She was up before dawn. As she watched the sunrise behind the clouds, she buttoned up her white blazer dress paired with white heels and looked this way and that in the mirror. Her hair was swept back and tied up, while she kept makeup minimal. All that was needed was a nice bag or purse. The minute she stepped out of her bedroom, her Alpha was there, standing in his pajamas and staring at her in bewilderment. "And just where do you think you are going?" he asked. "Well, good morning to you too," Olivia said, turning to walk away. Titan grabbed her arm. "I asked you a question, where do you think you are going without answering me?" "Well, I see we are back to the old order of things," Olivia said curtly. "What are you talking about?" "You shoving your authority down my throat," "I'm the one in charge, I have always been and I always will be, it's not the old order of things, it's the natural order of things," Olivia moved closer to him. "And are you really in charge if you
A friendship had blossomed over croissants and coffee.Nadine had told Olivia of her bakery which was a the way on the other side of town. And the first time she had tried to go, Titan had objected. "The other side of town? Are you crazy?""Of course make me feel stupid for wanting to see someone who has become a good friend,""Well, it's stupid that I've had to almost turn Asher into your personal chauffeur."But she had been adamant and had continued to go, always making sure she purchased Nadine's fresh snacks and brought them back to the mansion. It did not sway Titan, but they were impressive enough for Maya to decide she wanted to go as well and Titan had to throw his hands up in the air in exasperation."Take it easy," Asher counseled. "You know Olivia is right. Just because there are security issues does not mean we won't keep living our lives you know,""Right," Titan said flatly. "So you must be the famous Nadine," Maya said with a smile on the day that she accompanied Oli
Olivia used a flashlight to find her way through the darkness. She had picked it up from the kitchen, the place where she had fooled and ditched the guard Titan had placed by her side. She felt sorry for him and hoped she made it back in time before Titan killed him. But this had been non-negotiable. And it couldn't wait. Other than Penelope and Charlotte who could barely be bothered with her existence, she had family. She had a family! Of course, Titan and Olivia had become family but then it was not the same. They were biological siblings. The same blood ran through their veins and they even shared some physical similarities. They would always have the thriving familial bond until the end of time despite their disagreements. And no matter how they felt about her, it would never be the same. And it would never be enough for her. There was no full moon, and as always the sounds of the night were scary and treacherous. But tonight, Olivia was powered by something bigger than her
Olivia had been confined to her bedroom as a form of punishment. But she couldn't be bothered. After all, there was now someone else in her life. A joyous and sweet secret she privately loved. She had absorbed it over and over, yet she still found it hard to accept she had a brother, and that she was not alone in the world. Never again would she be. She had so much to ask him. Where had he been? What were the growing-up years like? Was he opportuned to have an enviable relationship with their father? How did he find her? How did he know of her? But he wasn't going to answer all of her questions just yet. Leo: I did have a good relationship with our father, and I know he did love you. I'm not sure about our other relatives. Olivia: Well, I stayed with Penelope throughout my teen years and later on my adult life. Trust me I know her position in the love department. She made me a slave. Leo: A slave? Wow! That's a lot. Olivia: It was more than a lot, it was demeaning and degrading
"What dinner?" Olivia asked."Well, it's supposed to be a surprise," he said, cleaning his windshield."At this time?"Titan chuckled. "You can sneak out into the woods for fresh air at midnight but not for food at nine in the evening? That's interesting,""So you go out at night?"Titan smiled. "I can go out whenever the hell I want. It's part of the perks of being a werewolf. But what's with all your questions anyway?""Well, asking questions is supposed to be a sign of intelligence," Olivia said with a shrug but a smile tugged on her lips. Titan was taking her out on a date?!Titan chuckled again. "Yeah, that's what the intelligentsia like you, Ryan, and Asher tell yourselves? To make up for reading all those books?"Olivia shrugged. "It's not our fault you and Maya don't read.""Maya is just a party animal, but I've had royal pressures since I was ten, so I never got much time.""You talk about royalty or kingship as though it excuses everything," she observed."I'm not saying it
They both alighted from the car. The night was pitch black, but a few street lights helped them see their way into the greenery by the side of the road. Soon, the foliage gave way to the woods. Titan asked Olivia to stop, before running forward, leaping high at a tree and transforming into his wolf, in mid-air. Then he landed on all fours and walked back towards her. There was no roar this time, just a few low growls. Olivia was amazed at how calm and collected she was, even though it was the dead of the night, and she was standing in the midst of nowhere with a werewolf - a living, walking, breathing paranormal creature engineered to kill as an instinct. The old Olivia would have fled, screaming. Instead, she inched closer to him until they were face to face. The deathly intimidation in those green eyes nearly made her flinch especially as she recalled her dream. But this was Titan Black - her mate, who would never hurt her. And who had killed just so she could be protected and r
Titan's eyes roamed past the gatekeepers and the guard in disgust. They all stood now, in front of the bouffant desk inside his study, trembling and shaking, cowering under Titan's fixed angry stare. Titan himself was seated, exuding calm, but his eyes radiated cold fury. He was livid. "You're all nothing but a bunch of dissolute slobbering cowards, and I should kill you all," Titan said with disdain. The men started pleading, gesticulating, and making desperate movements with their hands. "Alpha please…" "Your Highness…" "Shut up!" Titan thundered, leaning forward. "How dare you interrupt me when I speak?!" They all quietened, but the fear was still palpable, encapsulating the atmosphere and stretching the tension, making it almost impossible for them to breathe. "Olivia has managed to fool you twice. A young girl like that, pulling the wool over your eyes two times! And you're supposed to be professionals. Isn't that why I hired you? Isn't that why I pay you so much? Isn't tha
It was six-thirty in the morning. Olivia Carter was up and dressed in a warm floral dress appropriate for spring. She was going to see Leo this morning, and nothing or no one was going to stop her. Not Titan's edgy and paranoia-filled warnings, not the guards and gatekeepers who were on extremely high alert because a third slip-up meant losing their jobs - if Titan was even that merciful. She took her phone and started at the texts again. Olivia: Titan suspects something Leo: He was always a smart cat, but don't worry we'll figure out how to beat him over and over. Remember the plan? Olivia: Sure, you'll be posing as a fortune teller and I'll be posing as your customer. Leo: You got it, so if they are going to follow you, then let them come. But don't let them take that action. Walk up to your guard, and let him know that you are going out for the day, and he needs to accompany you. I mean that's what he's getting paid for, right? Olivia: Yeah, damn right. Darius was stationed
EPILOGUE(Three years later)"Stop spilling that all over my painting!" Arielle cried for the third time. She turned to Olivia and commanded. "Tell him!" And just like that she began to cry.Olivia looked up wearily. "Nate, would you be kind enough to leave Arielle's paintings alone please, don't you have yours?"Nate, a cherubic, vibrant bubbly kid with dark hair and his father's gray eyes piped up. "It's fun mom!""There's nothing funny about destroying your cousin's painting Nathaniel. You're ruining her hardwork." Olivia reprimanded."What's with all the noise?" Maya asked as she walked in. "Oh thank goodness!" Olivia said with relief throwing her eyes towards the heavens. "These kids are driving me insane!"Maya smiled. "Well, they are kids it's their job,""Mom, please tell Nate to back off my painting," Arielle reported. Nathaniel who had gone to sit in front of the television, was now studiously staring at the cartoonish figures with intense concentration when Maya glanced a
Rumours were rife throughout the house that Titan and Miriel were both talking privately in his home office. The omega maid he'd directed to go and fetch her had told all the others in the kitchen, and when Asher had gone to help himself to some snacks, he heard them talking about it with so much excitement that he had to inform Maya. Maya had suggested they keep it away from Olivia, but Olivia had found out anyway. She had retreated to the orchard, where there was a swing meant for kids, but she sat down on it, thinking of Miriel and Titan all alone in the office. Logically she knew they had to talk and iron out the intricate issues of the past. Emotionally, this logic was hard to swallow. Like the brain explaining endlessly to the heart. "There you are," Asher said out of the blue.She looked up. "I was hoping not to be found,""It's a big ginormous house but there is only a number of places you can hide,""So what are you hiding from?" she asked."Me? Nothing, you?""I'm not hidi
Asher led Olivia away. Miriel watched them from the foyer noting the bulge of the other woman's stomach. She'd heard rumors about her and about how smitten Titan was with her. Back in her bedroom, Olivia sat down on the couch in her balcony. Her Olive eyes stared up the ceiling looking at nothing. Asher watched her for a while. "Are you okay?""My husband's ex-girlfriend just made an appearance from the grave and you're asking me if I'm okay?""It's a lot to take in," he agreed. "But I don't think she's a threat,""Why not?" "Because she called me herself, told me she wanted to see Titan and talk to him.""I'm not sure I can agree she's not a threat Asher. Why appear now? If she's been in the Kingdom, she heard of our wedding. Of my coronation. Why is she just coming now when she has been alive all this time if she doesn't have ulterior motives?""I don't want you to worry your head about this Olivia, mental anxiety is one of the things Harley warned us about. Just take your mind of
"Better leave here to go check on my wife. Does anyone know how she's feeling by the way?" He asked, eyes darting between both of them.Titan and Olivia tried to talk at once, but only ended up stuttering. "You haven't checked on her have you?" Leo asked accusingly."Hey she's asleep, and Harley gave explicit instructions not to disturb her," Olivia said."Yeah, what she said," Titan added unnecessarily. "More like you have both been too busy playing sex games to check on her,""Hey don't act all moralistic pretending you and Maya don't schedule booty calls in weird parts of the house. Did you think my chief guard didn't see you when you guys were doing it at the back of the dungeons? I'm surprised you guys didn't even care about the captives." Titan said.Olivia turned to Leo looking pleasantly surprised. "Wow brother, you're into kinks like that?"Leo glared at both of them before stomping out. Olivia and Titan fell over each other in fits of laughter."Hey bro don't worry you can
Summer was converging at it's end. The skies were no longer encumbered with the beautiful western sunrise, and propitious rainfall meant to usher in the winter had been falling continuously. Titan Black was lost in thought as his chauffeured Rolls Royce cruised on the highway.Troubled thunderheads had sprung up and were already erasing the early sun from the skies, but he barely noticed. He was just coming back from his final meeting with the other packs who had been pressuring him to release the captives and give the members of the golden truce pack back their lives. Finally, after months of tension, back and forth accusations and counter accusations, coaxing, and cajoling, the captives and his opposers were finally on the same page. The Golden truce pack and Silver Crest pack would be merged into one, under Titan's hegemonic control as their sole leader. There was equally signed documentation by each party that gave him the authority to not just annex their territory, but to pres
"Olivia!"His hysterical shouts caused Maya, Celine and Ryan to rush into the room at breakneck speed. "What's going on?" someone asked. Titan didn't turn to see who it was. "S…She's not waking up," He managed to respond."Someone get Harley!" Ryan shouted."Harley is out," Maya said."Out? Out to where?" Titan demanded roughly. "She's getting some things for me from the market,""Goddamnit!" Titan swore."Titan, why not take a deep breath and check if she still has a pulse?" Celine suggested.In his paranoia and destability, Titan had forgotten completely. He checked her pulse and heartbeat. "It's all there but it's weak," he announced."Oh no," "Maya I need you to get Harley on the phone right now," Titan ordered. "Tell her to rush down here at once. It's an emergency,""Sure, of course," Maya said, scurrying out of the room.Ten minutes later, Harley came in. Yet for Titan, the waiting had felt like an age. And he had not been able to stay calm. Fear constricted his chest. What i
Leo slept beside Maya on the bed where she had birthed their child. Olivia sat in the far corner, rocking the child silently. The doctors had all gone to sleep in freshly prepared quarters. Olivia sat alone with the baby rocking her gently."Arielle, Crystal Black, welcome," she said gently. "And just like your name connotes, you are as bright as the moon."The following morning, Olivia called Titan while everyone else was having breakfast. "You'll never guess who came into the world last night," she said with a smile."I can't believe I missed her birth because of partisan politics," Titan said with a tone of regret. "How are they?""Mother and baby are just fine. Oh, you should see her Titan, her features are unbelievable. She's going to grow up to be such a beauty.""Well, she's got good genes," Titan said."Hold up, is that an indirect compliment towards my brother?" He chuckled. "I don't know what you are talking about but I'll be home tomorrow sweetheart,""You better be," she c
One week later, Titan was still not back. But Olivia had made sure she spoke with him on the phone each day, ending each call with how much she loved and missed him. She told him about her lessons with Mellor, animating her stories with everything she had and not skipping out on any anecdotes. Titan felt the meetings were getting more protracted, but he did his best to hide his displeasure. He was on the opposing side and he needed to prove his point and himself. The captives as free men were a threat to his kingdom.Surely they had to see that. But the other packs did not see it. They insisted that if any attacks were launched at him after he freed the captives, they would come together as one and fight by his side. A great suggestion, except that Titan Black didn't get where he was by putting his fate in the hands of others. And that was his main argument. Everyday, he discussed this with Olivia and Asher, who was in the heart of Gaza fighting alongside the Israelis. "You all hav
The party stayed on till dawn. But Olivia and Titan sneaked out early, simply to have their first intimate copulation as royals. It was still surreal and still hard for her to believe and accept that in the space of a year, she had gone from the depths of slavery to the heights of royalty. The lovemaking between them was orgasmic and heated as always. So intense that it was hard to tell when time passed and how much time had passed. The following morning when she opened her eyes, Titan was gone, and she kept her hands on his side of the bed for awhile to savour his warmth, before getting out of the bed to prepare for the day. No doubt, Mellor would eagerly make an appearance today to start his lessons and she had to appear as a sharp, incisive and inquisitive student with the most brilliant of minds. Downstairs, she found Harley and Maya seated behind the massive kitchen counter, drinking fresh orange juice from the pitcher between them."No breakfast?" Olivia asked pouring herself