Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One - Chapter 226

Chapter 226: The Council
Hailee’s POV

My throat tightened. I could feel my pulse in my ears. I rose slowly from my seat, hands clasped before me. “Thank you, Elder,” I said softly, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I… I know my actions have caused pain, not just to the men sitting before me, but to my children. But everything I did was to protect them. I was afraid. Afraid of losing them. Afraid of the truth destroying everything before it had a chance to heal.”

For a moment, there was silence. Then, the Elder turned toward the Alphas.

“Alpha Nathan,” he said. “You may speak.”

Nathan stood slowly. Even after all these years, the sight of him stole my breath. His voice was calm, deep, controlled, yet filled with emotion.

“I will not stand here and condemn her,” he began. “Hailee did what she thought was right. I may not agree with how she handled it, but I understand her fear.”

He paused, his gaze finding mine. “What I want is not revenge or punishment. I only want to be a part of my son’s life, to make up for the years I lost, even if it wasn’t my choice.”

My chest ached. His words were gentle but full of heartbreak.

The Elder nodded. “Thank you, Alpha Nathan.”

He turned. “Alpha Callum?”

Callum rose next, his usual sharpness softened by something almost tender.

“I echo Nathan’s words,” he said. “We all made mistakes. I should have fought harder to find her, to understand what happened instead of assuming the worst.”

He exhaled deeply. “Hailee’s always done things with her heart. And though her choices hurt, I can’t stand here and claim I don’t still care for her. I just want peace for our son, not pain.”

I swallowed hard, tears threatening to fall.

Then came Dane. He didn’t rush to speak. When he did, his voice was steady, the kind that could calm storms.

“I’ve thought a lot about what it means to be an Alpha, to protect and to lead,” he said. “But when it comes to Hailee, I realize strength doesn’t mean control. It means understanding. Forgiving.”

He looked right at me. “I forgive her. I don’t care about titles or pride. I just want my son to grow up knowing both his parents.”

A heavy silence followed. Even the Council Elders exchanged quiet glances, perhaps surprised that three Alphas known for their dominance spoke with such restraint and love.

Peter glanced at me, then gave a faint nod, silently telling me to speak.

I turned to the elders, my voice trembling. “You see why I ran,” I said quietly. “Because I loved them too much to destroy them with the truth. I thought hiding would keep us safe. But I see now, it only broke us more.”

The Elder regarded me for a long moment before speaking again. “The Council thanks all parties for their honesty. But before we deliberate further, we must hear from the children themselves.”

My heart stopped. The words I’d been dreading the most.

The boys were guided forward by one of the attendants. Oscar held his brothers’ hands tightly, his face composed, mature beyond his years. Oliver avoided my gaze completely, while Ozzy fidgeted nervously beside them.

The Elder smiled gently. “You don’t have to be afraid. We just want to know how you feel. You may speak freely.”

Oscar spoke first. His voice was calm, clear, and strong. “I don’t hate my mother,” he began, glancing briefly at me. “I’m just disappointed. I wish she trusted us enough to tell us the truth. I don’t know what’s right anymore, but I know I want all of us to stop fighting.”

Oliver spoke next. “I don’t know who to believe,” he admitted softly. “I just know I want to know my father. I want to understand who I am.”

And finally, Ozzy. “I just want everyone to be happy again. I want Mom to smile. I want my brothers to stop being sad. I want us to be a family.”

My heart shattered completely.

The hall was silent. Even the Alphas lowered their eyes, their expressions heavy with emotion.

The Elder cleared his throat softly. “Thank you, young ones.”

He looked toward Peter. “We will take a short recess before the council deliberates.”

Peter nodded, rising to his feet. But I couldn’t move. My body felt frozen in place, my heart pounding in fear.

Peter placed a hand on my shoulder. “Come,” he said quietly.

I followed him out of the chamber, my steps unsteady. The Council guards opened the tall glass doors, and we stepped into the open garden terrace that overlooked the glimmering city of Singapore. The air outside was cool and clean, but it did nothing to calm the unease in my chest.

I turned to Peter, my voice trembling. “What happens now?”

He looked ahead, his expression calm and unreadable. “They’ll deliberate for a few minutes. Then they’ll call us back in for your final declaration.”

“Declaration?” I asked, frowning.

He nodded slowly. “They’ll ask what you want, Hailee. What your wish is, for the boys, for yourself. Choose your words carefully.”

My hands clenched at my sides. “Peter, they’re angry. My boys, they don’t even want to look at me. What if—”

“Don’t worry,” he interrupted softly but firmly. “I told you before, the truth is in your favor. Don’t let fear rule you now.”

I tried to nod, but my heart still raced. Over Peter’s shoulder, I could see through the wide glass doors into the hall again. Nathan sat at the far end of the table, head bowed, his hands clasped tightly. He looked lost in thought. Callum was quietly speaking to one of his advisors, but his gaze drifted toward me more than once. Dane leaned back in his chair, calm but serious, his fingers tapping absently against the table as if weighing something heavy in his mind.

I had loved all three of them once. And maybe, deep down, a part of me still did.

The sound of the bell echoed through the hall, low and deep, signaling the Council’s return. Peter straightened. “They’re ready for us,” he said, motioning toward the door.

I inhaled shakily and followed him back inside. The grand doors closed behind us, silencing the murmurs of the hall. The council members were already seated again, their expressions composed and solemn. The elder in the center, tall and grey-haired, gestured toward me.

“Lady Hailee Stones,” he said. “Before this council makes its recommendations, we must hear your answer.”

I swallowed hard. “My answer?”

“Yes,” he said simply. “What do you want?”

The question hung heavy in the air. Every pair of eyes turned toward me: the Council’s, the Alphas’, my sons’.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. “I want my sons to live with me,” I said clearly, though my voice trembled. “I’ve made mistakes, many, but I am still their mother. I raised them, I cared for them, I protected them all these years. I don’t want to lose them. Not now.”

One of the elders tilted his head. “But they have lived with you their entire lives,” he said slowly. “What of their fathers? Three Alphas, each with rightful claims to their bloodlines?”

Before I could respond, Peter’s voice cut in, steady and authoritative. “With all due respect, Elder, the children legally belong to Hailee. None of these men have married her or completed the binding rites. Under Lycan law, that makes the children hers, and hers alone.”

A murmur spread across the chamber. The elders exchanged glances.

One of them leaned forward, his tone firm. “That may be true by law, King Peter, but we cannot disregard the rights of the Alphas. If these men had known of the pregnancies and refused to claim their children, this case would be simple. But the fact that they were unaware changes everything.”

My stomach twisted. I looked at Peter; his expression remained calm, but I could see the flicker of tension behind his eyes. This wasn’t going to be easy. The Council was not easily swayed, and Nathan’s influence here was strong.

The Elder turned his attention to the men. “Then we must ask, what do you three wish for?”

Nathan stood first. His tone was controlled, respectful. “I want my son to know me. To live among his people. He is my firstborn, my heir. He deserves to be raised in his pack, to understand his strength and his legacy.”

Callum rose next. “The same,” he said firmly. “My son is of my bloodline. He must be groomed as a future leader. I don’t want to take him from his mother, but I can’t allow him to grow without knowing who he truly is.”

And then Dane spoke last. “My son carries my blood, my spirit, and my wolf,” he said. “He needs both of us, his mother and his father. But as his father, I must ensure he grows to protect those who will one day depend on him.”

The Elder leaned back, his fingers steepled together. The room fell silent again.

Peter placed a hand on my arm beneath the table, a silent reminder to breathe. I exhaled slowly, but inside, my thoughts were chaos.