Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 52: Do you always have that effect on people?

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Do you always have that effect on people?
Oliver stood there for a long second, watching her shoulders rise and fall with quiet, shaky breaths. The tension in the air was thick, filled with all the things they didn’t say, and all the ones they said too late.
He sighed softly, his steps quiet as he walked closer. The floor creaked beneath his weight, and Athena didn’t turn around this time. She stayed by the window, arms wrapped around herself like she was holding everything in.
When he was close enough, Oliver slowly slipped his arms around her from behind. His warmth pressed against her back, his chin lowering to rest gently on her shoulder. "Hey," he whispered, his voice low, convincing and soothing. "Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out like that."
Athena’s lips trembled. "I’m not," she murmured.
"Then what are you doing?" he asked quietly.
She didn’t give me an answer, her silence said it all.
Oliver tightened his arms a little, his breath brushing against the side of her neck. "Talk to me, Athena."
For a moment, she didn’t. But then her composure cracked, her voice soft and uneven. "You know you’re the only one I have, right?" she said, her tone shaking slightly. "You’re the only one who gets me, who makes everything less... quiet."
Oliver froze, his hold instinctively tightening.
Athena turned around then, her silver eyes glistening under the soft light. "If you go, it’s just going to be me again," she whispered, her words coming out faster now. "Me and this empty house and this silence that I hate so much. What am I supposed to do without you, Oliver?"
Her breathing quickened. Her words started tumbling out like she couldn’t stop them. "What if something happens? What if I can’t sleep again or what if you forget to call and I..."
"Athena," he cut in softly, reaching for her face.
But she didn’t stop. "What if you come back and everything’s changed and..."
"Hey."
Her voice cracked. "What if...Ahem...what it..."
"Athena." His tone grew firmer now as his hands came up to cup her face, his thumbs brushing against her cheeks. "Look at me."
Her eyes darted up to his, bright, panicked, vulnerable.
Oliver leaned in, his forehead pressing gently against hers. "Breathe," he murmured. "Come on, baby, just breathe."
Her chest heaved, trying to follow his rhythm. He stayed still, his presence grounding, his voice low against her ear. "You’re okay. You’re not going to lose me. I’m right here."
A shaky breath left her lips as her hands came up, clutching the fabric of his shirt. "You promise?" she whispered.
She can’t lose the only reasonable thing in her life. No, she couldn’t beat it. Her dad was gone, her mom didn’t even bother to call her to check up on her. What a wonderful mother. And now, Oliver? She couldn’t understand why everyone was leaving her?
Oliver smiled faintly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I promise," he said softly. "I’m not leaving you alone, Athena. I’ll call you every night, FaceTime, texts, whatever you want. You’ll get tired of seeing my face."
Her lips twitched, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner. "Impossible," she muttered.
He chuckled softly, brushing her hair back. "You can hang out with your friends too. Go out, have fun, do something wild. Just..."
He paused, smirking faintly as his thumb traced her cheek. "No boys."
That made her blink. She looked up at him, pretending not to react, but her face said otherwise. Her gaze flicked away immediately, a faint flush coloring her cheeks.
Oliver laughed under his breath. "Oh, so that’s how it is?" he teased, his tone light again. "You can look me in the eyes when you argue, but not when I say that?"
Athena gave him a small glare, though it didn’t hold. "You’re ridiculous."
"Maybe," he said with a grin, "but I’m your ridiculousness."
That made her laugh quietly, the sound soft and shaky but real. She leaned her forehead against his chest, closing her eyes. "I hate how you always make me feel better," she muttered against him.
"I’m just talented like that," he said, his hand moving up and down her back. "It’s one of my many gifts."
She smiled, her voice muffled. "You’re annoying."
"Mm," he hummed, resting his chin on her head again, "and you love me for it."
Athena didn’t answer, she just breathed him in, her fingers curling into his shirt like she wanted to memorize the feeling. Wanted to memorize every inch of him.
After a long moment, Oliver spoke again, quietly, like a vow. "You’ll be fine, Athena. I’ll make sure of it. Even if I’m far away, you’ll never be alone. Got it?"
She nodded against him, finally calm. "Got it," she whispered.
He smiled softly and pressed a lingering kiss to her hair. "That’s my girl."
And for the first time that night, the air between them wasn’t heavy anymore, just warm.
Oliver smiled faintly, still holding her close. The night outside was calm,too calm. The wind brushed lightly against the window, carrying a faint chill with it. Athena’s breathing had steadied, her body slowly relaxing against his. Everything felt... still.
But then, out of nowhere, a low, distant sound reached her ears. It was faint, almost like a whisper carried by the wind, but distinct enough to send a tiny shiver crawling down her spine.
Her eyes opened slowly. She lifted her head slightly, listening.
It came again.
A long, echoing howl.
Athena froze. "Did you hear that?" she asked quietly, her voice uncertain but alert.
Oliver blinked, looking down at her. "Hear what?"
She turned her head toward the window, her brows furrowing. "That sound," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It... it sounded like a wolf."
Oliver stared at her for a second, then let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "A wolf?" he repeated, amusement in his tone.
She looked at him, confused. "What’s funny?"
He chuckled again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Athena, there are no wolves around here," he said with an easy grin. "You probably heard a dog or something. Maybe someone’s TV outside."
Athena frowned lightly, her eyes flicking back to the window. "No," she said softly. "It wasn’t a dog. I know what I heard."
Oliver tilted his head, still smiling but trying to read her expression. "You sure you’re not just overthinking it again?"
She didn’t reply. She just pressed her lips together and looked away, though deep down, she knew she hadn’t imagined it. The sound was real, she was certain. It wasn’t the kind of thing you mistake. There had been something wild in it, something that didn’t belong in a quiet neighborhood like theirs. That wasn’t a dog. She wasn’t dumb.
Athena frowned and turned back toward the window. "I’m serious, Oliver. I know what I heard. It sounded like a wolf."
Oliver chuckled softly and walked closer. "A wolf?" he repeated, amusement tugging at his lips. "There’s no wolf anywhere near where we live, Athena. You probably imagined it."
She looked over her shoulder, frowning. "I know what I heard," she muttered.
Oliver leaned against the wall beside her, crossing his arms, that teasing glint already in his eyes. "You’ve been watching too many late-night fantasy shows again."
"Hahaha very funny," she shot back sarcasm dripping from her words, the corner of her lips twitched.
He tilted his head, watching her quietly for a second before a small mischievous smirk curved on his lips. "You know..." he began, his tone lower now, smooth and slow, "you really shouldn’t say things like that while standing there looking like this."
She blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Oliver pushed himself off the wall, closing the small distance between them. His voice dropped slightly, warm and teasing.
"You show up here looking like that," he said, eyes glinting, "and expect me to just stand here and act normal? That’s kinda unfair, don’t you think?"
Where was all of this coming from?
Athena blinked again, her breath hitching. "O-Oliver...what are you saying?"
He grinned, clearly enjoying the way her voice faltered. "I mean, I was trying to behave," he continued, his tone half-playful, half-dangerous, "but you’re making that impossible."
Athena’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Her cheeks were already turning red.
Oliver leaned a little closer, lowering his voice until it was just a whisper near her ear. "So tell me," he murmured, his breath brushing against her skin, "was that your plan all along? Or do you always have that effect on people without even trying?"
Athena froze. Her entire face heated as she stared at him, eyes wide. "You can’t just, say stuff like that!" she stammered, stepping back slightly, her heart thumping fast.
Oliver leaned back with a small smirk, clearly satisfied. "Why not? I’m just being honest."
She glared at him or at least tried to. "You’re impossible."
He chuckled under his breath. "You love it."
Athena huffed, looking away again, though her lips twitched. "Did you learn it?" she muttered.
Oliver smiled softly, eyes still on her. "Yeah," he said quietly, " I came up with it, so I thought of using them on you. And now you’re smiling."
Athena rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide it, the tiny, shy smile that slipped through anyway.