COLD - BWWM

*TWENTY-FOUR*

Olive watched as her things were packed into the car, she hadn't known Lucian owned a car. Frankly, she wasn't surprised, but where she had been expecting a regular sports car he'd showed up with an F-150, all black Ram. Her eyes had widened in surprise, but when he'd turned to look at her she'd quickly covered it up with a cough and she'd started fussing with Krishna's jacket, just bought thanks to her parent's generosity.

She'd spent an afternoon buying him a wardrobe, calculating every penny. Despite her parents being well off, she didn't like abusing their kindness and wanted to earn her own way.

"I'll take him," Lucian reached forward and took the distracted baby away from her, Krishna was in love with his stuffed dog. He carried the darn thing everywhere when he tried to walk, and/or crawl around her room.

"Are you ready?" Olive turned and glanced at Stella, who was biting her lip. Her eyes dark from her thoughts, she turned to face Olive fully, "If anything goes left call me, okay?"

Olive chuckled, "sure...I'll be calling you a lot anyway. I don't think this will be at all easy to deal with."

Stella chuckled, her arms wrapping around Olive and pulling her into a rough hug. "You idiot," She muttered, before she whispered, "You better be careful."

Olive pulled back a little, and smiled, "I will be. After all...I'm a Capricorn."

Stella nodded, before patting her dear sister on the shoulder, "And don't forget it."

Getting in the car, Olive waved as Lucian pulled off, she watched as the dorm and school disappeared behind them as they joined traffic leaving the city.

She turned and leaned back against the car seat, her hands laid in her lap as she tried to get comfortable, as she would be spending an unknown amount of time traveling.

Lucian reached out and took her hand in his own. He didn't face her as he was driving, but he smiled, "Lose your fear, I will not let anything happen to you."

Olive felt some confidence at his reassurance, and nodded, letting herself rest back against the seat fully. She allowed her worries to settle for the moment.

***

"How big is your house?"

Olive asked, staring up at the large mansion as they approached it, her jaw slack. Sure, her mother and father were well off, but they weren't the old money kind. The large windows in the grey stone outer walls matched the grim weather on the outside, the roof went up and down, and some were taller than others, with turrets that had monkeys carved into the hanging parts.

The large truck pulled up near the front steps , and once Lucian put it into park, a man seeming to come from nowhere walked forward as Lucian opened the door.

He gave a short bow, "We're happy to have you return, Master Lucian." His rheumy green eyes moved over to Olive, who was currently making faces at a laughing Krishna, "Y-you've brought a guest?"

Lucian nodded as he hopped down, forcing the other man to step back, "Yes, where is Dad, Allen?"

Allen, blinked as if unprepared for such news, "They...that is; your brothers and father are in the solar with your step-mother Carla. She's brought some candidates for your brother Josef."

Lucian eyes widened before they narrowed, he should have known his conniving step-mother wouldn't make his attempt at taking over easy.

He glanced over his shoulder at Olive, who noticing his stare, simply smiled in question at him. He shook his head, turning eyes back to Allen, he moved forward and laid a comforting hand on the old man's shoulder, "Have someone take our bags to my rooms, and have one of the maids show my mate around."

Allen nodded, and quickly motioned for a few boys to run forward and help him.

Olive hopped out of the car, and was fiddling with Krishna's car seat when Lucian came up behind her and helped her by pulling the strap forward and picking the boy up over her and settling him on his hip. Olive turned around, and gave him an annoyed look, "I'm starting to think he likes you better than me."

Lucian met the baby's smiling eyes, and smirked, "Well...a lot of people like my face."

Olive rolled her eyes at that, and grabbed her purse and Krishna's baby bag. "Yeah, whatever you say."

Lucian frowned at her dismissive behavior.

"Are they your servants?" Olive asked motioning with her chin towards the now five people standing at the door.

Lucian nodded, "They're lycan's who've served my family for a very long time."

"Ooh, seems I'm mated to an elite..." Olive oh and awed jokingly.

Lucian leaned forward, and whispered, "Does this mean you like me?"

"Hah, don't push it silver tongue." Olive mocked, with a twinkle in her eye. The two appeared lost in their own world, until a high toned voice spoke.

"Lucian...your father is waiting for you."

Both of them turned their eyes up to a tall stately woman, her hair was dark black, while her eyes were a silvery color. Her pinched lips were colored red, while her skin was luminous and pale. She stared down at them, her eyes narrowed despite the curve in her lips, "He's waited long enough."

***

Stella stared at her hands, she wasn't sure what was happening to her. Even now as she sat in her dorm room, she felt like everything around her would simply fade away. That none of it was real, shaking her head she fell backwards, letting her arms splay out on the bed.

Staring at the ceiling, she suddenly felt lonely without Olive's calm company. She rolled over, and closed her eyes. She allowed herself to drift, and soon she was sleeping once again.

When she opened them again, she stood in a large garden of roses. Black roses, as far as the eyes could see. She blinked in confusion at the sight of them, reaching out she brushed her finger along a velvety petal.

Her bare feet stepped through the cold, dewey covered grass as she walked deeper into the garden. The sky was orange, and purple, the color of twilight. Her blue silken gown, didn't catch on the thorns and made whispering sounds as she walked deeper.

She paused when she saw a man standing in the distance, she recognized him as surely as she'd recognize her own mother.

As if sensing her he turned, and smiled, the lowering sun blocking any view of his face when he spoke.

"Moi vsegda, you have returned..."