Olivia's POV
I felt their fear. It was thick in the air. I could see it in Lennox's clenched fists, in Louis's worried stare that tried too hard to mask his worry, in the way Levi's eyes wouldn't stop following mine as though he was afraid I'd disappear if he blinked. And somehow… I understood. They weren't just angry at me. They were terrified. Terrified of losing me. Terrified that if I walked into Frederick's arms, I wouldn't come back out.
My chest ached, my wolf whimpering at their pain. For a moment, the fight in me softened. I wanted to scream at them, but instead I breathed, composing myself.
"I know what you're scared of," I whispered, my voice softer now. "I know you're afraid of him taking me. Of him hurting me." My eyes swept over each of them, meeting their worried gazes with as much calm as I could muster. "But you have to understand… doing nothing terrifies me more. Sitting here, waiting to die—that isn't me."
