Fated To Not Just One, But Three - Chapter 586

Chapter 586: Feeling Guilty
Olivia’s POV

He didn’t say a word.

He just turned and walked away.

I stood there, breathing hard, my chest tight with anger. My hand still burned from the slap. For a few seconds, all I felt was a burning rage.

Then something else crept in.

I didn’t know what to call it.

Guilt? Concern? Regret?

It sat in my chest like a stone.

“You took it too far,” my wolf whispered.

I swallowed.

She was right.

I had taken it too far.

And what scared me most was not that I knew it but that I felt it. Deeply. Like slapping him had been a mistake I should never have made.

Why did it matter?

He was just a guard.

So why did it feel like I had hurt something fragile… something important?

I shook my head, annoyed at myself.

Get it together, Olivia.

I turned and went inside.

The children’s room was quiet when I entered. Liam was sitting up in bed, Leon and Leo beside him. They looked small. Too small for this much pain.

Liam looked up immediately.

“Mommy,” he said softly.

I walked to the bed and sat beside them. Liam’s eyes dropped to his fingers twisting together.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “For going to Daddy Lennox’s grave.”

My heart clenched.

“I just wanted to see him,” he added quickly. “Please don’t be hard on the guard. He was nice.”

I smiled weakly, brushing his hair back. “I’m not angry with you, baby.”

He looked at me carefully.

“I’m not stopping you from visiting Daddy,” I said gently. “Never. But right now, you’re sick. When you’re better… we’ll go together. Okay?”

He nodded slowly. “Okay.”

I kissed his forehead, then Leon’s, then Leo’s. They tried to smile.

It didn’t reach their eyes.

At four years old, they were already learning how to fake happiness.

That broke me more than anything else.

After settling them back down, I left the room quietly and returned to my own.

The door closed behind me.

Silence filled the space.

And against my will… my thoughts drifted back to him.

The way he had looked at Liam. The way his eyes had filled with tears at the grave. The way he had walked away without defending himself.

Why did it bother me?

I pressed a hand to my chest, confused and unsettled.

“Get a grip,” I whispered to myself.

But my heart didn’t listen. It kept drifting to that guard…

I sat on the edge of the bed, my feet tapping restlessly against the floor.

I couldn’t relax.

No matter how much I tried to reason with myself, the feeling wouldn’t go away—this tight, restless pull in my chest, like something unfinished.

Like something I needed to fix.

“Maybe I should just say sorry,” I whispered to the empty room.

Maybe I shouldn’t have hit him.

Maybe it was just my conscience.

Nothing more.

Yes. That had to be it.

I stood up before I could overthink it.

I left my room and walked down the corridor. A guard stood near the stairs.

“Where is Kaine’s room?” I asked.

The guard hesitated, then answered, “Second floor. East wing. Last door on the right, Luna.”

“Thank you.”

I turned and walked away before doubt could stop me.

I stopped in front of the door.

This is ridiculous, Olivia.

I raised my hand and knocked.

No response.

I frowned.

I knew he was inside.

I could feel him.

That presence again—strange and familiar in a way that made my chest ache.

“Kaine?” I called softly.

Nothing.

After a brief pause, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was empty.

Neat. Simple. Too clean. It made me remember Lennox—he was so obsessed with cleanliness and orderliness.

I sucked in a deep breath in pain and pushed the thought aside.

“Kaine?” I said again.

Then—

The bathroom door opened.

Steam drifted out first.

Then he stepped out.

Wrapped only in a towel.

Water still clung to his skin, running down his arms, his chest, and his shoulders. His hair was damp, darker than before, curling slightly at the ends. He froze the moment he saw me.

So did I.

The air between us shifted. It became tense and awkward… like even the universe knew I shouldn’t have seen him this way. But damn—he had a hot body. No… let me put it this way—he had Lennox’s body. Broad shoulders. Hairless chest. Six-pack abs. Well-trained, strong muscles. If I didn’t know better, I would have concluded this was Lennox’s body with another person’s face. But I shook my head, because yet again, I was just imagining things.

“I—” he started, then stopped, clearly caught off guard. “Luna—”

The towel slipped slightly as he moved.

Not enough to expose anything—but enough to make my breath hitch.

I looked away instantly, heat rushing to my face.

“I—I didn’t know you were—” I stammered, furious with myself. “I should go.”

He reached for the towel quickly, securing it again around his waist.

“No,” he said, firm but not harsh. “It’s my fault. I should have locked the door.”

Silence fell. Awkward. Thick silence.

I turned back to face him, keeping my eyes firmly on his face.

“I came to… apologize,” I said quietly. “For earlier.”

He stared at me like he hadn’t expected that.

“You didn’t deserve that,” I added. “What I did. I was angry—but that’s not an excuse.”

For a moment, he didn’t speak.

Then he nodded once.

“Thank you,” he said simply. “But you don’t owe me anything, Luna.”

That word again.

Luna.

It sounded wrong coming from him. I can’t just explain it.

“I shouldn’t have hit you,” I said. “You were trying to help.”

His jaw tightened slightly.

“I understand grief,” he replied softly. “You don’t need to explain.”

That was the problem.

He understood too well.

“You understand grief?” I asked quietly, lifting a brow.

He nodded once. “I lost someone important. My mate.”

Something about the way he said it—low, controlled, like the pain was carefully locked away—made my chest tighten.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, softer this time. I felt genuinely sorry for him. Maybe it was because I could understand the pain of losing someone dear to you.

“I should go,” I murmured finally.

He stepped back instinctively, giving me space.

“Yes,” he said. “You should.”

I turned toward the door but paused.

My heart was racing. I just couldn’t… He was just a guard… so why was I feeling this way…

“Can I ask you something?” Kaine suddenly spoke, forcing me to turn around from the door.

Our eyes made contact, and I could swear I felt that strange tingle.

Fuck—what the hell is happening?

“Yes,” I said, while trying to control my emotions.

He hesitated, like he was choosing his words with great care.

“I heard about what happened to your mate,” he said softly. “Your… other mate.”

My breath caught.

Lennox.

He didn’t say the name, but it echoed loudly in my head anyway.

“I heard how he died,” Kaine continued, his voice low and cautious, like he didn’t want to step over boundaries. “I know you must be going through a lot… believe me, I understand your pain.”

My vision blurred.

“I heard,” he went on, “that he loved you deeply. That losing him didn’t just break the pack… it broke you.”

That was it.

My control shattered.

Tears spilled over before I could stop them. My chest heaved as years—no, lifetimes—of pain crashed down on me all at once.

“The Moon Goddess is cruel,” I sobbed. “After four years of being away from him, and just when I had him back, she took him away forever.” I sobbed, my emotions spilling. “I was supposed to have healed him… I had the gift of healing, and yet she thought that was the best time to stop my abilities from working. I could have fucking saved him… he could have been alive… if only I had tried harder… maybe… maybe done something differently.” I choked out in pain, tears already forcing their way out.

Kaine stiffened.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, like he’d realized too late what he’d stirred. “I shouldn’t have—”

But I couldn’t stop.

“I watched him die,” I cried. “I held him while his blood soaked my hands. I begged him to stay. I begged the Moon Goddess. And she still took him from me.”

My knees weakened.

I swayed slightly.

Kaine moved—fast.

Then he stopped himself.

I saw it—the way his hands clenched at his sides, the way his jaw tightened like he was fighting a battle inside himself.

He wasn’t supposed to touch me.

I wasn’t supposed to need him.

But grief doesn’t care about rules.

“I’m sorry,” he said again, his voice rough now. “I didn’t mean to trigger this.”

“I miss him,” I whispered, my voice breaking completely. “I miss him so much.”

That was when he gave up fighting himself.

In two long strides, he closed the distance between us and pulled me into his arms.

The moment his arms wrapped around me, something inside me cracked wide open. I buried my face against his chest and cried—deep, ugly sobs I’d been holding back for days.

His body went rigid for half a second.

Then his arms tightened.

Just a little.

Like he was afraid I might fall apart if he didn’t hold me together.

He didn’t speak.

He didn’t tell me to be strong.

He didn’t tell me it would be okay.

He just held me.

And somehow… that made it worse.

And better.

His scent surrounded me—warm, familiar in a way that made my heart ache. My wolf stirred restlessly, confused, reaching for something she couldn’t name.

Kaine’s chin rested lightly against the top of my head. I felt his breath shudder.

He was hurting too.

I didn’t know why—but I felt it.