The Lost Rogue Heiress

FIVE - Speak for Yourself

CHAPTER 5

Olivia’s mind reeled from the revelation her grandfather had just unintentionally provided her. Part of her wanted to be logical, to not believe it was even possible for her mother’s wolf to not only be alive, much less so close. Her gut, however, was telling her a far different truth. Aside from the fact that Olivia knew that no two wolves were named the same, she was beginning to realize why she had such a connection with Lizzie and no one else from the Jadewood pack.

Why would the Moon Goddess make Aries reemerge so close to her previous life? There was a reason this was not common; it affected the bond between wolf and human because the wolf still felt the pull from the relationships they created in the previous life. Which would make sense in Aries' case; it was probably why the wolf blocked out Lizzie so easily. The way her previous life ended left many things unfinished, and she was thrown into a life that would literally rub many of those facts in her face on a daily basis.

She’s a part of your mother, Liv. Seems like it may have been a gift from the Moon Goddess. Aries may be the only piece of your mother that you have left.

Athena…Why wouldn’t she have told me? Or you? If she was my mother’s wolf, why didn’t she make that known?

She may not even realize it, Liv. I remember some things from my previous lives, but nothing in vivid detail. It allows us to separate ourselves and focus on the one we’re bonded to now, the one we’re here to protect.

Well it doesn’t seem to be working out that way for Lizzie. Aries is doing a horrible job of protecting the girl.

Is she? Or did she make sure that the two of you were bonded and would look out for each other?

That wasn’t something that she had considered. Olivia sat in silence, as memories of her time with Lizzie throughout their lives began to flood her mind.

She used to argue with me when she was little. I would tell her she had to listen to me because I was her guardian, and she would stomp her little foot and give me that defiant look before telling me she was my guardian, actually. I just thought it was a spoiled remark from a spoiled child.

Lizzie always standing up to her family when it came to how the Omega’s were treated.

Lizzie insisting, then demanding, that Olivia remain her personal servant so she could be closer to her.

Lizzie always running off in the middle of the night to the meadow where Aries and her mother were killed in battle.

Lizzie’s warrior spirit mixed with maternal love for the people in her life.

Olivia’s eyes began to fill with unshed tears. A piece of her mother had been with her since she was nine years old, and she didn't even realize it. The thought brought her an immense amount of comfort along with an extraordinary amount of regret. How many missed moments did they have because she simply didn’t know who she was? How many times had she berated Olivia for her wild and crazy spirit that would often get her into trouble? And how much time had been wasted not realizing that Aries needed to find her inner peace, and she was the one to help her with that. After all she went through, the very least that Aries deserved was some inner peace.

Are you going to tell him?

Athena’s question brought Olivia back to the present. She looked over to see Grayson staring at her intently with worry in his eyes. Despite the fact that he obviously knew that her mind was reeling, he respected her enough to not pry into the depths of her mind. In spite of her instinct to trust him, she wasn’t ready to reveal this yet, not until she had a chance to speak with Lizzie and Aries first.

“I know it’s a lot to process. Are you okay?” Her grandfather asked in a tone laced with love.

“Yea. Yea, I’m fine. It’s definitely a lot to process.”

“How about we stop and finish tomorrow?”

Olivia looked at the ornate analog clock hanging on the wall adjacent to the sofa. It was somehow after one o’clock in the morning. She knew she had to head back so she could get a few hours of sleep or she would be absolutely useless in the morning. Hopefully the run home would tire her out; she had so much energy coursing through her veins right now sleep would never come otherwise.

“I think that’s a good idea. I need to…sleep. And process,” she said.

“Of course,” he replied. “There’s a guest room on the third floor that you’ll be comfortable in for now. It doesn’t have a private bathroom, but there is a shared one on the floor. I’ll be sure to have a more suitable room prepared for you tomorrow. The room that will be yours is currently occupied—”

“Wait, Grayson, wait…I have to go back to Jadewood.”

“What?! Why?”

“Because my whole life has been there. Until now. Look, I’m not pretending that I’ve ever felt like I belonged there, but…there are pieces of me there. There are people I care about. And I have to make sure they’re okay.”

Grayson looked at her intently, clearly debating whether he was going to allow his only granddaughter to walk out and leave his protection after so many years of leaving her unguarded. She could see it in his eyes, that he was worried he’d lose her again. Somehow, she knew that would be like him losing his son all over again as well.

This just made her angry, regardless, because it suddenly dawned on her that he had known of her existence this whole time and he had left her there. With the people responsible for her parent’s death.

“I’ve spent the last 26 years there and you seemed to think I was doing okay that whole time, so what’s another few days. I need to process all of this anyways, and I can’t do that here.”

Olivia got up to head back towards the kitchen to put her empty coffee mug in the sink. The audacity of men baffled her sometimes. Even with the best of intentions, they could still somehow manage to be so insulting.

“Olivia, wait. Please!” Grayson’s tone was pleading as he hurried to follow her.

Olivia continued on into the kitchen, placing her mug in a sink before turning to face him. Her anger melted when she saw his kind eyes filled with regret. She couldn’t make this man suffer anymore than he already had. In many ways, he had lost more than she ever had. Her expression softened and she let out a breath, releasing her frustrations.

“Listen…I’ll come back. You have my word. I can’t promise I’ll start calling you grandpa anytime soon, but I know that I trust you. I don’t know why, but I do. I just can’t walk away from everything I’ve ever known in one night.”

The lines of worry on his face eased a bit with her words, and managed to give her a small smile.

“Okay, Liv. You’re right, I understand, of course. I just can’t lose you again. You’re all I have left,” he responded softly. Such a gentle voice coming from the gray and weathered man was heartbreaking. This man had been broken, more than once, and the cracks were barely held together with glue. Something was telling her that she was that metaphorical glue, and she felt an unexpected desire to protect him in return.

“I can return tomorrow evening after I finish my work, usually around sunset.”

“Sounds like a plan, Liv. Meet in the meadow?”

“Right. I won’t be able to find this place. Sure, I’ll be in the meadow.”

Olivia stood to leave and walked to the door before pausing. Despite the mental chaos that tonight should have brought her, she felt a sense of calm and peace. She may have been left in the Jadewood pack for 26 years, but somehow she knew that it was meant to happen like that.

“Thank you, Grayson. I appreciate your patience. And thank you for telling me everything. I feel a little less empty now.”

“You’re welcome, Liv.”

With that Olivia made it all the way outside before turning back around and sticking her head through the door. Grayson was chuckling and holding his side at her expense.

“Follow the stream that’s in front of the castle, it will lead you all the way back to Jadewood territory. Go southeast until you reach the meadow and the Silver River.”

“Thanks again.”

Olivia smiled one last time before giving control over to Athena, shifting and heading southwest along the creek.

After running for about three miles, Oliva realized this “creek” was more like a small river that must dump out into the Silver river when they meet. The smells of the forest here were slightly different than the ones over in Jadewook lands, but it was still the woods and she felt at home. It wasn’t doing anything to calm the adrenaline coursing in her veins from all of the life changing information she received tonight, however.

Athena was masterful when traveling through the forest. She made it look effortless when in reality it took quite a bit of talent to move through the dense woods as swiftly as she did. It was because of how fast she was moving that she didn’t notice the scent sooner, but when she did she stopped dead in her tracks.

Rain and honeysuckles. It smells like rain on a hot summer day when the honeysuckles are in full bloom.

Athena practically moaned in her head. A smell so enticing, so delicious that her whole body tingled in response could only mean one thing.

Mate.

Athena and Olivia both said in unison. Without hesitating, Olivia shifted back into her human form and walked in the direction her mate’s scent was coming from. As she approached the dark shadows that a patch of dense trees created, she saw the most beautiful piercing blue eyes staring back at her and she froze. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the lack of light and the outline of a massive jet-black wolf stood before her. His frame was larger than the average wolf and his eyes began to glow the longer she stared at him.

With no warning, the black wolf, her mate, snarled with what sounded like frustration before turning and bolting in the opposite direction. Olivia didn’t hesitate and neither did Athena. They worked in perfect harmony as Olivia sprinted after him while Athena focused on the shift. In less than three strides, Athena was in control and they were on his trail.

There was no question this was their mate, and there was no question that he had recognized her scent as well. So, why was he running? Realizing she wouldn’t find out if she didn’t catch him, Athena dug into her reserves of strength and sprinted as fast as she could towards what was theirs.

The black wolf may have been stronger, that much was obvious, but Olivia and Athena had one advantage over him and that was their speed. Within seconds, Athena was close enough to tackle him so she pounced and they began to roll. When they stopped moving, Athena was pinned beneath the massive black wolf’s large body. Knowing the best way to deter her mate from fleeing again, Olivia shifted back into her human form while she was still pinned beneath the black wolf.

His eyes immediately glowed as they gazed at her naked body, and before she could blink there was a man where the wolf once was. A very naked man. His body weight shifted to ensure he wasn’t hurting her before his eyes hungrily raked over her bare skin. She felt her eyes begin to glow in their warm lavender hue as she realized this was all hers. This perfect male specimen with the most gorgeous eyes and a body that just begged to be touched. She said a silent prayer of thanks to the goddess as she moistened her lips and bit the lower one as she breathed heavily through her nose. Rain and honeysuckles, she realized, smelled like home now.

All it took was her biting her bottom lip and he lost control. His mouth smashed onto hers, claiming her hungrily with each swipe of his tongue into her warm mouth. Her hands were still pinned beneath his, and she felt his hips press down into her pelvis as he deepened the kiss. She pushed against his hands, trying to free herself, when he immediately took his weight off of her torso and looked into her eyes.

“Do you want me to stop?” He asked.

“Let go of my hands.”

He instantly did and she grabbed the back of his neck with one hand and laced her fingers through his hair with the other as she pulled him back to her and covered his mouth with hers this time. Olivia wasn’t sure what had come over her or why, but she didn’t care. Nothing had ever felt so right in her life. This man was hers, and they could figure the rest out later. Right now, what they needed more than anything was this physical and spiritual connection.

In one quick motion, her mate pulled her back off the ground and wrapped his large hands around her ass to lift her up with him as he stood. Not wanting to break contact, she assisted by wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She pulled away from his lips only to explore the rest of what she could reach.

As he continued to walk, Olivia ran her small pink tongue over his jawline in small strokes before grazing his skin with her swollen lips. She continued this trail down his neck until it curved in the spot her mark would be someday and he let out a deep groan. This only encouraged her and she pressed her canines into his skin, not hard enough to pierce the skin, but enough to send a bolt of pleasure to her core. He dug his fingers into her ass as he let out a deep rumble of pleasure from his chest. She could tell he was holding back, and she had to change that. This man was hers and she wanted all of him.

Olivia pulled her arms from around his neck and slid them under his arms so that her hands were gripping his back. She pressed her naked core into his hips as she returned her mouth to his and claimed him. She bit his bottom lip just hard enough to get his blood pumping before she pulled back and gazed into his eyes. His perfect sapphire eyes.

Her center was radiating heat and pulsing with need as she maintained eye contact and shifted her head slightly to the left, exposing the spot he would mark on her neck. His eyes glowed as he growled possessively and crushed her body into his chest. He grabbed her right n****e and twirled it between his fingers. She felt her flesh fill his palm perfectly as she released a moan of immense pleasure. How could a touch so simple send intense waves of electricity all the way down to her toes?

He had finally stopped walking and braced a hand on her back as he laid her down in a soft patch of grass. His hands roamed her body, memorizing every dip and curve of her skin as he began peppering her jaw with small nips and warm kisses. She shuddered with each touch of his lips to her overly sensitive skin. He made his way past her breasts and down her belly to her core, where he paused and looked back up into her eyes, asking permission silently.

She had barely nodded once before his tongue plunged into her warm and slick folds, making her arch her back and throw her head back. There could never be enough of this, her body was intoxicated with the energy that was coursing through it. He grabbed her hips and pulled her closer to his face while spreading her thighs to gain better access. This sent her over the edge in no time and she laced her fingers through his hair, pulling him towards her as he brought her to her peak. Her legs twitched as her nerves became overstimulated, so she grabbed his hair again and pulled him back up to her.

She had come down but was still on the cusp, and her center had never felt so empty with need. Wrapping her arms under his to gain access to his back, she pulled him to her until their chests were covering one another. She pulled his hips into hers, letting him know what she needed without words. Her mate let out another growl and covered her mouth again before exploring the inside with his tongue.

He reached down to guide himself in, and she tensed at the size of him as it pressed against her core. Sensing her tense, he trailed his fingers down her folds and slid one inside her warm wet center. She clenched around him and groaned with pleasure. Her mate knew exactly how to take care of her, she realized, and the thought alone eased the rest of her tension.

She pulled his hips down again and this time he entered her, so slowly that she felt every single inch of him. Her core spasmed around him and sparks erupted all over her body. After two or three slow thrusts, his hips began rotating, sending more spasms to her core.

“Don’t stop, don’t ever stop,” she moaned between rapid breaths. This was all it took to send him over the edge.

“Mine,” he growled before grabbing her hips and lifting her up so he didn’t pound her into the hard ground. He was ravishing her body and she would feel it tomorrow, but right now she only cared about how good every nerve on her body felt.

She pushed herself up and grabbed his shoulders for leverage as she rocked her hips into perfect motion with his. Her nails dug into his back and he squeezed her ass as they both found their release in perfect sync. Her head immediately dropped to his shoulder as she tried to catch her breath.

As the euphoria faded and her breath slowed, she began making circles on his back with her fingers. His skin was smooth and soft despite the hard muscle and lines that defined his body.

“Well. Can’t say I ever thought I’d sleep with my mate before I learned his name,” she said lazily against his skin.

His chest shook against hers with a small laugh. He kissed her chest and nipped at her collarbone playfully before whispering softly in her ear.

“Speak for yourself, Olivia.”