Three

"I already told you," Olivia said, doing everything to rein in her anger at being treated so condescendingly. "Madam Penelope ordered it,"

"Why exactly?" Titan barked.

"Because she ran away with a man she believes to be her mate," Olivia responded. "So if you will kindly let me go because your grip hurts."

Instead of releasing her, Titan's grip hardened. "I will let you go when I deem fit. Don't ever think you can play smart with me," he snarled. "As a slave girl, I can bet your life meant absolutely nothing to Penelope, how much more do you think it will mean to me? I can destroy you. I can take you to the depths of hell and beyond. And that is exactly what I will do if you try to act smart with me. Get it?"

Olivia attempted to shift away from this man, who she now considered a monster. In one quick fluid motion, Titan swept her back to him. She was no match for his wolfish strength.

 "Get it?" he asked again.

"I…y….yes," Olivia managed to respond. The edges of Titan's lips lifted in what was his idea of a smile. "Glad we are on the same page,"

Even his smile showcased a promise of cruelty and brutality. Olivia was petrified. Panic lanced through her. How could fate have been so cruel to her? Trading one fearsome mistress for a monstrous master. She looked at him again.

Oh, but he looked nothing like a monster of course. He looked like an angel who had descended from the heavens. His character might be antithetical to his looks, but still…

The ride to Titan's house was immensely quiet. The Lycan king had gone back to ignoring her existence and was back on his phone. As much as she tried, Olivia did not understand why the gadget held so much fascination for humans and wolves alike. 

The silence in the car bloomed, increasing the petrifying feeling lodging deep within her. She wished the Lycan king was more friendly and engaging. She wished he could see the fears within her and assuage them. Her mind briefly focused on Charlotte. 

Where was she now? Where could she have eloped with her so-called mate? Did she even realize that Olivia was bearing the cost of her impulsive actions? Would she care? Olivia did not feel hatred for her, just a lot of bitterness and resentment. 

Charlotte had always been one of those types who never really needed to struggle. She got everything she'd ever needed on a golden platter. It was pure selfishness that she had never once thought about making life easier for others.

All too soon, the driver was pressing the car horn at a towering black gate. The gates opened automatically revealing a large colonnaded house. Olivia gasped at the beauty. The house itself was surrounded by well-trimmed lawns, and flowers, and at the center, a fountain gushed fresh spring water. Two statues of the black panther welcomed visitors at the doorway. 

Despite the obvious beauty of the house, it was clear that darkness hovered above it and lived within it. Perhaps though, that was because it was inhabited by werewolves. Once the car was parked, Titan Black did not wait for the driver to come and open the door before he quickly stepped out. 

An omega male rushed to Titan's side as soon as he stepped out, presumably to attend to him. Instead, Titan said brusquely: 

"Take the girl indoors and show her in," He commanded without a single glance at Olivia.

"Yes My King," the omega bowed in reverence and respect. 

As Olivia came down from the car, she saw the maids and guards of the house bowing to him with the same reverence and respect. What was not immediately obvious was that it was respect colored by fear. The kind of respect you give to a person in power not because you actually respect him/her, but because you are too afraid to find out what will happen to you if you don't.

"This way," the omega said walking in front of her. Even though these people did not know her, or anything about her, they kept their heads bowed. The mate title had preceded her coming, and it did not matter who or what she was, the influence of the lycan king demanded that she be respected. 

Olivia felt tempted to tell them to stop because she was just a slave girl like them, but the fear of Titan Black stopped her. She walked slowly with as much dignity as she could muster.

The interior of the house was vast and huge. Undoubtedly gorgeous on the outside, it still retained a primeval look. But the interior looked like a firsthand collision of the primordial and the ultra-modern. Olivia gaped in awe at the antiques, the glittering chandelier lights, the furniture, and the flooring. She had untrained eyes of course but she sensed that everything was tasteful and super expensive. 

Titan Black might wield a dark domination over the place but he sure knew how to use his wealth to create beauty. The omega led her up a flight of stairs that in turn led to a massive hallway with closed doors on the left and right. He opened the third one on the left and turned to her. 

"Please come in," the omega invited.

Olivia stepped into a room that was three times the size of Charlotte's room. There was a queen-sized bed, a walk-in closet filled with clothes she could never finish wearing in one lifetime, a couch by the bed, and floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased stunning views of the house. She gasped in delight.

The omega betrayed his expressionlessness with a small smile. "I am glad it is to your liking. Please wait here, until the lycan king sends for you,"

Before Olivia could respond or ask any questions, he bowed out and closed the door.

Olivia scurried towards the closet. The clothes had been kept in good condition, and they looked far more classy than anything she ever saw Charlotte or Penelope wear. There were shoes and so much jewelry. She had never in her life owned a piece of jewelry. 

When she was done admiring everything around the room, she sat demurely on the bed. Even if she had managed to bring anything, she would not have needed it. This place gave her everything she needed and would ever need. Her mind went to Titan. 

Something about the man was meticulous and detailed. Benevolent even. She knew that seeing him had stirred something within her. It was an unexplainable attraction, but one that she could hardly ignore because of how fast it was spreading within her. 

She wondered what kind of marriage they would have, but she also knew it was too much to hope it would be anything less than formal. It was also too much to hope that Titan felt anything or would be capable of feeling anything for her.

She, on the other hand, could barely wait to see him again. The restlessness was so much that she stood up and walked up and down the room. Was it possible that Titan had noticed the immediate but immense attraction she felt for him? He looked like the kind of man who missed nothing. The thought that he had detected her attraction made her stomach turn into water.

Half an hour later, she heard a knock. Olivia stood up and went to the door, trying in vain to quell her heartbeat. Titan was finally here to see her and ask how she was settling in. She took in deep breaths.

Act normal Olivia Carter, don't make a fool of yourself around him.

When she was a bit calm, she opened the door. Instead of Titan, a young woman around her age stood at the door, eyes unmercifully seizing Olivia up. Olivia stared at her in confusion. Without waiting for an invite, the woman swept into the room. 

Her eyes analyzed everything briefly as though she had not been here before. Then she turned to Olivia. "You are Olivia Carter, yes?" she asked perfunctorily.

Olivia nodded. "Yes, that's me,"

"Hmm," the woman said musingly. She did a 360-degree turn on Olivia, as the young girl stood in the middle of the room, succumbing to her second scrutiny for the day. Olivia watched her with a puzzle written all over her face. The woman pretended not to see it. Her eyes missed nothing. 

Finally, after what seemed like an age, she let out a happy sigh and then a grin. "You have passed," she said with an approving nod.

Olivia gawked uncomprehendingly at her. "I….what?"

Without a response, the woman swept out of the room. Gone, just as fast as she came in.

What on earth was that?