Fated To Not Just One But Three novel Chapter 453

Chapter 453: prepare for the worst

Levi’s POV

Olivia was drifting again, her eyes glassy, her mind somewhere far away. Every few seconds, I had to reach out and tap her cheek gently, trying to pull her back.

"Hey," I whispered, brushing my thumb over her face. "Stay with me, okay?"

She blinked slowly, her gaze unfocused, then turned to me with tears pooling in her eyes. For a heartbeat, she seemed to see me, and then she faded again, lost in whatever storm was raging inside her.

"Hey... back," I said again, this time more firmly. I pulled her against me, guiding her head to my chest. Her body felt so small, so fragile in my arms. I could feel her silent sobs, the way she shook, the way her fingers clutched weakly at my shirt.

Each shudder tore through me.

I was breaking too.

My other half, my brother, lay on the edge of death, and every instinct in me screamed to fall apart. But I couldn’t. Not now. Not when she needed me to be her anchor.

I held her tighter, pressing my chin to the top of her head. "It’s okay," I whispered even though it wasn’t. "I’m here."

My throat burned, and for a moment, I couldn’t tell whose pain I was feeling, hers or mine. All I knew was that the woman in my arms and the brother in that room were both pieces of me.

And I couldn’t lose either.

Olivia stirred weakly in my arms, her breathing uneven. Then, all at once, she pushed herself up, her eyes wide and wild.

"I need to see him," she said, her voice shaky but firm. "Lennox, he needs me. I can heal him."

I caught her wrists before she could stand. "Olivia," I said softly, "you can heal him, maybe, but not now."

Her lips trembled. "No."

"Listen to me," I said, holding her gaze. "Your body’s drained. You’ve already done too much. If you push yourself again, you’ll end up beside him, and I can’t lose both of you."

Tears filled her eyes again. "He’s my mate," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I have to be by his side."

I swallowed hard, forcing my tone to stay steady. "Louis is with him," I said. "He won’t leave Lennox’s side for a second. You need to rest. Let the other healers do their work. When dawn comes, we’ll go together."

She shook her head violently. "No! He needs me! He’ll hear me. He’ll come back if I’m there!"

I cupped her face gently, making her look at me. "Olivia," I said, barely keeping my voice from shaking, "I know. I know you want to be there, but right now, I won’t let you."

Her breath hitched, and she tried to pull away, but I held her firmly, drawing her back into my arms.

"Please," I whispered against her hair. "Just rest. For him."

She went still for a moment, her fists still pressed against my chest, then finally, she broke down, her sobs muffled against me.

"Shh," I whispered, brushing her hair back gently. "Rest, Olivia. Just rest."

She shook her head weakly. "I can’t, not while he’s—"

I didn’t let her finish. I leaned down and pressed my forehead to hers, letting our mate bond hum between us, a quiet, soothing pulse of warmth and comfort. It wasn’t as strong as it used to be, but it was enough to make her eyelids grow heavy.

"Sleep," I murmured softly, running a thumb over her cheek. "Please. For him. For me."

This was the first time I had ever used our mate bond to command her into doing something. I had no choice.

Her breathing slowed, the tension in her shoulders fading little by little. I felt her wolf surrender to mine, the bond wrapping her in calm until finally, she fell asleep against my chest.

I lay there beside her, holding her close, listening to the fragile rhythm of her heartbeat. For a long while, I said nothing. I just breathed.

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