Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 291

Hailee's POV

The drive to Dane's pack was quieter than the last one.

My eyes were swollen from crying, my chest still aching, but Nathan kept me close, his arm around my shoulders like a shield. I didn't say much. I was tired in a way that sleep couldn't fix.

When we reached Dane's territory, the guards didn't stop us for long. They recognized Nathan immediately and stepped aside, opening the gates without question.

We drove in, and the place felt… warm.

Not cold like Callum's pack. Not broken. There was life here. Laughter somewhere in the distance. The smell of food and flowers in the air.

As soon as we stepped into the large living room, I heard a familiar voice.

"Mom!"

Ozzy came running down the hallway, small feet pounding against the floor. Before I could even kneel, he jumped into my arms, wrapping himself around me tightly.

I held him like I might never let go.

"My baby," I whispered, pressing my face into his hair. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," he said softly.

My heart felt lighter just from having him in my arms again.

Then footsteps came from the stairs.

Dane walked down, tall and smiling, with a woman beside him. She was beautiful, with kind eyes and a calm presence that filled the room.

"Hailee," Dane said warmly. "Nathan. You're welcome here."

He turned slightly and placed his hand around the woman's waist. "This is my mate."

My eyes widened in surprise.

"Your mate?" I asked.

He nodded, smiling in a way I had never seen before—full, peaceful, happy.

"I finally found her," he said.

My chest warmed at the sight.

"I'm so happy for you," I told him honestly.

And part of me ached quietly, wishing Callum could have found this too. If he had… maybe everything would have ended differently.

We sat down together. Ozzy stayed close to me, his hand holding mine.

"I want to say I'm sorry," I told Dane quietly. "For everything that happened before. For the confusion. For the pain."

Dane shook his head gently.

"I understand now," he said. He glanced at his mate, love in his eyes. "When you find your true mate, you realize you could never leave them for anyone else. Not for love, not for guilt, not for the past."

He smiled at Nathan and me.

"So I understand you too. I can't leave my mate for anything in this world."

Relief washed through me.

His mate smiled warmly. "We talked about Ozzy," she said. "I will love him like my own."

I studied her for a moment. She looked sincere. Kind. But still…

I straightened slightly.

"That's good," I said. "But understand something. He is my son. He stays here, yes. He goes to school here, yes. But every holiday, every break, he is coming to me."

She nodded. "Of course."

"And," I added calmly, "for your own sake, don't ever mistreat him. You won't like what you get from me."

She didn't look offended. She only smiled softly. "I understand."

I stood and pulled Ozzy into a hug again.

"Are you happy?" he asked me quietly.

I smiled through the tears in my eyes. "Yes, my love. I am."

He looked up at Nathan seriously.

"Take care of my mom," he said. "If you hurt her, you will have me to deal with."

Nathan laughed softly. "She is my life. I would hurt myself before I ever hurt her."

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