Chapter 187: The Decision
Hailee’s POV
"Never happening!" the three of them thundered.
Nathan’s claws slid out fully, glinting in the dim light as his wolf pressed against his skin. Callum took a step forward, his aura exploding like fire, shaking the air. Dane moved too, fists clenched, ready to tear through anyone who stood in his way. Frederick’s fangs flashed, his power surging as the ground itself seemed to hum under his weight.
The walls of the room rattled. Guards rushed in but froze at the door, too afraid to take a step closer. The tension was a living thing, choking me, crushing me. They weren’t listening anymore.
"No!" I cried, but my voice cracked and broke under the weight of their rage. "Please—stop!"
They didn’t. Callum lunged an inch closer, Nathan growled deep in his chest, Dane raised his hand to block, and Frederick laughed low and deadly, already peeling off his coat like he meant to rip through all of them.
Tears burned my eyes. My chest heaved. I couldn’t breathe. They were going to kill each other in front of me. In front of my sons.
"Fine!" The word tore out of me, sharp, desperate, louder than I’d ever shouted before. "Fine—if this is what it takes, then I’ll do it!"
All four froze. The air stilled, their eyes snapping to me.
My whole body shook, but I forced the words out. "Three months. I’ll give each of you three months. At the end... I’ll choose. Whoever I don’t choose will step aside. Forever."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Callum’s lips curled into a hard, bitter smile. "Three months it is then." He muttered. Dane’s jaw clenched. He gave the smallest nod, his voice tight. "I won’t lose this time. Not to them."
Frederick smirked, his fangs glinting. "Three months or not," he said, his tone dark, "I’ll take you back. No wolf will stand in my way."
But Nathan... Nathan didn’t move. Didn’t nod. His eyes, burning gold, locked on mine, and when he spoke, his voice was low, cold, and final.
"I don’t need three months. You are already mine. But if this is the only way for you to realize it, then so be it."
I swallowed hard. Unease curling inside me. "Goddess, what have I done?"
My chest felt heavy. I had said it — three months. Now there was no going back.
But then I thought about my boys. If all these men kept coming here every day, fighting and growling, it would break them. I had to find a way to stop that.
I took a deep breath. "There is one more rule," I said, my voice shaky but clear.
All four of them looked at me.
"I will stay here with Nathan during the week," I whispered. "Because I still owe him for saving me and the boys. I have to finish paying my debt."
Nathan’s eyes burned, but he stayed quiet.
"And on weekends..." My throat went dry, but I kept going. "On weekends, I will spend time at one of your houses. One at a time. At the end of three months, I will decide."
The room went quiet.
Callum’s eyes narrowed, but his lips curved into a bitter smile. "So you will rotate weekends. With each of us."
"Yes," I whispered.
Dane’s fists dropped to his sides. "I can live with that," he said tightly.
Frederick’s fangs glinted, but he smirked. "Fine. Three months, weekends. I will play."
Nathan’s blank eyes were fixed on me but he said nothing.
Then Callum stepped closer, his voice rough. "Whose house first?"
My heart jumped.
Dane crossed his arms. "Yes. Let’s know... tomorrow is Friday."
Frederick leaned forward, smiling in a way that made my skin crawl. "Pick, Hailee. Let us see who gets the first weekend."
My hands shook. I looked at the three men, then back at Nathan, my lips parting.
I swallowed. My voice was small, but the word came out.
"Callum."
The room went quiet.
Callum froze for a second. Then his chest rose and he gave a small genuine smile, his stormy eyes softened when he looked at me.
"Then it’s me," he said, his voice rough. "Tomorrow, you come with me."
Dane’s jaw tightened. His fists clenched, and he looked away, but I saw the pain in his eyes.
Frederick growled, showing his sharp fangs. "You waste your time with him, Hailee. But fine."
Nathan stayed still. His eyes never moved from me. He didn’t say a word. That silence scared me more than his growls.
The air in the room felt heavy. My knees shook, but I managed to stand tall anyway.
"Then it’s settled," Callum said firmly. "Tomorrow night, I’ll come pick her."
Nathan’s claws flexed at his side, but he still didn’t speak despite how much he wanted to speak.
A suffocating silence hung in the air. Then he finally spoke, his voice low.
"By Monday," he said, "when you come back from Callum’s, we’re doing the blood test. I want the truth."
He didn’t wait for me to answer. He turned and walked out of the room, his boots heavy on the floor. The door closed loudly behind him.
My chest hurt. It felt tight, like my heart was breaking with his words. He sounded angry, but I could also hear pain hiding in his voice.
I looked at the others. Dane stood with his fists tight. Callum’s eyes were still on me, soft but stormy. Frederick’s smirk was gone, his face dark.
I took a shaky breath. "Please," I whispered. "It’s settled now. Leave me. I need quiet... and I need to see my boys."
No one moved at first. Then Callum nodded. "Tomorrow night, I’ll come for you." His eyes flicked to Dane and Frederick, almost like a warning.
Dane’s jaw twitched, but he turned and left. Frederick looked at me for a long moment, his fangs showing a little, then followed after him.
One by one, they left. Their scents fading. My legs shook, but I stayed standing until the door closed.
I pressed my hands to my chest. The weight of what I had agreed to sat heavy on me. Three months. Weekends at their homes. A blood test on Monday.
And in the quiet, I thought, "Goddess, how will I survive this?"
I swallowed hard as I thought of different ideas in order to stop Nathan from doing the blood test, but none was good enough. "Shit... I am in trouble." I whispered and then remembered my boys were with a guard.
With a racing heart, I left the room as I searched for my boys. Where did the guards take them? I hated not knowing. Every corner I turned, my chest tightened more. I hope one of them hasn’t taken them.
Then—suddenly—a strong hand shot out of the shadows and grabbed me.
I gasped. Before I could scream, I was yanked into a side room. The door slammed shut behind me. My back hit the wall hard, and a low growl filled the air.
Nathan.
His eyes blazed as his claws pressed into the wall beside my face. His breath was hot, furious, his wolf close to the surface.
"Why don’t you tell them the truth?" he snarled, his voice shaking with rage. "Why don’t you tell them you love me more than any of them? Why do you keep lying, Hailee?"
My breath hitched, but then fire lit in my chest. I shoved at him, glaring up through trembling lashes. "You’re delusional, Nathan. I don’t love you more. I don’t love you more than the other three." My voice cracked, but I forced it out. "If I should love anyone more—it’s Callum."
The second the words left my lips, my stomach twisted. It felt like I was lying, even though I wanted it to be true.
Nathan’s jaw clenched. His breath came heavy. His eyes darkened, and for a moment, he looked like a man barely holding on.
I scoffed, forcing the mockery into my tone. "What’s wrong, Alpha?" I hissed. "Sex-starved? Is that why you’re so obsessed with me? Haven’t had enough she-wolves warming your bed lately?"
His lips curled into a sharp, humorless smirk. "And what about you, Hailee? Tell me—how many men have you spread your legs for? Whore."
The word slapped me harder than his hand ever could. My face burned hot with fury, shame, and hurt all tangled together.
Before I could hold my emotions, my hand flew up and slapped him across the face, the sound echoing in the small room.
For one breath, silence.
My heart raced as I gulped hard.
Then Nathan moved.
He grabbed my wrists, slamming them above my head against the wall, his chest pressing into mine. His lips crashed down on mine hot, angry.
My whole body jolted. I should have fought. I should have turned my face away. But my lips trembled, traitorous, caught between hate and the ache I’d buried for ten years.