CHAPTER 17: BROKEN VOWS, BROKEN RULES

Olivia’s POV...

"What is that for?." I whispered when Ares walked in with a dress he laid across my bed.

"It’s for tonight, he wants you to get ready." Ares spoke,

"Ready for what?" I asked but Ares is not here to hand me anything I wanted to hear, he walked out of the room leaving me with nothing but my thoughts.

It was only an hour before seven and the little card read, Be ready before seven, As I stood in front of the mirror, I slipped into the dress, it felt like wearing someone’s skin.

I stared at myself, I never recovered from last night, and after having every meal brought into my room. I had understood that he knew I wanted to think, but I am still trying to figure him out.

It terrified me that I am no longer scared of me, it terrified me that I am intrigued by him, it terrified me even more that, all I wanted to do is think about what goes on in his mind and all I wanted to do is find out how long he has felt like this, what he feels for me, it just didn’t start and maybe that’s the only thing that scared me.

Tonight I am about to find out where he is taking me.

—-

"Where are we?" I whispered, we stood in front of a building, I didn’t expect to see so many people here, each scent filled with different stories as they headed across me, I stared at them with a frown on my face.

Luca didn’t speak, instead, he pulled his hand out and he expected me to shake it, I felt a wave of adrenaline wash over me, my fingertips shook for a moment when I placed his hand on mine, I held his hand for a second, and he held it more possessively.

"You are not going to tell me where we are."

"It’s a party, Olivia."

"Are you not worried I would try and flee?"

"You wouldn’t, especially when you have so many questions and I trust that you would not try to leave," Luca spoke, and my breath hitches for a moment when my eyes met his as he led me into the building.

A party, never in a million years would I think he would bring me to a party, I had never been in any one before, not even with Conrad, he didn’t like the male attention on me and unless they asked for me personally, I was always at home.

When I was with my family, I was not old enough to be a part of it.

We headed into the room like royalty, Luca’s hands never left mine. His scent surrounded me in a possessive manner, my eyes met his as he stared at me, and I looked away for a second.

"What is this all about.?" I whispered against my breath.

"It’s a party to honor me, to honor the Alpha." He spoke, so brave and strong, and like he didn’t want to be any part of this, I stared at him unsure of what to say.

How do I behave in this, do I smile, or should I not stare around the area, I doubt I would be able to stare, all I would do is stare at everyone else.

"They won’t hurt you." He finally spoke, and my attention turned back to him.

"Because I am with you."

"Because you belong to me." He spoke.

"I don’t belong to you," I murmured so low but when my eyes met his again, I was sure he heard every word that escaped my lips.

"Keep telling yourself that love." He spoke and I felt tempered to roll my eyes at him, what is his story, who is he truly, apart form the rumors I have heard, apart form what I have seen, there is more to Luca, he is not just the Alpha he pretends to me, there is someone else underneath, someone I have not seen yet, someone he is not done hiding.

The more I thought about it, the more it made my head hurt.

"You need a drink, to ease your mind."

"How do you do that?" I whispered

"Do what?" He asked as he led me to the bar, my breath fell out of my lips when I turned to him again.

"How do you know what I am thinking about, how do you know what I am feeling?" I whispered against my breath.

"When you are thinking hard, you bite your lips then mumble a fe words to yourself without even knowing, when you are scared, your finger start to tremble and your wolf hide because you taught her to hide, when you are sleepy, you blabber until you fall asleep and when you don’t like a meal, you play with it like a kid until you get bored by it, when you- no," I whispered cutting him off.

I have not done half of the things he just said. So how did he know, how could he know any of this?

"You can’t know any of this Luca, it never happened."

"I pay attention to details, it did happen."

"Ares," I whispered against my breath, he has to be the one to tell him about all of this, it’s something he can’t know even if he stalked me, I did most of them at my house, in my room.

Luca knows me better than and each time I think I still have something hiding, he always finds his way to it, like this.

"You should not know any of this."

"I do, because that’s who you are, you need to stop thinking, you are placing your wolf under stress and the party just started". He spoke, it’s more like a command and all I did was give him a nod.

He only made me think more.

The music, the people, and the dance nothing mattered to me, I could barely pay heed to what could be happening again, my mind was a storm and my hand was sweaty against the glass of wine. When I gulped it down and I kept it ok the nearest table, I didn’t need it falling and causing so much attention, I didn’t want any of that, I didn’t want anyone to stare at me, to even think of looking my side again.

"Don’t move". Luca spoke, I didn’t understand, I didn’t want him to leave me, at least not right now, the way they all stared subtly, it made me feel even more scared and worried.

"Luca- I will be right back." He said cutting me off, it’s not a threat, it’s a promise, one that he will hold up to.

I didn’t say a word. I just nodded, watching him disappear into a circle of men dressed in black. The second his presence left, I suddenly became visible to everyone else — the weight of their stares falling on me like acid.

A woman in a tight red dress sneered. Another man smiled too long. My wolf stirred nervously, I don’t like being alone, I didn’t feel too good when I was all alone, I always felt like eyes were on me, I always felt like everyone was judging me, I didn’t want that, I didn’t want to feel that way.

I moved away from the bar, heart thudding. I needed air. Space but I can’t leave because I told him I would stay here and I didn’t want him to start to find me, this is not the perfect place to have. Fight with him.

Everything felt too perfect. Too orchestrated. Like I was in the center of someone else’s fantasy, like it’s a beautiful nightmare, one that I wanted to wake up from, one that I didn’t want to see anymore.

I reached the far side of the hallway, where the music dulled, and pressed my back against the wall, closing my eyes.

What does he want from me? What does this night mean?

Footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Slow.

Measured.

I opened my eyes and I saw Luca, he gave me a smirk, like he was satisfied with the fact that I listened to him, I didn’t have a choice, he didn’t want me to leave and I didn’t want any cause for attention

I looked away from him when I saw a woman pass by, unfamiliar. Then another couple.

I turned away, exhaling.

And then I heard it.

Soft at first. Then clearer.

"Olivia?"

Soft and gentle, with a hint of sarcasm, just like it has always been, just like I always recalled it and I never thought I would hear it again.

My breath hitched.

No.

No, it can’t be, it could not be.

That voice, it sounded like a nightmare, it sounded the same and it scared me.

That voice didn’t belong here. It belonged to a past I buried. To memories I burned.