Chapter 218
h of relief, leaning my head against his chest and inhaling his rich scent of dark chocolate and burnt wood. The feral Alpha from the pool deck was gone, replaced by a quiet, protective warmth.
​But the peace didn’t last long.
​Leonard’s hand paused in my hair. I felt his chest expand as he took a deep breath, a sudden tension returning to his muscular frame. He hesitated for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, before he finally spoke.
​”Who was it?” he asked, his deep voice vibrating right against my cheek.
​I blinked, shifting slightly to look up at his sharp jawline. “Who?”
​He looked down at me, his dark eyes searching mine with a heavy, painful curiosity. He swallowed hard. “The person who took your first time. Who was it, Scarlett?”
​My heart stopped for a second, and a cold knot tied itself right back into my stomach. The dangerous truth about Nigeria and Leo flashed through my mind, but I forced my face to stay completely blank. I swallowed hard and lied—telling him the exact same lie I had told Liam.
​”It was just… a guy at a club,” I said quietly, keeping my voice as steady as possible. “A one-night stand. I didn’t even know his name, Leonard. It happened before I met you in Australia.”
​Leonard listened, his jaw clenching tightly for a second before he let out a long, heavy breath. He shook his head, a wave of dark regret washing over his handsome face.
​”It’s my fault,” he muttered, his voice dropping into a rough whisper. He tightened his grip around me, pulling me closer to his chest. “It’s my fault for not finding you sooner. If I had been there to protect you, if I hadn’t let you run… it should have been me. I should have been your first for everything.”
​The weight of his words made my throat go dry. He was taking the blame for a lie, and the guilt in my chest grew heavier, but I couldn’t risk breaking the peace now.
​Sensing the mood was getting too heavy, Leonard kissed the top of my head and decided to change the topic. He cleared his throat, his dark eyes softening as he looked down at me.
​”Are you hungry?” he asked.
​”Yes,” I admitted, realizing my stomach was completely empty after everything we had done in the pool. “Do you want to order some food?”
​Leonard scoffed, an amused smirk playing on his lips. “Nah. I’m cooking for you.”
​I rolled my eyes, a small laugh escaping my lips. “Oh, really? The great billionaire Alpha is going to cook?”
​”Come on, you know I can cook,” he said, nudging my shoulder playfully.
​”Leonard, that was years ago,” I pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “Before you took over the business empire.”
​”Nothing has changed,” he replied smoothly, a proud glint in his eyes. “Even though I’m an Alpha and running a company, I haven’t forgotten how to feed my mate.”
​I smiled, sitting up against the pillows. “Okay, fine. But I want to watch you.”
​”Deal,” he murmured.
​Leonard swung his long legs out of bed and walked over to his closet. He grabbed one of his crisp, white button-down shirts and tossed it over to me. I slid it on, the oversized fabric hanging down to my thighs, smelling completely like him.
​Meanwhile, Leonard didn’t bother with a shirt. He just pulled on a pair of low-riding grey sweatpants, leaving his broad, tattooed body completely on display for me. Every muscle in his back and chest flexed as he moved, and my wolf purred greedily at the sight.
​Once we were ready, I followed him out of the bedroom and down to the massive, ultra-modern kitchen.
​When we arrived at the kitchen, I ran my gaze around the room. It was breathtaking—all sleek marble countertops, state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances, and massive floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out into the dense, green forest. Leonard pulled a large pot from a cabinet and filled it with water, setting it on the high-tech stove. He moved with a practiced, confident ease, gathering garlic, fresh tomatoes, olive oil, and a box of artisanal spaghetti from the pantry.
​I hopped up onto one of the high leather barstools by the kitchen island, pulling the hem of his oversized white shirt down over my bare thighs. I just sat there and watched him work since he strictly refused to let me lift a finger.
​As he chopped the garlic, the rhythmic thud-thud-thud of the knife against the wooden cutting board echoed softly in the quiet room. Watching his broad, shirtless back flex, my mind began to drift.
​I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like if Liam and Leo were here right now, too.
​It would have been so nice if it were all three of them. How I secretly wanted all three of them. Growing up as a little girl, my world had always revolved around the triplets. It had always been the three of them protecting me, competing for my attention, making me feel alive. Whenever people whispered that wanting three Alphas was impossible or scandalous, I always looked up at their parents.
​Madam Olivia and their fathers. She had successfully loved and bound herself to three powerful triplet Alphas. If she could do it, if they could build a beautiful, legendary legacy together, why couldn’t I? But it seemed my case was always different. My reality was fractured by secrets, lies, a rigid schedule, and a dangerous game of hidden truths that threatened to tear them apart rather than bring them together.
​”You’re tracking dirt into my head with how hard you’re thinking over there,” Leonard’s deep voice suddenly broke through the silence.
​I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. He had stopped chopping. He was leaning against the marble island, the knife resting on the board as his brown eyes locked onto my face, heavy with concern. He had noticed my sudden silence and how deeply buried I was in my own head.
​”What’s going on, Scar?” he asked softly, crossing his tattooed arms over his chest.
​I swallowed hard, my fingers tightly gripping the edge of the barstool. I didn’t want to say it. I knew how fiercely possessive he was, especially today, on his designated day. But the weight of the scheduling, the running between rooms, and the constant ache of wanting them all together was becoming too much to carry alone. I just had to ask.
​I looked straight into his dark eyes. “Leonard… why don’t you guys just share me? Together. Without the calendar, without the rules.” I paused, my throat dry as I took a breath. “I mean… your fathers did it with your mother. Why can’t you?”