Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One-Chapter 291: Dane’s Place

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. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

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."

I smiled at Nathan's words while he placed a tender kiss at the top of my head. Ozzy smiled and nodded like he was convinced.

For a moment, we all just stood there—me, Nathan, Dane, his mate, and my son—like we were a strange little family trying to fit together.

Dane cleared his throat gently.

"Why don't we sit," he said. "You both look exhausted."

We moved to the couches. Ozzy climbed up beside me, leaning into my side the way he used to when he was younger. I wrapped an arm around him, breathing him in like I was afraid he might disappear again.

Dane's mate brought tea for everyone. She placed a cup in front of me with careful hands, as if she didn't want to startle me.

"Thank you," I said softly.

She nodded. "You've been through a lot."

That was an understatement.

We sat in silence for a few moments. It wasn't awkward. Just heavy. Full of everything none of us knew how to say.

"I'll come and see you during some school days," I told Ozzy gently. "And you can come to me too. We'll talk every day if you want. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

He smiled, then nodded.

"Okay."

Nathan rested his hand on my knee, grounding me. I glanced at him, and his eyes were soft, full of quiet strength. He was here. He wasn't leaving.

"I should probably let you rest," Dane said after a while. "You can stay the night if you want."

I shook my head. "We should go. Nathan's pack is waiting."

Dane nodded, understanding.

I knelt in front of Ozzy and held his face gently in my hands.

"I love you," I whispered. "Always. No matter where you are."

"I know," he said quietly.

I kissed his forehead, then stood slowly.

Before we left, Dane's mate came closer.

"He's safe here," she said. "I promise."

I believed her.

As Nathan and I walked back toward the car, my heart felt strange—still aching, but lighter than before. I had lost so much… but I hadn't lost everything.

I still had two of my sons.

And I still had my mate.

And for now, that was enough.

We got into the car quietly.

The door closed with a soft thud, and suddenly it felt like the world had shrunk to just me and Nathan again. The drive from Dane's pack to Nathan's pack was almost two hours, but it felt longer. The road stretched ahead of us, trees and hills passing by in a blur, while my thoughts stayed far behind with Oliver.

I rested my head against Nathan's shoulder. His arm wrapped around me without me even asking, pulling me close like it was the most natural thing in the world. His warmth, his scent, his steady breathing—it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart again.

After a while, he lifted my face gently, just enough to look into my eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

I nodded, even though it wasn't the whole truth.

"Yes… I am."

He brushed his thumb under my eye, wiping away the last of my tears.

"You don't have to be strong right now," he said. "You don't have to pretend."

I gave a small, tired smile. "I know. But I'm… better than I was."

He nodded slowly, then rested his forehead against mine for a moment.

"Oliver will come around," he said gently. "He's hurting. He's confused. But he loves you. That won't change."

"I hope so," I whispered.

After a moment, he spoke again, his voice softer than before.

"Hailee… I love you."

The words settled in my heart, pulling out a soft smile on my lips.

"I love you too," I whispered.