Nathan“You were a fool, Nathan,” I said out loud to myself, staring up at my ceiling. “A real moron.”These were words that I had repeated to myself countless times over the past few days. During those months when I was apart from Olivia, I thought that I was doing the right thing. I thought that I was protecting both of us, no matter how much I missed her.But now, I just knew that it was hurting both of us more than I ever thought possible. And seeing her with Levi at the grocery store, those brief hours when I thought that she had moved on for good, only solidified that for me.I really was a fucking idiot.But I was determined to make things right again. Because more than anything, more than seeing Olivia and Levi standing together by the deli counter, I saw how she was struggling with her pregnancy.Her belly was swollen, her back aching, her breath ragged when she sat down and got up. She was putting on a brave front, but I knew that her due date was just around the corner, and
OliviaAs I set up my yoga mat in my usual spot at the studio, my heart was pounding with anticipation. Nathan had said he would come to my next prenatal yoga class, but would he really? I wasn’t sure what to expect.The past few days had been a whirlwind of emotions. After hardly speaking to each other for months, Nathan was suddenly back in my life; and the reasons behind it were questionable.“I am happy to have Nathan back,” I told Angela over tea the morning after our first yoga class together. “But it just feels… I don’t know. It hurts that he only decided to come back because he clearly got jealous over Levi.”Angela nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing as she thought about my words. “I think he just needed to realize how much you meant to him, that’s all,” she said after a while. “And I guess seeing you with Levi made him realize that.”“Don’t you think it’s a bit concerning, though?” I asked, feeling my shoulders sag a bit. “I mean, he basically ditched me—”“He didn’t ditch you
OliviaNathan’s face fell when I accused him, and his eyes widened as if he was genuinely shocked by my words.We were sitting on a bench outside of the yoga studio. The early afternoon sun warmed us, filtered by a tree that towered over our heads. Across the street, kids played happily in the park, squealing and laughing excitedly as they pelted each other with water balloons.Everything felt so peaceful and calm. My father’s innocence was revealed. Colin and Jenifer’s treachery had been stopped in its tracks, and Nathan was the perfect image of an Alpha, working hard to remedy the damage his father had done over the years.But on the inside, I still felt turmoil. With Nathan’s sudden return after hardly speaking to me for two months, I didn’t know what to think.“Olivia, I didn’t mean it like that,” he stammered, his hands clasping and unclasping nervously in his lap. “I didn’t only come back because I was jealous.“Oh?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest. “Why did you come ba
OliviaAnother two weeks flew by since my yoga class with Nathan.Our lives were separate now, but as intertwined as they could be; when Nathan wasn’t busy with his Alpha business, he was stopping by the villa to check on me, help with chores and yard work, and take me to appointments.It seemed as though he really was keeping true to his word to be there for me, and it was nice. I was happy to have him back, even just so I could see him.But more than once, I found him sleeping on my front porch, his head lolling onto his chest.“You’re going to get yourself killed,” I said one day, handing him a cup of iced tea when I found him sleeping on the porch on a particularly hot afternoon. “You’re burning the candle at both ends.”“I’m fine,” Nathan said, gratefully sipping the tea I gave him. “Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself.”However, despite Nathan’s words of reassurance, I wasn’t convinced. All I could picture was him falling asleep at the wheel from all of his running around
Olivia“It was a false alarm,” the doctor, a pleasant older woman with gray hair and smile lines around her eyes, said as she finished her examination. “It happens this late in the game.”I was both relieved and somewhat embarrassed as the doctor confirmed that it wasn’t time for the baby to come. After hours of uncertainty, it turned out that the cramps I had been having were perfectly normal. I felt a little silly for getting so worked up and acting as though the world was ending.Sheepishly, I glanced over at Nathan, wondering if he would be annoyed by my overreaction.Yet, the look on Nathan’s face was of sheer concern, not amusement or annoyance. His eyes met mine, and I could see he was just as shaken as I was.“Olivia,” the doctor began, her voice stern but gentle, “I know this was a scare, but it’s a sign that your body needs to rest. A lot. You're pushing yourself too hard, and it’s not healthy for you or the… pregnancy.”The doctor’s pause before saying ‘pregnancy’ was somet
OliviaThe next morning, the sun was barely over the horizon when the sound of a truck pulling into the driveway yanked me from sleep. Startled, I struggled out of bed and waddled over to the window, peering through the curtains to see what was going on.My eyes widened as I spotted Nathan standing beside a large moving truck, talking animatedly with a couple of movers. Boxes and furniture were already being pulled from the truck.“What on earth…” I muttered to myself, pulling on my robe before rushing downstairs to confront him.“Nathan!” I called out as I reached the front door, my heart pounding in my chest. “What are you doing?”As I spoke, a mover brushed past me without a word, holding an ornate side table in his meaty hands and nearly toppling me over in the process.Nathan turned to me, a wide grin on his face, looking like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “I’m moving in, Liv,” he announced, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. “Did you forget
OliviaThat night, I walked into the kitchen to find Nathan, clad in an apron, stirring a pot of something that smelled divine. It was his first night back, and it seemed he was hell-bent on making a lasting impression.“Wow, this smells amazing! What's cooking?” I asked, watching as he expertly seasoned whatever was in the pot.He turned to me with a gleaming smile. “Potato and leek soup,” he replied. “And I’ve got a chicken in the oven, and rice cooking as well.”“That’s… amazing, Nathan,” I said, walking over and peering into the oven to see a glistening chicken sitting on the rack, surrounded by vegetables. I furrowed my brow and looked up at Nathan with surprise on my face. “But why do all of this? You don’t have to go all out like that.”“I know, I know,” Nathan replied, wiping his hands on his apron. “But, check this out.” He paused, pulling out a cookbook from the drawer. It was titled ‘100 Recipes for Expecting Mothers’ and had an illustration of a pregnant woman on the front
OliviaMy eyes went wide as the voice faded, a cold chill running down my spine. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Was it really Jade, my wolf? After all these years?“What’s wrong?” Nathan asked, his concern evident in his voice. His warm arms were still wrapped around me, but my mind was far away.I looked at him, my heart pounding, but managed a shaky smile. “Nothing,” I said, more to convince myself than him. “It’s nothing. I’m just a bit tired, that's all.”Nathan's eyes searched mine, but he didn’t press further. “Well, maybe it’s time for bed then,” he suggested gently, squeezing my shoulders.I nodded, letting him guide me upstairs, but my thoughts were a whirlwind. As I prepared for bed, I couldn’t shake the voice from my mind. It was familiar. I had heard it before, long ago. I was sure of it.Later that night, as Nathan’s soft snores came from down the hallway, I sat up, unable to sleep. I had been tossing and turning for the past two hours, completely unable to qu
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.