Silver Rain

Chapter 13

Felix had not seen Olivia in five days.

And he was glad.

He was satisfied that he didn't have to see the vixen.  The gull the woman had to make him beg for her help, beg to give them a lead.   When he turned her face towards him, he could tell that her green eyes wanted more.  Wanted him to grovel and swallow his pride.  Wanted him to praise the ground she walked on.  

It infuriated him.

No, it enraged him.

So he knew right then and there that this woman was not a human, but a vixen.  A creature that was made to torment his life.

Instead of worrying about her, Felix threw himself into his duties with renewed determination.  He immersed himself in training sessions with the pack warriors, pushing himself to his limits and beyond. He oversaw pack business with a steely resolve, making tough decisions without hesitation or remorse. And through it all, he kept Olivia at arm's length, refusing to let her get under his skin again.

He would purposefully avoid her room by taking the farthest hallway and every time he would leave his office or his rooms, he made sure that he would turn the other way when he smelt her nearby.  He even would drive as far as downtown to get lunch or dinner if he heard her laugh trickling from the kitchen. 

The fight was stupid and petty, he knew that much.  He also knew what triggered it.  He was nearly as confused as she. On whatever occurred that night.

Initially, he had leaned in to smell her for that gods awful scent he smelt back in her torn-up apartment.  It lingered, just under the surface of the other intoxicating smell.  One he didn't think he could get enough of.  But then they had argued, their words sharp and cutting, fueled by frustration and resentment. Words that held meaning without any actual thoughts behind them.  Felix couldn't shake the memory of the fire in Olivia's eyes, the way she had challenged him with every fiber of her being. It was infuriating and exhilarating all at once, a dangerous combination that left him reeling.

So while he was left licking his wounds in his office, Calvin diligently kept Felix informed of Olivia's activities--in the pack house and on campus.

"She's been spending a lot of time in the biology lab," Calvin reported during one of their briefings, his voice calm but laced with concern. "Analyzing the DNA from the ashes of the shadowbody."

"What has she discovered?" Felix had inquired, his tone serious.

Calvin shook his head, his expression troubled. "Not much yet. It's slow progress, but she's determined to find answers."

Felix nodded. Despite their differences, he couldn't deny Olivia's tenacity and intelligence. She was a formidable ally, one he couldn't afford to underestimate.

"Keep watching her," Felix instructed Calvin, his voice firm. "I want to know the moment she makes any breakthroughs."

As Felix returned his attention to his paperwork, his thoughts drifted back to Olivia and the enigma she presented. Despite their clashes and the distance he had maintained, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than met the eye.  He couldn't deny the allure of her determination, the fire in her eyes that mirrored his own. And while he was loath to admit it, there was a part of him that admired her for it. She was a force to be reckoned with, a formidable opponent in their ongoing standoff.

When they sat around the kitchen island and argued all those days ago had not only shocked him but invigorated him, ignited him. The look in her green eyes had made his blood run cold as if she could tear his throat out in just a few words. He knew he couldn't just ignore her either, even if apologizing had him at his wits end. He once passed the library and smelt the intoxicating limoncello and hibiscus scent wafting from the cracks in the doors, he almost went in and groveled at her feet.