The screams tore through the Mansion.They had barged through her dreams and awakened her. At first, Olivia had been sure she was imagining things until she heard the screams ring out again, and again and again. She sat up perplexed. Beside her, Maya began to stir. "Can you hear that?" Olivia asked with urgency."Hear what?" Maya asked groggily. As though in response, the screams pierced the stillness of the air all over again. Maya blinked. "What's that?"Olivia shrugged. "I have absolutely no idea, it's just weird…"There was some level of suspicion on Maya's face. She had a vague idea about what was happening of course, but she hoped it was unreal. "I think I'd better get prepared for the day," Maya said, avoiding Olivia's eyes. "Okay, later?""Later. Take care,"*** The man was seated and tied up. Fatigue sat heavily on his face, side by side with the blood gushing from his nose and mouth. He was bloodied and beaten, but his spirit remained unbroken. Much to the annoyance of
Olivia was shocked by the sight.Titan's arms were bloody, his eyes intense, and his whole demeanor projected a certain deadliness that was too much for her to absorb especially after what she'd just heard. Titan also stood at the end of the hallway, watching her and willing to make a move. It came in the form of Olivia turning around and running towards her bedroom for safety. Titan gave a hot pursuit. She made it into her room but as she tried to close the door, Titan pushed back with his shoulders and then his hands. Olivia cried out using all of her strength to push back but ultimately his physical strength superseded hers, and he pushed his way into the bedroom."Get out!" Olivia screamed. "Get out of here, you pathetic animal!"Titan walked closer oblivious to her screams, but a bit perplexed at her hostile reaction. A sheltered slave like her was unused to the sight of blood or the appearance of violence so he could at least understand her."Are you deaf?" Olivia asked. "I sa
Even before she entered the dining room, she felt his eyes on her. Titan Black was the preeminent dark dominating force in every atmosphere he entered, and he effortlessly leached ease and freedom wherever he was. He made everyone cower, or think twice before speaking or acting. Having lived here for a while, Olivia was aware of the vital force of him -and she tried to avoid it as much as possible. Today she tried to avoid it by not looking at his face or his eyes. She sat in her regular seat and started dishing out her dinner. "Hello everyone!" A friendly voice boomed with vibrancy. Olivia was surprised. Dinner was always a silent monotonous ceremony and nothing more. She looked in the direction of the voice and saw a tall well-built six feet man with broad shoulders, long dark effeminate hair, and intelligent hazel eyes.It was as though he had completely transformed the atmosphere, tearing through the darkness and infusing warmth.Maya smiled at him. "Hey Ryan, good to have you
Olivia made her way back to her room, trying to convince herself of the opposite.It could simply be nothing but baseless gossip. Something unfounded that the omegas had to say just to keep their mouths busy while they worked. After all, as long as it had not been proven, it was not true. Yet the burning question remained. If it was indeed true that the omegas were lying, then what could have happened to the screaming spy? She recalled Maya's words:Titan does not forgive easily,Which meant it was unlikely he set the man free and then there was all that blood…She shook her head from side to side. It was hopeless thinking deeply about something not in her control and out of her bounds, oscillating between presumptions and nothing based on fact. There was just no point. Besides, if she did not want her mental health to take a beating, it was best to take her mind off things that could push her into a terrible state of mind. Perhaps it was best to bury her head in yet another book i
While Titan's thoughts were engulfed in brutality, he did not notice Maya walking up to him."Where have you been all day?""Out," He replied, turning towards his study.Maya knew well enough not to ask more questions. "Olivia asked me something weird today," she reported.Seems Olivia was the major trending topic of today."Out with it," Titan commanded."She asked me how your mate died", Maya responded, avoiding his eyes. Titan turned to look at her sharply. "What? What did you say?""I suspect she's starting to pick up on some of the gossip that flies around.""I asked what you told her,""Of course, I didn't say anything, Titan, I shut the conversation down."Titan kept looking straight ahead absorbing the information. "Look it might not be my place but I think you should tell her." Titan turned to look at her. Maya took a step back and added cautiously. "That is if you want to,""I don't want to," Titan snapped. "And you stick to the domestic matters that concern you. Is that c
The man kept staring and Olivia stared back. It was a game between them. A game of who would speak or move first. Olivia studied him. She estimated him to be about five feet eleven inches tall. Brutal scars were etched strategically across his face. As though whoever had chosen to beat him up had been deliberate about it. From his rough exterior, he looked like a man with a mind of his own, who carried his stories. They were, it would seem, a source of strength and laurels of bravery. Even his biceps and muscles had strength etched on them. His eyes were a different story altogether with so much intrigue and mystery. Like the type of person you would not mind telling your life story to, but you would walk away from the conversation feeling as though you learned nothing at all from your listener. He was not a handsome man with interesting features but he could not be classified as ugly either. Something about him screamed allure, danger, and adventure all rolled in one. He looked li
The smugness had not left his eyes. Olivia was sure there was something audacious about Asher and she had decided it was his lack of fear and intense innate fearlessness that made him want to embrace danger. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Waiting for you," he responded. She moved towards the door as she spoke. "Well, I'm sorry but I have to go," Asher blocked the door and shook his head. "No, you don't," She made to move again and he blocked her. "Relax, I just want to talk." "You have your friends to talk to," she countered. Asher smiled and she noticed how the smile transformed his features, even unveiling a disguised handsomeness. "They get kind of boring," he said. "But something tells me you would be an interesting conversationalist." Olivia cocked her head to one side. "What gives you that impression?" "Well, Ryan said he's had interesting convos with you since he met you," "Ryan is practically a literary critic," Olivia rolled her eyes. "It's hard to look at
Olivia pushed against him, in half-hearted resistance. It was futile anyway because Titan was as strong as an oak. He barely staggered back. Instead, he drew her closer, running his hands over her back, and chest, and caressing her hair. His fingers roamed through her bare skin until they found her buttons. He unhooked them slowly and fingered her nipples. She found herself moaning. He moved from kissing her lips to her neck and she found herself closing her eyes, relishing the sensations, and clutching the back of his head. Then she realized that here she was again, hopelessly giving into the touch of Titan Black. She pushed him off her and bolted for the door. Puzzled by the abrupt change, Titan did not immediately react. Instead, he amused himself a bit by watching her fumble in vain for the locks. They were complicated, and only he understood them.After about a minute when he realized she was not going to give up, he grabbed her roughly from the door. "Let me go!""Shut the h
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