Fated To Not Just One, But Three - Chapter 595

Chapter 595: The set up
Lennox’s POV

Fuck.

I wanted to kiss her back.

Everything in me was screaming to. My body leaned toward her before my mind could catch up, before reason could remind me of everything at stake. Her lips were warm. Familiar. Too familiar. For one terrifying second, it felt like coming home.

But I couldn’t.

I couldn’t let this happen again.

So, with what might have been the hardest decision of my life, I pulled her away and stepped back, putting space between us. My heart was hammering so hard it hurt.

“What are you doing?” I asked hoarsely as I wiped my mouth with the back of my palm, more shaken than I wanted to admit. My thoughts were a mess. Shock. Desire. Panic.

Our eyes met.

I expected guilt. Regret. Anger.

But that wasn’t what I saw.

I saw certainty.

Something sharp and knowing burned in her gaze, like she had just confirmed something she’d been searching for.

My stomach dropped.

I swallowed hard. “You—”

She grabbed my shirt again—not to pull me closer this time, but to keep me from stepping back.

“I like you,” she said quietly.

The words hit harder than any blow she’d landed in the yard.

I froze.

“What?” The sound came out rough, like my throat had forgotten how to work.

Her grip tightened. “I’m attracted to you,” she said, meeting my eyes without flinching. “And before you say anything—yes, I know how wrong that sounds. I know what I’m supposed to feel. I know I’m still mourning. But this—” She pressed her palm lightly to my chest. “This is real.”

My mind went blank.

Of all the things I’d braced myself for—anger, suspicion, accusation—this hadn’t been one of them.

“I—” I stopped, swallowed. “Luna, this isn’t—this isn’t right.”

She smiled faintly, not amused. “You always say that when you’re scared.”

I shook my head. “I’m not scared. I’m trying to protect you.” And myself. And everything I was barely holding together. “I’m a guard. Your mates—Levi, Louis—if they so much as suspect—”

“They won’t,” she cut in. “And even if they did, I’m the Luna. I make my choices.”

“That doesn’t make it right,” I said quickly. “You’re grieving. You’re not yourself. This is pain looking for somewhere to land.”

Her eyes softened, but her voice didn’t. “Don’t tell me what I’m feeling.”

I forced myself to breathe. “You’re the Luna. You could have anyone you want. But not me. Not like this.”

For a heartbeat, she looked like she might step back.

Then she leaned in and kissed me.

It stole the air from my lungs. Every nerve lit up, every memory rushing in at once. I tasted her—familiar and devastating—and my hands curled into fists at my sides as I fought the urge to pull her in, to give in, to stop pretending I wasn’t unraveling.

I wanted her.

Gods, I wanted her.

But wanting her wasn’t enough to make this okay.

I shoved her away.

I meant to do it gently. I swear I did.

But panic and restraint tangled together, and my hands came out harder than intended. She stumbled back, surprise flashing across her face, and fell onto the floor with a soft, stunned sound.

Silence crashed down around us.

“Olivia—” I said immediately, horror spiking through me.

She sat there for a second, blinking, more shocked than hurt. Then she pushed herself up, anger flaring hot and bright in her eyes—but she didn’t say a word. Instead, she just turned around and left.

Where I stood, I continued staring at the door, wondering, “What the hell has gotten into you, Olivia…” I muttered under my breath.

Was she really ready to make out with me?

With me—as Kaine. A guard. A nobody.

The thought twisted my gut painfully. And worse, I knew exactly why it had almost happened. Why it felt so easy. So dangerous.

Because it wasn’t Kaine she wanted.

It was Lennox.

And that meant this couldn’t continue.

Not like this.

I dragged a hand down my face and exhaled slowly, forcing myself to think like an Alpha again, not a man unraveling at the feet of the woman he loved.

This was getting too close. Too messy.

I needed answers.

I needed to remember why I was here in the first place.

Someone had tried to kill me.

Someone powerful enough to ask a maid and a guard to do it.

If I stayed tangled in Olivia’s emotions, I’d lose sight of that truth.

“I have to end this,” I said quietly to the empty room. “I need to find out who wants me dead.”

I straightened. If I wanted information, I needed to move.

I changed into a fresh guard uniform, adjusting the straps, settling back into the role I wore like a second skin. Kaine the guard. Calm. Charming. Unassuming.

Then I stepped back outside.

The pack grounds were busy now—servants moving about, guards changing shifts, the normal rhythm of life continuing as if everything hadn’t shattered beneath it.

I scanned the area slowly, my gaze searching.

The maid.

The one whom Golden had overheard speaking about the plot to kill me.

There I found her.

Near the laundry area at the far side of the courtyard.

She was bent over a basin, sleeves rolled up, hands submerged in water as she scrubbed fabric against a washboard. Her hair was pulled back loosely, a few strands clinging to her damp neck.

I took a breath.

And turned on the charm.

I approached casually, making sure my footsteps were heard so I wouldn’t startle her. “Busy morning,” I said lightly.

She glanced up, surprised—and then smiled.

“Guard Kaine,” she said, a little shy. “Yes. Always busy.”

I leaned against the wooden post nearby, relaxed. “You make it look easy.”

She laughed softly. “You guards say that because you don’t do it.”

“Fair,” I said with a grin. “I wouldn’t last an hour.”

Her cheeks warmed at that, and I filed it away. Good. She was receptive.

I let a moment pass, then said casually, “I was wondering… would you like to take a walk tonight? After your duties. Just around the grounds.”

She blinked. “A walk?”

“Yes,” I said smoothly. “Nothing improper. Just some air. Company.”

She hesitated, biting her lower lip. “There are many girls here,” she said cautiously. “Why me?”

I met her eyes, lowering my voice just slightly. “Because you caught my attention.”

That did it.

She flushed visibly, ducking her head as she scrubbed at the cloth again, suddenly very focused on her work. “You shouldn’t say things like that so easily.”

“I only say what I mean,” I replied.

She risked another glance at me, curiosity winning over caution. “And what if I say no?”

I smiled. “Then I’ll respect it.”

Silence stretched.

Then she sighed softly. “I finish late. After sunset.”

“I’ll wait,” I said.

She nodded, a small, nervous smile on her lips. “Okay.”

She gathered her basket and hurried off before she could change her mind.

I watched her go, my expression calm even as my thoughts sharpened.

Good.

Maids are known to be talkative—especially to their boyfriends. They whispered things when they thought no one important was listening.

And tonight, I intended to listen.

As she disappeared down the path, my jaw tightened.

Olivia… forgive me.

I wasn’t doing this because I wanted to.

I was doing this because someone had tried to erase me from the world.

And I was going to find out who.

I was still watching the path where the maid had disappeared when I felt it.

That sharp pull at the back of my neck.

Alpha attention.

I turned slightly—and saw Levi.

He was standing a few yards away, speaking quietly with another guard. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp, always watching, always calculating. When his gaze landed on me, it held.

Then he lifted his chin once and gestured for me to come over.

Shit.

I straightened my shoulders and walked toward him, keeping my steps steady, my expression neutral. Just a guard answering a call. Nothing more.

As I approached, Levi dismissed the other guard with a brief wave. The man bowed and left immediately, giving us space.

Levi didn’t speak right away.

He just stared at me.

Not openly hostile. Not friendly either.

Just… studying.

The silence stretched.

I forced myself not to react, not to shift, not to give anything away. I’d faced council members, enemy Alphas, execution grounds—but something about Levi’s stare made my skin prickle.

Finally, he spoke.

“There’s something about you,” he said slowly.

My pulse kicked, but I kept my face blank. “Sir?”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “I don’t know what it is,” he continued. “But I’ve felt it since the day you arrived. You don’t move like the others. You don’t react like the others.”

Careful. Very careful.

“I try to do my duty well,” I replied evenly.

Levi snorted softly. “That’s not it.”

He circled me slowly, like a wolf assessing another. I stayed still, my eyes forward, hands clasped behind my back.

“You don’t submit easily,” he said. “Not fully. Even when you bow, there’s restraint. Control.”

My jaw tightened, but I said nothing.

He stopped in front of me again. “Tell me, Kaine—where did you train?”

“Different places,” I answered. “Before I came here.”

“Hm.” His gaze sharpened. “You fight like someone who’s had real battles. Not drills.”

I met his eyes briefly, then looked away respectfully. “I’ve survived.”

That seemed to amuse him.

A slow smile curved his lips—but there was no warmth in it.

“Good,” Levi said. “Then you won’t mind this.”

He stepped back and motioned toward the open training yard nearby.

“Let’s spar.”

My chest tightened.

“Sir?” I said cautiously.

He rolled his shoulders, already loosening up. “Just a friendly match.”

Nothing about his tone was friendly.

Then he added, almost casually, “We’ll make it interesting.”

I stayed silent, waiting.

“If I win,” Levi said, eyes locked on mine, “I get to do whatever I want with you.”

It sounded like a threat… a trap.

“And if I win?” I asked carefully.

A corner of his mouth lifted. “Then you get one request to make, and I’ll fulfill it.”