For a moment, I couldn't move. My body felt stiff, my breath stuck in my chest.
Act, my wolf pushed at me. You have to act.
I swallowed hard. My pride hated it, but I reminded myself—nudity was nothing new for us. We shifted into wolves all the time, and every time we shifted, we were naked. It wasn't shameful. It was normal. If he thought this would get to me, he was wrong. He could watch, but that was all. He would never touch me.
I stood up slowly, lifting my chin. I made sure he saw that I wasn't shaking, I wasn't scared. Piece by piece, I undressed, taking every layer of my clothes. My wolf growled low inside, reminding me that this was only an act.
From the corner of my eye, I saw him shift in his seat. His pale fingers gripped the desk, his glowing eyes drinking me in.
"Moon Goddess," he breathed, hunger dripping from his tone. "You are a beauty. No wonder those triplets never wanted to let you go."
My jaw clenched. Anger burned hot in my chest, but I forced my lips into a calm line. I wanted to spit in his face. I wanted to burn him alive. But I stayed still. Not yet. Not now.
Frederick slowly stood and stepped closer, lifting a hand as if he wanted to touch me. "So tempting…" he murmured.
I snapped my eyes to his and took a step backward. "No. Not until marriage."
He froze, then laughed—a deep, mocking laugh that made the room feel smaller. "Then let us marry tomorrow," he said, sounding so serious about it.
My heart jumped, but I didn't flinch. "No," I said firmly. "If you want me, I must know you first. A marriage without knowing each other is nothing. Even you must agree to that."
His eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering there. Then his smirk returned. "Very well, Olivia. You want to know me? Then I'll give you that chance. But remember…" He leaned close, his breath cold against my ear. "You are already mine."
He pulled away, retreating to his seat, while I gathered my clothes from the floor and dressed. His lustful eyes never left me, burning holes into my skin. Once I was fully clothed, I sat across from him. But never once did he take his eyes off me. It was so creepy, but I ignored it and spoke up.
"Where is this place?" I asked, shifting in the chair and glancing toward the wide window beside us. The glass was clear, showing a sky unlike the one I knew. The air outside looked colder, the trees unfamiliar, and in the distance stood tall, ancient buildings, their outlines sharp and strange.
A sharp chill slid down my spine. This is a different country.
"This place…" I said slowly, turning back to him. "Where am I?"
Frederick leaned back, one leg crossed over the other. "France," he said smoothly. "This is my family home. The place where I was raised."
My chest tightened. France. Another country. No wonder everything felt strange.
But he wasn't finished. His eyes narrowed. "And this…" He paused. "This is where your dear Hailee lived for eleven years."
My brow furrowed, my wolf stiffening inside me. Hailee? Here?
I forced myself to stay calm, to keep my expression blank, even though questions screamed in my head. Eleven years. Why had she been here? What did he mean by that?
"Why was she living here?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.
Frederick shrugged. "She needed shelter and protection, and we gave her."
I frowned and folded my arms. "Is that why you forced her into the deal? Is that the exchange of the deal you both had?" I pressed on. I knew there were a lot of things I didn't know. This Hailee—I never met her. I was not lucky like the triplets to know her. I wished she was still alive. She had a lot of questions to answer and respectfully a lot of slaps to take from me.
Frederick's smirk grew darker, but his eyes had a shadow in them that made my wolf uneasy.
"My deal with Hailee…" his voice dropped, low and heavy. Then he looked straight at me, his expression blank. "It was never done forcefully. It was about life… and death."
I frowned, crossing my arms tight. "Stop talking in riddles. What do you mean?" Updates are released by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝕟𝕖𝕥
He leaned back in his chair, his pale fingers tapping on the wood. "She wasn't forced, Olivia. But she didn't really agree either. When someone stands at the edge of death, choices are… different."
My stomach twisted, my wolf growling. "So you used her weakness," I snapped.
Frederick tilted his head, a fake look of innocence on his face. "I saved her life, Hailee… and that of her unborn children, one of whom happens to be your grandfather. So without my act that very day, you would never have existed. You only breathe today because of me. Because I saved her. And because I spared them." He leaned forward, his voice dropping into a growl. "So don't stand there, child, and look at me with disdain. Your very existence is my doing."
He spat, sounding annoyed by my attitude.
But I didn't get scared of his annoyance. My thoughts were fixed on Hailee. The thought of Hailee—alone, scared, trapped by this man—made anger rise in me like fire. I hadn't even known her the way the triplets had, yet his words made me want to tear him apart piece by piece.
I drew in a sharp breath, controlling my emotions. "I'll see you later, Frederick," I said, my voice blank. "I need to go back home."
His eyes narrowed, his lips curling into that same infuriating smirk. He shook his head slowly, like a teacher correcting a stubborn child.
"No," he said simply. His voice was calm but authoritative. "You're not leaving tonight."
My wolf bristled. What?
He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "If you claim you want to know me, then you will stay. How else will you learn who I am? How else will I learn who you are, my future wife?"