Olivia didn't think much out of Ronan's kindness to her, he was the son of the second commander and Kieran's rival, he might've just helped her that day to boost his own ego.
So she thought.
Up until Ronan started to come see her every single day without fail. When she did laundry, he'd flip a basket upside down and sit next to her, keeping her company whilst she worked. Olivia initially didn't respond when he spoke to her, and just gave a nod to every of his questions to show she was listening.
He'd follow her around while she did all of her chores and sometimes called for her, only to have her sit by his fire place and listen to him talk about his day.
She was well aware that he must've had too much time on his hands and was using her to quell his boredom. The second commander's son visiting the slaves quarters didn't go unnoticed. Everyone heard about it in her tower, and some even dared to confront Harper.
"Eager to become a sex slave so soon? And you even have your sights set on Sir Ronan." One of the maids taunted, when Olivia was taking a bath. They had the other slaves sent away, and formed a circle around Olivia.
"Do you think he's actually going to fall for you?! How foolish can you be?!" Angrily, the maid tried to push her back, but Olivia sensed the attack and dodged it.
"Tch." The embarrassed maid hissed, "Get her hands together and bring her, head maid Edna has requested to see her!"
Olivia tried to put up a decent struggle, but against five grown shifters she stood no chance and in the end was taken to Edna. When they arrived at her bedroom chamber, they heard the sound of loud moaning erupting from inside.
It was a woman's, it was Edna.
Before the maids could change course and go the other way, the man with her announced in a low groan, "Come inside."
That voice, Olivia gasped, she recognized it well, it belonged to the man whom she despised more than Commander Darius.
For a moment the maids weren't sure on whether or not to go inside, they knew what was happening, and didn't want to embarrass Edna. But when the command was issued again, in an even stricter tone, they had no choice but to comply.
Pulling Olivia by her chain, they went inside, where certainly enough, Edna was pressed against the bed with her behind arched up. Kneeling next to her was a man with an eye patch draped over his right eye.
It was the son of the first commander, Abel, the very one who Olivia had stabbed in the eye when he tried to burn her mother's corpse. She recognized his voice distinctly, and with it came all the hateful memories.
Likewise, Abel recognized Olivia at one glance.
He instinctively reached for the patch on his eye, he recalled the lie he had to tell that he was wounded in battle, all because he could bare to admit that a blind child wounded him.
"Sir Abel, please forgive us for the interruption—"
"Did I ask you to speak?" Abel spat at her, literally, his spit landed on her forehead and ran down her nose. The maid wanted to wipe it off, but wasn't foolish enough to incur his wrath.
"Take the slave to my chambers." He ordered all of a sudden, throwing the women into confusion. First it was the son of the second commander, Ronan, and now Abel had set his sights on the disgusting little vermin.
Edna raised her head from the sheets, "Sir Abel, you mustn't soil your sheets with that creature…"
*Spank*
A harsh slap to her ass from Abel shut Edna up completely, the red imprint from his five fingers appeared on her cheek from just a single hit.
Edna wailed in pure pain. He didn't hold back and actually punished her.
"I don't need orders from a bitch." He wrapped her hair around his fingers and lifted her upper body, he wrapped an arm tightly over her breasts, not caring if he hurt her.
And then, he began to thrust into her like a possessed animal in front of the other women.
Although Olivia couldn't see, the sound and stench sickended her so much that she turned away. She had always hated Abel, and even now she would continue to hate him. He hadn't changed a bit, which made her feel nervous over why he wanted her called to his chamber.
Her worries drowned out the sickening display, up until they were finished and she was forced into Abel's chambers. There, she was made to sit on her knees and listen to what Abel had to say whilst he undressed.
"Tomorrow night, there's to be a banquet, meant to celebrate the passing of some pups into full blown shifters. You will attend as my slave to that event." He ordered, referring to one of the banquets that only a select few were allowed to attend.
Only the high ranking members of the pack attended that banquet, stemming from the Lycan King himself, down to the three commanders and their children. It was a rare occasion for a slave to be invited, not to speak of one such as herself.
"Leave. And make sure to get back here before nightfall tomorrow!" Abel barked at her, calling the attention of his lackeys who waited at the door just to force Olivia out of the room.
In the process of grabbing her by the shoulders and throwing her out, Olivia ended up tripping and spraining her ankle a bit. She was able to manage to get back to her tower with little limping, but the more she walked the harder it was.
'If only I could get back and heal myself.' She thought in nothing but pain, knowing that if she dared to do anything in the open it would cause more problems for her.
It was just as she arrived at the entrance to the slaves quarters that she picked up on the scent of Ronan.
"Where have you been all day? I've been looking everywhere for you." He spat out, taking large footsteps towards her.
Olivia instinctively backed away but ended up stepping on her bruised ankle, drawing out a pained yelp.
"Is something wrong?" Ronan levelled his eyes at her foot.
"It's nothing sir, if you'll excuse me I'll be going to my chambers." She gruffly said trying not to let her pained voice come out. After taking barely just two steps her legs gave in, causing her to fall forward. She stiffened her shoulders to cushion the fall, hoping she didn't break a tooth.
Little did she expect for Ronan to hook his arms under her knees and lift her feet off the floor.
"Sir Ronan, what are you doing?! Please put me down!" She cried in protest, looking around although she couldn't see. "Someone might see you."
"And what if they see?" He asked as though it wasn't taboo already, she was dirty and reeked of sweat from cleaning. While he had an earthy scent that made her stomach tingle.
Olivia tucked her face into his chest, and softly whispered in a trembling voice. "Please, take the back entrance at least."
Ronan's sonorous laughter seized her heart. "Not resisting anymore are we?" He held her tighter to his chest and took the back entrance like she requested.
He carried her up until they arrived at the main doors leading to the slaves sleeping quarters. The strong stench of blood, sweat and vomit welcomed them. It wasn't like the place wasn't clean, it's just that the stench had stuck to the walls for decades and no amount of wiping could fully remove it.
"Here we go." He gently placed her feet on the ground like she were the most delicate thing his hands had held.
"Thank you, Sir Ronan."
"I told you, you can call me anything you'd like to." He said, still sticking around despite the silent whispers from all every side. They were being watched, even Olivia could sense that much, but for some reason he didn't push her away or strike her for talking to him in the open.
"Why?" Olivia responded.
"Friends don't address each other as sir and slave."
"But.." she made sure to keep her head down while speaking to him, "We aren't friends."
Ronan kept quiet, and for a moment Olivia thought she had said something that upset him. Quelling those thoughts, Ronan took her right hand in his and slipped into her palm something smooth and oval shaped, attached to some sort of slim metal chain.
"What is…" she tried to feel it openly, but Ronan pressed her fingers together, forming a tight fist.
"It's my late mother's amulet." He whispered to only her hearing.
Olivia gasped, "What? I-I can't hold onto this?! They'll think I stole it!"
Ronan released her hand and placed his on her left cheek, his thumb gently caressed it, then slowly traced it's way to her lips. Olivia would've naturally felt repulsed over the enemy touching her, but in Ronan's case she felt oddly comfortable with him.
Despite him being Kieran's rival and the second commander's son.
"Keep it well, it's my mother's favorite gem, and the only thing of sentimental value I own. I'm counting on you, to keep it safe."
"But why me?" Olivia stressed, grasping at straws over why this powerful man had taken such an interest to her. It wasn't the first time she had asked him, but Ronan always found a way to deflect the question.
However, this time he responded to her question properly.
"Tomorrow night, there will be a display of strength during the banquet, there I'll be challenging Kieran for the position of the Alpha's favorite." He told her with a hand rested on her waist, pulling her in until they were touching foreheads.
"What? That's reckless. You could get hurt." Olivia whispered.
Ronan chuckled slightly, but then his tone dropped, flatly he told her. "If I win, I'll tell you everything," his hand snaked from her waist to the small of her back. Olivia flinched at his touch but slowly melted into his hand.
"Everything will make sense once I defeat him once and for all."
After hearing that, Olivia could not ignore the unsettling feeling she had, that tomorrow night at the banquet, something was certain to happen.