She felt like it was just a few minutes sleep, but when she woke up, it was an hour later and she was in a warm smaller bed in a smaller room. She sat up and rubbed her eyelids. The room was darkly lit and the curtains were down.
“Wayne,” she called as she stepped down from the bed. She could inhale his scent vividly in the room so she knew he was around. She walked to the door of the room and turned the doorknob. It opened and she peeled out into the brightly lit up doorway. The floor was a wooden dark color, just like in the Circular Cabinet. And the walls were a light yellow.
“We must have arrived in Lumpusberg,” she muttered to herself as she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She looked at her feet and pouted. She wasn’t wearing any shoes and she wasn’t used to walking around barefoot. She however sighed and walked into the doorway, walking towards the end of it where there was a turn.
She kept walking until she reached the staircase and went down it gently. The building was quite big, bigger than the villa they both went to. She bit her lips as she inhaled her mate’s scent which was all over the living room.
“WAYNIE!” she called out loud.
“Hey, don’t bring down the house with that tone of yours,” he stated behind her. She turned and saw him leaning by a door.
“Baby,” she called again in relief. He smirked and began to walk towards her.
“Missed me?” he asked and stretched forth his arms to take her in. She held them and let him pull her to his body in a warm embrace. His nose rubbed against her chin and he placed a small kiss there.
“I missed you in my sleep,” Olive replied and laughed.
“Yeah, you sleep so well. Can’t believe I had to carry you all the way from the helicopter up to the room and you still didn’t wake up. I almost thought you were dead,” Wayne teased and she hit her palms on his chest.
“Don’t tease me!”
“You look cute when you’re blushing,” he said and rubbed his thumbs on her cheeks which were turning redder with his ministrations.
“I wonder why I can’t control my sleep when I’m around you,” Olive complained. She remembered the bitter experience she had that day she wanted to just lay by his side and ended up sleeping for hours.
“You think you’re the only one submitting to me? Your body, mind and soul submits to me too, babe. Your whole being is at peace when beside me so you sleep like a baby without control,” he explained and intertwined their fingers together. Olive thought what he said made sense so she smiled.
“Yeah, I guess so,” she acknowledged.
“Are you hungry? Our dinner was supposed to be eaten thirty minutes ago.”
“Of course I’m hungry. Have you forgotten I haven’t really eaten today?”
“Yeah, sure. B-Cell craziness,” Wayne mumbled and rolled his eyes. Olive laughed and smacked his arm.
He held her waist and led her to the dining area which was just a few feet away from the massive living room. Everything in the living room was dark themed. From the floor to the curtains, walls and furniture. Everything was dark themed with very little color. Olive knew it was Wayne who had chosen for the house interior design to be that way. And Olive liked it.
They sat down at the dining table and the servants came almost immediately to serve them food. As they began to eat, Olive took a glance at Wayne and noticed that he was looking much more peaceful than when they had left Aspen City.
“You look better now,” she voiced out. He chuckled deeply and raised his eyes to look at her through his messy, long curls scattered over his forehead. His hair sure grew pretty fast.
“This place gives me peace,” he simply said.
“Does this have to do with the color of this place?”
“Yeah, kinda,” he smiled and flicked hair from his face.
“So, Gia truly wants to take my place, huh?” Olive said with a sarcastic smile.
“Would you let her?” came Wayne’s reply. Olive chuckled darkly.
“Why should I? It’s not like she’s even worth it.”
“That gives me satisfaction. At least, you’re not letting her get to you anymore.”
“And I’m not gonna let anyone, whether her or not, to get to me. I only felt down casted earlier because…” she trailed off and stared at her plate, her knife and fork on a piece of salmon.
Wayne watched her intently, but he didn’t read her mind. He wanted her to tell him.
“Because that was my greatest fear. To be rejected and replaced by my mate. And the worst of it all was that Gia had threatened me with that exact thing and my fear doubled,” she completed her saying.
“So what about now? Is it still your greatest fear?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because my mate is not willing to let me go. And I’m going to return the favor.”
Wayne smirked proudly.
“That’s my girl,” he praised.
“But can I ask what exactly was said in the meeting? How did they get to know about my background or whatsoever it is that they’re holding on to?”
Wayne sighed and leaned against his chair.
“I think… I think they must have somehow realized that you were a part of The Vrek Cult. Or, they think you still belong to them. Worst, I think they know you tried to kill me,” he answered.
“Is Gia responsible for this sudden turnout? Like, did she mobilize the Parliament and give them this information?”
“I believe she is the mastermind behind this. However, it is her father, General Kalif that is spearheading this movement.”
Olive thought for a few seconds then looked back at Wayne.
“What should we do? This news should not get to the pack members. They’ll be more rebellious,” she said.
“Jake is taking care of that. However, we still need to do something fast.”
“What do you suggest?”
“We introduce you to the pack and tell them what they have to know before it comes out from the wrong mouths.”
Olive furrowed her eyebrows at him.
“Are you saying that we should tell them about my background instead?”
“Yes. I’m certain the Parliament would only divulge the information if they don’t hear from me soon. And only about a few days to the ritual. Plans are already underway. The men are up to it already. We must be the one to release your secrets to the people and not those snakes. We would be one step ahead of them that way.”
“Wayne, that’s dangerous,” Olive stated. He smirked darkly.
“This is my pack, Olive. I’ve been leading them for over a decade. No one knows them better than I do. So relax, baby girl. And trust your mate.”
Olive gulped and nodded. She thought about Gia and worried that the sly woman had other plans that they didn’t know of. But whatever happened, Olive was determined to be the one who would be fully mated to the Big Bad Alpha on the night of the Mating Ritual.