==Matteo==It had been 84 days of hell. I had lost everything. Everything. The mansion, my business, my men, my image….Olivia. Everything. And funnily enough, I hadn't spilled a tear, neither had I roared in pain in the beginning. The entire occurrence had simply felt surreal. The stench of silver hanging in the air was a proof though, that none of this was a dream.Yosef had lost his life. I'd spotted his charred body in the gazebo, while I was scampering away for my life. My trusted butler was gone. He had been the only living vestiges of my childhood, as he was my Dad's secretary. And now, I had lost him. Just like I had lost everything that mattered to me.Like I'd said, I hadn't cried initially. Upon finding shelter around the Brookehurt—Eggortin mountains, however my composure broke. I had done that which I hadn't done for years. Cry. The truth was scary. I would never see Yosef again. I'd never repay him for all his loyalty and endurance. Yes, that man had kept up with my exce
Later that night…==Matteo==Darkness had covered everywhere now. Night had set in. I could hear the irritating sound of crickets and the breeze. Fucking nature. I laid on my makeshift bed—which was my perpetual position now—and stared straight ahead. I waited for sleep to take me. One of my men rose from his bed and walked out of the room, probably to take a piss. I didn't care. Moments later, he dashed back inside, eyes wide open.But still, that didn’t move me. His words, however, shook my up. "We're surrounded." At first, it didn't make sense, but then he repeated himself. "Sir, we're surrounded. There're people around the precinct."I rose from the bed. Surrounded? Bu whom? Whispers broke and I glared at my men. "Shut up!" And there was dead silence. "Philemon," I called the guard that'd come with the news. "What did you see?""Wolves. White wolves. They're hiding in this bushes and possibly armed as well." I shut my eyes, trying to process the information. White wolves! H
EPILOGUEFew months later...==Olivia==I applied one last coat of lipstick on Leah's lips, before bloating the excess. It was said that pregnancy brought out a person’s glow. Well, I partly agree with that. Leah was a beauty queen. Her dark hair had taken up this lustre I didn't know its origin. Her skin was smooth, her body chubby. Pregnancy looked so good on her. However, my case was different. I was fatigued most of the time, and the only plump thing right now was my boobs. Although, in retrospect, I'd have squealed in glee. The baby had begun to kick, especially at night. Phew. If I didn't know better, I'd say there were as much as five foetuses in me. "Isn't this too much?" Leah asked, looking at the mirror skeptically."Too much for your baby shower and my housewarming?"She rolled her eyes and I couldn't help but smile. I was glad she agreed with me that this wasn't much. I helped her hold down in a French braid and added some decorative pieces around it. "And done," I sai
==Olivia==The call came for the umpteenth time and I knew I had to go check it out. As soon as I saw the name on the phone, I braced up, ready for what was to come.I exited the library and got into the hallway.“Happy birthday!” The screech could tear my ear drums apart. I flinched, taking the phone away from my ear to prevent any damage.A smile graced my lips as the croaky birthday song entered my ear.“Thank you, Leah.”“Guess who the latest adult is?”“Excuse me? I'm 21,” I said.“That’s the point. Right now, you can jo
==Matteo==Slowly, my eyes peeled open. I stared at the ceiling at some time, before finally rising. I perched on the edge of the bed and ran my hand across my hair.I stood, walked to my closet, opened it and took out my bathrobe. When I turned around, my eyes met something…noteworthy. A dent on my floor. A scrowl grew on my face as I stared at the pile of littered clothing. A bra, a panty and a gown. I took my eyes to the woman on the bed. Her legs spread apart, the blanket unable to give proper coverage to her nude body.I stared at her for a while, before leaving to brush my teeth. I walked down the hallway, into the balcony.“Good morning, sir,” a servant said.I took the newspaper fr
It was a starless night. Cold and foggy. Certainly not the perfect time for driving. John Doe knew this, and he knew what laid ahead of him. But he shook it off, relying on two facts. One, he wasn’t going to reach Brookehurt. Yes, his Mama's house was a little away from the town. It took about twenty minutes away to get there from her house. Two, this wasn’t the full moon. No threat to be wary of.And so, he drove. But the unsettling feeling was still in him.“Just a little closer,” he said. Just then, something darted across the road. He jammed his brakes, eyes wide open. Heart thumping. He stopped his engine, leaving just the brights on. And listened. All he could hear was the sound of crickets.When a minute passed and he didn’t hear anything, he continued, re
==Olivia==I woke up to the sound of a phone call. Awesome, it was from Leah.“Morning, Leah. Thanks for the really needed present.”She squealed. “You liked it? I bet you did!”I rolled my eyes. Leah's present was two pairs of Victoria’s secret lingerie. Among the most outrageous things she had sent, this took the lead.“Oh yes. Cos I work in a club and my success really depend on how flimsy my underwear is.”.“Don’t be an ingrate.”“I’m not,” I said. “But you now how these things are. I’m not comfortable with ‘em.”.
==Matteo==I got off the phone with my secretary, just in time for a knock to come.“Come in.” I said.The door opened to reveal my butler. “Sire, I have the documents with me.”I ushered him in, and he passed me the documents.The first page read: Olive Samantha Haynes. The second page displayed her personal information. From the look of things, she recently turned 21, measured 5”5 in height and worked as a waitress at a local café. I flipped to the next page and saw her pictures.My eyes circled around her form. I immediately shut the portfolio, not wanting to see more.“You may
EPILOGUEFew months later...==Olivia==I applied one last coat of lipstick on Leah's lips, before bloating the excess. It was said that pregnancy brought out a person’s glow. Well, I partly agree with that. Leah was a beauty queen. Her dark hair had taken up this lustre I didn't know its origin. Her skin was smooth, her body chubby. Pregnancy looked so good on her. However, my case was different. I was fatigued most of the time, and the only plump thing right now was my boobs. Although, in retrospect, I'd have squealed in glee. The baby had begun to kick, especially at night. Phew. If I didn't know better, I'd say there were as much as five foetuses in me. "Isn't this too much?" Leah asked, looking at the mirror skeptically."Too much for your baby shower and my housewarming?"She rolled her eyes and I couldn't help but smile. I was glad she agreed with me that this wasn't much. I helped her hold down in a French braid and added some decorative pieces around it. "And done," I sai
Later that night…==Matteo==Darkness had covered everywhere now. Night had set in. I could hear the irritating sound of crickets and the breeze. Fucking nature. I laid on my makeshift bed—which was my perpetual position now—and stared straight ahead. I waited for sleep to take me. One of my men rose from his bed and walked out of the room, probably to take a piss. I didn't care. Moments later, he dashed back inside, eyes wide open.But still, that didn’t move me. His words, however, shook my up. "We're surrounded." At first, it didn't make sense, but then he repeated himself. "Sir, we're surrounded. There're people around the precinct."I rose from the bed. Surrounded? Bu whom? Whispers broke and I glared at my men. "Shut up!" And there was dead silence. "Philemon," I called the guard that'd come with the news. "What did you see?""Wolves. White wolves. They're hiding in this bushes and possibly armed as well." I shut my eyes, trying to process the information. White wolves! H
==Matteo==It had been 84 days of hell. I had lost everything. Everything. The mansion, my business, my men, my image….Olivia. Everything. And funnily enough, I hadn't spilled a tear, neither had I roared in pain in the beginning. The entire occurrence had simply felt surreal. The stench of silver hanging in the air was a proof though, that none of this was a dream.Yosef had lost his life. I'd spotted his charred body in the gazebo, while I was scampering away for my life. My trusted butler was gone. He had been the only living vestiges of my childhood, as he was my Dad's secretary. And now, I had lost him. Just like I had lost everything that mattered to me.Like I'd said, I hadn't cried initially. Upon finding shelter around the Brookehurt—Eggortin mountains, however my composure broke. I had done that which I hadn't done for years. Cry. The truth was scary. I would never see Yosef again. I'd never repay him for all his loyalty and endurance. Yes, that man had kept up with my exce
Two days later...==Olivia==Suddenly, all I saw was a bright white light. It was so harsh I tried shutting my eyes, all to no avail.It came pouring in, inflicting a pounding headache to me. I groaned, even as my body began to tremble. And then everything ceased. The light, the trembling. Everywhere was quiet for some time and darkness pervaded. I didn't know why, but the thing that came to my head was: death. I must have died. And now, I was in this sort of limbo where nothing existed. Having this belief, I gasped and started to grope around for anything I could touch. Surely, this place wasn't a void! And I was right because someone grabbed my arm. I whipped my head in the direction, ready to punch whomever it was off. "Olivia? Oh God, yes! Wake up. Open your eyes." Open my eyes? Did that mean my eyes were shut? And so, I did obeyed… or rather, my eyes did so on its own accord and I came face to face with this brown haired lady who looked so fucking familiar. I took a second,
==Matteo==9:13 pmI held a wolf by its throat, pinning it to the wall. I had punched the hell out of him and he was almost lifeless now. But I wasn't done. I'd make sure I snuff the life out him. And so, my hands held his neck like a vice, tightening as seconds rolled by. His eyes began to glaze over and just when I was about to deliver a deathly blow, someone called my name."Macini!" I frowned. Who dared to call me by my last name. I delivered the intended blow on the wolf, watching it slip to the floor.I was startled the moment I turned around. "Oh, you recognise me. Good riddance." Not much of that was the truth, because the reason behind my surprise wasn't this jerkass standing before me, but Olivia. I growled, "Let go of her now.""Who? Oh, her?" He laughed. The sound grate my ears. "Nah, she won't appreciate that."My frown deepened. The fool was messing with me. I attempted taking a step forward when Olivia spoke."Don't." There was something strange about her voice
7:00 pm==Matteo==We were ready. With the snipers, grenades, shotguns and pistons, we were prepared for battle. In addition to the guards at the gate, there were those stationed at strategic places all over the Malchian Grove. They would take them down even before they reached the mansion. I could hear the distant sound of gunshots and wolves growling. They were near.I cracked neck. I flexed my fingers. With my fist balled and my eyes staring straight ahead, I was ready. The sound approached, getting dangerously close to the gate. Just like that, shots begun to be fired. The guards at the gate fought well. They fired all their bullets on the invaders, but then, something weird happened. The invaders came pouring in numbers.I stood, shocked. I hadn't expected this kind of number. A sea of people forced themselves through the gate. They had with them ammunition.Someone threw a grenade, shooting everyone around the gate off. Yosef gave me a look; I shook my head. No. We wouldn't
==Olivia==5:55 pm.I would so fucking deal with Matteo! The fuck, the dude had told me to stay in his room pending his quick arrival. Guess what, eons….epochs had passed by and there had been no sign of him. Not even his shadow. Not even his smell, scent, whatever. The room was growing darker, and dear mister wasn't here yet!Initially, I had left the room to meet him outside. Lo and behold, the entrance was completely manned by guards. My anxiety peaked. I'd guessed a similar phenomenon existed in other entrances/exits, and I hadn't wasted my energy trying them out. Again, rather than going to my room, I'd returned to Matteo's, mainly because it had a balcony which would likely offer me access to the outside. However, to my chagrin, that balcony was locked. I had remained in Matteo's room because I felt safe here. I couldn't tell why I felt so, but that was it. I stopped pacing about and sat on the bed. First it was a curfew, and now this? What… I buried my face in my palm befo
A knock came and Lyons—still with his eyes fixed on his nightstand— said, "Come in."The door swing open. It was the butler. "Sir, the hall has been assembled." Lyons waved him away. Now was the time. Turning away from the nightstand, Lyons walked out of the room and reached the hallway. He descended quite a number of stairs, before reaching the basement door. As he opened the door, noise of chattering people hit him. He could make out what each one of them was saying.The noises died down as the people spotted Lyons. He looked ahead to see a multitude. Hundreds and hundreds of Brookehurtian citizens. He smiled to himself.He stood in front of them. "Good evening, the great people of Brookehurt. I'm so glad you honoured my request. As you know, our town has been under attack, in which loves and properties have been destroyed. May I use the opportunity to apologise for that." He paused fir let that sink in. Everyone paid rapt attention. "As a way of helping out, I am donating a sum
==Matteo==Pulling shirt down my face, I was set to leave. Olivia on the other hand was still in the process of putting on her bra. I looked away, not sure I wanted to catch sight of her pointy breasts. They were so fucking tempting. When I looked her way again, she was done. Her hair was tossed, an evident of the body slamming exercise we'd had moments earlier. A look on the clock on the wall confirmed it was way last our lunch time. I walked up to her; a smile appearing on her face. I picked up her scarf that laid some feet away and gave it to her. "Here." Still having the tiny smile on her lips, she took it from me and tied up her hair.As we left the chambers, I could sense she was exhausted from the thing we had. So, to save her any more troubles, I'd let her rest for some time before we met for lunch. I escorted her to her room and when we got to the door, I leaned to kiss her light. Yes, a chaste kiss this time around."See you at lunch."She smiled in response and steppe