Chapter 269: Apologies

Scarlett’s POV

​When the first rays of morning sunlight slipped through the large glass windows, they painted streaks of warm gold across the tangled sheets. I slowly blinked my eyes open. For several seconds, I didn’t move. I simply lay there, listening to the quiet sounds of breathing surrounding me and feeling the steady warmth of three bodies pressed close to mine.

​Then, I tried to stretch. A soft groan escaped my lips.

​Every muscle in my body ached. My legs felt heavy, my body exhausted, and my skin was still so sensitive that even the cool morning air brushing against it made a faint shiver run through me. But beneath all of that was something I hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever.

​Peace.

​The frantic, unbearable fire of my heat was gone. In its place was a gentle warmth that settled deep inside me, almost like my wolf was curled up somewhere within my chest, completely satisfied and finally at rest.

​I smiled faintly. Then, almost instinctively, my hand moved toward my neck. My fingertips brushed over my collarbone before slowly tracing the skin above it.

​I froze.

​Smooth. Completely smooth.

​My eyes widened slightly as I touched the other side. Nothing. No bite. No mark.

​They hadn’t marked me. After everything that had happened during my heat, after feeling the desperation of their wolves and knowing how badly all three of them wanted to claim me completely... they had stopped themselves.

​A strange ache filled my chest. I turned my head and found Leonard already awake. He was lying beside me, resting on one elbow as he silently watched me. His usually calm brown eyes were softer than I had ever seen them. For a moment, neither of us spoke. His gaze dropped to where my fingers still rested against my neck. Then, he reached out, his calloused thumb gently brushing over the unmarked skin.

​"You noticed," he murmured.

​I nodded slowly.

​Before I could respond, the mattress shifted behind me. A strong arm immediately wrapped around my waist. I gasped softly as Liam pulled me backward against his warm chest, holding me as though, even in his sleep, some part of him had been afraid I might disappear.

​"Morning," he mumbled against my skin. His face disappeared into the crook of my neck, and a deep, sleepy rumble vibrated through his chest.

​I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

​At the foot of the bed, Leo suddenly sat up. His wild hair was sticking out in almost every direction as he stretched his arms above his head and released a massive yawn. Then, his eyes landed on me. The sleepiness disappeared from his face instantly, and a huge smile spread across his lips.

​"There she is."

​I laughed softly as Leo crawled closer, his eyes studying my face. "How are you feeling, mate?"

​I thought about it for a moment—about the exhaustion in my body, the warmth surrounding me, and the three men who had stayed beside me through the entire night. Somehow, despite everything we had been through, the answer came easily.

​"Perfect," I whispered.

​Three different expressions of relief appeared around me. But my fingers returned to my neck. I hesitated before looking at them. "But..."

​Liam immediately lifted his head. "But what?"

​I glanced down at my bare shoulder. "You didn’t mark me."

​The room became quiet. I looked between the three of them. "During my heat, I could feel your wolves. I know how badly they wanted to."

​Liam’s arm tightened around my waist. "We did want to," he admitted, his voice becoming serious. "Desperately."

​Leo released a breath and ran his hand through his messy hair. "You have no idea how difficult it was."

​Leonard gave him a pointed look.

​"What?" Leo muttered. "I’m telling the truth."

​Despite my sadness, I smiled.

​But Leonard’s attention quickly returned to me. "Our wolves wanted to claim you," he said quietly. "All three of them." He slipped his fingers into mine. "But we didn’t want it to happen that way."

​My smile slowly faded. "What do you mean?"

​Liam shifted beside me until I was able to see his face clearly. "We’ve spent too much of our lives fighting over you, Scar. We fought each other. We let jealousy control us. We made mistakes." His thumb gently brushed against my waist. "And somewhere in the middle of all of that, people kept making decisions about your life without asking what you wanted."

​I stared at him as Liam’s black eyes softened.

​"We weren’t going to become another person who took that choice away from you."

​My eyes began to burn.

​Leonard squeezed my hand. "We could have marked you during your heat," he continued. "Your wolf would have accepted us. The bond wanted it. Our wolves certainly wanted it."

​"Brutally so," Leo added.

​Leonard ignored him. "But when we finally mark you, Scarlett, we want to know that it happened because you chose it with a clear mind."

​My throat tightened.

​"Not because of your heat," Liam said.

​"Not because of your wolf," Leonard added.

​"And definitely not because the Moon Goddess decided three handsome idiots should be your mates," Leo finished.

​A laugh escaped me through the tears gathering in my eyes.

​Liam groaned. "Can you ever be serious?"

​"I am serious."

​"You just called us idiots."

​"Handsome idiots."

​Leonard shook his head. I laughed again, but this time, a tear slipped down my cheek. Three pairs of eyes immediately focused on me.

​"Scar?" Liam murmured.

​I shook my head quickly. "I’m okay."

​And I was. More than okay.

​For so long, my life had been controlled by everyone else’s expectations. Prophecies. Pack traditions. Our parents. The rivalry between the triplets. Even the mate bond itself. Everyone seemed to have an opinion about who I should love and what my future should look like.

​But this time, they had given the decision to me. They had placed my choice above their own instincts. Above their wolves. Above even the mate bond.

​I reached out and touched Liam’s face before turning to Leonard and then Leo. "Thank you."

​Leo frowned. "For what?"

​"For waiting."

​His expression softened. "Always, little bird."

​Before I could say anything else, a sudden knock sounded against the bedroom door. All four of us went still.

​Leo groaned dramatically and dropped backward onto the mattress. "If that is someone asking us to attend another pack meeting, tell them the Alphas have officially retired."

​Liam rolled his eyes. "Get up."

​"No."

​"Leo."

​"I’m busy."

​"Doing what?"

​"Recovering."

​I covered my mouth, trying not to laugh.

​Another knock came. This time, Leonard climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of trousers before walking toward the door. He opened it slightly. A maid stood in the hallway with her head respectfully lowered.

​"Alphas," she greeted. "Lady Scarlett."

​I pulled the sheet higher around myself.

​"Your parents are requesting your presence in the dining hall," she continued. "Lady Scarlett’s parents are also waiting."

​My smile disappeared. The warmth inside me suddenly turned cold. "My parents?"

​The maid nodded. "Yes, my lady."

​I looked at the triplets. "Did they say why?"

​"No, my lady. Only that they wish to speak with the four of you. They said it is important." The maid bowed again before leaving.

​Leonard closed the door. For several seconds, none of us spoke. The happiness I had felt moments ago was slowly replaced by an uncomfortable knot forming in my stomach.

​Their parents. My parents. Together. Waiting for us.

​Memories immediately began creeping into my mind. The prophecy. The interference. The arguments. The mating call. All the decisions that had been made for us instead of with us. Suddenly, I wasn’t lying peacefully in the arms of my mates anymore. I was remembering every moment when I had been made to feel as though loving the three of them was somehow wrong.

​"Scarlett." Liam’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I looked at him. He was watching me carefully. "You don’t have to go down there alone."

​I frowned slightly. "We’re all going."

​"I know." He reached out and cupped my cheek. "That’s what I mean."

​Leonard returned to my side. "Whatever they want to say, they say it to all four of us."

​Leo nodded. "And if anyone tries to tell us how we’re supposed to live our lives again, they can leave."

​"Leo," Leonard warned.

​"What? I’m serious this time."

​I stared at the three of them, and then I smiled faintly. Liam brushed his thumb across my cheek.

​"We’re right beside you, Scar," he whispered.

​Leonard took my hand. "No matter what."

​Leo reached for my other hand and grinned. "All three of us."

​The knot in my stomach didn’t disappear completely, but as I looked at my mates, it became easier to breathe. Whatever waited for us downstairs, I wouldn’t face it alone. Not anymore.

​When we arrived at the dining hall, the long wooden table was covered with a massive feast, but no one had touched a single plate. The silence was so heavy that even the smallest movement seemed too loud.

​I sat between Liam and Leonard, while Leo occupied the chair beside Leonard. Across from us were their parents—Olivia, Lennox, Levi, and Louis. My own parents sat beside them.

​No one spoke. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. I didn’t understand why we had all been called here, but something about the expressions on their faces made my stomach tighten.

​Then, Olivia slowly pushed back her chair. The scraping sound echoed loudly through the silent hall. She stood, but for several seconds, she said nothing. Her eyes moved from Liam to Leonard, then to Leo, before finally settling on me.

​"Scarlett." The moment she said my name, her voice cracked.

​I swallowed hard as Olivia took a shaky breath.

​"I have spent a long time thinking about what I would say to you if I ever got the chance to make things right," she said, her fingers tightening around the back of her chair. "And the truth is, I don’t think there are enough words."

​My chest tightened.

​"I failed you," she continued. "Not only as the mother of your mates, but as someone who should have protected you. I judged you. I allowed fear, pride, and a prophecy to become more important than the young woman standing in front of me." Her eyes filled with tears. "There were moments when you needed a family, Scarlett. You needed someone to stand beside you, and instead of doing that, I became another person who made you feel like you didn’t belong."

​I lowered my gaze. Memories I had spent so long trying to bury suddenly returned—the rejection, the loneliness, and the constant feeling that I was somehow the problem, that loving Liam, Leonard, and Leo was wrong.

​"I can’t erase what I did," Olivia whispered. "And I know saying I’m sorry doesn’t suddenly take away your pain. But I need you to know that if I could go back, I would do things differently." A tear slipped down her cheek. "I am so deeply sorry, Scarlett."

​My throat tightened, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak. Not yet.

​Lennox slowly rose from his chair, and Levi and Louis followed. For once, the three powerful men didn’t look like former Alphas standing proud before their pack. They looked like fathers who had finally realized how badly they had failed their children.

​"We were wrong too," Lennox said, his gaze moving toward his sons. "We became obsessed with what we believed was proper. With the prophecy. With protecting the pack and controlling an outcome that was never ours to control."

​Levi lowered his head. "We saw the rivalry between the three of you and believed Scarlett would destroy the bond between you."

​Louis shook his head bitterly. "But in trying to prevent that, we nearly destroyed it ourselves."

​Beside me, Liam’s jaw tightened. I reached beneath the table and touched his hand. His fingers immediately closed securely around mine.

​Lennox looked directly at me. "We made decisions about your life without considering what you wanted. We treated your bond like a problem that needed to be solved instead of a gift from the Moon Goddess." His voice became quieter. "We hurt you." Then, he turned toward his sons. "And we hurt all three of you."

​No one moved.

​"We cannot demand forgiveness," Lennox continued. "But we can ask for it. And whether you forgive us today, tomorrow, or years from now, we will spend whatever time we have left proving that we have changed."

​My eyes burned. Before I could fully process his words, I heard another chair move. My father stood up, and my mother followed him. Somehow, seeing them was harder than seeing everyone else. Because they were my parents. They were supposed to be the people I could trust more than anyone.

​"Scarlett," my father whispered.

​I looked away.

​"Please look at me."

​My lips trembled as I slowly raised my eyes. The regret on his face almost broke something inside me.

​"We told ourselves we were protecting you," he said. "That everything we did was because we loved you." My mother began crying silently beside him. "We saw the rivalry between the triplets, and we became afraid of what their bond with you would mean. We thought stopping the mating call would save you from pain."

​I shook my head slowly. "But it didn’t," I whispered.

​My father’s face crumbled. "No," he admitted. "It didn’t."

​"It made everything worse."

​"I know."

​"You made a decision about my life without me," my voice cracked, despite how hard I tried to control it. "You tried to take away something that belonged to me. My bond. My mates. My choice."

​My mother covered her mouth as a sob escaped her. "I know, sweetheart."

​"No." I shook my head again. "I don’t think you do."

​The entire room went silent. Tears completely blurred my vision.

​"I spent so much time wondering what was wrong with me. Why loving them caused so much pain. Why everyone seemed determined to keep us apart. And then you faked your death," I spat. "Do you even know what that did to me... what I went through to be called the daughter of traitors?"

​Liam’s hand tightened around mine. Leo moved closer, his knee pressing against mine beneath the table, while Leonard placed his hand gently against my back.

​"And all this time," I whispered, "the people who were supposed to protect us were the ones making decisions behind our backs."

​My father lowered his head. "You’re right."

​Those two words silenced me. There was no excuse, no argument, and no attempt to justify what they had done. There was only acceptance.

​"We were wrong," he said again. "And I am ashamed that it took losing your trust for me to understand that protecting your daughter doesn’t mean controlling her life."

​My mother stepped forward cautiously. "I don’t expect you to forget what we did, Scarlett. I don’t even expect you to forgive us today. But if you allow us, we want the chance to earn back your trust."

​I stared at them, then at Olivia, and finally at Lennox, Levi, and Louis. For a long moment, I said nothing. Part of me wanted to hold onto the anger; maybe I had earned the right to. But another part of me was tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of carrying the past everywhere I went.

​I turned toward Liam, Leonard, and Leo. None of them spoke. None of them told me what to do. They simply waited for my choice. And somehow, that gave me the courage I needed.

​"I can’t forget everything that happened," I finally said. Everyone remained silent. "And forgiveness doesn’t mean that everything is suddenly okay."

​Olivia nodded quickly, tears streaming down her face. "I know."

​I took a shaky breath. "But I don’t want to spend the rest of my life angry either." My gaze moved deliberately around the table. "We’ve already lost too much time because of fear, pride, prophecies, and people trying to decide what our lives should look like." I squeezed Liam’s hand. "I don’t want to lose any more."

​My mother began crying harder.

​"So..." I whispered, feeling tears finally escape my own eyes. "I forgive you."

​Olivia covered her mouth, and my father closed his eyes.

​"But trust will take time," I added softly. "I need all of you to understand that."

​"We do," Lennox said immediately.

​"And we will earn it," Olivia whispered. She hesitated before slowly walking around the table toward me. For a moment, she simply stood there. Then, she opened her arms. She didn’t reach for me to force it; she waited.

​Once again, the choice was entirely mine.

​My eyes filled with fresh tears. Slowly, I stood up and stepped into her arms.

​Olivia broke down completely. Her arms wrapped tightly around me as she sobbed against my shoulder. "You came into this family as our sons’ mate," she whispered. "But somewhere along the way, you became our daughter. I only wish I had treated you like one sooner."

​I closed my eyes. For the first time, those words didn’t hurt. They healed.

​My mother joined the embrace next, followed by my father, and then Liam, Leonard, and Leo. Before I knew it, we were all standing together in the middle of the dining hall, crying, laughing, and holding onto one another tightly.

​The past wasn’t gone, and the wounds hadn’t magically disappeared. But something fundamental had changed. For the first time, no one was trying to control our future. No prophecy stood between us. No fear. No rivalry.

​Only family.

​Later that night, the celebration had finally quieted down. I stood out on the grand stone balcony, looking up at the beautiful, silver full moon that hung high in the night sky. The cool breeze rustled my hair, making me feel incredibly peaceful.

​Three pairs of heavy, familiar footsteps echoed behind me.

​Liam, Leonard, and Leo walked out onto the balcony, wrapping themselves around me like a protective shield. Liam slipped his arm around my waist, Leo kissed my cheek, and Leonard stood close, his hand tangling intimately with mine.

​"You did amazing today, little bird," Leo whispered, his voice full of pride.

​"You gave this family a second chance," Leonard added gently.

​I turned around in their arms, looking up at the three of them in the silver moonlight. I looked at their handsome faces, then down at my own bare, unmarked shoulder.

​"You kept your promise," I murmured, looking between them. "You didn’t fight during my heat. You didn’t force a mark on me. You waited for me to be ready."

​"We will always wait for you, Scar," Liam said, his black wolf eyes glowing with absolute devotion. "We don’t need to rush. We have all the time in the world."

​I smiled, a real, radiant smile, and reached up to pull my long hair away from my neck, exposing my flawless skin to the bright light of the moon.

​"I don’t need more time," I whispered, my heart hammering with pure, undeniable certainty. "I choose you. All three of you."

​I looked deeply into their glowing eyes, my voice steady and unwavering.

​"Then mark me."