Olivia''s POV


    Four yearster


    The sound of giggles filled the living room, followed by the unmistakable crash of something breaking. I didn''t even bother turning right away—I''d gotten used to it by now. Life with three boys meant chaos came with the sunrise.


    "Alright," I called from the kitchen, setting down the towel. "Who did it this time?"


    Silence.


    Three identical faces turned toward me—wide-eyed, innocent, and equally suspicious.


    I crossed my arms, trying not tough. "Don''t all stare at me like that. One of you broke something."


    The three of them stood in a perfect line, same height, same messy dark hair, same mischievous smile that could melt stone. Even after four years, I still struggled to tell them apart unless I looked closely.


    Liam. Leon. Leo.


    My little miracles. My little troublemakers.


    Sometimes I still couldn''t believe how much they looked alike—not just simr, but exactly the same. Even their voices carried the same rhythm, the same teasing lilt when they tried to talk their way out of trouble.


    "Wasn''t me," Liam said first, blinking those big sea-blue eyes that looked exactly like mine.


    Leon immediately pointed at his brother. "He''s lying!"


    Leo frowned and crossed his arms. "You''re both lying!"


    I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "You three are going to drive me mad one of these days."


    The broken vase on the floor didn''t help their case. I crouched to pick it up, muttering to myself, "Your fathers are going to kill me when they find out…"


    The boys exchanged nces—the silent kind that always meant they were about to bolt.


    "Don''t even think about it," I said without looking up.


    Tiny feet shuffled in ce. Then stillness.


    Good. They knew better than to run.


    I straightened and turned toward them, one brow raised. "So, are we going to tell the truth, or do I have to call your fathers?"


    Instant panic.


    Levi''s and Louis'' names still worked like a spell.


    Before they could answer, his deep voice echoed from the hallway. "What''s going on here?"


    The boys froze. I hid a smile. Perfect timing.


    Levi stepped into the room, tall andposed, though I caught the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth when he saw the scene—the three identical boys lined up like soldiers, the shattered vase behind them, and me trying to look stern.


    He folded his arms. "Alright, which one of you did it?"


    Again—silence.


    Three identical mouths pressed shut.


    Levi arched an eyebrow. "I''m waiting."


    Liam shifted first, ncing at his brothers as if silently negotiating who''d take the me. No one moved.


    Finally, Levi sighed and walked closer. "You do realize I can tell when one of you lies, right?"


    Three pairs of sea-blue eyes blinked up at him, unconvinced.


    He crouched down to their level, his voice calm but firm. "Tell me what happened."


    Leo, the youngest by only a few minutes, cracked first. "We were ying ball inside… and the ball hit the table."


    Levi nodded slowly. "So it was an ident."


    All three nodded—too quickly.


    "And who kicked the ball?" he pressed.


    Dead silence again.


    I bit back augh, pretending to look busy wiping the counter.


    After a long pause, Leon raised his hand halfway, mumbling, "It was me… but Liam told me to."


    "Did not!" Liam protested immediately.


    "Did too!"


    "Boys," Levi warned.


    They both went silent instantly, but Leo—oh, little Leo—couldn''t resist whispering under his breath, "It was Liam."


    Levi pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering, "Moon Goddess, give me strength."


    I chuckled softly. "Now you know how I feel every morning."


    He shot me a look that said not helping.


    The boys looked between us, their identical faces twisting into the same sheepish grin.


    Levi finally stood, sighing. "Alright. No one''s in trouble this time. But next time, y outside."


    "Yes, Daddy," they chorused in perfect unison.


    I swore even their voices carried the same rhythm—it was eerie sometimes, but also… beautiful.


    When they ran off toward the garden,ughing again, I turned to Levi. "You went easy on them."


    He shrugged, faint amusement flickering in his eyes. "They''re just kids."


    I smiled, shaking my head. "Kids who know exactly how to work you."


    He walked closer, slipping an arm around my waist. "Maybe. But at least they got your stubbornness instead of mine."


    "Levi," I said, trying not tough, "they got both."


    He chuckled quietly, his gaze softening as he looked out the window toward where the boys were chasing each other in the yard. "They''re growing fast."


    I nodded, my heart swelling as I watched them. "Too fast."


    The setting sun bathed the room in gold, and for a brief, perfect moment, everything felt right againughter, warmth, life.


    Then, softly, Levi said something that made my breath hitch.


    "They remind me of him."


    I looked at him, and I knew he meant Lennox.


    I smiled faintly, my voice barely above a whisper. "I know. Sometimes… I see him when they smile."


    Levi''s hand tightened around mine, his expression unreadable. "Maybe that''s his way of staying with us."


    I nodded, blinking back tears as the boys''ughter echoed through the window.


    I swallowed hard, the ache returning to my chest—the one that never really went away.


    It had been four years. Four long years since the day I gave birth to our sons. Four years since Ist saw Lennox. Four years since I''d promised to visit him once I was strong enough.


    And yet… we never went.


    Not because I didn''t want to. Goddess knows, I did. There were days I woke up reaching for him, half expecting to feel his warmth beside me. Nights when I''d stare at the moon, whispering his name, praying he''d somehow hear me.


    But every time I brought it up, Levi and Louis found another reason to dy it.


    At first, it was simple—they said I needed time to recover. The birth had taken too much from me. My body was weak, the marks still new, and the babies needed me more than anyone else. I believed them. I wanted to.


    Then came the warnings.


    The healers said Lennox''s condition hadn''t changed, that his mind remained trapped somewhere between this world and the next. They said disturbing his rest could make things worse—that his wolf was unstable, his spirit fragile.


    "Just a little longer," Levi always said. "Until the boys are older. Until it''s safe."


    And I waited. I waited while the boys learned to walk, while they learned to speak.


    The truth was—I didn''t know if Lennox was still in there.


    Sometimes I asked Levi directly, but he''d always give me the same answer. "He''s alive, Olivia. That''s all that matters."


    But it wasn''t enough anymore.


    Alive wasn''t living.


    And every year that passed without seeing him felt like losing him all over again.


    I looked out the window again. The boys were chasing butterflies now, theirughter pure and bright. For a moment, I envied them—their innocence, their joy.


    Levi''s arm was still around me, his warmth steady and grounding. "You''re thinking about him again," he said quietly.


    I didn''t deny it. "Every day," I admitted softly. "I thought I could move on, but… how can I, when I don''t even know if he''s still—"


    "Don''t," Levi interrupted, his tone low but firm. "Don''t finish that sentence."


    I turned to look at him, tears brimming in my eyes. "Then let me see him, Levi. Please. I need to. I can''t keep pretending he''s just… gone somewhere waiting."


    He looked away, jaw tightening. "It''s not that simple."


    "It never is with you," I whispered bitterly.


    His gaze softened, but the guilt behind it was unmistakable. "You don''t understand what you''re asking, Olivia. He''s not the same anymore. The healers said his wolf reacts violently when anyone from the bond gets too close. Even his heartbeat spikes at your name."


    I froze, my breath catching. "My name?"


    Levi nodded slowly. "They think… deep down, he still feels you. That''s why we keep our distance—for his sake, and yours."


    My hand trembled as I gripped the counter. "So he''s suffering, and I''m supposed to sit here pretending that''s mercy?"


    "Would you rather watch him in pain?" Levi shot back, his voice low but sharp. "Would you rather see him struggle to breathe every time he hears your voice? I can''t let that happen again, Olivia. Not to him. Not to you."


    I stared at him, anger and heartbreak twisting together inside me.


    He meant well—I knew he did—but part of me still hated him for it. Because no matter what he said, it felt like he was keeping me from the one piece of my soul that was still missing.


    Louis had tried to reason with me once, months ago. He said Levi was just afraid. Afraid of losing control, afraid of facing what might happen if we saw Lennox and nothing changed.


    Maybe they were both right. Maybe I wasn''t ready either.


    But as I stood there watching my sons y—the same mischievous light in their eyes that Lennox once had—I couldn''t shake the feeling that the waiting was over. I will find Lennox''s location myself.