Her wolf Jayla's tail wagged enthusiastically, cooing inside her head. Olivia had thought her wolf had fallen into a deep slumber, but seeing her fated mate revived Jayla's broken heart, bringing her back to life.
"How long have I been here?" Olivia asked the man who continued staring at her without blinking.
"Four days," he said hoarsely. "I'm truly sorry for how my guards treated you. They will be severely punished for their actions."
"No, it's fine. They acted that way because they weren't certain of my intentions."
His voice was as intoxicating as his presence. Half his face remained hidden in shadows, yet he was undeniably handsome.
Recognizing him as her only escape from Brown, Olivia decided not to waste this opportunity. Four days had passed without even a word from Brown.
Tears filled her eyes as she locked gazes with Lucianus. He gently pulled her upright, allowing the tears to flow freely down her cheeks.
"Why are you crying?" he asked, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I can't bear to wait patiently all these years only to find you in such distress."
Upon hearing this, Olivia raised her eyes to meet his, tears of joy streaming uncontrollably. She had thought her father was mistaken about what he'd said over the years, but looking at this man sitting beside her now, every wound in her heart began to heal.
They were interrupted when a woman in her early fifties entered with a feast, and to Olivia's surprise, every dish was among her favorites.
"How did you know I like all of these?" Olivia asked in amazement, savoring every aroma.
"Your body was in terrible condition when I returned, and the healer said it was due to allergies. I had my men research everything about you, and the least they could gather was from your social media posts."
After three hours with the Alpha King, Olivia requested her handbag before leaving. Checking her phone, she discovered there were no missed calls or even a text from Brown.
"Let my guards escort you," Lucianus declared.
"I still have matters to settle, and I don't wish to raise any suspicions about us."
Immediately after she finished speaking, Lucianus opened his palm to reveal a large, visible scar.
He explained that he had always felt pain in his palm over the years, and when he sought answers, he was told his mate was suffering. The pain had been so intense during his week-long trip that he'd rushed home for treatment, but it had faded the moment he laid eyes on her, leaving only the permanent scar.
"I have found you, mate, and I won't let my palm bleed anymore. I'm giving you one week to finish whatever you need to do before you return to me. I will discipline my nephew myself."
Olivia nodded eagerly as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then she departed.
As soon as Olivia entered the omega quarters, she saw Mia burning items in front of the building. Mia flashed her a look accompanied by a smirk.
Olivia ignored her and went inside to pack her belongings. To her shock, the room was empty except for her parents' keepsake, which lay broken on the floor.
Olivia dropped to her knees in tears, desperately trying to piece it back together. It was the only remaining memento of her parents. No pictures, no jewelry, just this.
As she struggled to repair the keepsake, Mia's voice interrupted her efforts.
"You made it back alive. I thought the Alpha King would have used you as dinner."
Olivia ignored her, continuing to sob uncontrollably.
"Well, I thought you wouldn't be returning, and my puppy needed a place to stay. So I was instructed to remove every trace of you so my puppy wouldn't have difficulty settling in. Sorry, but that's how much Browny loves me. He's a man who proves his love through actions."
Olivia, who had been suppressing her anger, finally spoke up: "How does that make you feel? Because as far as I'm concerned, you're using a hand me down from me. I think you shouldn't push me too far, because if you do, you'll leave me no choice but to tell the whole pack how evil your parents are, and how you've been frolicking with my mate."
"He loves me and will soon make me his Luna," Mia declared, beating her chest in assurance. "You might be his Luna now, but I own his heart. Aren't you even curious why he denied you and left you to die?" Her tone turned syrupy and cruel. "Because we went out of town to get me a puppy. So you see, you're nothing compared to me."
The realization that Brown had humiliated her and left her to die over a puppy hit Olivia like a physical blow.
Unable to endure any more, Olivia moved to leave, but Mia immediately pulled out pepper spray and doused her face with it.
Having just recovered from a severe allergic reaction, Olivia found it impossible to breathe as she collapsed to the ground.
Through her haze, she heard Brown's voice as Mia dramatically dropped to the floor, leaving the spray canister beside Olivia's body.
At that moment, the door burst open. "What's happening here?" Brown demanded.
