Olive returned to the quarters while holding the file firmly. She stepped into their bedroom and dropped the file on the bed. This was going to be an amazing surprise for Wayne to see and she bet that he would be grateful for it.
Jericho had been surprised when she met up with him before they boarded the helicopter and collected his number in her phone. After she told him she needed information to use against Gia, he had told her it was a hard job because the General, Gia’s father had cleaned her criminal records.
However, he knew no one could be a hundred percent cleaned. There could be traces of it somewhere. So, he went to Detective Kelly Reynolds who he had been keeping tabs on.
She loved chrysanthemums, taking cappuccino with a dinosaur-shaped cream on top every morning, loved to eat chips while watching movies instead of popcorn and preferred barbecued chicken to fried chicken. So, he just flirted and promised to take her out for some homemade barbecue chicken right after kissing her like she had the juiciest lips in the world. How could she say no to him?
Olive hid the file under the pillow and walked to the kitchen to get coffee. She had just mixed it and was going to take a sip when Wayne showed up in the kitchen.
“Back so soon?” she asked.
“Well, I shouldn’t have been back yet. But my Aunt insists that my mate come and greet them too,” Wayne answered.
“She was pissed I didn’t come along to welcome them back home, wasn’t she?” Olive asked. Wayne scratched his head.
“Well, yes. She’s… she’s a tough one,” he answered and she chuckled.
“Vanessa fed me with all her information,” she stated.
“Let us go see them together. But please, try to get on her good side. The news isn’t out yet so if you get on her good side, she would find a way to at least see you as the victim. But if you get on her bad side right now? I’m afraid things won’t go out that great,” Wayne pleaded.
“Why does it look like you’re scared of her?” Olive laughed but Wayne frowned.
“I’m not. I just don’t want to see another person being against you,” he answered sternly.
“Yeah yeah. I get it. Want some coffee or should we go immediately?”
“I’m good. You finish off your coffee while I check in on something inside the bedroom,” he replied and began to walk out.
“Uhm, babe. I’ve got something for you under one of the pillows. Do check it out for me all right?”
“Yes. Sure,” he stated and walked out of the kitchen. Olive gulped down a mouthful of coffee and relaxed on the counter to finish it. When she was done, she washed the mug and her hands. In order not to go about smelling like coffee, she rinsed her mouth too before walking out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. Immediately she entered, Wayne turned around and held the file up.
“How did you get this, Olive?” he asked while peering his eyes narrowly at her.
“Does it matter how I got it?” she asked with a smirk and then crossed her arms.
“Where and how did you get this, Olive?” he repeated.
“I had someone get it for me while we were away. I figured out it would be useful,” she answered and twitched her lips. He chuckled dryly and flipped through the pages again.
“This… this is dangerous, babe. Why would you go to such a length?”
“Don’t worry, I had Jeri prepare this. And I went to such lengths because I like victory. Simple!” she winked at him and he smirked.
“Why do you call Jericho Jeri?”
“It is my nickname for him,” she answered with a shrug.
“And what nickname do you have for me?”
Olive rolled her eyes at the jealousy flying in the air.
“I don’t go about calling him baby, babe, sweetie, do I? And don’t I call you Waynie? Isn’t that a nickname, you jealous Alpha?”
Wayne walked close and pulled her by the waist.
“Well, this Alpha loves it when his female nicknames him alone,” he whispered into her ear and latched on it. She giggled and wriggled out of his grip.
“Let’s get going, jealous Alpha. Or your Aunt is going to roast us alive for being late.”
“Thanks for this, Olive. I should have gotten it myself but it didn’t occur to me. I actually have all the tabs on the important people but it’s a hassle to get them in place.”
“You are welcome. Now let’s go,” she pulled his hand.
“Let me keep this down. I’ll be right back,” he said and walked into the dressing room where he kept the file in a safe drawer. They then walked out of the bedroom together and into the private elevator.
“Where exactly are we going to meet them?” she asked.
“Their quarters. It is on the second floor,” Wayne answered. They arrived there and stepped out of the elevator. Walking through the vast hallway, Olive scented Dolly and before she could say it out, Vanessa came running out from the general elevator.
“Gosh, I’m late. She’ll kill me,” she said in a panicky voice. Then she looked up and saw Olive and Wayne.
“Olive!” she squealed and they ran into each other’s arms.
“Gosh, I have missed you girl!” Vanessa yelled as they squeezed each other’s body in their arms.
“Me too. Goodness, you left without even telling me,” Olive stated with a pout as they disengaged from the hug.
“I’m sorry. I had to rush off and you were unconscious with no definite time of waking up. I’m really sorry, baby,” Vanessa apologized as she smoothed Olive’s silky, and wavy black hair.
“It’s fine. It’s fine. Why are you here?”
“For your Mating Ritual, duhh.”
“Haha, not that. I know you’re here for that. You couldn’t miss it even if you wanted to.”
“I wouldn’t mind if she missed it. She is a noise maker,” Wayne cut in. Vanessa shot him a glare but Olive laughed.
“Well, I mind if she doesn’t attend my long awaited Mating Ritual. I would kill her if she doesn’t,” Olive stated and she and Vanessa laughed while Wayne just scoffed.
“Shall we just go in? We’re keeping those people waiting,” Wayne reminded the girls.
“Oh, this is your first time meeting Aunt Debbie? Damn you need to make a good impression,” Vanessa said.
“Don’t worry, I got this,” Olive replied with a smile. The three of them then walked into the quarters and met Dolly in the living room.
“Dolly,” Vanessa whispered as she looked around her for any signs of her aunt.
“Hey, come and sit down quickly,” Dolly whispered and gestured to them briskly with her palm that they should hurry up. Vanessa held Olive’s hands and they hurried to sit down on the two-seater sofa. Wayne however continued to walk like the boss he was. Few minutes later and they could hear the footsteps of people coming from the back. Aunt Debbie and her husband entered their living room and the three ladies stood on their feet immediately.
“Good afternoon, Aunt Debbie,” it was Dolly who greeted. Aunt Debbie came into view and Olive saw her. She was a plump, short woman with glasses on and minimal wrinkled skin. Her black and grey hair was short and in a neat bun. She wore thick red lipstick and Olive could see a bit of blush on her cheeks. She looked clean and elegant, walking like a boarding school headmistress. Her husband was about her age, wearing a suit and also wearing glasses.
“Hmmm, Vanessa,” Aunt Debbie called. Vanessa almost rolled her eyes. Of course, she would be the one her aunt would notice first.
“You smell like sweat. Did you run all the way here because you were already late to greet me? As usual?” the woman asked scrutinizingly.
“No, Aunt. My air conditioner stopped working so my room was hot,” she answered.
“What a temperate lie,” came the reply. Olive and Dolly tried hard to bury their laughter. Aunt Debbie’s large, round eyes moved from Vanessa to Olive and she felt like throwing up. The old woman’s eyes were poking, like a wicked headmistress.
Before she could say anything, Wayne walked to Olive and held her by the waist then walked her forward to Aunt Debbie’s front.
“Auntie, this is my fated mate and the love of my life. Her name is Olive Roger. Olive, meet my aunt,” he introduced. Olive smiled sweetly at her.
“Good afternoon, ma’am. It’s an honor to finally meet Wayne’s only guardian. I have heard about how your wise counsel and guidance has helped to keep the castle and even the pack a better, safer and much more disciplined environment. And I am so glad I’ll also be under your wise care as I join the Knight family,” Olive stated. Wayne bit the insides of his cheeks. Who the hell told Olive that Aunt Debbie was even his guardian? What was that?
The silence in the room after Olive’s statement was deafening. Aunt Debbie was looking at Olive straight in the eye as if digging into her brain. Dolly and Vanessa were very nervous that Aunt Debbie would say something nasty about Olive with the way she was scrutinizing her. Olive herself thought she might have said something unpleasant even though she tried to be formal and respectful to the most of her ability.
After more than seven minutes of just staring, Aunt Debbie smiled.
“Come here, pretty lady. I like you. You have class unlike some people in the room,” she deliberately glanced at Vanessa before removing her eyes. Olive walked and hugged her. She looked up at the heavens and sighed.
“Thank you, Lord,” she mouthed.