Chapter 4: 4. Speak!
Olivia's suspicions were confirmed: her father's sudden kindness concealed a chilling request to poison Devon, her mate. Shock and the weight of years of mistreatment collided within her as she struggled to comprehend his audacious demand.
Despite his past cruelty, Olivia was stunned that her father would stoop so low to betraying even the Alpha. She struggled to reconcile his plea for help with his callousness.
Confusion clouded her thoughts, mingling with a rising tide of anger toward her father. She stared at him, incredulous.
"Listen to me, Olivia," he pressed on. "Devon doesn't love you and can never love you. He's using you because he doesn't want to be without a mate. This is your chance to prove yourself to me and everyone in the pack."
Olivia couldn't believe what she was hearing. After years of being belittled and called useless, her father now suggested she could redeem herself by poisoning Devon. The idea was unbearable.
Why does he want to get rid of Devon?
Frustration boiled within her, and if she could speak, she would have screamed in protest. Instead, she gestured vehemently using sign language, asking him how she could possibly carry out such a dangerous task against someone as strong as Devon.
Her father's sinister smile sent shivers down her spine, confirming his dark intentions. "It's very easy," he began, his voice low and calculating. "You must continue gaining Devon's trust. When the opportunity arises, slip this into his meal," he said, sliding a vial across the table to her. "It will weaken him."
As she reached for the vial, he swiftly pushed another towards her. She hesitated for a moment, then quickly grabbed it and discreetly hid it in her pocket. "This one will permanently suppress Devon's wolf."
Her father watched her closely, waiting for her response. "You look reluctant," he mocked, his words dripping with scorn. "Don't tell me you've fallen in love with him. Don't tell me that."
Olivia refused vehemently, "I won't poison Devon just because you asked. You've never treated me right, and now you have the audacity to demand such a ridiculous thing from me?!"
Internally seething, she wished she could yell, curse, anything to express her anger at him. But as a mute, all she could do was glare murderously.
Attempting to walk away, she felt his grip on her arm, which she forcefully shrugged off, shooting him a defiant look.
"Don't touch me!" she gestured sharply.
He chuckled condescendingly. "I knew it. They told me you were still as useless as ever, but I believed being here would open your eyes."
Raising her hand to silence him, she couldn't bear to hear more from him. His presence alone, after his appalling request, disgusted her beyond words.
"Listen, Olivia, I am your father!" he declared.
She scoffed inwardly. Father? What kind of father mistreated his child daily, both physically and mentally, only to return and make such a demand?
"Stay away from me!" she warned, storming off before he could grab her again.
Upon reaching the training ground, Olivia was startled to find Devon already waiting, his gaze fixed on her. Instant dread washed over her.
How did he get here?
She struggled to speak, reminded of her inability to vocalize her thoughts. They stared at each other, tension thickening as he slowly approached, gesturing for her to come closer with a stern expression.
Nervously, she swallowed, her eyes cast downward as she moved toward him.
"Look up," he commanded sharply. She obeyed, but her gaze remained lowered. His chuckle was cold and unsettling.
"Olivia, I said look up," he snapped, forcing her eyes to meet his intense stare. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she refused to show weakness.
"Who were you with?"
Her eyes widened slightly. Had he discovered her meeting with her father?
After finishing his meal, Devon had decided to check on Olivia's progress at the training ground. Approaching the training ground, he had expected to find her already engaged in training. To his surprise, she was nowhere to be seen.
"Perhaps she got distracted. Someone as naive as her would easily lose focus," he reasoned to himself, though concern began to grow.
Minutes had dragged by with no sign of her. Anxious thoughts had raced through his mind. What if the effects of her medication had worn off? Was she in danger?
Suddenly, movement had caught his eye. Olivia had appeared, looking startled to find him waiting. Did she not expect him to arrive so early, or had something delayed her?
Taking a few steps toward her, he had noticed she kept her eyes fixed on the ground. What was so intriguing about the ground?
Signaling for her to approach, he had watched as she hesitantly drew nearer.
"Who were you with?" he demanded again, his tone sharp. "Were you with another man?"
Her eyes began to redden, and she shook her head vehemently.
"Speak!" Devon's voice thundered across the training ground. He couldn't fathom why he felt such anger stirring within him. Shouldn't the idea of Olivia being with someone else please him? After all, he didn't care about her.
"Oh wait... Of course, you can't speak," he muttered with a sudden recollection of her condition. He heard her stifle a sniffle in response. Turning away, Devon felt an unwelcome guilty pang at the sight of her tears, though he forcefully suppressed any sympathy.
"Go and begin your training," he commanded sharply. "Today, you'll train twice as hard. Consider it punishment for losing focus."
"And if I catch you sneaking off again, expect even more severe consequences," he added, his words sharp and cutting.
Olivia whimpered audibly at his harsh tone, and Devon acknowledged inwardly that he might have overstepped. But she needed to learn respect for boundaries, even if it required a stern hand.
Stealer wolves are usually whores. A stealer wolf is the reason most wolves died in the last war.
He bore the responsibility of shaping her, and he intended to do it thoroughly.
"Don't stand there like an idiot, get moving!" he snapped, impatiently urging her to start her training.
"Look at you, so weak and pathetic!" he continued to berate. "You can't even control your emotions. You're weak!"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone