what are you—"
"Everything is fine," I cut in, sharper than I intended. "Don’t overthink it, Levi. Handle the files for now. I’ll be back tomorrow."
Before he could press further, I severed the mind link, shutting out his presence. The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating.
I exhaled and leaned back against the headrest, but peace didn’t last long. Another tug pulled at my mind, more forceful this ti. Lennox.
The mont I felt him, I knew Levi had already run to him. Of course he had. They always did this—double-tead like I was the reckless one, like they needed to watch closer. As if being born a few minutes after them made incapable of making my own decisions.
My teeth ground together, annoyance rising. I hated it—how they treated like a kid brother who couldn’t be trusted, when in truth I was no different from them. Just a few minutes younger, yet sohow that made all the difference in their eyes.
"Louis... are you okay?" His voice was quieter than I expected, curious.
I drew a slow breath, forcing the tension in my shoulders to ease. "Yes," I answered simply, steady. "I’m fine."
"Okay... if anything, you contact us. Alright?" Lennox’s voice carried that steady, older-brother tone—the one he always used when he was worried.
I rolled my eyes, though he couldn’t see it. "Yeah, Lennox. I got it."
Silence filled the room again, but my chest was heavy. That was Lennox—always trying to shoulder everyone’s burdens, always treating like I needed looking after. And Levi? He was no different, always questioning, always digging.
But I knew it didn’t co from doubt. It ca from care. From love. They weren’t trying to control because they thought I was weak—they did it because they were older by a few minutes and felt it was their duty to protect , even if I didn’t need it.
Still... growing up in their shadow had shaped . Being on the receiving end of Lennox’s constant protectiveness and Levi’s endless scrutiny lit sothing inside early. I wanted to take charge of my own life. I wanted to lead myself. To prove I wasn’t soone who needed to be carried.
That desire to step forward instead of being pulled along—that’s what made the way I am now. A man who takes control even in bed. It’s one of the reasons I beca a dominant. Not the entire reason, just one of the factors.
After the pause, his tone shifted, frustration creeping back in. "Have you talked to Olivia? She’s refusing to speak to . No matter how many tis I try to reach her through the link, she shuts out."
My chest tightened, but my voice stayed calm. I wanted to lie and say no... but if I did, he’d only keep worrying, and I didn’t want that. "Yes. I just spoke to her a few minutes ago," I said, careful to keep it short. "Through the mind link."
I overheard Lennox exhale over the bond.
"What did she say exactly?" he asked, softer this ti, more bothered than defensive.
"Nothing you’d want to hear right now," I said carefully, keeping my words short so he wouldn’t sense the unease behind them. "But she’s angry with you and Levi."
There was a pause, then his voice returned, strained and worried. "I’ll talk to Levi tonight... before we go to bed. We’ll sort this out. Whatever it takes."
I humd in response and looked down at Olivia, sleeping peacefully in my arms. I inhaled deeply. It was a good thing they couldn’t feel us having sex... that would have been awkward, especially with all the tension between us.
"Lennox, I have to go... I’ll see you tomorrow," I said, sounding as casual as I could so he wouldn’t pick up on the strain in my voice.
Lennox was silent for a mont before he said, "Okay... be careful." With that, he ended the link.
I inhaled deeply, letting the weight of the silence settle in . With the link finally severed, all I had left was Olivia—warm, soft, curled into my chest. I tightened my arms around her, pulling her closer, and pressed my nose into her hair. Her scent filled , calming the storm still tugging at my mind.
The tension from Levi’s questions, from Lennox’s steady worry, from all the lies I’d had to string together—it all faded the longer I held her. In this mont, she was mine, and I wasn’t letting go.
My eyes grew heavy, my body easing against the mattress as sleep crept in. The steady rhythm of her breathing lulled , grounding more than any words ever could.
But then—Olivia gasped.
Her body jolted in my arms, stiffening as though struck by sothing unseen. My wolf snapped awake instantly, claws scraping at the edges of my control as panic surged through .
"Olivia?" I whispered sharply, my grip tightening around her waist as I pushed myself upright. Her chest rose and fell too quickly, her eyes fluttering open wide, panic gleaming in them.
Her hands clutched at , trembling.
"Olivia, what’s wrong?" I demanded, my heart slamming against my ribs as fear coiled in my stomach.
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