Chapter 242

Olivia

The night wrapped the forest in an embrace of darkness, with only the gleaming moon cutting through, casting an ethereal glow over the foliage.

The leaves whispered secrets as they rustled in the breeze, and the world seemed to hold its breath. I stood in the middle of this midnight landscape, my heart hammering inside of my chest with a mixture of fear, confusion, and determination running through my veins.

“This is too dangerous,” I said, shaking my head. “I… I can’t do all of this alone. Especially not going into the mines.”

Beside me, Nathan, who was still in his wolf form, turned his head to look at me. “Nor will I let you go into the mines by yourself,” his voice said in my mind. “There has to be another way.”

Standing in front of me was Freya, a vision of otherworldly beauty bathed in the moon’s silver luminescence. As her words washed over me, the weight of my destiny pressed down, reminding me that I was teetering on the precipice of change.

“There is no other way. I’m sorry, Olivia,” Elder Freya chimed in with a somber expression on her face. “I know it’s dangerous, but it has to be done by you and you alone.”

I swallowed, feeling as though my chest would collapse. “But why?” I asked. “Why would my dad subject me to such a dangerous task? He worked in those mines; he knew how dangerous they were.”

Freya’s gaze held a depth of wisdom and sorrow, and her voice, though soft, carried the weight of centuries. “Your father wanted you to prove yourself, Olivia. He knew the gravity of being the Ancient Wolf. These tasks, as daunting as they may seem, are but the first steps in understanding the weight of that responsibility.”

“What… What if I don’t want it?” I asked quietly. “What if I just want to be normal? What if I don’t want to become the next Ancient Wolf?”

Freya was silent. The only sound around us was that of the wind, rustling through the leaves. But I understood completely what she was implying.

That I had no choice if I wanted to become one with my wolf again. Either live a life without my wolf, or become the Ancient Wolf.

“Tell me how this would even work,” I said, wanting more answers. “The Ancient Wolf has no human form, right? Does that mean that I would lose mine?”

“No,” Freya responded. “Someday, when your human life has run its course, your wolf form will take over. The human version of Olivia will just be a memory. You will die, just as we all do, and you will be no more; but your wolf will live on until the next Ancient Wolf is ready in your bloodline.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. It sounded like a daunting existence, one wrought with power that could be used for good or evil. But something about it was also beautiful. The idea of my wolf living on… It was fascinating.

“So, these challenges…” I paused, clearing my throat. “They’re not just about fetching artifacts. They’re about proving that I’m worthy of being the Ancient Wolf?”

Freya nodded. “Exactly. Your father understood the challenges you would face, the power you would wield. He believed that by overcoming these tasks, you would not only unlock your potential but truly comprehend the responsibilities of your lineage.”

I mulled over her words, my gaze drifting to the shadows dancing amidst the trees. The journey ahead was beginning to take shape, though its path was fraught with uncertainty.

“The tooth and the diamond,” I started, hesitantly, “They make sense, in a way. They’re straightforward. But a special stone from the sea? It sounds more like a riddle than an artifact.”

Freya’s lips curled into a gentle smile, the corners of her green eyes crinkling. “You’re astute, Olivia. It is a riddle. One I believe you’re equipped to solve.”

I threw my hands up in exasperation. “It’s always riddles. Everyone speaks in riddles! You can’t just give me a hint? A small nudge in the right direction?”

She regarded me with a serene expression, her auburn hair cascading down her back like a shimmering waterfall. “As much as I’d love to tell you more, I made a promise to your father. I cannot aid you in your quest for the artifacts. To do so would rupture the ritual’s integrity, rendering it useless.”

I huffed, a tinge of annoyance coloring my cheeks. “A promise to my father? Seriously, who are you to him, anyway? Why are you so bound by his requests?”

Freya’s gaze softened, a hint of sadness clouding her green eyes. She hesitated for a moment, her gaze drifting to the horizon, where the edges of the forest met the vast expanse of the night sky. Stars twinkled, echoing tales of ages past, of destinies intertwined.

She began to speak, her voice a mere whisper amidst the symphony of the night. “Kamran and I... we share a history. One steeped in love, sacrifice, and heartbreak.”

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “Are you saying that you and my father...?”

She took a slow step forward, her form illuminated even more by the moon’s glow. The soft radiance highlighted the delicate curves of her face, her sharp cheekbones, and the deep wells of her eyes that seemed all too familiar.

“We were close, but not in that way,” she admitted, her voice tinged with nostalgia. “Bound by fate and destiny, just as you are now. But our paths, though intertwined, were destined to diverge.”

The revelation hit me like a tidal wave, memories rushing back.

The stories my father used to tell, the mysterious woman with red hair who danced in his tales, always just out of reach, always enigmatic. I had always thought they were mere fairy tales, a figment of his imagination. But now...

I took a shaky breath, the weight of the revelation pressing on my chest. “So, you were... what? Lovers? Friends? Why haven’t I ever heard of you before? Why keep your existence a secret?”

Freya’s eyes shimmered, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of humor cross through her gaze. “Not lovers,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “Never. Perhaps you never heard of me because our paths simply diverged. I could never be a part of your story all these years.”

“But now you're here,” I pressed, my voice shaky with emotion. “Now, all of a sudden, after all these years, you’re a part of my story. Why?”

“Because the time has come,” she responded, her gaze unwavering. “Your destiny is unfolding, and I must guide you, as I once guided your father.”

A heavy silence settled between us. The air was thick with unsaid words, with revelations yet to be uncovered. I took a deep breath, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions.

Finally, I met her gaze, my voice barely above a whisper. “Who are you, Freya? To me? To my father?”

She stepped forward, the distance between us closing. The moonlight bathed her, and in that ethereal glow, her eyes, so full of ancient wisdom and pain, looked hauntingly familiar.

“You really don’t have any idea?” she murmured, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

I blinked, caught between the web of the past and the promise of the future, waiting for the story to unravel further.