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
“What’s your problem, Angela?!” I almost shouted, curling my hands up into fists as I stood before her. She was taller than me, but I didn’t care. I was tired of being made to feel small.Angela looked a bit surprised by my sudden outburst. “Calm down, Olivia,” she said with a wry chuckle. “Should I call security? Do you need some antipsychotic meds or something?”I could feel anger bubbling up inside of me, and a low growl almost rumbled in my throat.“Don’t play dumb, Angela,” I snarled, pointing my finger at her. “You were nasty at the hunt for no reason. We haven’t even spoken since, what, middle school? What is your problem with me?Angela's judgmental sneer cut through my body like a knife. Her words dripped with malice and hatred. "You're just a dirty cheater who stole Nathan away from a girl who would have been the perfect Luna," she spat, her eyes filled with contempt.Even more anger bubbled up within me, threatening to overflow, but I clenched my fists, determined to mainta
I finally returned home after my grueling appointment with Angela. As I sat in the driveway and leaned my head back, closing my eyes for a moment while weariness enveloped me like a heavy shroud, I was suddenly startled by someone knocking on the car window.I opened my eyes to see Nathan standing there. He looked upset.Sighing, I pulled the key out of the ignition and climbed out of the car."Hey," I said, barely managing a weak smile. "Everything alright?"Nathan stared down at me for a moment with his arms folded across his chest."Olivia," he finally said, "did you go to your first maternity appointment without me?"I raised my eyebrows. He did look genuinely upset, but I didn’t understand why. "Yeah," I replied casually as I reached back into the car to retrieve my purse, then shut the door and locked it. "Why?"I started to head up the driveway toward the villa with Nathan on my heels. "I figured as much," he said, sounding almost annoyed. "I’ve already received some messages a
My childhood friend’s face was pale and his eyes were wide."Olivia," he said, his annoyed voice melting into concern, "who said those horrible things to you?"Instantly, I felt myself soften beneath his worried gaze. I wished all of a sudden that I hadn’t said anything at all about what Angela said to me during my appointment, as now I realized that all I accomplished was making Nathan worried for me."Um… Forget it," I said, taking a step back. "It’s nothing. I think I’m just tired, and blowing things out of proportion."Nathan’s frown deepened. "Tell me the truth, Olivia," he replied as he closed the gap between us again. "Who said that to you? I want to speak to them."I swallowed. Nathan’s face was too intense for me to ignore it, and so I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep the truth from him any longer."It was… Angela," I replied, staring embarrassingly down at the floor. "She was the nurse at my appointment this morning. She said some really awful things, and made me take se
The disdainful gaze and harsh comments of Nathan’s father, Colin, had always made me want to avoid him at all costs. But Nathan’s mother, Maria, was a different story.She never seemed to particularly go out of her way to be cruel toward me like Colin did, but I also knew that she never really liked me. She exuded rigidity and coldness, and left a lasting impression on me when I was a kid that still weighed heavily on my mind.Her imminent visit sent a shiver down my spine, but it seemed as though I had no choice now but to get dressed and wait for her.Sighing, I crumpled up Nathan’s handwritten note and tossed it in the wastebasket. I wanted to look presentable for Maria, so I showered quickly, then put on a nice, modest dress and pulled my hair back neatly.Just as I was finishing getting ready, I felt myself jump as I suddenly heard the sound of Maria’s fist rapping on the front door impatiently.I practically ran down the steps and flung the door open, having reached the door in
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.