Three days.

When I opened my eyes, I was no longer in my room. I was standing inside a huge hall. The walls were made of stone, tall and dark, with torches burning along the sides. The air smelled strange, like metal and smoke.

But Frederick only laughed. His laugh was low, smooth, and full of pride.

“He is promising doom, Olivia… He says he gives you three days, and if you don’t agree to be his… he will invoke the spirit of the vow.”

But then—

I didn’t fight. I didn’t claw at his hand or try to pull away. My wolf roared inside me, begging me to strike again, but I stayed still. My eyes locked with his, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me scared.

“Through the blood vow, Olivia… he will give it to a witch. Once the spell is cast, it will bind you. Your body will begin to weaken, little by little. You’ll fall sick, and no healer will be able to stop it. Not even you… and eventually… you’ll die.”

Olivia’s POV

His breath was cold against my ear as he whispered, “And soon… you will be mine fully. Body. Soul. Wolf. Everything.”

I stood abruptly from the bed. “I’d rather die than belong to him,” I hissed, my wolf snapping inside me in fierce agreement.

My fists curled tight. My wolf growled louder. “You think I’ll be yours? You think you can scare me into bowing to you?”

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and let my power rush through me. The air around me lit up, bright and hot.

Frederick stepped closer, slow and calm. His voice was sharp but steady. “Olivia, I am three hundred years old. Do you really think you’re the first wolf to try killing me? I have lived this long because no fire, no magic, no power has beaten me.”

The fire in me rose fast, rushing through my veins. My hands lit up, bursting out, hot and wild. I threw them at Frederick, fire shooting across the hall. The walls shook, the heat filled the air–I was sure I had him.

Then he smirked, his voice dark and sure. “And I never will.”

The room seemed to shrink around me, the air pressing heavy in my chest. My mind raced–images of being trapped, helpless, my body failing while he stood there, waiting for me to surrender.

My heart slammed against my ribs, my wolf pressing harder.

Mother flinched at my tone but didn’t argue. She only whispered, “Be careful, my daughter. Because if you mean those words… you may very well face that choice.”

“Lord Frederick was here,” she muttered. I frowned, waiting for her to continue.

He sat on a chair that looked like a throne, leaning back as if the whole world belonged to him. His white hair glowed in the firelight, and his sharp eyes locked on me the second I appeared.

Mother turned toward me, her eyes glassy with something I rarely saw–guilt and fear. “Yes, my daughter. And he is serious. You have three days to decide.”

I turned to face her. “What does that mean?”

Frederick’s lips curled into a cruel smile as he leaned closer. “Do you even know what I did, Olivia?” His voice was low, heavy, each word like a stone pressing down on me. “If not for me… you, your precious Hailee, your entire bloodline… would have been ashes long ago.”

“Burn him. End him!” she demanded.

“Listen to me, Frederick,” I said, my voice steady even though my heart pounded. “I’d rather die with my wolf than ever belong to you.”

With just a flick of his wrist, my fire went out. Gone. The room filled with smoke, but the flames were dead.

I glared at him, my whole body burning with anger.

He took more steps toward me, and when he got much closer, his hand shot out fast, cold as ice, and wrapped around my throat. His grip was firm but not crushing, just enough to remind me who held the power here.

“Kill him.” My wolf snarled inside me. “Just do it.” She pushed harder.

His eyes glowed, rare and merciless. “I saved Hailee. I risked my life to let her live. And because Hailee lived, you were born. You exist because I let it be so.” He squeezed my throat just a little, enough to send sparks of pain down my neck. “That means you belong to me, Olivia. You always have.”

I teleported and appeared in my room. As if they had been waiting for my return, it didn’t take five minutes before the door pushed open and Mother walked in. I knew she had sensed my presence through my scent. Ignoring her, I began removing my shoes, but she stepped forward and stood in front of me. I expected her to be furious… to yell at me… but she didn’t. Instead, she wore a blank expression and just stared. Rolling my eyes, I stayed seated on the bed, waiting for her to speak. Finally, she drew in a sharp breath and moved to sit beside me.

My chest rose and fell fast, my wolf howling inside me. “No! Again! Don’t stop!”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his smile still there. “No, Olivia. I don’t need to scare you. The blood vow will do that for me. Three days… and your body will weaken. Unless you choose me.”

His smile grew sharper, colder. “We’ll see.”

His words sent chills down my spine, but I stood tall and glared at him.

I turned away, my nails digging into my palms, my body trembling with fury I could barely contain. My whole body shook with anger. My wolf growled inside me, restless and wild. I couldn’t just sit in my room and wait three days for Lord Frederick to curse me. No–I had to face him now.

Mother nodded slowly, her hands twisting in her lap. “Yes. That is what the vow means. It is not just a threat, Olivia. It is a curse… one that only ends if you give in to him. Once the witch seals it, your life will slip away, day after day, until nothing is left.”

Mother’s eyes flickered with fear. She hesitated, as though speaking the truth aloud would make it real. At last, she whispered,

I clenched my fists, my heart racing.

I clenched my fists, my voice shaking but steady enough to speak. “So, it’s death… or him.”

He stood from his chair, his white hair glowing in the firelight. His eyes burned into mine as he said, “That’s it? That’s your big power? Fire?”

A slow smile spread across his face. “Well,” he said, his voice smooth, “I was wondering when you would come.”

And there he was. Lord Frederick.

I froze, staring at her. “Die?” My voice broke, thin and sharp.

Her words crashed over me like ice water.

My chest tightened, not from his grip but from the weight of his words.

His aura pressed down on me, heavy like chains. “Your flames can’t touch me unless I let them.”