Chapter Two

Olivia quickly pulled out her gun, turning to face the intruder. But, there was no one there. Olivia was met with an empty space but only the slight fragrance in the air indicated that someone was previously there. Had she imagined it? No way.

That couldn’t be possible. She’d heard those words loud and clear, each syllable enunciated for her benefit. Then, why couldn’t she see anyone?

Olivia turned, pointing her gun around in case the intruder wanted to play silly games. She’d show him she wasn’t one to mess around with. Suddenly, there was a movement to her left–it was so fast that Olivia could have easily excused it for something else–perhaps, the wind–but she was a trained cop. She knew better.

“Who’s there? Come out.” She had a finger on the trigger, one eye partly closed. She assumed the action stance, ready to open fire. Someone creeped out from a dark corner behind one of the saggy couches in her sitting room, and Olivia pushed her chest forward, levelling the gun.

“Don’t shoot,” he said, raising his hands above his head slowly. Olivia couldn’t see his face in the darkness, but she could recognise the voice from before–smooth and rich like fine silk–and chills ran down her spine. “I’m unarmed.”

Olivia shook her head, suddenly overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions. How had he entered her apartment in the first place? What did he want? And most importantly, who was he? He couldn’t be saying the truth about being unarmed, could he? As if reading her mind, he spoke up, “I’m Edward. Please, lower the gun.” He gestured with one hand lowered almost to the ground.

“Hey, stay right there,” Olivia warned, her voice shaking slightly. The figure halted mid-air. Olivia couldn’t help but be scared. What if this was one of the people Jake had warned her not to mess with? Were they going to kill her too? No. Not possible. Olivia shook her head, refusing to believe it. “What are you doing here and what do you want?” She asked, cocking the gun at his shadowed figure. “Speak now or I'll shoot!”

“Lower the gun, first. And we can talk.” Olivia was surprised at the sudden switch in tone of voice. It was now pliant and soft, like a baby’s. Was he trying to trick her? He could be playing on her intelligence for all she knew. She cocked the gun at him, steadying herself on her feet. A tense silence ensued, followed by the wild thumping of her heart. Nobody moved.

“I’m sorry, but you leave me no choice.” Before Olivia could realise what that statement implied, she felt a whoosh of air brush past her and when she stared down, she saw that her gun was gone, her hands poised as if clutching the dry air. Oh God! What was going to happen now?

Olivia’s whole body trembled from nerve-wracking fear and her knees immediately went weak at the morbid thought of him having his way with her. If there was one thing–an injustice–she couldn’t stand, it was rape.

“Tell me what you want.” Her voice was unsteady, sweat dripping down her face and the line of her neck, settling between her cleavage. The area around her armpit was soaked with sweat. She was at the mercy of this man, whoever he was.

When Olivia raised her head, her eyes widened with shock to see he was back at his initial position. How had he done that? And so quickly like the speed of light travelling through a wide spectrum.

Olivia couldn’t believe it. One minute, she was the one with the gun–her star power–and the next, it was gone and she was left feeling so empty and exposed. She hated this powerless feeling, but it was threatening to overcome her.

“I just want to talk.”

Talk? Then, she recalled the word that had been circled severally on the white sheet of paper. Superhuman strength. Could it be? Olivia blinked, trying to understand if it could be true. These things didn’t just happen. There was the law of gravity and it couldn’t be easily broken with the snap of a finger.

“Please,” Olivia begged, staggering back. Her heart hammered against her rib cage, restricting the flow of air into her lungs. “Don’t kill me.” She used her hands as a shield to protect her face from harm.

“I wasn’t planning on doing that.” Olivia heard something drop to the floor with a slight clang, the sound slicing through the cut-throat tension in the room, and then, there was a kick. He was tossing the gun aside. He wouldn’t do that if he truly wanted to harm her, would he? How could she be sure to trust him? “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said again, in that calm, gentle voice that she didn’t want to hear anymore because it gave her body the shivers.

“Okay, so what do you want then?” She swallowed suddenly wishing she could have a glass of water. But, no chance, staying that long with an intruder in her home. The man stepped forward and Olivia took a step back, nearly stumbling. He paused, as if sensing her fear.

“I’m here instead to help. You should remain calm.” Calm? Olivia had to give it to him. The man had some nerves talking to her like she was a cheap slut he’d picked by the side of the road. How could she remain calm when he broke into her house? How could she remain calm when he took her gun from her??

“What are you? What are you doing in my apartment?" She asked again. "And—And how did you do that?"

“Olivia, do you believe in the supernatural?” Her eyes widened with shock. Olivia? How in the world did he know her name? Was he a spy for an undercover intelligence agency? She was going crazy thinking about it.

“How on earth do you know my name? Why don’t you answer any of my questions, huh?”

“You’re getting antsy,” he cut in. “Stay calm. I’m going to explain everything. You see, I’ve been watching you for a while. I want to protect you, but you’re not making it easy for me.”

What did he mean by that? Why was he talking about protecting her? A thousand questions were flitting into her mind at once.

He’d lost her in the first sentence. Watching her? Really? “And what’s it to you?” She challenged, mildly taken aback by the defiant spirit springing up in her. She had no idea where it was from, but she loved it. She hadn’t lost all control like she’d initially thought.

“Your safety is very important to me. You're quite tough but stubborn. It gets you in really dangerous situations. You know, you should listen to your partner for once and keep your nose out of your parents' case.” Now, that last bit knocked the socks off her feet.

How did he know about her parent's case? Was Jake working with him? Or did Jake send him to frighten her?

“How did you know about that? There was only one other person aware of my plans to find my parent’s killer. Are you guys working with him? Did he send you?”

Edward chuckled. “You don’t get it. I'm not here on anyone's command.”

“Then, explain yourself. How did you find out and why are you here?-” She gestured with her eyes darting about the expanse of the sitting room, “-in my house?”

"I know everything about you because I am always with you. I feel what you feel and I have been like your shadow since you turned eighteen."

"How's that possible?"

“There are many things you don’t know that exist in this world.”

“Like you, for example?” Olivia bit back, sarcasm evident in her tone. He was in front of her in seconds and Olivia could smell the minty breath. Who was he? She wondered inwardly.

He lifted a finger and gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her eyes. His gaze trailed from her face downward and Olivia felt her breath seize. He was irresistible–never minding the situation.

His dark hair was tousled, and Olivia had the strangest urge to run her hands through the strands. She snapped out it and lowered her head in shame, wondering why she was attracted to a man who broke into her home.

Edward lifted her chin with his hand and lowered his face to her neck. Olivia trembled as he sniffed her, slowly grazing her neck with his nose. "Do you feel that? That tension?"

Olivia nodded before she could stop herself.

“That's the mate bond” he announced. "And you're my mate."