Olive knew by the look of Gia, that she was no ordinary lady. She was dressed formally, with her designer suit that was instead a short gown. The ladies behind her were fierce, wearing red leather jackets and pants. They looked like her bodyguards.
She knew Balendin was a state on its own, so they were many officials. She must be one of them.
“That lady. Who was she?” Olive asked as they approached a black Rolls Royce Phantom. She looked at Wayne’s stern face and waited for an answer. He didn’t seem to want to answer.
Olive tugged on his jacket because she suspected there was something fishy. The way Gia looked at him, and at her. There were two very different looks. And the look she had got was scrutinizing.
“Alpha,” Olive called and stood still in front of the car. He walked past her and opened the door.
“Get in,” he said curtly.
She puffed and walked to his front, entered the car without sparing him a glance. Not that he needed it, he didn’t care. Few seconds later and he was in the car himself. He turned on the ignition and zoomed off the castle’s premises.
Olive rested her head on the headrest and looked out the window. She felt peace, but wasn’t at peace. She saw a slight reflection of Wayne staring at her through the window so she looked at him. He indeed was staring. It was a straight, lonely road from the castle so he didn’t bother looking. He had also slowed down. Before Olive could ask why he was staring, he spoke up.
“She’s the Chief Female Army Commander Of Balendin Pack. Also the daughter of The Major General of Balendin Pack.”
While saying all those, he didn’t even move his eyes a little from her.
“Oh…she’s quite important then,” Olive muttered and looked ahead into the road. A minute later and she began to feel hot all over her face. Wayne was still staring at her. Why was he still staring?
“Alpha, the road. Focus on the road,” she said while coating her voice with a serious and stern tone. She had almost stuttered while saying those. Her eyes moved everywhere in the room of the car except on him.
“I love your eyes,” he stated and Olive froze. Even her heart froze rock-solid and didn’t beat. Silence overwhelmed the inside of the car.
Her eyes. He loved her eyes. She felt her heart suddenly thaw and leap in joy. Her mate loved her eyes and that was why he was staring. Sure, she knew her green orbs which were the color of a sparkling emerald jewel always stole attention. Especially when her eyes were moist. They tingled against the light.
But her mate telling her he loved them was like the greatest achievement to her. That was her first official compliment from him. Slowly, the skin on her cheeks began to tint until they were a rosy red.
“Thank…thank you,” she stuttered and puffed air into her cheeks to stop her from blushing more or even smiling. Wayne knew she liked his compliment, and he liked her reaction to it. He smirked and finally focused on the road. His mate was cute, he just had to stare.
Soon, the car slowed down and he took a turn into a dirt ground. He parked and they got out. Olive looked at the tall trees in front of her and smiled.
“The Lochill Woods. This is where most of our timber comes from,” Alpha Knight spoke up.
“It’s lovely. And so large,” she marveled as she looked right at the far end of the forest, which she couldn’t even see.
“Wait until you see inside. Let’s go,” he stated and began to walk in. Olive followed him hurriedly and caught up with him. They walked past trees, all standing tall. She looked up and marveled at the canopy they formed, all joined but not densely. Rays of the evening sun shone through the branches and created a lot of light particles all around. It was magical.
Olive was looking around and turning, not knowing there was a tree branch right in front. Wayne had walked past it, but Olive stepped on it wrongly and tripped. She screamed and fell to the ground. Alpha Knight stopped in his tracks as he heard her scream and fall. He felt his heart get ripped out through his chest. He ran back to her and pulled her from the ground, though she was already sitting.
“Are you alright?” he asked worriedly. He looked all over her to see if she was.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” she answered while holding her head. Her hair now had dirt in it. He casually flicked and dusted them off with one of his hand, while the other was still holding her firmly.
“Thanks,” Olive appreciated and looked sideways, not wanting to stare at him. He finished with her hair then looked at her eyes sternly, like he was about to scold her.
“I’m sorry. I should have been more careful,” she quickly apologized, noting he didn’t like her clumsiness.
“Stick to my side, would you? If you keep screaming like that, I’d have a heart attack,” he scolded. She nodded and bit her lower lip while looking down. He pulled her up and held her hand tightly. She dusted her body and they began to walk around. Little animals ran around, some squeaking and making different sounds. Birds kept chirping noisily and flying overhead.
Olive loved the feel of her hands being held tightly in Wayne’s perfectly muscular and strong palm. It gave her sweet tingles. But she hated the silence between them. Was there nothing to talk about? Or he didn’t want to talk to her about anything?
“Uhm… Alpha. What about your parents?” she asked, in a bid to say something.
“Dead. Since I was ten,” he answered curtly, as if he was in a business meeting.
“Sorry about that.”
He didn’t reply. She looked up at his face.
“I envy you though. At least you know where they are.”
Wayne stopped walking and so did she. She wanted to ask why he did so when he asked, “What do you mean?”
She gulped dryly and scratched the back of her head, just below her ear.
“Well, I was…” the words got choked in her throat. She gulped again.
“I was kidnapped at fourteen you see. My parents and I had gone to see a family friend at his farm. I wandered to see his fish ponds when a strange man took me away. I managed to escape from the room I was kept, but I ran into a man as I was running. I begged him to hide me. He did. But he never let me go again. I was taken to a cold dungeon and beaten up as I tried to fight. I was…” she trailed off.
Alpha Knight was looking at her with clenched jaws. He was feeling a rage building up. A different kind of rage, far different from the one he usually felt. This one was new, and possessive. The kind you feel when your toddler is being bullied by the nanny you employed.
“Continue,” he said in a low, yet strong voice.
Olive hadn’t been looking at him all these while. But for this part, she looked at him.
“I was gang raped there by the man and his friends. In the cold, dark dungeon. I was initiated into the cult few days later.”
Silence reigned between them. Only that there was a terrible growling in Wayne’s head by his wolf. He was begging to roar out, jump out and cause havoc.
His mate…
Wayne looked away from her and cleared his clogged up throat. He gently let go of her hand and took two steps away from her. Olive’s heart fell as she tried to pull him back but her hand stood midway. He was disgusted by her already, so she thought. She shouldn’t have told him about the rape yet. What would he think of her?
“I… I’m sorry, Alpha. I shouldn’t…”
He turned abruptly, making her stop.
“That man, who was he?” his face had darkened. A slow breeze began to blow around them, scattering their hair.
“The man…” Olive choked again as she recalled it all, all the rape, the torture. Everything from when she was kidnapped to the very day she went to assassinate Wayne. Tears involuntarily seeped out from their glands and covered her eyes that Wayne became blurry.
“… is Cynthia’s father. The second in command of The Vrek Cult.”
She exhaled as her tears fell. Wayne’s eyes turned into a shade of scarlet, his eyebrows at loggerheads with each other. The slow breeze turned into a wind and the trees began to dance around ferociously. The Alpha moved forward, towards her as the very cold wind slapped her face.
“I promise you… I will kill that man and everyone else who had a part to play in ruining my mate’s life,” he said, with determination, rage and revenge all blended into his voice.