Olivia''s POV


    ?One monthter.


    ?Everything was finally okay. Life had moved from a nightmare into a dream so fast. Lennox was recovering at a rate that baffled the doctors; his strength was back, his hair had grown in thick and dark again, and he was already back to performing his duties as Alpha.


    ?The boys were at school, and for the first time in weeks, the mansion was quiet. Too quiet. I decided to head to the study, knowing the three of them were in there "working," which usually meant a mix of pack business and bickering over who got to take me out next.


    ?But the moment I pushed the door open, the yful mood I''d carried died instantly.


    ?The air was thick and heavy, charged with a tension so sharp I could taste it. Lennox, Levi, and Louis were all seated on the couches, but none of them were looking at each other. Lennox was rubbing his face with both hands, looking frustrated. Levi had his eyes closed tight, leaning his head back against the leather, and Louis let out a long, shaky sigh that sounded like a growl.


    ?"What is going on?" I asked, closing the door behind me and leaning against it. "I could smell the stress from the hallway."


    ?Louis was the first to look up, his eyes pained. Lennox dropped his hands, his face weary.


    ?"The Council reached a verdict today, Olivia," Lennox said, his voice gratingly low. "They''ve found our father guilty of treason. For the plot to kill me and for trying to seize the bloodline power… they''ve sentenced him to death."


    ?I felt the blood drain from my face.


    ?"So, what do you want to do?" I asked softly, walking into the center of the room.


    ?Louis stood up, pacing like a caged animal. "He''s a monster. We know that. He wanted Lennox dead so he could rule through us. But..." He stopped, looking at his brothers. "He is our father. Still our father. How are we supposed to be the ones to spill his blood?"


    ?Levi opened his eyes, looking hollow. "If we let him live, the Council sees us as weak. If we kill him, we carry the weight of being kinyers for the rest of our lives. It''s a trap."


    ?I looked at the three of them—men who had just fought so hard to find peace. I couldn''t let them start this new era with their father''s blood on their hands. It would rot the foundation of everything we just rebuilt.


    ?"No," I said firmly, drawing all three of their gazes. "No matter what he is, he is the reason you three exist. He should not go unpunished—not after what he did to Lennox, and what he put us through—but death? No. We aren''t doing that."


    ?"The Council won''t ept a p on the wrist, Olivia," Lennox warned. "They want justice."


    ?"Then we give them a different kind of justice," I replied, my mind racing. "A punishment worse than death for a man who craved power more than his own children."


    ?I sat down between Lennox and Levi, taking their hands. "We strip him. We use the bond and the healers to sever his connection to his wolf. We take his title, hisnd, and his pride. We exile him to the northern wastes—to live out his days as a human, alone, watching from afar as the sons he tried to break be the greatest Alphas this pack has ever seen."


    ?The room went silent. To a shifter, losing your wolf was a fate more painful than a de to the throat. It was the ultimate shame.


    ?Louis''s eyes cleared, a dark sort of satisfaction settling in his features. "To live as a man... with nothing but the memory of the power he threw away."


    ?Lennox looked at me, a flicker of pride in his amber eyes.


    ?"It''s settled then," I said, feeling the tension in the room finally begin to ease.


    ?Lennox stared at me for a long moment, the heavy weight of leadership in his eyes slowly softening into pure admiration. He reached out, pulling me into hisp and burying his face in my neck. His arms wrapped around me so tightly I could feel the steady, powerful thrum of his heart.


    ?"You really are a lifesaver, Olivia," he whispered against my skin, his voice thick with relief. "I was sitting here picturing his blood on my hands, wondering how I''d ever look our sons in the eye again. You just saved this family from a ghost that would have haunted us forever."


    ?Levi leaned forward, finally letting out the breath he''d been holding. "The Council will fight us on it, but Lennox is right. Stripping his wolf is a more brutal message than an execution. It shows we have the power to unmake a monster, not just kill one."


    ?Louis stopped his pacing, a grim but satisfied nod following. "Exile in the north. He''ll be cold, alone, and human. It''s exactly what he deserves for trying to freeze the life out of his own blood."


    ?I felt the dark cloud that had been hovering over the room finally lift. They had a n now—one that didn''t involve bing the very thing they hated.


    ?I pulled back slightly, cupping Lennox''s face and brushing a thumb over his cheekbone. "Then it''s settled. No more talk of death today." I gave him a small, yful smile to break thest bit of tension. "Are you still ready for our date tonight? Or are you too busy being a King?"


    ?Lennox chuckled, the sound deep and vibrant, vibrating through my chest. The tired lines around his eyes vanished as he looked at me with that raw, golden heat I had missed so much.


    ?"I am never too busy for you," he rasped, his hands sliding down to my hips. "The pack can wait. The Council can wait. Tonight, I''m just a man who wants to spend every second reminding his mate why he fought so hard toe back to her."


    ?Levi stood up, heading for the door with a smirk. "We''ll handle the paperwork for the exile. Go. Take her out. Just make sure she''s back by midnight—it''s my morning for the school run."


    ?Louis grunted in agreement as he followed Levi out. "Don''t tire her out too much, Lennox. We still have a long week ahead."


    ?Once the door clicked shut, Lennox stood up, still holding me in his arms as if I weighed nothing. He looked better than he had in years—strong, healthy, andpletely mine.


    ?"Where are we going?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck.


    ?"Somewhere quiet," he promised, his eyes darkening as he leaned in for a kiss. "Somewhere I can have you all to myself."


    ?


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