Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 226

Chapter 226: The Council

Hailee’s POV

My throat tightened. I could feel my pulse in my ears. I rose slowly from my seat, hands clasped before me. "Thank you, Elder," I said softly, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I... I know my actions have caused pain, not just to the men sitting before me, but to my children. But everything I did was to protect them. I was afraid. Afraid of losing them. Afraid of the truth destroying everything before it had a chance to heal."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, the Elder turned toward the Alphas.

"Alpha Nathan," he said. "You may speak."

Nathan stood slowly. Even after all these years, the sight of him stole my breath. His voice was calm, deep, controlled, yet filled with emotion.

"I will not stand here and condemn her," he began. "Hailee did what she thought was right. I may not agree with how she handled it, but I understand her fear."

He paused, his gaze finding mine. "What I want is not revenge or punishment. I only want to be a part of my son’s life, to make up for the years I lost, even if it wasn’t my choice."

My chest ached. His words were gentle but full of heartbreak.

The Elder nodded. "Thank you, Alpha Nathan."

He turned. "Alpha Callum?"

Callum rose next, his usual sharpness softened by something almost tender.

"I echo Nathan’s words," he said. "We all made mistakes. I should have fought harder to find her, to understand what happened instead of assuming the worst."

He exhaled deeply. "Hailee’s always done things with her heart. And though her choices hurt, I can’t stand here and claim I don’t still care for her. I just want peace for our son, not pain."

I swallowed hard, tears threatening to fall.

Then came Dane. He didn’t rush to speak. When he did, his voice was steady, the kind that could calm storms.

"I’ve thought a lot about what it means to be an Alpha, to protect and to lead," he said. "But when it comes to Hailee, I realize strength doesn’t mean control. It means understanding. Forgiving."

He looked right at me. "I forgive her. I don’t care about titles or pride. I just want my son to grow up knowing both his parents."

A heavy silence followed. Even the Council Elders exchanged quiet glances, perhaps surprised that three Alphas known for their dominance spoke with such restraint and love.

Peter glanced at me, then gave a faint nod, silently telling me to speak.

I turned to the elders, my voice trembling. "You see why I ran," I said quietly. "Because I loved them too much to destroy them with the truth. I thought hiding would keep us safe. But I see now, it only broke us more."

The Elder regarded me for a long moment before speaking again. "The Council thanks all parties for their honesty. But before we deliberate further, we must hear from the children themselves."

My heart stopped. The words I’d been dreading the most.

The boys were guided forward by one of the attendants. Oscar held his brothers’ hands tightly, his face composed, mature beyond his years. Oliver avoided my gaze completely, while Ozzy fidgeted nervously beside them.

The Elder smiled gently. "You don’t have to be afraid. We just want to know how you feel. You may speak freely."

Oscar spoke first. His voice was calm, clear, and strong. "I don’t hate my mother," he began, glancing briefly at me. "I’m just disappointed. I wish she trusted us enough to tell us the truth. I don’t know what’s right anymore, but I know I want all of us to stop fighting."

Oliver spoke next. "I don’t know who to believe," he admitted softly. "I just know I want to know my father. I want to understand who I am."

And finally, Ozzy. "I just want everyone to be happy again. I want Mom to smile. I want my brothers to stop being sad. I want us to be a family."

My heart shattered completely.

The hall was silent. Even the Alphas lowered their eyes, their expressions heavy with emotion.

The Elder cleared his throat softly. "Thank you, young ones."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify