When I arrived at Frederick's home, I was met by his sister instead. She stood in the doorway, calm and friendly, and told me Frederick had gone back to his estate with his son.
"Frederick isn't a bad man, Olivia," she said softly, her eyes searching mine. "People paint him as a monster, but he just wants to be loved."
I couldn't help the scoff that escaped me. "Loved by force? Is that what you call love—clinging to someone who barely wants you? Can't he let another woman love him instead?"
Her lips curved faintly, though her eyes held something like pity. "You don't understand him. Frederick grew up with everything except affection. Power, respect, fear—he had those in abundance. But love? Genuine, unconditional love? He's never truly had it."
I folded my arms, my wolf bristling. "That's his fault. He doesn't know how to treat people right. He pushes, manipulates, forces. That's not how you win love."
She shook her head slowly. "Maybe. But deep down, he's still searching for it. Even when he lashes out, even when he hurts people—it all comes from that hunger. He's desperate for someone to stay, to choose him freely. You can hate him all you want, Olivia, but that's the truth. My brother is lonely."
Her words sank in, but I forced my face into a mask, unwilling to let her see any crack in me.
Because no matter what she said, Frederick's loneliness didn't excuse his sins.
And it certainly didn't change the fact that I would be the one to end him.
Her words were already biting at me, but she didn't stop there. Her eyes softened, a strange sadness flickering across her face.
"You know what hurt him the most?" she asked quietly. "Hailee."
My stomach tightened at the name.
"She disappeared," Frederick's sister went on. "One day she was there, the next… gone. He searched for her, Olivia. He searched everywhere. He tore apart borders, called in favors, threatened packs—anything to find her. And when he finally did…" She paused, her jaw clenching. "When he finally found her, she chose them instead. Those three men—the fathers of her sons."
I stiffened, my wolf pricking up sharply.
"He did everything for her," she whispered, her gaze locking onto mine. "Protected her. Spoiled her. Gave her every chance to love him back. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. And when she turned away from him… it broke something inside my brother. Something that never healed."
For a moment, I couldn't speak. My thoughts spiraled.
So Hailee knew. She knew Frederick loved her.
And still… she chose them.
I swallowed hard, forcing my voice steady even as a storm built inside me. "Love doesn't excuse cruelty. He hurt people. He hurt me. He hurt so many. You can't dress that up as heartbreak."
But even as the words left my lips, a sliver of unease crept into me. Because now I knew the truth—her rejection was the wound Frederick never recovered from.
Her words didn't stop there. She leaned forward slightly, her tone lowering into something almost conspiratorial.
"Olivia," she said gently, "you could love him. If you gave him a chance. He would give you the world in return. You wouldn't regret it. When my brother loves, he loves with everything. Listen, Olivia: if you give him the chance he will treat you better than the triplets have ever—trust me on this. Just love him."
I almost laughed in her face. Almost. The only thing that stopped me was the sheer sincerity in her eyes, like she was spilling a deep secret to me.
I wanted to spit the words back at her—never. I would die before I let that happen. But then my plan whispered in the back of my mind, reminding me to stay careful. To play along until the time was right.
So instead of cursing him, I forced my voice to soften. "It's not like I have much choice," I murmured, lowering my eyes. "He owns my life in his hands. Whether I like it or not, my path leads back to him."
Her smile was faint, almost triumphant. "Then don't fight it, Olivia. You might be surprised by what you find if you let yourself try."
I said nothing. I only dipped my head in a small nod, then let the bond of my power tug me away.
In a blink, I teleported straight to Frederick's home.
The air shifted, colder, heavier. I followed the sound of movement until I reached his chambers. He was there—standing tall in front of a mirror, fastening the cuffs of his dark jacket. He looked up at me through the reflection, one brow arching.
"Well, well," he said smoothly. "I was just about to reach out to you."
I stayed quiet, my face unreadable, while inside my wolf coiled with hatred. His mere presence disgusted me. He was the reason so many things were going wrong with my life... I should be having my happy ending with the triplets if not for him...
He smirked faintly, as if amused by my silence. "Not lashing out at me today? Interesting. But I love it when you lash."
I didn't give him the satisfaction of a response. Instead, I tilted my head and asked lightly, "Where are you going?" Pretending ignorance, even though I already knew.
"A birthday party," he replied casually, turning to face me fully now. "Do you want to come?"
I tapped my chin, pretending to think about it, letting the pause stretch. Finally, I sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll come."
He smiled genuinely, like a man who had just been handed something precious. "Good," he said softly. "I'm glad." Content orıginally comes from 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚫𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⚫𝘯𝘦𝘵
And in that smile, I saw it—the hunger his sister had spoken of. The loneliness. The need.
But no matter how real it looked, it didn't change my truth.
Because behind my calmness, behind my forced agreement, one vow echoed clear in my heart.