Olivia
I woke up the next day and the birds were singing beautifully. I didn’t even seem to remember the unpleasantness of the day before.
The air was cool, and the bed felt very comfy. Although I had felt uncomfortable here the day before, the journey had also taken a toll on me.
I turned to my side and frowned. Andre wasn’t here.
Where did he go this time?
Without wasting any second, I jumped out of bed and checked the balcony and bathroom. After confirming that he wasn’t there, I pulled on a loose pants and top and headed out of the room.
The plan was to check in with Pierre, but the corridor was filled with Andre’s scent, so I simply followed it.
Like a pack at home, Jonas’s pack was huge, but unlike Andre, who had his mansion to himself, they had what was more like a palace for their family and maybe some extended family. It was impossible for me to know how it worked, but I could tell that they had many people here who weren’t just servants.
Also, the palace was huge, spanning across several plots of land. As I walked down a spiral staircase that Andre seemed to have passed, I couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing here this early.
“Probably on a run,” Nima chipped in, and I shrugged.
We weren’t at best friends levels yet, but I sure was getting used to her sounding in my head.
“Not everyone prefers to stay in their human form every damn time, yunno?” Nima continued just at the same time that a large wolf dashed across from us.
“And I sure as hell don’t think that their wolf talks to them like they don’t want to be there.”
I liked the idea of having Nima. No, I had always wanted a wolf, but Nima’s personality was vastly different from mine, and while I knew that I could be stronger and more decisive, I hated that she didn’t cut me any slack.
Papa didn’t exactly raise me like he was preparing me for some battle of any sort. On the other hand, although we didn’t have much, he had always gone out of his way to make me a lot more comfortable.
Sweet floral scent wafted into my nostrils and I turned sideways to see one of the most beautiful floral collection that I had ever laid my eyes on.
The garden was perfect-like something from another world. I stared at it for more than a minute, just taking in its beauty.
However, because of the strong floral scent, every other scent around had been wiped off, and I couldn’t smell Andre anymore.
Instead of searching, I decided to just stay in the garden. If he had passed through here, he would surely come back through here right?
Besides, I get to look at all of these flowers.
I made a mental note to put more effort into the garden at home when we got back. It wasn’t exactly Andre’s thing, and the garden was designed to Nicole’s taste.
Now that she was gone I could as well make it something I loved, something like this.
As I walked to the center of the garden, I saw a shelf holding watering cans of various sizes and shears of various sizes.
I picked up a small shear and a mini watering can, filled them with water, and walked to the lavenders.
Very quickly, I got pulled into cutting some weeds out and watering them gently.
“Didn’t take you for the gardening type.”
I was startled slightly, but my subconscious recognized Jonas’s voice, so I wasn’t too shocked when he started talking from nowhere.
I bent down to grab the shear I had dropped and gave him a small smile.
“With a beautiful garden like this, it would be hard not to feel the pull to nature.”
Jonas chuckled slightly, his gaze lingering on me a little longer than comfortable.
“I’m glad that you’re here, Olivia.”
“Somehow, from that night I met you and saved you, I have always wanted you to come to my home to meet my family.”
“That’s really sweet of you, Jonas.”
“Although you hid your identity, I know you had to do that for safety reasons, and I’m glad to be here, too.” There was no need to tell him that apart from when I had entered this garden, a part of me was constantly uncomfortable here.
I didn’t want to be here.
Jonas smiled and then leaned forward. Without thinking, I leaned backwards, putting some distance between us, but my back was met with the soft flowers behind me.
Jonas’s hand grabbed me while his other hand went to my hair.
“Sorry, Oli, I just wanted to grab this stray flower.”
There’s silent relief in my body, and as he lets go of me, I glance back to confirm that I hadn’t ruined the flowers that I had spent all morning on.
Remembering why I was outside, my lips pursed as I turned back to him.
“Do you, by any chance, have an idea of where Andre might be?”
“Andre?”
“I think I saw him having a run with my sister some minutes ago, it’s right up ahead,” Jonas said and then turned around.
I hurriedly placed the can and shears back and then hurdled after him.
Somehow, I hoped that if Andre was having a run, it was with Jonas’s younger sister and not Lillian.
I didn’t want her around my man.
Following Jonas, we took several turns and then came to a forest area with a large clearing in the centre.
I spot Andre’s wolf running and I feel the instant reaction from Nima to him. However, seeing the brown wolf running alongside him, I felt uncomfortable.
“Which of your sisters is that?” I asked while turning to Jonas.
“That’s Lilian. She likes to run every morning. Most of my men steer clear by this time because she runs around naked in her human form before she lets her wolf out.”
His words don’t make matters easier, and my brows pull together.
“Since I know where he is, I’ll be going back.”
Without waiting for Jonas’s reply, I walked away, heading back to the room.