NathanWeeks passed after my mother’s funeral. The pain didn’t lessen, but I figured out how to navigate life with that ache in my chest.The last time I saw my mother—really saw her, not just in passing at some event or another—I had kicked her out. Sure, she was being cruel to Olivia… But she wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. She never did try to hurt anyone. She could be tough and rigid, but she usually meant well.I didn’t understand why she went to Edward’s Gulch on her own. It made no sense. She was profoundly against the notion of anyone going to that place, and I got my backside tanned on multiple occasions when I snuck there as a kid.Why, then, was she going there, on her own, in the middle of the rainy spring season? It was so unlike her.Her empty space at my dad’s dinner party. The replaced portraits. The frantic voicemail. The information that Olivia and I discovered about my pack’s history, about this ‘Edward’ person, who had also supposedly met his untimely death in the ve
OliviaThe morning sun cast a muted golden glow through the living room windows. It was one of those quiet, early mornings where the silence was so profound that you could hear your own heartbeat.As I descended the stairs, the house was quiet as usual. It had been that way for weeks, ever since Maria’s death. I still couldn’t get the image of Jenifer and Colin out of my mind, nor could I get the guilt out of my chest over not telling Nathan.But I still couldn’t bring myself to tell him. It wasn’t as though we talked much, anyway. He spent his days in his room or outside wandering along the beach, clearly lost in trains of thought that I didn’t want to disturb.And now that we discovered that Alvin had left the pack entirely, I felt even less inclined to talk about what I saw. Not yet, at least.Last night, after I cried into Nathan’s shoulder, we slowly went inside and made dinner. It was a ritual for us at this point; chopping the vegetables, clicking on the stove, drizzling olive
OliviaThe entrance of Nathan was a staggering shadow that barely resembled the resolute figure I had grown accustomed to.“Nathan?” I asked, my eyes widening as I took in his haggard appearance. “What happened?”For a few moments, Nathan just stood there, wavering in the doorway. It was then that I saw him try to take a step forward, and his knees began to buckle beneath him.His steps faltered, his usually clear and attentive blue-green eyes now distant and unfocused. A cloud of alarm settled over me, prompting my feet to move even before my mind fully processed the scene.I caught him just as he was about to collapse. The reality of his weight against me was a stark reminder of his vulnerability.“Nathan!” My voice broke through my worry. “Where have you been? What happened?”He tried to speak, his lips moving to form words, but all that escaped was a hoarse whisper, nearly inaudible amidst his labored breathing.“I’ve just… Been…”His strength was rapidly ebbing away, leaving me t
NathanIn the dim light of the living room, I lay sprawled on the couch, dozing lightly when a familiar scent suddenly overwhelmed me—Olivia’s wolf.The sensation was too strong, too intimate, and I felt myself involuntarily shifting, a growl threatening to form deep within my chest.Olivia was near. Without conscious thought, I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her like a lifeline. Her familiar warmth soothed the uneasy stirrings of my wolf, and for a moment, everything felt right.But as I held her close, a moment of lucidity washed over me.My mother’s untimely death, the mysteries surrounding her uncharacteristic venture out to Edward’s Gulch, her voicemail, and my father’s strange behavior with Jenifer, were plastered in my mind.The realization that there were still pieces of the puzzle missing, unanswered questions about my mother's fate, haunted me.“I need to go,” I whispered into Olivia's hair. She didn’t stir. She had already fallen asleep in my arms.I took a deep
OliviaThe cold night air nipped at my cheeks as I neared Colin’s grand estate. The looming mansion was a stark contrast to the modest houses surrounding it. The sole light filtering from the slightly ajar curtains of the mansion beckoned me.The choice to sneak into Colin's house was no impulse. It was something that had been gnawing at the back of my mind for days. Secrets, lies, and the odd relationship between Colin and Jen had festered, creating an itch I just had to scratch.And the letter from Nathan’s mother, the haggard appearance of my childhood friend as he stumbled into our house after disappearing for a full day, were the final straw.My father’s voice echoed in my mind…“Olivia, your curiosity will be the death of you.”“I know,” I had said. I was thirteen. My father had just caught me trying to sneak into the neighbor’s house, not for the first time, but for the third time. “But I swear they’re keeping him in there!”“Honey…” My father passed his hand over his weary fac
NathanOlivia’s car was gone, but I still had hope. There was only a shred of it, but it was there.“Olivia?!” I called out, bursting out of my room as I looked wildly up and down the hallway. “Olivia, are you here?!”I jogged down the hallway to her room, but my question was already answered before I even reached it. Her door was wide open, and she wasn’t in there.Cursing under my breath, I ran down the steps; I scoured that little villa as though she was in some sort of hiding place, covering her mouth and giggling like we were kids playing hide and seek again.I searched everywhere, racking my brain for every place where she used to hide during our childhood games, but she was gone. I guess I already knew that, though.The weight of the silence in the empty villa was nearly unbearable, pressing down on my chest with an intensity that left me gasping for breath. The realization that she was gone, combined with the gut-wrenching sensation of fear as I realized that I was pretty cert
Olivia“Go on, hand it over,” Jenifer said, her cold eyes filled with a burning, mocking fury. “Or I’ll ruin your lives.”My hands trembled as I held the file. I didn’t know exactly what was in there, but I knew that whatever information that was held within would likely expose Colin for wrongfully evicting my father. Maybe it even had something to do with Maria’s death, too. Maybe even Edward’s.But the threat of Nathan being removed from the Council, our lives being destroyed… I didn’t know if it was worth it. I cared too much about Nathan to let that happen to him.“You’re bluffing,” I said, hoping to stall for time. I dialed 911 while Jenifer’s back was turned, and only hoped that the police would overhear our conversation and that at least one officer would come to check on us. “You won’t release that information.”“Why wouldn’t I?” Jenifer asked, cocking her head. “You really think I wouldn’t throw you and your bastard child under the bus to keep that file in your hands from see
OliviaThe police officers’ entrance was swift, their expressions stern and determined.It had worked.They had heard everything, thanks to my desperate call to 911. I had clutched the phone, hidden behind my back, recording the entire horrifying confrontation.“Alpha Colin and Jenifer,” one of the officers announced, reading from his notebook, “You’re under arrest for conspiracy, homicide, attempted murder, and a long list of other crimes. You have the right to remain silent.”The room was a whirlwind of chaos. Jenifer’s face was as white as a ghost, her body trembling. Colin’s face was a mask of confusion and anger, as he had been abruptly awoken from a deep slumber to discover everything that had transpired.But it was Nathan who caught my eye, his face pale and his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.“That’s my father,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I... I didn’t want this.”I reached out to squeeze his hand, my own trembling. “I know,” I said softly. “I know.”The officers h
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.