The Plan

It was past midnight, and I still couldn’t force myself to sleep. I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, but my mind wasn’t quiet. I turned to my side and pulled my blanket tighter, but it didn’t help. My chest felt heavy, my thoughts restless. Where was I supposed to start? I knew nothing about Lord Frederick–nothing about his past, his friends, or even his weaknesses. He had lived for three hundred years. That meant his vessel could be anywhere. But where?

I drew in a shaky breath, forcing myself to steady. “There’s something you need to know,” I began, my voice a little tense. “Mother… she told me about Frederick’s threats.”

Levi stopped pacing and snapped his head up at me. His eyes were wild, his wolf clawing close to the surface. “You’re mine, Olivia. Ours. Not his. Don’t you dare even think of giving him that satisfaction.”

The room went silent, his words hanging heavy in the air. My breath caught, and I stared at him, my chest aching with more than just anger now, hurt.

My mind raced as I thought of him. A man like that–no, a monster like that–wouldn’t entrust his vessel to just anyone. It would be somewhere close. Somewhere personal.

Louis’s voice cut in, low and firm. “We’ll find another way. But not this.” His words were final, like a stone wall slamming down.

I stopped pacing, my breaths heavy. This wasn’t something I could keep to myself. The triplets had to know. Whatever danger I was walking into, they deserved the truth.

For a long second, no one spoke. The room was so silent I could hear the pounding of my own heart. Then, as if a string snapped, all three of them reacted at once.

I knew they wouldn’t bend easily. But I also knew I had to win Lennox over. Once he agreed, the other two always followed. It had always been that way.

“Olivia,” Levi cut in, his voice louder, rough with disbelief. His eyes blazed, his wolf pushing hard against the bond. “Do you even hear yourself? Pretend to be his? Act like you’re willing? Over my dead body.” He shoved a hand through his hair, pacing, his anger radiating in the room. “You don’t need to get close to him–you have us. We’ll find another way.”

Lennox stepped closer, his wolf pressing so hard against mine I felt it in my bones. “Do you know what it does to me–just the thought of him touching you?” His voice cracked with fury. “I won’t allow it. I’ll kill him before I watch you take one step toward him.”

I went on, holding their gaze. “He’s not just threatening me with anything, but he has a blood vow. If I don’t agree to be his within three days, he’ll hand it to a witch. The spell will bind me. My body will weaken. I’ll fall sick… and then die.”

Something inside me snapped. My voice rose, sharp and trembling with fury. “This is why I don’t tell you things! Because all you ever say is no. You never listen! You don’t trust me to make my own choices. You act like I’m weak, like I’m reckless, when I’m the one who has to carry this curse!”

I swallowed and pressed on. “That’s not all. To find a way to defeat him, I have to know where his vessel is. A vessel where his soul is kept. I need to find it and destroy it. And the only way to figure that out…” My chest tightened. I forced the words out anyway. “…is to get closer to him. To act like I’m willing to accept being his.”

“Lennox, please!” I begged, my throat tight. “If there was another way, I’d take it. But there isn’t. If I don’t do this, I’m dead in three days.”

I didn’t waste time. “Louis, Levi,” I mind-linked. “Come to Lennox’s room.”

Lennox’s eyes blazed, and for a second he looked more wolf than man. “And maybe you are reckless,” he spat, his words like claws raking across my heart. “Running headfirst into danger without thinking of what it does to us–what it does to you.”

Levi’s jaw dropped. Louis’ fists clenched. Lennox’s whole body went rigid, rage flashing in his eyes.

Louis didn’t pace. He stood very still, his gaze locked on me, unreadable at first–until I saw it. The rage gathering in his eyes, the deep protectiveness that came with his silence. “He wants you to bend to him,” Louis said flatly, his jaw tight. “And now you think we’ll allow you to play along? No. That’s not happening.” His words weren’t loud, but they carried weight like steel.

When I opened them again, I was standing inside Lennox’s room. He was at the edge of his bed, pulling the blanket back. His head snapped toward me, his eyes widening for a second before softening.

Olivia’s POV

I pushed to my feet, pacing the room. “No matter what,” I muttered, “I’ll find it.”

Closing my eyes, I let my power surge. In the blink of an eye, I teleported.

My chest burned, frustration building up inside me. “You don’t understand–I’m doing this for all of us! If I don’t try, we all lose. Do you want me to just sit here and wait to die?”

“No.” Lennox’s voice was a growl, sharp and ragged. His chest heaved, his fists balling so tight I thought his knuckles might break. “You are not going near him. Not for this. Not for anything.”

Frustration bubbled up inside me. I sat up, rubbing my hands against my face. “But how?” I whispered into the silence. “How do I even begin?”

I felt their acknowledgment at once, the pull of the bond sparking. Within minutes, they arrived–Louis with a concerned look and Levi with his eyes already sharp with questions.

I turned to face Lennox. “Please–listen to me. This is the only way. If I don’t get close to him, I’ll never find the vessel. And if I don’t find it, I can’t destroy it. You think I want this? You think I enjoy even imagining being near him? No! But it’s the only path I see.”

“I was just about to contact you,” he said quietly, his voice holding that mixture of relief and concern that always made my chest ache.

The thought made my chest tighten. That meant I would have to get closer to him. I would have to study him, watch him, maybe even act to be with him. The very idea made my skin crawl.

Lennox’s face darkened, his jaw locked tight. “No, Olivia. I said no. I don’t care what plan you think you have–getting close to him is not an option.” His voice rumbled like thunder.

Levi stepped forward, his hands shaking as he pointed at me. “And what happens if he touches you? If he hurts you? You think we’ll just sit back and watch while you play his little game? I’d rather die fighting than see you pretend to be his.”

They all looked at me, waiting to hear what I had to say.

Their expressions hardened instantly.