OliviaNo matter how hard I tried, sleep eluded me that night. Despite the plush bedding and the soothing hum of the night crickets outside, my mind whirred with a thousand unsolved puzzles.The strange behavior of Jen and Colin, the peculiar dynamics between the guests, and Nathan’s confession in the study—each detail gnawed at me.I needed fresh air.Throwing my blankets off of myself, I threw on my robe and padded down the hall, past Nathan’s room, then down the steps. A moment later, I stepped out into the expansive yard.The cool breeze kissed my skin, and the soft glow of the moonlight painted everything in muted hues. But the serenity outside was in stark contrast to the turmoil inside of me.What was the story behind Jenifer’s particular rudeness tonight? Why had Colin vacationed without Maria and Nathan? Where was Maria, and why… Why was there a sultry portrait of Jenifer hung above the fireplace, where I was pretty certain Maria’s portrait used to hang?Lost in thought, a su
NathanThe stillness of the night was suffocating, even long after I finished my midnight walk with Olivia.As I lay there, tangled in a web of sheets, the weight of the evening’s events pressed on my chest.Every attempt to close my eyes and find some semblance of rest was thwarted by a flood of thoughts—Olivia’s worried expression, Jen’s aloofness, the disconcerting discovery in her room.The earlier admission in my father’s study also kept replaying itself again and again. It was supposed to be a simple ruse. Pretend. But with each passing moment, the lines between pretend and reality blurred.And the worst part? My heart didn't seem to mind.But the game had changed, and there was a part of me—the wolf, the Alpha, the son—that couldn’t stand by idly while my family spiraled. Olivia’s words resonated within me all night: “I’ll stand by you.”They were my anchor amid the chaos.Eventually, the sky began to lighten and I hadn’t slept at all. My pitch black room became cast in a soft
OliviaThe moment the words left Nathan's mouth—“I'm going to see Layla”—I felt a sudden and unfamiliar pang in my chest. Layla.Her name was enough to send a whirl of insecurities tumbling through me.My eyes went wide. As if acting out of instinct, I blurted out, “Layla? Are… are you thinking of getting back together with her?”Nathan froze in his tracks, his mouth falling slack as a look of confusion came across his face. “What?” he asked with a bit of a chuckle.“After everything she did?” My voice was sharper than I intended. “She hurt you, Nathan. And you’re just going to waltz right back into her life? Why?”Nathan looked surprised for a moment, then chuckled. “Relax, Liv. I’m just going to ask for some information. Nothing more.”His amusement didn't sit well with me. “You think this is funny?” I asked, standing and folding my arms across my chest. “It’s not funny. She cheated on you!”However, despite my words, Nathan’s smirk simply widened. “Come on, Liv. If you’re so jealou
OliviaAs the scenery passed by in a blur outside the car window, I felt a gnawing apprehension. Layla’s territory was approaching. I stole a glance at Nathan; his grip on the steering wheel was firm, but his face was an impassive mask.“You okay?” I ventured.He nodded. “Just thinking about what we’re about to find out. If anything.”“Why Layla?” I finally asked. “How does she play into all of this?”Nathan shrugged. “Her pack is known for recordkeeping,” he replied. “I want to do some research on the history of my pack; particularly my family. As I’m sure you can tell, my dad isn’t exactly open about that sort of thing. And my mom…”His voice faltered. I cocked my head to the side, confused. “What about her?” I asked.“It’s probably nothing,” he replied. “But she’s not answering her phone.”I was a bit taken aback. I didn’t know Maria very well, but she didn’t seem like the type to ignore her son’s phone calls. And after that strange dinner party last night, it all seemed a little f
OliviaThe weight of the revelations at Layla’s pack had settled in by the time we reached home.The comforting familiarity of the villa was juxtaposed by the layers of unknown mysteries that now shadowed our thoughts.Nathan paced, his fingers brushing his chin in thought while I sank down onto the couch.“The historian… I have a couple of names that come to mind, but I’m not sure,” he mused.“Who do you think?” I asked, cocking my head.Nathan furrowed his brows as he thought. “Well, first I thought it might be Evelyn Meyes. But then, Evelyn’s always been fiercely loyal to my dad. Then, there’s Isabelle Frankfort... but she’s much younger than 83, so that doesn’t fit either.”I listened, my mind wandering. Layla’s information was helpful, but unfortunately not helpful enough. It was bound to take some time to figure this all out, assuming the records even still existed.“If this ‘Greta’ woman was as trustworthy as Layla claimed, there’s still the risk of the records being lost to ti
The chilling air of the basement enveloped us as we descended the old, creaky steps, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the villa above.Nathan and I were surrounded by remnants of the past, items long forgotten yet holding stories of days gone by. The room was a cacophony of memories, both joyful and painful.“Wow,” Nathan whispered, his voice echoing in the vast room. “I’ll admit, I haven’t been down here even once since I moved in. I had forgotten about half of this stuff.”I felt the same way, my eyes scanning old toys and costumes, an entire childhood boxed up and forgotten. “Honestly, I didn’t even think that my aunt would have saved any of this stuff,” I said, blinking back a few tears. “Maybe she was more sentimental than I realized.”Picking up a worn-out crown out of a tattered cardboard box, I let out a chuckle.“Remember when we used to play kings and queens?” I asked, grinning.Nathan’s face lit up with recognition upon seeing the old plastic crown, with its plastic jewels
Nathan“Could Aunt Gertrude really have been ‘Greta’?” Olivia asked, her voice filled with a dreamlike wonder. “The historian?”I swallowed. “I don’t know,” I murmured, slowly walking up to one of the shelves tucked into the wall. “Let’s find out.”Dust motes swirled in the dim sunlight that was bleeding through the single tiny window in the wall. I reached for a hefty, leather-bound tome nestled snugly between its companions on a particularly old shelf. The spine was unmarked, the edges worn by time.I slowly pulled it out, and a cloud of dust erupted, causing Olivia to sneeze from across the room.“What have you got there?” she asked, brushing a strand of golden hair from her face which had come loose from her bun earlier when we were messing with our old costumes.“I’m not sure yet.” I cautiously opened the book, revealing a delicate, handwritten title: The True History of the Evergreens.My heart skipped a beat. That was the name of our pack. This was it: the exact information I h
OliviaThe first thing I noticed was the cold. Stone isn’t exactly known for its warmth, especially when you’ve slept on it all night.Slowly, the events of the night came back to me. Nathan and I must have been so wrapped up in a world of scattered old books filled with ancient lore and forgotten family trees that we must have fallen asleep right where we sat, forgetting about the existence of beds entirely.Pushing myself into a sitting position, I rubbed my eyes, trying to chase away the heaviness of unexpected sleep. Every muscle in my body ached. Nathan’s face came into view beside me as I blinked against the morning light.His disheveled tawny hair gave him an adorably rugged appearance, but his blue-green eyes rang clear and true. He was looking at me. I instantly felt my cheeks flush a little.“Morning,” I murmured, stretching out my sore limbs.He looked up, eyes still blurry from sleep, and a warm smile spread across his face. “Morning.” He slowly sat up beside me and groane
OliviaI gripped the edges of the podium, my knuckles whitening from the strain as I stared out over the sea of faces. All eyes were trained squarely on me, awaiting my words. But I was frozen.A tremor of nausea wormed its way up my throat as I stared out at them. What was I thinking—how could I have ever agreed to this? Speaking to crowds had never been my forte; that was Nathan’s arena, not mine. I was just the woman behind the scenes, the young mom who had never gone to college, the one who had been handed her job by her husband…Suddenly, a flicker of motion off to the side caught my eye—Nathan, standing just at the edge of the stage with his arms folded across his chest. Even from this distance, I could feel the weight of his steady gaze, that piercing Alpha stare that always seemed to see straight into the depths of my soul.He must have sensed my faltering because, slowly, deliberately, he offered me the faintest of smiles and a single, reassuring nod.And just like that, the
Olivia I looped my arm through Nathan’s as we stepped down from the podium, the applause from the crowd and the flashing of cameras having finally subsided after what felt like an eternity. “It’s over,” Nathan beamed, giving my arm a squeeze. “That wasn’t so bad.” I couldn’t help but grin back at him. “No, it wasn’t. You were great up there.” And he really had been great; the press conference had been an overwhelming success—any lingering doubts or trepidation we had harbored before had been utterly blown away by the sheer force of the crowd’s enthusiastic response. For so long, it had felt like we were fighting this battle alone, like the victims who had suffered under Dan’s horrific operation were little more than nameless, faceless casualties. But today, we had finally given them a voice. Their stories had reached the masses, had resonated and struck a chord with everyone who watched. Nathan had handled all of the questions that were thrown his way with poise and ease
OliviaI rapped my knuckles lightly on the door to Nathan’s office. A moment later, his voice called out, “Come in.”Stepping into the room, I placed my hands on my hips upon seeing the scene in front of me: Nathan was standing in front of the mirror, his shirt still untucked and his tie loosened. His desk was a mess of papers and folders, and it was clear that he had been checking over his notes last-minute before the press conference.
OliviaI wiped a bead of sweat from my brow, slowly turning to survey the progress that had been made in the park. The banners we had hung were a bold purple color, signifying our support of the women who had been affected by the trafficking ring.I couldn’t help but smile a bit as I looked at our progress. With the press conference today, followed by a festival to help raise funds for the shelter we were building, the park was bustling with activity as our pack members worked hard
NathanI leaned back in my chair with a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose in a futile attempt to stave off the encroaching headache. Spread out on my desk was an array of file folders, legal pads scrawled with notes, and printed transcripts—a minefield of information that would need to be carefully navigated on the day of the upcoming press conference.It had been two weeks since Dan and Montgomery’s bodies were found in the confinement pit, and it had been a dizzyin
OliviaMy hands shook uncontrollably as I stepped up to the edge of the pit, clutching the metal grating until my knuckles turned white. A thick, cloying stench wafted up from the darkness below—the unmistakable reek of death and decay.Despite the waves of nausea already roiling in my gut, I leaned forward for a closer look.
OliviaThe air coming through the open windows smelled like the fresh sea breeze as we made our way from room to room, touring every nook and cranny of the newly completed cottage. It was perfect—cozy and quaint, while still boasting all the modern amenities one could want. But more than that, it was a sanctuary, a haven.A fresh start.
OliviaThe sound of power tools outside streamed in through the window while I folded the laundry, a distant backdrop to my swirling thoughts. I had grown used to the sound, and actually kind of enjoyed it. It was a reminder that life went on, that our family was growing.It had been a couple of weeks since I had made the decision to take a temporary leave from work in order to really focus on my family—on rebuilding that long-severed bond with my mother—and I was glad I did.
NathanI couldn’t stop the rage from simmering just beneath the surface as I made my way through the darkened forest toward the confinement pit. No one knew I was here—I was coming under the cover of night, my hair and face concealed by a hood.But I had to come. I couldn’t stop thinking about Dan and Montgomery, and I needed to see them.