At first, she cannot really comprehend what the shape is, too surprised at the mass throwing itself at her.Olivia always had great reflexes; what's with her feline counterpart? Her quick thinking had saved her from unfortunate situations akin to now where, a second before she is collided by what she recognizes as a wolf, she throws herself aside and shifts into her wolf form.Olivia tumbles a few feet away, her clothes scattered on the ground, and she catches herself on her paws, her hind legs halting her course across the asphalt.She hunkers down, her stance low, muscles tensing in each and every limb of her as her eyes dart to the roof of her car where the gray wolf hybrid is poised.Her head swipes to the left when a second black wolf joins, and at the howl his opponent emits, Olivia growls back, drool spewed out of her mouth at every snarl when the hybrids approach her, the first one jumping on the car's hood and concealing Asher."They found him!"The voice is unknown, not far

"Nicolas? Who's Nicolas?" Olivia wonders as she hits the break, that name not echoing with any of the characters she has heard from Asher so far."A rival now. Unimportant," Asher dismisses and opens his door, stepping out of the vehicle.Olivia mirrors him but not without removing any papers or belongings she has left inside the car, having an inkling that she won't see the car again any time soon, if ever.Olivia thrusts all of the documents in her pockets and trudges to where Asher is propped on the hood of the car. She limps in her walk at the ache spasming from her ribs and outward.A klaxon startles Olivia, and she swivels around, a black car speeding toward them before it halts some feet away, the window rolling down to reveal Mia behind the steering wheel. "Come in!"Olivia rushes to Asher's side, aiding him to his feet and leading them both to their friends. Similar to earlier, she helps the mob boss inside and then hurries next to him. The seat belts are forgotten when Mia d

When Olivia comes back to herself, it is to the sound of her front door closing, footsteps echoing right after.Olivia's blurry gaze darts up, falling on the couple discussing matters that her sluggish brain cannot comprehend just yet. "What's up? How's the idiot?" she slurs."He's showering," Mia says and deposits some plastic bags on the kitchen counter. "We went and grabbed some food. You two need to eat.""Oh f*ck yeah," Olivia downright moans, and it would be embarrassing if she did care."I'm starving." Olivia hoists herself up and takes a minute to even out her breathing when the pain aches anew. She stands, walking toward her bathroom.A few limped steps later, she knocked on the door, a grunt answering her. "Mob Boss Ash? I need to take a piss.""Wait." Comes the muffled response."Are you naked?" Olivia stupidly asks."I am in the shower, Olivia. What do you think?"Olivia hates being disapproved, even when prompted by her idiocy. Still, she decides to be merciful this time

A few minutes later...Olivia jolts awake, her heart racing in her chest and a frozen shiver creeping on her back.She cannot recall the dream or a nightmare she had if it was one, but the agitations are there, mingling with the loneliness that wraps around her now that she’s faced with the absence of noise in her apartment.It’s when cuddled up in her bed, alone and in a paralyzing silence, that all that occurred on Valentine’s Day downs on Olivia.The fear from earlier rises inside her, its cold tendrils coiling around her throat, and she parts her lips to breathe out, the darkness of the night she usually basks in suffocating now.Olivia rolls on her back, a whined curse trailing the movement when it jostles her ribs.There’s a knock on her door, distracting her from her growing anxiety.“Olivia?” Someone says that Olivia recognizes as the mob boss. “I heard some noises. Everything okay?” a low voice comes from the other side of the door.Olivia hums, trying to level her respiratio

Asher was sitting in his office working. He hasn’t left the cabin, and the atmosphere is tense because of his rusty behavior.Paul enters the cabin to talk to Asher, and Asher glares at him for disturbing his work. Paul completely ignores him as he asks, “You have been sulking all day long,” as he sits in front of Asher.“I’m not sulking.”“Oh, don’t lie on my face. I know as though I birthed you,” Paul scolded Asher.“Don’t say that. It’s disgusting,” Asher protests.“Now tell me what’s happening?” Paul asks, hiding a smile at Asher’s exaggerated reaction.“Nothing,” Asher schools his expression as he resumes back to his work, ignoring Paul.Paul snorts. “For someone who hates lying, you tend to do fall back into the bad habit of doing so whenever your feelings are concerned.”“It doesn’t matter,” Asher avoids answering.“And? Come on, talk to me” Paul nudges Asher’s legs below the desk.Asher pursues his lips. “It’s just about Olivia and what happened on Valentine’s Day,” he says.“