"Sweetheart, I think we got off on the wrong foot here." Mr. McNulty spoke with a clear dominating voice as his eyes, roamed and undressed the brunette sitting across from him. Leaning forward to adjust his position on the black leather office chair, stationed behind the prominent and polished oak wood desk, he unbuttoned his navy blue Tom Ford, suit jacket. "Here at Mac & Nult Industries, we have a reputation for looking out for our own and if I may say so myself, we're very good at it." A smug smile graced his lips, showing off teeth that; clearly get whitened on a regular basis. "Now, we wouldn't want you and your, rather" Mr. McNulty paused for a fraction, searching the air for the right word "quaint; business to get the wrong idea of what we are capable of. The last thing any of us would want is for anything tragic to happen to you. Say, you suddenly going missing – disappearing without a trace – or you find yourself beaten bloody and discarded – only – because you chose to be on the wrong side of things." He threatened, making the smug smile etched into his features turn into one of victory. "And it would bring me a great deal of sadness, to see such a stunning woman like yourself plucked from the world before we've gotten to know each other. More…" his emerald eyes turning dark "intimately. Comply with my terms and you'll also reap all the benefits I have to offer," he continued with a condescending smile and suggestive eyes.
Olive smiled back at him, despite her fast growing disgust for the man before her. Her pearly white teeth glowed in the darkness of the room. The blinds on the windows had been shut and the only thing illuminating the big rustic office was the chandelier dangling over the glass coffee table behind the pair. Olive licked her blood red, stained lips and leaned back in her seat.
"You should understand one thing Mr. McNulty" Olive kept her hazel brown eyes trained on the navy suit clad man in front of her. Her gaze never wavering, she was like a predator on the hunt, locked in and focused. "Myself and my - what did you call it?" thinking back to one of the insults he flung her way "Oh yes." She chuckled sardonically; no traces of amusement on her face "quaint business, are also effective at getting what we want."
"Well, sweetheart-" Mr. McNulty went to speak but was silenced by Olive's hand.
"Let me explain to you how this is going to happen. You will give me five million for the diamonds." Leaning forward, Olive narrowed her eyes and kept Mr. McNulty's gaze "Then you are going to go home" on the big, brown wooden desk separating the two, sat two photo frames, one being a photo of Clary – Mr. McNulty's wife – the other a photo of the seemingly, happily married couple together. Olive picked up the frame that contained the photo of a blonde, blue eyed whose beauty had aged, and stared at how Clary's blonde extensions came cascading down her body in thick unnatural curls "and kiss your wife. Then you'll probably bend her over the desk, in your home office" Olive looked up and locked on a pair of angry, prickly green orbs "because, lets face it, it's the only time you really feel like a man. Then you are going to come back to work feeling very accomplished." With a failed attempt at suppressing another eye roll, Olive continued. "Maybe you'll use the diamonds to buy - what is your wife's name again?" she asked more-so to herself, accenting her dramatization of the moment with the snapping of her long slender fingers "ah yes, Clary."
"How did you know he-" he started but was silenced for the second time.
"Ah ah ah. I haven't finished" Olive reprimanded "you'll probably buy Clary a new car or one of those expensive designer handbags; we both know she has an unhealthy obsession with. So she can show off to her rich, pretentious, bored housewife friends. Who, in turn would – without a doubt – tell their husbands" Olive smirked, knowing that she had Mr. McNulty where she wanted him "who, would not only be jealous of the money and power that you've worked hard" cue another eye roll "to accumulate but also at the rate at which it is growing. Which will then lead to the hard on you get, when your fragile ego is stroked and fuck your way through every intern under 22 in this building." Olive scoffed, "You're quite fucked up, you are aware of that right?" she taunted, the question rhetorical. "You can have all of that" again, she rolled her eyes "or-"
"You said three million for the diamonds. That was the deal. I will not give a cent more than that." Mr. McNulty spoke, fury seeping through his tone "and quite frankly, I am insulted that you think you can come into my office and talk to me and about my wife like that. You clearly don't know who I am and what I am capable of, but you are in luck. I am in a good mood today; I understand how frustrated women get, when they get about as much attention as a rock at the bottom of the ocean. I'll chuck your disrespect to your lack of a sex life." He paused smugly before adding, "so this is how this is going to happen." He repeated Olive's words back to her. "You will leave the diamonds at the drop site and once I have them in my possession a wire transfer of two million will be in your account." Looking very accomplished with himself, Mr. McNulty kept speaking. "The price change is a result of your absurd confidence. Then once businesses has been conducted, I will find you and I will teach you ways of feeling pain you never thought possible. Are we clear?" Olive let out a little chuckle at his sorry attempt to scare her.
"Quite the speech there Michael." Olive sat back in her seat "really. If that was not one of the most horrific displays of heightened testosterone then I don't know what is. But you see the thing is, I'm nothing like the people you do business with. I'm not like the Algerian's or the Columbian's." Michael's eyebrows furrowed, astounded at Olive's knowledge of his black market deals with the aforementioned arms and drug dealers. Keeping his eyes locked on hers, Michael watched as she stood. Her body wrapped in a wine red, curve-accentuating dress, paired with a black trench coat and black, red bottom stiletto heels. Olive placed the picture frame back on the table this time closer to him "I'm way worse."
"The price has been raised to six million. Three million for the diamonds and another three million for being a pompous asshole." Running a perfectly manicured finger over the frame, Olive tapped it bringing the attention to the blonde in the frame "you have until 6pm tomorrow night." Olive turned to leave, feeling insulted at having spent more time in Michael's office than she intended. But before she could walk away, he grabbed her hand holding it in a vice grip.
"Now you listen here bitch!" Michael sneered, tightening his clasp around her wrist. "You will not-"
Tugging Michael's arm and using the momentum of his falling body, Olive shifted her stance in a very slick and animalistic way. She pulled Michael onto the sturdy desk and twisted his arm behind his back, applying pressure with the aid of her body. Michael yelled out in pain, letting a stream of unsavory curses and insults hurdling her way.
"Listen carefully dick for brains" Olive gritted out through clenched teeth, her lips dangerously close to Michael's ear "let us not waste any time. Give me what I want and I'll forgo the burning desire to castrate you where you stand." Her words laced with venom "do as you're told and there will be no consequences. Don't? And you will watch everyone that you love die. Mhm?" Not bothering to wait for a response "Good talk" Olive added with a smile, patting the top of Michael's head like he was a dog. And with that she let his arm go and strutted out of the office, the sound of her heels echoing the finality of her words.
"Martha!" Olive called out as she entered a modern penthouse suite, situated in a tall high-rise building, smack in the middle of the city "Martha I'm home!" Removing her heels, Olive walked further into the place she'd been calling home for the past eighteen months. It was a beautiful modern space, fitted with floor to ceiling windows that had a perfect view of the city. The dark grey laminate floors complimented the light grey walls and the white color of the high ceiling. In the center of the spacious open plan suite sat a large black 'L' shaped sofa adorned with yellow and white pillows that matched the two charcoal pillows on the off-white single couch to the right. Snuggled under the large sofa was a light grey fluffy carpet, with a glass coffee table in the center, adjacent to the immaculate 55-inch curve flat screen TV. Olive picked and placed her heels on the floor near the couch and removed her trench coat, draping it over the couch. Taking a seat, she sighed and stretched her legs out, claiming the entire space.
"Martha!" Olive called out once more, waiting to hear a response. When one didn't come she shrugged turning on the TV.
A few minutes into watching one of her favorite TV shows, the elevator door made a dinging noise, signaling someone was entering the home. Olive craned her head back to see who it was – she hoped it was Martha coming home with bags filled with baked goods. Just as the doors opened, the hairs on her body stood straight. Her heartbeat increased by a beat, forcing her eyes to glow a bright golden color. He was close. Forcing her breathing to slow and her heart beat to return to it natural rhythm, Olive turned her head back to the screen, feeling betrayed by her body at its reaction.
"I swear, I'm going to wring that girls neck" Anthony, Olive's older brother, spoke his voice echoing from the elevator. The vibrato and base that had been embedded in his tone proved his anger more than evident as he entered the room.
"Tony, relax." His voice spoke; bringing overwhelming tingles to Olive's sensitive skin "ask questions first, then violence later." His low octave, velvet voice continued bringing sense into the conversation.
Anthony spotted Olive on the couch and his features morphed into one of immense rage. Suppressing a growl, Anthony stormed over to where his younger sister was seated, eyes planted on the TV. Stomping the short distance of the room he lugged himself firmly on the coffee table, in front of her, blocking her view of the screen.
"You're not transparent, I can't see through you."
"Watching TV is the least of your worries, Liv." Anthony responded, annoyance clear in the cadence of his tone and his ticking jaw.
"What are you talking about?" Olive questioned, looking already bored at where the conversation was heading. But bored, she was anything but. She could feel his gaze dancing on her sensitive skin, igniting a fire that she had spent years putting out. Anthony huffed; he had no relaxed bone in his body. The guy barely laughed, let alone cracked a smile. Everything about his demeanor screamed control freak. His hair was always perfectly trimmed, never growing past the collar of his shirt. If anyone was lucky enough to catch him with any stubble, it never grew past a five o'clock shadow.
"What did you say to Michael McNulty?" Anthony tried to ask calmly but was failing miserably "He wants to back out of the deal!"
"What did he say?"
"Well for starters, he said you got there and disrespected him, in his office nonetheless." Anthony spat out. As his anger increased so did his temperature, showing a prominent vein running down his forehead, and sending waves of heat emanating from his body. "We can't afford to have any heat on us, there's too much at stake."
"Ugh, he's such a baby" Olive voiced, while rolling her eyes "and I didn't disrespect him as soon as I got there" she peered up at her brother with mischief dancing in her eyes "I waited until; just before I left."
"Olive." He spoke, using a commanding tone as if to warn Olive to dial back the comedy, especially with Anthony's rage steadily climbing.
With clenched fists Anthony tried to ignore Olive's comment, "oh, and that's not all, apparently you threatened his wife!" Anthony came to a standing position and towered over his bored looking sister. "And you know what was the best part?" He asked rhetorically even though Olive shrugged "he said you raised the price to six million?" The look of complete and utter disbelief etched onto the planes of Anthony's face. No one, other than Martha – and that was sometimes (at best) – could ever fully understand Olive and the reasons behind her actions. So how did Anthony think he could just send her on a mission and have his instructions followed down to the tee? He had definitely put himself in an uncomfortable position including his sister in this plan but time was of the essence and his options weren't that great. He had to work with what he had. Even if it meant going to bed with an Olive induced migraine.
"Anthony if you don't relax, you'll pop a vessel." Was Olive's response.
"Fucking hell Olive! We sent you there to sweeten the deal, not to destroy it." Anthony paced the living room space as a show of the frustrating chore of controlling himself, the monsoon of rage edging closely behind.
"He's a misogynistic, egotistical maniac who screws anything that walks, pays no regard to the rules of chivalry. He looks at women like we've been put on this planet to tend to his every desire! He only cares about money, even if that means killing innocent people or animals! He has a lion head in his office for fuck sakes. He's the worst of them all. He's a human pig! A dirty fucking human pig!" Olive ranted, not appreciating her older brothers tone.
"He's a pig with the money!" Anthony roared back, the sound forcing the walls to shake in protest. Well there goes control…
Olive stood from the couch not wanting to be a part of the conversation anymore. And mostly trying to get away from the object of her rising temperature, who had mostly remained quiet the entire time. But even with his lack of vocal presence, his entire aura was loud enough and undeniably present. "Maybe you should ask Martha to 'sweeten' your deals" Anthony sent an aggressive growl – in warning – at the mention of his Mate "or maybe a different pig." She suggested, trying to make her way to the kitchen to leave her brother and his self-righteous audacity behind. Anthony roughly pulled his sister by the arm, his body shaking with unshed rage. Another growl grew from the pit of his chest and ripped out of his mouth. Immediately his canines shot out and his eyes glowed an icy blue. His anger was getting harder to control and Olive wasn't making it easier with her nonchalant attitude.
"Fix this. Now." He seethed, not releasing his grasp from Olive's arm.
"Let her go." His deep, rich voice finally spoke from the corner. Olive's body lit up like a Christmas tree – much to her dismay – her back straightened at the sound of the bass emanating from his chest, causing her hands to sweat and muscles to relax.
"Elijah, she's ruining everything." Anthony tried to get his best friend to see what was going on. Well, from his perspective any way. Tony had spent months planning this entire operation, calculating every single outcome. Figuring out all the ways things could go wrong. But there was no amount of calculations and planning in the world that could predict the storm known as Olive.
"Tony, let her go." Elijah repeated and pushed off the beam he was leaning against and made his tall 6'5 frame over to where the Joubert siblings stood. Anthony reluctantly removed his grip from his sister and took a step back, giving her room to breathe.
"What happened?" Elijah calmly asked, hoping to defuse the thick tension in the room. Shifting his weight, he stood closer to Olive, and his body visibly relaxed as his heartbeat jumped at their proximity. Turning he finally looked at Olive and his world stopped for a fraction of a second; it was more than enough time for him to really bask in her effortless beauty. The untamable wildness in her hazel eyes, the confident smirk that seemed to always grace her full, red, plump lips. The way her muscles had gone from: stiff as a surfboard to as loose as wet spaghetti. He loved knowing he still had that affect on her, even though she fought hard to hide it.
With a small step back, to create some much needed space "I'm not doing this with you guys right now" Olive replied, trying to squeeze past Elijah's muscular frame and avoid any physical contact whatsoever. Much to her dismay he stopped her with a light tug on her wrist, sending bolts of electricity shocking her entire system. It felt like she had just come up for air after long, undisturbed breathless minutes of being submerged under water. Olive's skin felt fresh like all the dead skin had fled and left behind an intoxicatingly smooth surface that seemed to soften every time it was touched. Elijah searched her eyes for some sort of understanding but instead found a deeper pain that he was all too familiar with. Looking away, Olive wiped a traitorous tear that decided to make an unwarranted appearance. "Fine." she sighed in compliance not before forcefully removing her wrist from Elijah's electrifyingly warm, herculean, tattooed hand. "I went over there to close the deal like you guys asked. I obviously did my research on the guy first." Olive rolled her eyes, a habit that was slowly getting out of hand "he's a complete prick, he's the reason why misogyny exists amongst humans. He poses a threat to our entire civilization. He's the poster boy for 'Men are trash' I don't ev-" Olive was cut off by Elijah's stern expression, he narrowed his eyes a bit, whilst holding up a single digit finger as if to say, "stop." Olive kept quiet despite wanting to rip his finger clean off of his hand. Once given the permission to continue, Olive spoke again, this time cloaking her tone in boredom "We went back and forth about how the sale was going to go down. I told him we need the money first before he gets his diamonds, he didn't agree. Then he threatened me with the whole 'I'm a powerful guy, don't mess with me' spiel. I got a tad bit angry, as one naturally would, when their life is being threatened by a self centered, womanizing fuck-"
"Olive" Elijah spoke again, amusement danced in his eyes. His delectable voice silenced her but made her body sing in a chaotic symphony.
"Mm. Like I said, I got a tad bit upset and threatened him back and raised the price to six million."
"One day, you and your brother's ridiculously irrational bad temper will get you in trouble. Or even worse, outted." Elijah threw the comment over his shoulder as he took a seat on the couch. There was nothing much he could do; he knew Olive wasn't one to take shit from any man, let alone a human.
"Ok." Olive retorted, unimpressed at his comment "so…can I go or?" She needed to put distance between her and Elijah. Her head was being invaded by thoughts of him, even though she tried to push them out.
"You need to fix this." Anthony was still seething.
"And you, need to shut up" Olive spat back.
"You both need to grow up." Elijah added.
"Whatever" both siblings responded in unison. Olive rolled her eyes at her brother and walked to the lush white, black and grey kitchen.
"She's going to mess things up for us," Anthony voiced as he took a seat on the couch next to his best friend.
"She's certainly got her way of doing things, but she knows what's at stake here." Elijah tried to reason, after all this was his mate. If she was supposed to be his other half then he trusted that she knew what she was doing. Obviously, prioritizing finesse over task completion.
"If we don't get this money tomorrow, the schedule will be pushed back and I can't take another day knowing that they're in that place." Everything was hinging on the money.
"I know. I know, but trust that Olive also knows that an-" Elijah was cut off before he could get his sentence out.
"I do, I'm not stupid." She proclaimed bitterly, standing behind Elijah and Anthony with a bowl of popcorn in her hands. "Mom, Dad, Victor and Sofia don't deserve to be in there but they are. And the only way-"
"The only way we can help them is if we get the money." Anthony interrupted.
"And we will" Olive growled back, exposing her sharp talons.
"Yes, you will." Anthony corrected, "you created this mess, you are going to clean it." His tone laced with finality. Whenever Anthony used that tone there was absolutely no room for arguments. He would be a great Alpha, a pain in the ass of an Alpha but a great Alpha nonetheless. "I need a fucking drink," and with that said, he pushed off the couch and wondered off further into their home.
With Anthony out of the room, Olive moved to the other end of the couch, as far away as she could from Elijah. Even with the ample space between them, she could still feel the heat, his tall muscular body was radiating, in waves. Being in the same suite as him was hard enough imagine being in the same room as him. Considering their history.
Let me give you the rundown.
Anthony and Olive Joubert were the kids of the Moon-omen Pack's Alpha. The pack was small in comparison to others but extremely effective, who's territory covered; Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. Theo Joubert, the Alpha and Victor Hunt, his Beta were two best friends who led the Moon-omen Pack. To the SCTW (the Supernatural Council of The World) the pack was known for their fraternization with humans. This entailed, interspecies marriages, the trading of guns, drugs, classified information and rare and hard to obtain objects. Before becoming the leaders of the pack, the pair first started out as soldiers sent by their Alpha – at the behest of the SCTW – to infiltrate the human government, due to unexplained disappearances in the Lycanthrope community of Canada. The two friends effectively immersed themselves in the human world, climbing higher in the military rankings due to their high IQ and astute covert ability. Four years into their service, they realized that the humans were hunting Sirens, not Lycans and that the probability of the disappearances being due to: Lycans living way off the grid to avoid detection was high. Seeing as though the government's interest was not of their own species, they didn't feel the need to worry. They told the council what was going on and minded their business serving an additional four years in the US Special Forces. Fighting in the war against terrorism brought them a sense of discipline; they protected their pack and in doing so, the humans. After years of service, people within the higher rankings of the government started suspecting more supernaturals. Whatever research they were conducting, using the Siren's, the government learned that there were different types of Supernatural Beings. All of which have different abilities and different enhancements. The thoughts of pushing science and medicine to the brink of a revolution was their aim but luckily the government had a lack of evidence and Theo and Victor's innate ability to cover up their tracts and tie up loose ends, awarded them a way out of the Military. They went back to the pack and introduced new defense strategies and better ways of keeping the pack safe and undetected. Slowly, The Moon-omens pack grew in strength while still keeping their vast knowledge and skill set a secret from prying eyes. A few years into their promotion of heading the packs tactical force both Victor and Theo found their mates. They both decided (along with their mates) to wait before starting a family, at least after they challenged the Alpha and Beta of the pack: Hayden Macoy and Lucien Holmes due to their inability to lead and provide for the pack. Victor Hunt married his mate Sofia a year after becoming Beta had their first child Elijah Luke Hunt. Two months later Theo and his mate, Haylee had Anthony. And as the years past both couples expanded their families, gaining four more children amongst the four of them, Olive, Alistair, Martha and Lincoln.
All six children grew up very closely with one another, having weekly dinners at each other's houses, celebrating birthday parties, going to sleep overs, basketball games, parents anniversaries and pack meetings. Experiencing everything that would define childhood best friends. They went through the worst of days together like their first shift into their wolves and the best, for some, finding their mates. They all traveled together, trained and learned together. They were a family. A pack. And as the years past and the children grew so did their bond.
By the time Elijah was a senior in high school, Olive was only a sophomore and the pair stuck to each other like glue, practically inseparable. After Elijah's first full shift he had all these unexplained feelings towards Olive. Feelings that a mate would naturally have for his other half, but Olive hadn't gone through her first shift, which made Elijah question if he really was her mate or if it was just an intense crush. However, all the signs pointed to the fact that it was more than an intense crush. He hated when other guys spoke to her or even looked at her. Not knowing how to control or deal with his rapidly and ever changing feelings, Elijah became a fuck boy. But changed his ways once Olive finally shifted and saw how special she was; being the only one in her pack and one of ten in the entire world's supernatural community who were born on the night of a blood moon and also having her first shift on a blood moon. The moon goddess kissed her soul and blessed her with gifts beyond her comprehension. With her wolfs fur being completely white – like the moon – with black paws. She was destined for greatness.
When lycanthropes are born, their human side is the first to develop; this is so that their bodies can support the shift into their wolf. Though, that being said, their wolf side is also present during the first years of development. Imagine having two consciousness' in one brain, like having two minds in one body. When a Lycan reaches its last stage of puberty, they go through what is called the first shift. This is when their wolves breathe its first breath in its own body, placing it behind the drivers seat. Usually, during the first years of puberty Lycans can access base level powers in their human form. Like; heightened senses, increased agility, strength and stamina. They can even go as far as changing their eye color and extending their talons. But, much like all humans, in order for your body to be strong and at its best, they still need to work it out. Which is why Lycans go through strict and rigorous training regimens.
Supernatural's born on the night of a blood moon have been said to have come straight from the womb of the Moon Goddess and have a direct access to her power. Olive was not only born on a blood moon but her first shift came a few months before she turned seventeen, on the night of a blood moon. Her soul was blessed with gifts and capabilities that only existed in the ancient world, when the Moon Goddess herself roamed the earth. She was more than special.
Elijah would pick her up and take her to school in the mornings and drop her off at home after his sporting practices. She would always watch every single one of his football and basketball games and cheer him on; not missing a single beat or lose enthusiasm. Olive had been the kindest, loving and supportive person in Elijah's corner. Their friendship was rock solid and even if they hadn't become mates, she still would've been his best friend. Pretty soon they started to date, both families supportive of the pairs decision and quite proud. With the title of his mate, in Olive fashion, she made sure to make him feel like the luckiest guy in the world. Showering him with thoughtful gifts and never allowing a shadow of doubt to creep into his mind forcing him to question how amazing he was and how great he could be. However, Elijah was still a boy back then, one who was captivated by the idea of being Mr. Popular, being one of the hottest guys in the entire school and one day being the packs Beta. He was high on the power of it all. And even with the spotlight on him, he never cheated. But that was high school, things changed when he graduated and moved away for college. Having inherited his father's high IQ and his mother's adventurous need to travel, he applied for MIT and got in. Both he and Olive decided to try the long distance thing. Her reasons for opting in was because she didn't want him thinking she didn't support his dream of seeing the world, even though it physically hurt her for him to be so far away. But just as kids do when they're young and irrationally in love, they didn't think things through, and it didn't help that they never finished the mating ritual.
The mating ritual consisted of a ceremony where the two mates submit both halves of their souls and treasure it in a moonstone to say thank you to the Moon Goddess for bringing them together. Then once the thanksgiving ritual is done the pair bare half a mating mark on their collarbone. Once they consecrate the bond they get the second half of the mating mark. It had been warned that mates wait until the mating ritual to have sex but Olive and Elijah didn't wait, like I said, they were foolishly in love. Now, they were dealing with the consequences of a botched mating ritual and only half a mating mark.
Pretty soon, talking everyday became a twice a week thing, which turned into a brief conversation that only happened three to four times a month. And although that was the case, Olive was determined to make it work. After all, Elijah was the sexiest man - in her opinion - to have ever graced the face of the earth. His body built solely out of muscle, his height taking - at the time - a staggering 6 foot 2 inches and growing. His back…good God almighty, his back was something to brag about. You could chop wood on it and it would crack the axe. His intense eyes, could strip you bare and I mean bear to the bone, never mind your birthday suit. The three tattoos that would soon grow in size and number littered his body effortlessly. He was drool worthy. In an attempt to salvage her relationship, Olive took her junior year Christmas break and traveled hours to spend it with Elijah. Though that never happened, the salvaging – that is – due to the fact that in her attempt to surprise him with a visit, she got a surprise of her own and a shock of her life when she found he was cheating on her.
Dum dum dum!
She knocked on his door dressed in the cutest outfit she could think of – at the time – which consisted of a long sleeved, loose maroon knitted, turtleneck dress that reached mid thigh and a pair of black leggings tucked into black boots. "Babe the pizza is here" she heard a girl say from the other side of the door. Immediately her body tense, as she smelled the air, the girl's cheap fruity perfume assaulted her poor senses. Once the door opened, there stood a tall long legged blonde human with typically insane blue eyes, in an autographed Beatles shirt that Olive had bought Elijah as a going away present. "Never mind, it's not the pizza!" She called into the apartment as she gave Olive a genuine smile. "Hey, sorry about that, I thought you were the pizza" the blonde apologized. Olive didn't know what to say, she was completely stumped, she wanted to shift right there and tear this girl limb from limb. "Darling are you lost?" The blonde asked in a sickeningly sweet British accent. Olive's heartbeat stopped for a moment, as she smelled Elijah's familiar scent all over the blonde human in front of her. Regaining the smallest slither of dignity she had left, Olive responded "is Elijah here?"
"Are you Martha? Elijah's sister?" The blonde asked, her eyes growing as big as golf balls. "Elijah's told me so much about you!!" She squealed, a sound that Olive had hated as soon as she heard it "he said you were going to visit for spring break, I guess you wanted to surprise him." Her words tore Olive's heart in two, for three very specific reasons. The first being that, Martha and Olive had made the agreement that she was going to see Elijah during the Christmas break so they could get their one on one bonding time and then during spring break they'd go together and make it a girls trip, starting in Ibiza. Now her best friend was not here when she desperately needed her. Secondly, this girl had to have been someone important to him if he told her about his family, which was something he never did. And the third and most dreadful reason was Olive was quite certain that Elijah was cheating and had been for a very long time now. "Come on in!" The blonde ushered clapping her hands in excitement "Elijah's going to die!"
And that was the absolute truth.
Elijah's off campus apartment was a typical 'guys' place to live. The living area had a large TV sitting on a stand that was jam packed with PlayStation games and DVD's. The coffee table counter was decorated with ashtrays, half smoked joints, bongs and pipes. The black leather couch sat proudly across the screen and a few beanbag chairs littered the space around the coffee table. "Stand here, I'll go get him." The blonde spoke again, each time her mouth opened, Olive internally rolled her eyes and suppressed a growl.
"Babe!" The blonde called out walking towards one of the rooms behind the modern kitchen "Yes love?" Elijah responded, his voice stabbing Olive's ears "You won't believe who's here" the blonde squealed again.
"Who?"
"You're sister!" The blonde giggled, unable to contain her excitement, forcing Olive to cover her ears as the sound was so high pitched it grated her insides.
"Not possible, I just got off of the phone with her." He spoke, emerging out of the room. Elijah stopped dead in his tracks, as he smelt the all too familiar scent of his mate "Olive?"
"So this is why we haven't spoken?" She whispered, holding back tears. Damn him, he looked as sexy as ever. His dark hair had grown, its tousled nature teasing Olive to run her fingers through its thick tresses. His body had grown into its own – muscles making the white fabric strain against his chest and arms.
"Olive, I can explain" Elijah said, his mouth opening and closing, like a fish out of water, as he tried to give her the best excuse he could think of.
"There's no need. If you wanted to dump me you could've done it before I bought a plane ticket to surprise you." Tears gathered like pools in Olive's eyes, her body writhing in pain as she smelled the blonde on his skin. It was one thing to be cheated on, but to smell sex in the air and on their bodies was a sucker punch that left Olive winded.
"Wait, what's going on here?" The blonde asked, "Isn't she your sister?"
"Mandy, just wait. Please give us a minute." Elijah was trying and failing to do damage control.
"No. I will not give you a minute!" Mandy retorted not very impressed with Elijah. "Who is she?" The look on Mandy's face morphed from confusion to anger when she put two and two together.
"I was his." Olive stated plainly but deadpanned when Mandy didn't understand. How do you explain what a mate is to a human? Olive asked herself, not finding an answer she settled for "girlfriend." Olive answered.
"His girlfriend until when?" Mandy questioned again, clearly, unable to read the palpable tension in the room.
"Till you opened the door." A tear slipped out and Olive wiped it away "I'm just gonna go." And with that she walked out of the apartment with the wreckage of her broken heart slipping between her fingers.
Like I said, Elijah was a boy then. He wasn't aware that the childish mistake of cheating on Olive would haunt him for the many, many years that followed. After graduating top of his class at MIT, Elijah spent three years away from home, doing God knows what. And in that time, Olive graduated top three in her class as a behavioral analyst, she dropped the nice girl routine and started to build an armory around her heart, using her blossoming body as a tool to get what she wanted.
I know what you're thinking. Slut! But no, she never had sex with them, she just...what's the word...persuaded them.
She sharpened all her fighting skills and became the most proficient Lycan in her pack. Well, apart from her brother. Even though Anthony was physically stronger and bigger, Olive, had been blessed by the Moon Goddess. She had an unparalleled intuitive nature that gave her the ability to foresee the tide before it shift. For those of you who are a little lost, plainly, she got vague premonitions.
Now that you are caught up, let's get back to the story.
"If you keep straying away from the plan and doing things your way, you're going to give Tony a heart attack." Elijah spoke, his voice hard and unrelenting, not looking at Olive but straight at the TV. He could feel Olive's restlessness as well as his own at their proximity.
"He needs to learn to trust me." Was her response, fighting her wolfs basic instinct of being with her mate.
"You know he's not good at that, especially with so much at stake..." Elijah left his sentence hanging, in hopes of continuing his train of thought but Olive silenced any further mental deliberation.
"I know the feeling." She mumbled, stuffing a handful of popcorn into her mouth.
Awkward...
Silence blanketed the room after Olive's spiteful comment. Nobody moved nor did anyone rush to get rid of the awkwardness lingering in the air. The pair sat still, frozen in a precise statuesque fashion for three minutes. A lifetime full of memories shared between two strangers. There was no getting over their past, especially when Olive refused to acknowledge it – unless it was to remind Elijah of his mistakes.
"How long are we supposed to keep this going?" Elijah asked, frustrated but genuinely curious "how long are you going to keep me in the dog house?"
"You're not in the dog house." Olive replied, already bored of the conversation.
"You keep treating me like I am." Elijah argued.
"How am I supposed to treat you?" Olive asked, exasperated. She turned in her seat to face the man responsible for their situation. It was one thing to be forced to live and work with him but it was a complete different story when she was asked to be civil, like she was the one who said he should cheat.
"Like someone you once loved or a friend at least."
"Don't downplay it." Olive spat, involuntarily exposing her canines.
"I'm not." Elijah had grown to be a man of exquisite control. His voice never gave anything away unless he permitted it. Which was why when he spoke to Olive with such calmness and ease it sent her off the rails. You know when girls say 'don't tell me to calm down' when they've been told to calm down. Well, Elijah's controlled nature was Olive's 'calm down' equivalent whenever they spoke about their mate status and history.
"I was your mate! Not a fucking friend or someone you once loved; like it was a choice. We were supposed to bind our souls together." Olive chucked the bowl onto the glass coffee table. "You used my lungs to breathe, when you were drowning. You built an entire civilization in my heart and then you didn't tear it down or drown it. You left, which was way worse!" in an attempt to keep the pain out of her voice Olive venomously spat "You left a home that you built! A home that, I now live in. Alone." Sharing her feelings was hard enough but having to relive that hurt and explain to Elijah the consequence of his actions was harder. "You don't get to shatter my world, rock my sense of gravity and come back and want to be friends!" Olive exploded. This was seven years of unsaid words and unresolved feelings. "You lost the right to be a friend when you were with Mona!"
"Mandy…" Elijah calmly stated.
"What?"
"Her name was Mandy not Mona." Still with a calm ease, Elijah corrected.
A humorless laugh escaped Olive and she bit back her words in shock at his audacity. "Mandy, right. I'm sorry I forgot the name of the bitch you chose over me. Mandy!" Saying her name sent jolts of electricity up Olive's spine "I don't have time for this." If Olive didn't get out of there, there was going to be trouble, she wouldn't be able to control her emotions.
"Are you just going to walk away?" Elijah stood as he saw Olive leave her spot on the couch, to go hide in her room. "This is what you always do. You run away." He sighed in tiredness, placing a hand in the back pocket of his black jeans "we can never get through this conversation because you always run away."
Ooooh, boy you in trouble!
Olive stopped dead in her tracks, vengeance pooling at the base of her stomach "I don't run away. I always stand and face my issues no matter how tough or inconvenient they are!" she retorted in annoyance.
"Not this one." Elijah pointed out.
"That's rich, coming from the guy who hid away for seven years, using school and work as an excuse to not come home and face his issues or even protect his pack!" Olive was seething, seeing red was one of the downsides to have a wolf inside your head. All the strong emotions get heightened in ways that can become very difficult to control, especially when those emotions have been left to stir and brew.
"Well I'm here now." He shrugged, his demeanor relaxed.
"You're a day too late and a dollar too short! I'm over it."
"Clearly you're not if you can barely look me in the eye" Elijah pushed further. He knew that Olive was going to explode again, she was as fragile as a grenade but he couldn't help push her to the eruption so that he could understand how much damage he's truly done. Elijah was the only person on the planet who could understand Olive's behavior, it wasn't an exact science but given the right information, he could figure her out. He hadn't had the privilege of being around her often enough for his understanding of her to be exact. But whenever he pushed her too far he gained more and more information, knowing exactly which buttons to push.
"You cheated on me!" She roared, her body releasing warning tremors. "You took what we had and spat on it. Years and years of happiness and just like that" she snapped her finger "gone! You disrespected the mark I bare for you. You took a giant shit on my heart and you expect me to smile when I see you? Let alone look you in your eyes?" Olive's foundation was shaking, cracks were forming, her eyes turned black "I hate having to live under the same roof as you but our current predicament puts us right here." Tears threatened to raced down her face like rapids down a river "you didn't even come after me." She said, barely audible over the growl that broke from her chest "you didn't come after me. You chose her."
"I tried to call" Elijah spoke softly, taking a step towards her "I know it wasn't enough but I-"
"No." She moved back, creating an even bigger distance between them, a distance that no amount of steps could shorten. "You called, but you didn't come find me, you didn't come home. You didn't explain yourself. You did nothing. For seven years, you did nothing! It took our parents being abducted for you to come back!" Wiping the tears off of her face that betrayed the facade of strength she was trying to up hold, Olive tried to gain her composure "I hate you Elijah. I hate you. Once we get our parents back and our mating mark disappears you will never see me again. I promise you that!" And with a final glare Olive walked to her room and slammed the door, the frame shaking with it.
"You messed that one up big time" Anthony spoke from the opening of the hallway that led to the study, with two drinks in his hand.
"How much of that did you hear?" Elijah asked, running a tattooed hand over his face.
"Enough to know that she still loves you." He commented revealing his assessment of the pair.
"Love?" Elijah chuckled sarcastically "your idea of love is clearly fucked."
"I know my sister, and I know love." He walked over to hand Elijah a glass of Jameson whiskey with a splash of lime.
"Speaking of love" Elijah started, taking a huge sip of his drink "how are you and Martha?"
"Very happy and very much in love." Anthony bragged.
"You better treat her right"
"I am not you, Elijah" Anthony joked.
"fuck you."