“Olivia!” I called after her as I watched her storm off in her muddied and torn white dress. “Come on!”Of course, Olivia didn’t stop or answer. She just kept going until she was out of sight, leaving me there to deal with the consequences of her temper.She did look beautiful in her dress. I couldn’t deny that. When I first saw her in it, I felt attracted to her curves and her sexy body even though the dress was a little small.It wasn’t entirely her fault that it ripped. I did try to be understanding, because it was a little too small on her and it was a delicate dress. But then for her to go on and not pay attention to where she was going, only to ruin it even more?She was always a tomboy. I guessed that I just wished she could show some class as the “Luna,” whether it was a fake relationship or not. I was, after all, doing this to get on the Alpha Council. Having a mate who was seen as low class or sloppy wouldn’t help my chances any.As I stood there not knowing whether I should
“Olivia.”Nathan caught my attention with his voice. I quickly sat up and wiped away my tears with my sleeve, and we stared at each other in the dimly lit room for a few moments as he stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest.Surprisingly, his face looked a little sad. It was much unlike the stern appearance he had at the picnic.“What do you want?” I grumbled, still feeling a little bit angry from it all.Nathan sighed and walked over to the bed. He sat down beside me, then stared down at the floor for a few moments before speaking. I couldn’t stay tense beside him. We were still best friends, after all, and I felt myself relax a little at his presence.“Look,” he said, his voice low and steady, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or embarrass you.”“Then what did you mean?” I asked. “I feel like you singled me out in front of everyone. It wasn’t my fault that I was given a dress that was too small and delicate. It’s stupid that women have to dress up fo
I woke up the next morning, feeling a lot better after a good night of sleep. With a yawn and a stretch, I slowly crawled out of bed and quietly padded down the hall to head to the kitchen.When I passed by Nathan’s room, I saw that the door was open and his bed was made. Figuring that he was already awake, I headed downstairs.But when I went into the kitchen, he wasn’t there. It was a weekend, so I didn’t expect him to be working on Alpha duties.Finally, I peered around the corner to the living room and felt myself soften when I saw the scene in front of me.Nathan was fast asleep on the couch with a book lying open on his chest and one hand hanging over the edge of the couch. His chest was rising and falling gently while his face was relaxed in an incredibly cute way.I couldn’t help but smile as I saw the way that he was sleeping. It seemed rare these days to see the young Alpha appearing so sweet and innocent, and it reminded me of the day that I found him sleeping on the porch.
Nathan's car came to a halt in front of the new shopping center. I peered out the window, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. The shopping center had sprung up after I had left, and its modern facade stuck out like a sore thumb against the small town backdrop."Olivia, welcome to the new shopping center. It wasn't here when you left, but I think you’ll like it," he said, smiling a bit as he glanced at me.I could tell that he was trying to ignore the fact that he had just cupped my breast in the car by accident, but I didn’t mind. I wanted to pretend that it didn’t happen, too.“Come on,” he said, opening his car door. “Let’s go.”I climbed out sheepishly after him.Curiosity tingled within me as Nathan guided me out of the car, leading the way into the vibrant complex. The new mall had high glass ceilings, a modern design, and fountains that echoed throughout the halls.“Wow,” I said, looking around at all of the shops that we passed. “I thought you said that money was tight aroun
A little while later, we arrived back at home after spending much of the afternoon shopping and playing in the arcade at the new mall. I was already tired from our day, and couldn’t help but wonder if my exhaustion had anything to do with the pregnancy,As we pulled up to the driveway, a flicker of unease crossed my mind when I noticed the figure standing outside the villa.“Who is that?” I asked, pointing.Nathan squinted and leaned forward a little, then smiled.“It’s just the gardener.”It was, in fact, Clint. Nathan and I smiled as we got out of the car and walked up to him, but I felt my smile fade as I saw that his wrinkled face was filled with concern."Everything alright, Clint?" Nathan asked, his voice full of worry.Clint’s eyes met ours. He looked a bit relieved to see us."I was checking on the tulip bulbs, and I caught a couple of people sneaking around,” he said in his gruff voice. “I think they might have been trying to get into your aunt’s villa. I think I scared them
Olivia didn’t know it when her eyes widened and she realized that my arms were around her, but I was already awake.I had been awake for a little while. When sleep finally released its grip on me, I slowly came to the realization that there was no longer a thick wall between the two of us, but that we had moved closer together in our sleep.At first, I considered getting up and leaving the room so that Olivia would never know that we cuddled in our sleep.But when I looked over and saw her beautiful sleeping face, and I felt her warmth up against my body, I couldn't help myself. I wanted to stay there.In an odd way, I sort of wanted to know what her reaction would be like. Would she jump up and leave, feeling disgusted? Or would she stay and nuzzle down into my arms?Secretly, I hoped it was the latter.But when she woke up, the latter wasn’t her choice after all.Olivia's eyes widened as she noticed I was still asleep. I had my eyes cracked open just enough to see a sliver of her, s
The room seemed to close in around me as I approached her, suffocating me. As I reached her, she gave me a glare that could cut through steel. I forced a weak smile, determined not to let her see how much she affected me."Hi, Angela. I didn't expect to see you here," I said, my voice trembling slightly. I hoped she couldn’t tell.Angela's thin lips curled upward into a wry little smirk. "Well… Surprise, surprise. Looks like we'll be spending some quality time together,” she hissed, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized me from head to toe. “Follow me, Luna."I felt my heart start to pound, but there was no turning back now.Reluctantly, I trailed behind Angela, feeling as though my stomach would drop at any moment and send me crashing through the earth.
As I entered the examination room, Angela, the nurse, wasted no time in directing me towards the scale.“Get on the scale,” she said in a curt tone of voice.I jumped a bit at her sudden demand and went to set my purse down on the floor and take my shoes off, but she just let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head.“There’s no need to do all that,” she said. “Come on. I don’t have all day.”“Um… Alright.”Anxiety gnawed at my insides, but I tried to maintain composure and not be reactive to her nastiness, as all I hoped for was a smooth checkup. I stepped onto the scale, anticipation mingling with apprehension.A scoff escaped Angela's lips as she glanced at the scale's reading. Confusion settled over me, and I couldn't help but shoot her a confused look. "What's wrong?" I asked."Well, it seems you're quite overweight for a girl your age. You should be more careful, considering your… condition." Angela’s voice dripped with disdain, and her cruel words almost made me feel sick to
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.