Asher unfolds the blanket and grabs the edge of it to wrap it around Olivia. “Can you shift? Please?”Olivia does and reverts back to her human form, and her first words are harsh, coated with ire. “F*ck you. F*ck you. I thought we— F*ck you.”“I’m sorry,” Asher almost murmurs, his voice hushed as he tugs the blanket higher on Olivia’s shoulders, closing it at the front to fully cover her. “It was the last test you had to pass. Mia did the same on her side.”“This was supposed to be our date, not an excuse for a stupid test.”“Is this why you’re mad?” Asher asks with a raised brow.“Partially…” Olivia mumbles as she tucks herself further under the blanket, the ambient coldness still seeping through the fabric on her bare feet and legs as kneels on the ground.“I wanted to have a proper date with you that isn’t interrupted by your mortal enemies or a hybrid fight,” Olivia confesses.“I really want that too and, You know….” Asher lifts his arm to Olivia’s face, and with his sleeve, he w
Asher is silent, and Olivia, with the hand not holding the blanket up, cradles Asher’s cheek, bringing his face closer.Asher has never been kissed before, whether it be romantically by one of the people he dated, amicably by a friend, or brotherly by his family. He has never allowed any touches of that sort.He would refuse to peck his flings, deny Paul when the latter would ask for a hug, and he’d always keep his distance, making sure this or that person isn’t too close to him.Asher was destitute of gentle physical contacts for most of his life, provided instead with vicious blows, callous taunts, and harsh yanks on his neck, manhandling him this and that way.He was — is — starved for an affection that he never realized wanted.Needed.However, with Olivia, the parched creature inside Asher huddled in a corner preens under the lips pressing on his forehead now, or his cheeks earlier. It basks in the care and warmth Olivia openly and kindly grants him, every so often shyly, other t
Livia: I don't mean I'm weird wayLivia: InLivia: *Livia: The bath made me really sleepy sorryAS: You've been in it for a whileLivia: That sounded weird. Ignore what I saidAS: How did you mean it?AS: OliviaLivia: I'm sleepyLivia: I just want you hereAS: What else do you want?Livia: It's too muchAS: I'll be the judge of thatAS: What elseLivia: I'm sleepyAS: I know Olivia. Tell me how I can helpLivia: You want to help?AS: I do if it's youLivia: Can you take care of me, please?AS: Gonna let me?Livia: I want toAS: Yeah?Livia: PinkAS: I want that tooAS: Especially after tonightLivia: You can thenLivia: I'm sleepy, AshyAS: Don't fall asleep in your bathLivia: Okay, I won'tAS: You're cuteLivia: StopAS: Are you feeling soft?Livia: I don't think so?Livia: I don't knowLivia: I'm sleepy, and I want you to take care of meLivia: I want to rest my mindLivia: And it does when it's just you in itAS: You really don't realizeLivia: Realize what?AS: What you do to m
At one point, Asher’s palm cups the side of Olivia’s neck, his thumb behind the ear, and the gentle pressure he exerts suffice for Olivia to understand the demand.Asher cradles the left side of Olivia’s head in a makeshift of a cushion as the latter tilt it in the direction Asher mutely asked, and something in Asher relishes at the instantaneous compliance.Olivia’s trust is pliant under Asher’s touch, bending this or that way as she bares her neck while Asher scrapes his nails from the temple and down to the nape before climbing back up, halting at the ear to clean the back of it only for his fingers to card through the locks.They resume their previous patterns again and again. Asher himself soothed and lulled into a faint somnolence.“Feels good, Asher,” Olivia whispers after a while, limp in Asher’s hold.“Yeah?” Asher glances at the goosebumps erupting on Olivia’s skin and, galvanized by the reassurance and reaction, he grazes his thumb along the curve of the ear, passing by the
Asher promptly covers his eyes, not trusting himself to maintain them closed. “I’m sorry I—”“Oh, my god. This isn’t happening. This is not happening. This can’t be happening.” Olivia groans, then swears, and an intonation in her voice tugs at Asher’s heart.“Olivia, it’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with this,” Asher says, mustering a calmness his rabid pulse and mayhem of thoughts hamper.“It’s not fine. It’s embarrassing,” Olivia fires back, her upset evident, and Asher can’t have that.“It really isn’t. Can I look? Please?”After a brief lull, Olivia concedes to the request, and Asher peeps at her between his fingers, Olivia’s hands still plastered on her head, her brows knitted, and lips pressed into a thin line.“Before you utter any contest,” Asher starts and drops his forearms on his knees, “let me first say that I find this extremely, extremely cute, Olivia. It’s not embarrassing at all.”“It really is not,” Olivia retorts, as expected.Annoyance flares up within Asher, not at
“Can your brat wash your hair tonight?” Olivia asks with expectations.The reply came easier than Asher had expected it to. “Yes, she can. Taking care of each other?”“I’d love that,” Olivia says, her hands clenching at the back of Asher’s hoodie.“Me too love,” Asher rushes to say, the phrase he wanted to utter jumbled together in a questionable sentence.“I meant ‘me too. I’d love that’. I wasn’t calling you ‘Love’. My mind has been a little broken since I saw your wolf ears, and as we speak, I’m focusing really, really, really hard on not annoyingly fondling them.”Olivia bursts into laughter, her body shaking in Asher’s arms. “First asking for my hand the day we met and then calling me Love? I really earned that ring, didn’t I?” Olivia says, Asher, smiling against her crown.“I wonder what’s the next step, Mob Boss Ash,” she teases and reclines enough to peer up at Asher. “Maybe sharing custody of Mini? I have to present you to her beforehand.”Asher combs his fingers through Oliv
Olivia smiles at Asher’s insistence, the mob boss’ constant checking up and assurance of Olivia’s well-being, along with the faint touches here and there, everything seeming so familiar, natural, scratching at that itch within her chest.A few minutes later, dressed in loose black sweatpants and an equally dark hoodie, her hair dried and somewhat combed through, the tub brimming with a bubble bath, Olivia stands off the stool to exit the bathroom and call out Asher’s name.“Yes?” Asher says, leaning over the countertop, his phone in hand.“Your bath is ready if you are,” Olivia announces, then plops down on the shorter side of the ‘L’ shaped couch. She catches the sound of Asher dropping the device on the table, then his feet padding on the floor as he halts next to the sofa.A hand runs through Olivia’s locks, and she tilts her head against the backrest to peer up at Asher. “Forehead kiss.”Olivia’s demand is received by the quirk of a left brow that she mirrors, and she laughs when
Asher is scared, Olivia understands.His fear is palpable, evident in his shifting gaze darting between Olivia and the wall, the cupboard, then back on Olivia where they settle.It’s more visible in his trembling hands when he grasps onto the edge of the bathtub, his hands knocking against Olivia’s.It’s loud when Asher turns around, the water and bubbles wavering against his waist when he does.The first thing that strikes Olivia is the crisscross of large, ragged scars slashed along the span of Asher’s back.Three of them are parallels, starting from the shoulder blades and carved down to the lower back, where two long crescents frame Asher’s waist, one higher than the other.As if a beast cleaved at Asher while he was not looking, and when it was not sufficient to put him down, it bit on one side of the waist, then on the other, then the right bicep, the upper chest under the left armpit, the right rib, twice, the—Everywhere.The myriad of bite and claw scars are everywhere, engra
Group chatAsh: Is everyone here?Ash: We need to talk about the tournament nowAsh: Olivia received the invitationAJ: What?PS: You received yours as well Asher?Ash: I didn'tSL: You're not even her adopter yetAJ: That's weirdAsh: It may be because of NicolasAsh: Either way it happened and Olivia is participating in the tournamentAsh: I need everyone to be here so we can talk about itAsh: Olivia got the letter along with her keycard and a phoneWG: What did the letter say?OF: A summary of what TSM is and the rules about itOF: The fact that they kept using 'it' while talking about the hybrids pissed me offOF: F*cking a*sholesAsh: Hybrids are nothing to them aside from a source of money and entertainmentWG: What's TSM?Ash: The name of the tournament aka The Scarlet Masquerade, TSM for shortAsh: As I said previously TSM is a match to death with, more often than not, only one survivorAsh: It's brutal and unforgiving and no one ever comes out unscathed from itMC: Are you s
Ash: Olivia??Ash: What's happening?Ash: OliviaAsh: Members of the clan are on the wayAsh: They'll be there in less than thirty minutesOlivia: No Don'tOlivia: Call them backOlivia: I'm fineAsh: What the fuck do you mean you're fineOlivia: I made it sound worse than what it actually was and then I lost track of time dancingAsh: You'reOlivia: Don't be mean worried AsherAsh: I need a minuteOlivia: SorryOlivia: I should have sent another text to say I'm fine but it slipped my mindAsh: I thought something bad happened to you OliviaAsh: You can't do shit like thatAsh: Fucking hellAsh: I was a moment away from upturning the cityOlivia: I'm sorry...Olivia: I just wanted to distract myself from the creepy letter I gotAsh: A letter?Ash: This is what it's about?Olivia: YeahOlivia: There was a letter in my mailbox but the very creepy kindOlivia: There isn't even a returning or my own address on itAsh: Does it have a logo on it?Olivia: YesAsh: Red?Olivia: YesOlivia: Ho
Both stare at each other silently. Asher’s words ring in the silent room. His face is filled with uncertainty and hesitation but also assurance. He is willing to do that only if Olivia will accompany him during those nights.Olivia without even hearing his words understands the turmoil in Asher’s heart. “Of course, Asher. we can call, facetime, or text whenever there's one. I’ll always be there with you”“Thank you.” Asher’s face breaks into a smile.The genuine smile makes Olivia’s heart tingle “We'll make a bunch of good memories about storms so that the bad ones are gone.” She says with a smile.Asher looks surprised and delighted with the suggestion “I'd love that.”“Me too.”Olivia looks at Asher and suddenly she remembers something “Also, I'm learning how to bake.”“What? Why?” Asher looks confused and surprised.“I was supposed to give you a gift some time ago but it slipped my mind with all the mess that had been happening. And now I changed the present I want to give you.” Ol
They both go silent after that, looking at each other's faces not knowing what to say."What?” Olivia starts, she was offended by the silence from Asher “Did I say something wrong?" she asks Asher with a smile.Asher’s face lit up and he shook his head "No, not at all."His answer made Olivia satisfied, she nodded her head with a happy smile on her face. "Was there a thunder on your side?""Yeah, something like that." Asher’s face dims remembering the situation he was trying to ignore.Olivia notices and asks with a soft voice "Do you want to talk about it?"Asher looks startled "About what?" he asks with confusion."Why you're scared of storms."Asher peruses his lips and goes silent. His tongue comes out to lick his dry lips. He shifts on his bed curling on to himself "There's nothing much to say.""I'm still listening if you want to share." Olivia doesn’t prob, but still tries to talk to him.Asher is not someone who opens up to someone about his shortcomings. He has been trained t
Oly: What bad blood?Mia: I don’t know and Walter doesn’t know eitherOly: That’s weirdMia: A little yesMia: Plus he seems to really antagonize me for some reasonsOly: I seeMia: You’re starting to speak like himOly: Who?Mia: Ash -.-Oly: That’s because we’re rubbing off on each other :(Oly: I like him so much Mia he’s amazingOly: He has trouble understanding feelings and emotions and human relationships but he tries to despite everything he went throughOly: He could have given up, you know?Oly: If I were in his place I would have and I wouldn’t care about understandingMia: He’s an intelligent manOly: He isOly: I really like him a lotMia: Have you been testing the waters?Oly: A little? I don’t know how to do thatOly: I don’t flirt MiaOly: But maybeMia: Maybe?Oly: Maybe he likes me tooOly: MaybeOly: We’ll seeMia: That’s progress it’s okayMia: Anyway, I have to studyOly: Yes, yes, good luck and/or have funMia: Bye, will talk to you later* * * * * * * * * * * *A
Mia: He is a human Olivia, he's not a hybridMia was so confused about how did Olivia even got that thought in her pea-sized brain. She was still contemplating when Olivia replied to her message.Oly: What if he's just hiding it?Mia: He can adopt a hybridMia: Hybrids can't adopt another hybridMia tries to talk sense into Olivia who is very stubborn to listen to any of her explanations.Oly: Unless they falsified their documents and make themselves pass as a humanOly: Steve could have done thatMia: This is insaneOly: You didn't see him the way I didMia: Is it bothering you?Mia: Is this what it's about?Olivia is quick to rejectOly: NoOly: It's about how he behaved and the fact that I know he's hiding a secret from meOly: Which is fineOly: But I can't stop myself from wondering, my mind keeps circling back to thisMia: Olivia that'sMia: OkayMia: Let's say that hypothetically Ash is a hybrid, what would he be?Oly: I'm not sureOly: A predator one I guess?Mia: Hypothetical
Olivia: Are you being an a*shole or genuinely asking?Ash: The latterOlivia: Because I like the idea of us having matching pics and contact nameAsh: Why is that?Olivia: Because It's hmmOlivia: It's comforting?Olivia: And it's a little intimate and just usOlivia: Which I like a lotAsh: [Picture attached]Ash: Like that?Olivia: ...Olivia: I'm okay it's making me feel weird to actually see itAsh: Do you like it?Olivia: I doAsh: How do you feel seeing it?Olivia: HappyOlivia: Very happyOlivia: And then it is ticking inside my chestOlivia: [Picture attached]Olivia: How do you feel?Ash: The same as you, I like it a lotOlivia: Me too but we can barely see the heart because of the dark mode :(Olivia: AnywayOlivia: I suppose you have work to doAsh: I'll be busy until later tonightAsh: You've nothing planned today?Olivia: Nothing at allAsh: MC will also be freeOlivia: What about her?Ash: It's time to talk about the tournament and it'll happen tonightAsh: Everyone wil
“I could live in this car.” Olivia sighs into the leather seat.“I don’t think Mini would appreciate that,” Asher says from where he’s bent over, his arms propped on the edge of the rolled-down window.“Good point. She’s tiny but needs a lot of space, a bit like Steve.” Olivia snickers at her own joke, two duffle bags brimming with Asher’s clothes thrown over the seat next to where she’s installed at the back of the car.“I’ll tell him you say that.”“Go ahead, I’ve been meaning to fight him after Airhead.”“Brat.”Olivia peers up at Asher, catching the fond smile on the boss’ lips. “Thank you for the date.”“You’re welcome, and thank you too,” Asher says, his face close to Olivia. “You enjoyed yourself?”“Mhm, the most,” Olivia grins as she fastens her belt when the driver enters the vehicle“Me too,” Asher whispers, and with his index, he brushes a strand of hair away from Olivia’s forehead. “I won’t be able to text you much today, but I’ll do what I can to try.”“It’s fine, don’t w
When Olivia wakes up a few hours later, it’s to an empty bed, Asher’s side on the mattress tidied up, the phone and iPad on the nightstand gone.It doesn’t take long for Olivia to figure out where the mob boss went when, and after relieving herself in the restroom, she climbs down the stairs to make her way to the dining room.Asher is seated at the end of the table installed in the corner of the bay windows and Olivia trudges up to the mob boss.Hands shoved in her pants pockets, Olivia knocks her foot on the leg of the chair Adam is occupying, the one directly on Asher’s left.“Move,” Olivia orders when Adam does not budge.Adam swivels around. “Say that again, GaintDog?”“That’s my seat. Move.”“How about you f*ck off before I shoot you in the knee?” Adam snaps when Olivia kicks the chair again. “It’s no one’s seat, however right now it’s mine because my a*s is on it.”“Adam, come on,” Walter intervenes from where he’s lounged further down the table, Mia by his sides. “They’re in t