OliviaThe room was a whirlwind of flashing cameras and sharp questions as I stood at the back, watching Nathan take the podium with a determined glint in his eye. My heart was pounding in my chest, a strange mix of pride and apprehension swirling within me.He was a true Alpha now, strong and resolute, ready to face the storm.When he finished his speech, however, I felt my stomach cave in. He announced that our ‘relationship’ was entirely fake. That the baby inside my belly was, indeed, never his.I felt the room spin, my knees threatening to buckle beneath me. It was over. The words hung in the air, a stark, unyielding truth that I couldn’t escape. I supposed I had expected this, but something in me still thought that we would keep up the facade for a little longer.Why did I expect that? Did I want that?A tear slipped down my cheek, the ache in my heart growing with every beat.“And to Olivia,” he said thickly, “I want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what my father did to yo
OliviaAfter sitting at the duck pond for a while, Nathan was pulled away for some Alpha duties. I watched him leave, his form taking on the posture of a true Alpha.Soon, with the proper training and approval rates, he would become our pack’s Supreme Alpha; and I knew that he would be the best we had ever had.Afterwards, I made my way to Angela’s house.“Tea?” she asked, opening the door to let me in. I nodded, swallowing. My throat felt dry and cracked.As we walked into her little kitchen, I sank exhaustedly down into a chair at the table.“I saw the press conference on TV,” she said, placing a cup of steaming hot chamomile tea in front of me. “You okay?”“I’ll be fine,” I lied, stirring my tea with a spoon. “It’s just…”“I know,” Angela interrupted. “It’s a lot. But you’ll get through it. Both of you. I have faith that you two will work things out; you’re like two peas in a pod.”Angela’s words, although kind, only made me feel worse. I felt worse because I knew she was right abo
OliviaA few weeks passed after Nathan left. Angela kept reassuring me that he would miss his life with me and that he would return, but he didn’t. We kept vaguely in touch, but it wasn’t the same. He was a busy Alpha now.The house had never felt so hollow, the echoing silence a chilling reminder of Nathan’s absence.Despite the warmth of the early summer’s sun, a coldness had settled over the place, turning what used to be a home into a mere dwelling. His words played in my mind over and over, twisting my heart with each repetition: “Our charade is over… It’s not healthy for either of us.”But I couldn’t accept that. I wouldn’t. It was more than a charade, wasn’t it? The emotions that had blossomed between us, they had to mean something more.Determined to make things right, I decided on a plan. If Nathan wouldn’t come back for words, maybe he would come back for memories. And what could evoke memories better than a pie?Our time in the kitchen, baking together, sharing laughter, an
OliviaThe door closed behind me, sealing my fate and finalizing the goodbye. With my head hung low, I walked down the steps to the sidewalk and began my walk of shame back to the villa.The setting sun cast everything in a warm orange glow, but my insides felt cold and blue like the deepest waters of the raging ocean. Why wouldn’t Nathan understand that I wanted him close to me? Why did he have to push me away like this?Angela had said that Nathan and I were like two peas in a pod, completely inseparable. But we had been separated for ten years, and now we were separated once more.Something in me told me that we wouldn’t find our way back to each other again, not with our lives moving in opposite directions.“Angela won’t be so sure about Nathan and me now,” I muttered to myself, shoving my hands into my pockets as I walked. A stone laid in my path, and with a grimace I gave it a solid kick, watching with angry satisfaction as it skittered across the pavement and fell into a storm
NathanI was startled by the sound of Olivia banging on the door, calling my name as though she suddenly remembered something. But by the time I opened the door, she stood there, looking lost and forlorn with a painful expression on her face.My heart ached, wanting to reach out to her, to pull her back in. But I knew it was better this way. I had to let her go.I turned away from the window, refusing to witness her departure, fighting back the wave of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. It was over. There was no going back.“Did you sense that?” My wolf’s voice suddenly echoed in my skull, taking me by surprise.“Erm… Sense what?” I asked out loud.My wolf paused. “A scent… I thought… No. Nevermind.”…The weeks turned into months, and I buried myself in my responsibilities as the new Alpha, working tirelessly to remedy the mistakes my father had made.The land matters were a tangled mess, filled with power imbalances and unresolved disputes. I poured my heart and soul into res
OliviaThe months after Nathan left were filled with both expectation and loneliness.My pregnancy advanced, and my belly swelled, reminding me daily of the life growing within me.I decided not to find out the gender of the baby. In fact, even though I began to have suspicions that I was carrying twins instead of a single child, I refused to let the doctor tell me the details. Just as long as the little life—or lives—inside of me was healthy, that was all I cared about.Angela said that I was being avoidant. Maybe I was, but I didn’t care. It was my decision, and it was a decision that I was sticking with.But it was Levi who became my rock during that time.After realizing that my belly was growing too rapidly to be able to keep up with cleaning and maintenance on the villa, I had invited him to live with me. I not only needed help around the house, but I also found myself craving the company.We became good friends, confiding in each other, sharing laughter and, sometimes, tears.I
OliviaWhen I opened the door, my heart nearly stopped. There stood Nathan, his face etched with anger and confusion. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.“Olivia,” he finally said, his voice filled with disbelief. “What is going on? How could you move on so quickly?”His words hit me like a slap in the face, and I stumbled back a step. “What? What are you talking about, Nathan?”He reached out, his hand wrapping around my wrist, and pulled me outside. The door clicked shut behind us, and I found myself standing on the porch, my heart pounding in my chest.“You and Levi?” Nathan spat, his face twisted with anger. “How could you, Olivia? How could you do this to me?”“Do this to you?” I echoed, my voice rising. “Nathan, we were never together. We hooked up once, and then you decided to leave when I begged you to stay. How dare you come here and accuse me of moving on when you’re the one who left!”Tears stung my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away, refu
OliviaThe sun was already warming the streets as I headed out for my prenatal yoga class.Dressed in my comfortable yoga clothes, I enjoyed the peacefulness of the morning, my mind wandering to last night's dinner and the unexpected turn of events.It was strange how a single evening had stirred up so many emotions. I felt relieved that Nathan had returned, but I also felt angry that he had been gone for so long to begin with. We were so close to each other in proximity all along, but he never spoke to me unless he had to.It was almost insulting that he only came back once he was hit with another jealous streak.At the same time, though, a little part of me was glad that he was jealous. Maybe I wanted him to be that way, if only because that was what drew him back.Maybe we would still never go beyond being friends, and lately, I had come to terms with that. However, I was glad that we at least had the chance to get our old friendship back.I was lonely. Neither Angela nor Levi coul
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.