Where did you get that again?” he asked.
“Your wardrobe. I think it might have fallen from one of your clothes. Wayne, you’re not keeping this chain safe at all. What if your associate who gave it to you wants it back and you already misplaced it then? I feel like this chain is really important,” she nagged and Wayne exhaled. He walked up to her and held the chain gently while it was still hanging on her index finger.
“I’m sorry. There are just so many things going on with me right now that I haven’t had time to look into this matter for him. How about the chain stays with you until we get settled enough to take care of his request?”
“What… what?” Olive stuttered then slowly looked down at the necklace. She was feeling a great pull from it and she thought it weird. She had never seen it before except on that night. But why did she feel like she once had something like this?
“I… Are you sure I should be the one to keep it? Your friend won’t be angry?”
“I doubt he would be angry. He’s expecting a baby and would not even be coming for our Mating Ritual. So, I guess he also won’t be settled until his wife gives birth.”
“Oh, wow. All right. How about I keep this in the Circular Cabinet where I took this necklace from?” she pointed at her neck. Wayne shrugged.
“Your choice, baby,” he said and smiled at her. Olive smiled back and looked at the chain. She gulped then closed her palm on it.
“Orange juice, huh,” she stated as she looked at the glasses. Wayne walked ahead and picked them up from the glass table by the sofas. He had removed his suit and tie, leaving him in his bare-chested dress shirt. He handed one glass to Olive and held the second one.
“To a life together forever,” he toasted and lifted the glass.
Olive chuckled. Wayne could sure be funny sometimes. The way he made that toast as if he was toasting with a glass of expensive wine. Nevertheless, she lifted her glass too. It was fun to have this side of Wayne.
“Together forever,” she stated and they clicked their glasses and gulped down juice. Wayne sat down and pulled Olive to gently sit beside him. They stayed that way for about five minutes, not talking but just enjoying the silence and chugging down orange juice. Olive looked sideways at him then suddenly remembered something important.
“It has been awhile we both have seen Mufasa,” she stated.
“Yeah. Though I saw him today already. I had to go down and check on his progress with that ice I created,” Wayne replied.
“Really? How is he doing? Any progress or results?”
Wayne shook his head.
“None. He only managed to keep it still. Not to freeze more. But to thaw it? No progress at all. He says that the same element that froze it is the only one that can thaw it. And as you can see, I don’t control fire,” he shrugged and Olive chuckled.
“It would be disastrous if you, the Big Bad Alpha could also control fire,” she commented and he smirked evilly.
“Yeah it would,” he simply replied.
Olive bit her lips as she wanted to tell him what she remembered.
“I just remembered something important, Waynie. Do you know we have to go to Seattle after our Mating Ritual?”
“The Walter guy from the vision. Yeah, I know,” he answered.
“Any plans for that? When would we be going?”
“I really do not want you to accompany me.”
“Don’t even bring that shit up. I’m going and you can’t change my mind. Now, when are we going?”
Wayne sighed in defeat.
“At least, two weeks after,” he answered.
“Okay. Good,” Olive stated and gulped down juice. Wayne chuckled and looked at her.
“What is funny?” she asked with a frown.
“You’re sure you’re not an Alpha female?” he teased. She pinned her lips together and looked away from him making him laugh the more.
\*\*
Cynthia exhaled as she stood watching the faraway border of Balendin Pack with binoculars. She was wearing the hood The Baron gave to her and was standing on a high tower at the outskirts of the closest pack to Balendin Pack.
The latter pack had distanced itself from others by making the environs look like a countryside or valley. Only a long, interstate road led from it into the other pack. The sides were covered with short grasses and lone trees with no place to hide. If one was to come towards the pack, the soldiers at the border would sight that person first and be ready to welcome or arrest him or her. But with the cloak Cynthia was wearing, it would not be so. She could easily walk through the gates without being noticed at all. The only problem was Jonas who was asked to accompany her in her quest.
“Have you made a decision?” he asked from behind her.
“Yes,” she answered and brought down the binoculars from her face. She exhaled and turned to look at him. She removed her hood and stared at him.
“I would go first and survey the pack and its activities. It is dangerous to go with you as you were not handed a cloak. But, if I make a surveillance and find out it is not as easy as we thought, then I would beg for you to be handed a cloak too,” she explained.
“There is still another problem, though,” Jonas argued.
“What is it?” Cynthia asked with a frown.
“The Baron wanted you to go on his quest alone with no help except he orders you to make use of his men. And you would even have to earn that. How would you tell him that someone from the cult accompanied you?”
Cynthia gulped down. She had not thought of that.
“I guess we have to take the risk of going into the pack together then. But, we have to use another means,” she answered.
“People are going in for the mating festival which is starting in two days,” Jonas said.
“Exactly. We have to find someone and tag along. Or better still, be that person instead,” Cynthia drawled with an evil smirk.