The sun wasn’t even fully up yet when I woke up to the sound of soft cooing coming from the baby monitor on my nightstand.Shaking off the haze of sleep, I stretched my arms and slid out of bed. The room was bathed in the soft light of morning, casting warm hues across the wooden floor.I padded down the hallway to the nursery, pushing open the door to find Aurora and Elliot awake in their cribs. Aurora was busy gnawing on her little fist, her eyes bright with curiosity, while Elliot was making happy gurgling noises as he kicked his chubby legs in the air.“Good morning, my little loves,” I cooed, reaching down to pick up Aurora first. I cradled her in my arms, feeling the warmth of her tiny body as I took a seat on the rocking chair to feed her.As I was bottle-feeding Aurora, I looked over to see Elliot happily playing with his stuffed animal. But then, suddenly, I noticed Elliot do something extraordinary.He rolled over onto his belly all by himself!A surge of excitement flowed t
I stepped out of the Council building, the air suddenly feeling too heavy to breathe properly. My feet seemed to move on their own accord, carrying me further and further away from the labyrinth of questions and revelations I had just left behind.“What do you think, Steel?” I asked my wolf, mentally conversing with the other side of me that was more than just instinct and raw power. He was a part of my soul, a partner in navigating the complexities of being both man and beast. And he always had something astute to say.The wolf grumbled in confusion and uncertainty. “It’s hard to say, Nathan. We know Layla speaks the truth, but it’s a hard truth to swallow. It could throw a wrench into your already complicated dynamic with Olivia and the twins.”“Yeah, no kidding.” I sighed aloud. My hands clenched into fists, my fingernails digging into my palms. The idea that I could be a biological father to another child, and Layla’s child at that, was a shock to my system.“If the child is ours,
Left alone in Nathan’s office, the air felt thick with unspoken words and lingering tension. Layla started to cry softly, her shoulders shaking with the weight of her vulnerability.“Olivia, I don't think Nathan wants to help me. What if he refuses to take the paternity test? What will I do then?” Layla's voice quivered, her eyes shining with unshed tears.I closed the distance between us, wrapping her in a comforting hug.“Listen,” I said. “Nathan will come around. He always does. He just needs some time to digest all this information. And honestly, if he doesn’t agree to take the test for whatever stupid reasons, I’ll personally drag him by the ear to the hospital.”Layla chuckled through her tears, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “You would do that?”“I doubt it’ll come to that,” I reassured her, “but yes, I absolutely would.”Layla gave me a weak smile, her eyes still glistening. “Thank you, Olivia. I really appreciate your support.”“Of course,” I said, returning the s
The tension hung heavy in the room, almost palpable, like an invisible veil between Nathan and me. He had just declared his intent to take the paternity test after all, which was a bit of a relief, but his words still did nothing to dispel the emotional maelstrom swirling between us.“I’m glad you’re taking the test,” I began, carefully choosing my words. “But that’s not the only reason why I wanted you to stay, Nathan.”His eyes met mine, filled with a blend of confusion and caution. “What are you saying, Olivia?”“I’m saying that I miss you, Nathan. The twins miss you. We need you.” My voice wavered, betraying the raw vulnerability I felt. The raw vulnerability, the loneliness, that I had been feeling for more than a week now.He ran his hand through his hair, his expression a mix of frustration and longing. “Olivia, I miss you too, and I miss Aurora and Elliot. But I can’t just forget about what you did with the witch. You know that.”My heart clenched. “I know what I did was wrong
Nathan gently placed Aurora back in her crib and gave both of the twins a kiss on their foreheads before turning back to face me.“I should go,” he said, his voice tinged with a certain kind of sadness I couldn't quite place. I watched in horror for a few moments as he brushed past me and made his way toward the front door, but my wolf, Jade, howled softly in the back of my mind, urging me not to let him walk away.“Nathan, please stay.” The words escaped my lips before I even had a chance to think.He turned around, locking eyes with me. “I can’t, Olivia. Not tonight. I need to get back to the Council building.”“The Council building?” I asked, cocking my head. “I thought you were staying at the cabin.”Nathan paused, passing a hand over his face. In the dim light of the hallway, I could really see how weary his face looked, the lines around his mouth, the dark circles under his eyes.“I am, technically,” he said. “But I only go there to sleep. And…” He paused, chuckling wryly. “I ha
The next morning came quicker than I anticipated, the first rays of sunlight sneaking through the curtain gaps and casting patterns on the bedroom wall. Despite the emotional whiplash of last night, sleep had granted me a temporary reprieve. But as my eyes fluttered open, reality quickly reasserted itself.I had barely stepped out into the hallway when I almost collided with Nathan, who was already fully dressed, his expression unreadable.“I’m heading out to take the paternity test,” he announced without preamble.The suddenness caught me off guard. “Oh, um, okay. Do you want me to come with you?”Nathan looked mildly surprised, as though the thought hadn’t crossed his mind until now. “If you want to. You don’t have to.”“Of course I’ll come,” I said, a little more forcefully than I intended. If this was a crucial moment for him, it was for me as well.Once the twins were situated with Clint—who was recovering but still pretended he was just fine—I grabbed my purse and keys, and we h
The morning sun was beginning its ascent into the sky by the time we reached the clinic, casting a dim glow through the clinic’s frosted windows as I stepped into the examination room. Layla followed, cradling her son carefully in her arms. The weight of the situation loomed over us, a palpable tension that we both tried to brush off with forced smiles and polite small talk.The nurse handed me a cotton swab and explained the procedure. Simple enough. A cheek swab for DNA. I rubbed the cotton against the inside of my cheek and handed it back. Done.But the real weight of the moment hung suspended, unresolved, like a storm cloud about to burst.“The doctor will be in to speak with you shortly,” the nurse said tersely, casting Layla and I both a strange glance before she slipped out of the room.I had expected that people would gossip and look upon our situation with disdain. This town wasn’t the biggest, and word spread fast. I already knew that word had begun to spread about my stint
The sun was warm on my face, a tender caress that was both comforting and haunting. Comforting because it felt good to be out of that stifling waiting room; haunting because the light seemed to intensify the confusion that clouded my thoughts.Jade, my wolf, was restless inside me, picking up on my rollercoaster of emotions.“You need to be strong,” she muttered, her voice echoing in the recesses of my mind. “This isn’t about you or what people say. It’s about family. Yours and Nathan’s.”“I know, Jade. I know,” I replied mentally. “It’s just difficult. I wish that Nathan would open up to me.”“He’s getting there,” Jade replied gently. “Last night was a testament to that. But this whole witch business… I think there’s something that he isn’t telling you. Maybe something that he hasn’t told anyone.”“Like what?” I asked.Jade audibly sighed inside my mind, her disappointment reverberating like an echo inside my skull. “I’m not sure. Could be anything. A secret, maybe. Some sort of trau
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.