Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 227

Chapter 227: The Hearing

Hailee’s POV

The hall was silent. No one dared to move, not even to breathe. The elders exchanged long, thoughtful glances. Then they whispered softly as they leaned toward one another. I couldn’t catch every word, only fragments that made my stomach twist. Some were against me, some were against the Alphas.

Finally, the High Elder raised a hand, and the room stilled. His expression was calm, unreadable. "The Council has heard enough to deliberate," he said. "But this case is unlike any other. There is no precedent for one woman bearing the heirs of three Alphas."

A quiet murmur rippled through the audience.

He continued, his tone firm. "By law, Lady Hailee holds the maternal right. The children were born under her care, and the fathers were unaware. However," his gaze swept toward Nathan, Callum, and Dane, "we cannot ignore the strength of the bloodlines they represent. These boys are not ordinary children; they are future leaders. Their growth must serve both the mother who nurtured them and the fathers whose blood runs through them."

My heart pounded. "What are you saying?" I whispered.

The Elder looked at me kindly but without softness. "That this Council cannot, in fairness, give full custody to any single party."

Peter’s jaw tightened beside me. "Meaning?" he asked quietly.

"Meaning," the Elder said, "the Council decrees a shared guardianship. Lady Hailee will remain the boys’ primary guardian. They will continue to live under her roof, but the Alphas"—his gaze moved to each of them—"will have equal right to visit, to train, and to guide their sons in their packs during specified periods each moon." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The words struck like thunder in my chest. Shared guardianship. Not victory. Not loss. Something in between—the fragile middle ground that pleased no one but punished no one either.

The Elder continued, "After one full moon cycle, the Council will reconvene. We will observe the boys’ well-being and decide whether this arrangement shall stand permanently or change."

He paused, then added, "During this period, no Alpha may take the children from their mother’s home without her consent. Any violation will be seen as a breach of the Accord and punished accordingly."

Silence again. Heavy, suffocating. I didn’t know whether to cry or thank him. It wasn’t the outcome I’d hoped for, but at least they weren’t taking my sons away.

Peter exhaled beside me, his voice low but calm. "That is fair," he said.

The Elder nodded. "Then it is done."

Nathan rose first, his eyes finding mine. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The pain there was real, but he also had that look of understanding. He gave a faint nod, the kind that said this isn’t over, but I won’t fight you today.

Callum stood next, his expression thoughtful. "We will honor the Council’s word," he said quietly.

And Dane... Dane’s gaze lingered longest. He didn’t say a word, but the warmth in his eyes said everything.

The Elder banged his staff once against the marble floor. "This hearing is adjourned. The Council will meet again in one moon’s time."

Peter placed a gentle hand on my back, guiding me to stand. "It’s done, Hailee," he murmured.

I nodded, though my chest felt tight. I looked at my sons, who didn’t seem happy or even relieved to go with me. They just had that blank look on their faces. When we walked out of the Council hall, the air outside felt warm, but I was cold inside.

The words shared guardianship kept echoing in my head. It didn’t feel like winning or losing—just something in between.

Peter walked beside me quietly. The boys followed behind us. They didn’t talk or smile. Even Ozzy, who always talked, was quiet. I wanted to hold them, but they didn’t seem ready. Maybe I wasn’t ready either.

As we reached the cars waiting outside, I heard a voice behind me.

"Hailee."

I turned. Nathan, Callum, and Dane were walking toward us. Seeing the three of them together made my chest tighten.

Nathan was the first to speak. His voice was calm, not angry. "Where are you going with the boys?"

"Back home," I said softly.

Callum nodded. "That’s good," he said. "They need peace. But remember, this means we’re part of their lives too now."

I just nodded. I didn’t have the strength to argue.

Then Nathan said, "I’ll take Oscar next weekend. I want him to see my pack, meet my people. He needs to know who he is."

Peter frowned. "That’s not how this works, Alpha. You can’t just—"

"It’s fine," I said, cutting him off.

Peter looked at me, surprised. "Hailee—"

"I said it’s fine," I repeated. My voice was tired. "If Nathan wants to spend time with his son, let him. That’s what shared guardianship means."

Nathan gave a small smile. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Dane spoke next. "Then I’ll take Ozzy the week after," he said. "I’ll make sure he’s safe. I already have a room ready for him."

Ozzy looked up at him. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes stayed on Dane longer than anyone else.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify