OliviaThe look on Nathan’s face when I mentioned therapy was nothing but a look of complete and utter confusion.“We had therapy today?” he asked. “What are you talking about, Olivia?”I furrowed my brow, just as confused as he was. “Yes, we had therapy today. I thought you wanted me to reschedule.”For a long time, Nathan just stared at me, confusion evident across his face. Finally, he shook his head and spoke. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Can you explain?”I sighed, still baffled but also a little frustrated now. “I went to the Council building earlier and everything. Edward answered the door and he told me that you asked him to have me reschedule. That you were too busy.”Nathan looked perplexed, his brows knit together. “I don’t recall any of this. In fact, I definitely could have gone with you today. Are you sure he told you to reschedule?”I scoffed, partially annoyed and partially dumbfounded. “Of course I’m sure!” I said, throwing my hands up in the air. “He said
OliviaWaking up the next morning, I found myself nestled in Nathan’s arms, the soft morning light filtering through the curtains.For a moment, I just lay there, savoring the warmth and security of his embrace. His strong arms were tightly wrapped around me as he breathed gently beside me, his tousled dirty blond hair almost a honey color in the golden glow of the morning sunlight.But then, realization dawned on me as my eyes flickered over to the clock on the beside table—Nathan should have been at work already. My eyes widened as I gently shook his shoulder.“Nathan, wake up,” I urged, my voice laced with concern. “You should be at work by now.”He murmured something incoherent, his body sluggish and unresponsive. Panic fluttered in my chest as I tried again, shaking him more firmly this time. “Nathan, come on, wake up!”His response was lethargic, a stark contrast to his usual morning alertness. He usually had no problem popping out of bed on a weekday morning, and his version of
OliviaThe subtle buzzing of the amulet around my neck as I glanced back at Nathan, lying sick in bed, sent a shiver down my spine. It was a sensation I couldn’t ignore, a silent alarm that something wasn’t right.And with Nathan’s sudden ill state and the unexpected behavior of the amulet, my mind was already racing with concerns and questions.As I walked down the hall, clutching the amulet in my hand, I knew what I had to do: I had to call Layla. Surely she would know what to do in this situation. And as much as I hated to bother her, I felt as if I had no other choice.This wasn’t just about baseless worries anymore; it was about Nathan’s health and safety.I quietly padded down the stairs, making my way to the living room where I could speak freely. Pulling out my phone, I dialed Layla’s number, hoping she could shed some light on the situation. She was the one who had given me this amulet, after all, and her knowledge of its workings far exceeded mine.The phone rang a few times
NathanYesterday was just another day filled with the usual rigors of being the Alpha. The weight of my responsibilities was a constant companion, but I was accustomed to the pressure. The Council meeting had dragged on longer than expected, and I was looking forward to getting back to Olivia and the twins.As I was leaving the meeting room, my phone buzzed with a text. I glanced at the screen, expecting it to be Olivia or one of the pack members with a routine update. Instead, what I saw made me pause in my tracks. It was a picture of Olivia in a lingerie store, the image sent by one of my pack members. The accompanying text read: “Why is the Luna out in a lingerie store when her kids are at home?”At first, I brushed it off. Olivia had every right to buy whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. I trusted her with my entire being. But as I walked down the hallway, mulling over the text, my thoughts were interrupted by Edward.“Something on your mind, Nathan?” Edward asked, his ton
OliviaI awoke with a start, following a very strange dream. The details of it were fading already as my eyes blinked open, but the feeling of it remained. I vaguely remembered being trapped in the Council building, where the hallways turned into a maze and all of the doors disappeared.That was strange, I thought. I hardly ever set foot in the Council building, and whenever I did, it was nothing but welcoming now that Nathan was the Alpha.But then again, dreams were just dreams. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. A quick glance at the clock told me that it was past nine PM; I had been asleep for two whole hours. I felt a slight sense of panic begin to rise into my throat as I grabbed the baby monitor and checked the nursery, but the twins were fast asleep.“Huh,” I muttered, setting the monitor back down. “Guess they’re sleepy.”I sat there for a few moments, just taking it all in and enjoying the silence. The room was bathed in moonlight, and there were no sounds save for the occasional wh
OliviaIn a panic, I darted out of the house, the cold night air biting at my skin as I ran across the dew-covered grass towards Clint’s cottage. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale light over the property, making the shadows around me seem deeper, more ominous.I reached Clint’s door, pounding on it so loudly that it echoed in the quiet night. “Clint! Please, open up!”After a moment that felt like an eternity, the door creaked open, and Clint appeared, looking groggy and disheveled. His hair was tousled, and he leaned heavily on the door frame. He looked as though he had just woken up.“Olivia?” he asked, his voice thick with sleep. “What’s wrong?”“Clint, it’s Nathan,” I blurted out, my voice quivering as I spoke. “He’s… extremely sick. I need to get him to the hospital. Now.”Clint’s eyes widened in alarm, and he straightened up as much as his aching joints would allow. “Did you call an ambulance?” he asked, concern etching his features.I shook my head, my heart pounding
Olivia“Miss Olivia?” The doctor’s eyes scanned the sparse waiting room before they landed on me.Aside from a few other people, it was mostly empty.There was a girl sitting next to her father, her head between her legs with a bag on standby for whatever stomach bug she was going through; her father was rubbing her back gently, his tired eyes fixed on the television. There was a guy about my age holding a bandage on his hand. And there was an old woman, coughing into a napkin.And then there was me. Olivia. Alone, terrified, and my heart becoming so heavy in my chest that I was certain it would fall right out and bore a hole through the ground.“T-That’s me,” I breathed, stepping closer. My hands gripped the hem of my shirt as I began to imagine the worst. Did Nathan die? Did his body give out? Should I have taken him to the hospital sooner?The doctor shot me an apologetic look, then gestured for me to follow. “Right this way,” he said. “I think it’ll be easier for you to see it you
OliviaThe next few hours stretched on for what felt like an eternity, and not once did I let go of Nathan’s hand.At some point, though, I must have begun to doze off—because the next thing I knew, I was nodding off with my head on the edge of Nathan’s hospital bed, lulled to sleep by the rhythmic sounds of the machines beeping in sync.I fell into a dreamless sleep, an abnormal yet not unwelcome surprise. I rarely slept without dreams. Maybe it was because of the stress, or maybe it was because I wasn’t asleep for long enough.Before I knew it, I awoke to the sensation of someone shaking my shoulder. I jerked my head up, immediately wiping the drool off of my cheek. My first instinct was to check on Nathan, but he was still soundly asleep beside me. Next, my eyes met those of a nurse standing over me.No, not just any nurse, I realized as my eyes came into focus.It was Angela.“Liv,” she breathed as I abruptly stood and threw my arms around her shoulders. She was in her clean scrub
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.