Damian's POV Even though everyone had a smile on their faces, the tension in the air was very clear. The elders had called Damian and I for a meeting, and my father and the council members were already waiting. I entered the room and made a quick assessment of the aura. It wasn't very welcoming, and I could tell that I was not about to receive good news. The smile on Stefan's face made me even more certain that something was wrong. "We're glad you could join us Damian, please have a seat." Jerome, the eldest in the room, welcomed me. I lowered my head in a respectful bow before taking my seat opposite Stefan who wouldn't stop smirking. I did my best to ignore him, but that was impossible to do when he was seated right in front of me. He seemed jolly, a little too jolly, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was up to now. What had he done, why was I called here all of a sudden? There had been no prior information that a meeting would be held today. "We've received disturbing inf
Damian's POV I did my best to maintain a jolly demeanor as I headed back to my room. Olivia was probably in there waiting for me, and the last thing I wanted was for her to suspect that something was wrong. She would get curious if she caught a whiff of anger or anxiety on my face, and I didn't know how to look her in the face and tell that the entire council and my father wanted to give her away to the Forgers. She would probably lose her mind, and I didn't want that. I paused abruptly, stopping myself before I could reach the passageway that led to our room. Perhaps it was a bad idea entering there. I wasn't confident that I would keep up this act for long, and I didn't want her to catch off guard either. Turning around, I walked out of the main building and headed towards the grasslands just outside the palace. It was where I usually cooled my head while growing up. Everybody had big expectations for me then, and it was exhausting sometimes. To keep a calm demeanor, I would
Olivia's POV I sat in the garden, waiting for Damian to be done with his meeting. It had taken quite a while now, and I had begun to get a little worried for him and myself as well. He was the only person I knew around here, and the only person who could keep me company. Others were still learning to adapt to my presence, and the same could be said about me. I hummed a tune while I sat patiently on the bench, my feet kicking the soft soil every once in a while. It was a means to release the subtle anxiety growing inside me, but even that wasn't working. "Bored?" A familiar voice asked me. Eagerly, I turned around with a smile, expecting to meet Damian, but was disappointed to find Stefan standing right behind me. I hadn't even noticed him until he spoke, and that scared me even if it was just a little bit."I'm waiting for Damian." I answered flatly before returning my attention to the flowers in front of me. "He's been gone a while now, likely sulking in the fields like a little
Damian's POV "That damned bastard!" I cursed inwardly, he had managed to get to Olivia before I had the chance to stop him. Martha had distracted me, and if I hadn't wasted time dealing with her, perhaps I could have made it back on time. But it didn't matter now, the truth was out, and I couldn't keep it from her. I had suspected that Stefan had said something to her already, and had planned to distract her somehow, but she was clearly stronger than I had given her credit for.Olivia kept her eyes on me, never breaking contact even for a moment. She was determined to know the truth and it was evident from the look on the face. "It's not something to be worried about, it's nothing important." I waved off, but she wasn't satisfied with my answer. "Stefan sure made it sound like a big deal. Something about the Forgers?" The mention of the Forgers didn't make denying the truth feasible anymore. As long as Olivia knew the Forgers were involved, the chances of her letting go of this co
Olivia's POV The last person I had expected to pay me a personal visit was Alpha Alexander, Damian's father. Sure, he had been nice to me since I arrived, and would often ask me random questions every now and then. I had never had a one on one conversation with him. He had walked in seconds after Damian had left, and it made me feel as though he had been waiting for Damian to leave before entering the room. I wondered what he was up to, was something wrong, or was this some random visit? "Your grace—" "Don't bother yourself with formalities, Olivia. You're my daughter, there's no need for you to do all of that." He cut me short before I could finish my sentence. I replied with a simple nod, before gesturing for him to sit. It was odd that he was here, but since he had a smile on his face, I figured he couldn't have come bearing bad news, right? "How have you been adjusting? I hope Damian is treating you like a husband should a wife." Alpha Alexander started the moment he
Damian's POV I returned to our bedroom only to find it empty. At first I didn't think much of it, but things changed when I glanced around and noticed that the room was a lot different than it used to be a few moments ago. I glanced around for a minute, trying to figure out what had changed. Then suddenly it hit me, it was Olivia, her things were gone and so was she.Alarmed, I raced out of the room, screaming out her name on top of my lungs. When I couldn't find her, I raced straight to Stefan's room, angry and determined to know what he had done to my wife. "Where is she?! Where did you take her?!" I inquired the moment I barged into his room. Without waiting for a response, I rushed at the man before me, grabbed him by the collar, and immediately pinned him to the wall. "You have a minute, tell me what you did to Olivia or I'll snap your neck this instant!"Stefan raised an inquisitive brow, confusion spread across his facials. "What on earth are you talking about?" He denied be
Olivia's POV I hadn't taken two steps past the palace gates when I was immediately surrounded by guards. They had noticed my absence way too soon, and now I was almost certain that there was no way I was leaving the walls of this palace on my own accord ever again. They were going to sell me off to Michael, and the only chance I had to escape had failed."Please let me go, I beg you.." I cried, forcing tears out of my eyes for a more convincing act. However, neither my pleas nor my tears seemed to work. The guards had been given an order, and they were hellbent on carrying it out judiciously. "I'm sorry, your grace, the Alpha demands we bring you back." The leader of the troupe informed me before giving his comrades an affirmative nod. In an instant my bag was snatched away from my grip, and I was arrested by three guards. I fought, scratched and bit at the men holding me, but it was all to no avail. Their strength was far superior to mine, and it wasn't long before I submitted to m
Martha's POV The last thing I wanted was to associate myself with someone like Stefan. However, at the moment, I was left with very little options. It was very clear now that Damian was never going to love me, not while Olivia was still around. Damian wouldn't even look at me the way he used to, and just thinking about it was making me boil with rage. Gathering my composure, I headed into the shower and took a quick bath, before throwing on a mildly seductive dress. I was headed for the palace, and there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to look good for Damian even though he was not my primary focus at the moment. Getting into my car, I drove for twenty straight minutes before finally arriving at the palace. When I arrived, everybody seemed to be riled up, and I couldn't help but wonder what was happening. But even with all the ruckus going on, I wasn't distracted from my objective. I was here to meet Stefan, the two of us had a common goal, and it was the eradica