Fated To Not Just One But Three novel Chapter 346

Chapter 346: Lying

Louis’s POV

It was Levi’s voice on the other end, calm and curious. For a moment, 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 came 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 home?" Levi finally asked, his voice clipped, businesslike now. "I need your signature on some files."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, shutting my eyes for a moment. "Tomorrow," I said. My voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

"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 time. Lennox.

The moment I felt him, I knew Levi had already run to him. Of course he had. They always did this—double-teamed me like I was the reckless one, like they needed to watch me closer. As if being born a few minutes after them made me incapable of making my own decisions.

My teeth ground together, annoyance rising. I hated it—how they treated me like a kid brother who couldn’t be trusted, when in truth I was no different from them. Just a few minutes younger, yet somehow 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 me like I needed looking after. And Levi? He was no different, always questioning, always digging.

Lennox was silent for a moment before he said, "Okay... be careful." With that, he ended the link.

I inhaled deeply, letting the weight of the silence settle in me. 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 me, 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 moment, 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 me, grounding me more than any words ever could.

But then—Olivia gasped.

Her body jolted in my arms, stiffening as though struck by something unseen. My wolf snapped awake instantly, claws scraping at the edges of my control as panic surged through me.

"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 me, trembling.

"Olivia, what’s wrong?" I demanded, my heart slamming against my ribs as fear coiled in my stomach.