OliviaMy eyes met those deep, red orbs from the crack between the crates, and it was at that moment that I knew.It was Alvin.But what was he doing here? And what were his motives?The last time I had seen Alvin, he was working with Ryan and the Redclaws. He had developed the ability to create fire in his palm with the snap of a finger, and he was out for vengeance. I didn’t know if vengeance was what led him here just now, or if it was something else.But either way, no matter how badly I wanted to find out, I was trapped. Jenifer’s knee was pushing into my spine, crushing me. Not only was I terrified to move because of the cold silver knife pressed to the soft skin of my neck, but I was also afraid that if I made one wrong move, she’d harm my unborn baby.The situation was already precarious enough as it was, being pinned to the floor with a hard knee pressing into my back. There was no telling what exactly she would do if I tried to struggle or speak.There was a long, tense sile
OliviaAs Jenifer and Alvin collided, I leaped out of the way just in time. But my foot caught a jagged rock sticking out of the ground, and I tumbled to the dirt floor with a grunt.I struggled to catch my breath, my chest heaving as I lay on the cold, damp floor of the basement. My vision was blurred, my head spinning from the relentless intensity of the fight that had begun to rage in front of me.Alvin and Jenifer were locked in a vicious battle, their wolf forms clashing with primal rage. The sounds of venomous growls and snarls filled the air, echoing off the stone walls, punctuated by the sickening sound of flesh against flesh.I looked up and located the door, which still stood open, but the path was blocked by the enormous bodies of Alvin and Jenifer. I knew that there was no hope if I tried to make a run for it; if Jenifer didn’t see me and kill me on the spot, then I’d be knocked out of the way by the fray.I reached out for my wolf again, knowing that shifting would be my
NathanI jerked awake out of nowhere, and the harsh, sterile scent of the hospital instantly filled my nostrils.Confusion and disorientation clouded my mind for a moment. I looked around with a furrowed brow; tubes and IVs were attached to me, tangled together like some sort of web of plastic and needles.Panic gripped me in that moment, and without thinking, I sat up abruptly, gasping for air.The nurse who had been tending to me let out a startled shriek, nearly dropping the tray of medical supplies in her hands. She stumbled back, her eyes going wide, her voice trembling as she spoke. “Are you alright, sir?” she asked.I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my mind. “I’m uh… Fine,” I managed to say, my voice hoarse. The memory of what had brought me back into the physical world flooded back into my mind, and my heart began to race.“Where is my wife?” I blurted out.The nurse furrowed her brow. “Miss Olivia?” she asked, sounding more and more confused with each passing second. “S
OliviaMy consciousness flickered back into the physical world, and the first thing I was aware of was the searing pain in my head. It pulsed relentlessly, threatening to overwhelm me, but I couldn’t afford to give in to it. I had to get out of this nightmare.And then Alvin said those words—those words that reminded me that, despite everything, Alvin had always been my friend. When I saw the look in his eyes, I was transported back to a time when everything felt so much simpler…“Alvin! It’s dinnertime!”The sound of Alvin’s grandmother’s voice pierced the air, putting an abrupt end to our playing. Our faces were stained with dirt and sweat from playing outside all day, and no matter how badly the three of us wanted to keep going, we knew that there was no use in arguing; it was time for dinner, and therefore the end of our fun for the day.“Tomorrow, I’m gonna finish building my castle,” Nathan said, gesturing to a pile of rocks that he had painstakingly arranged in the haphazard fo
NathanOlivia’s scent was fading, and it was fading fast. I had to find her before it was too late.The very first thing I did was shift into my wolf form and run back to town. The hospital was a good five or even ten minute run, even in my wolf form, but I pushed myself faster than ever. Before I knew it, the villa’s seafoam green cupolas came into view over the treetops. I shifted back into my human form and burst inside.“Olivia?” I called out frantically.I was met with the sound of confused voices, followed by footsteps. Clint and Layla stood in front of me a moment later, their eyes wide. But I didn’t have time to figure out what Layla was doing here, and I didn’t have time explain myself, either.“Where is she?” I said. “I’ll explain later.”“I—uh—she left to confront Edward,” Layla said. “That was a little over an hour ago.”An hour; that could be a good thing or a bad thing. I swallowed and turned on my heel, heading back toward the door. “Call the police,” I called over my s
OliviaWhen Alvin’s light went out, I felt as though the universe was caving in on itself.I couldn’t even begin to describe the feeling of pain and agony. Here was my childhood friend, the person who I had been torn away from at fifteen, and we never even had a chance to fully reconnect before his light was snuffed out right before my very eyes.I was angry. I was sad. And I was broken, in that moment.But then I heard it; Nathan’s voice, calling to me from the top of the basement stairs, urgent and frantic.“Olivia, watch out!”His urgent warning was a lifeline when I needed it the most, a jolt that snapped me back to reality just in the nick of time. My instincts kicked in, and I rolled to the side with every ounce of strength I could muster.The air rushed past me as the rock intended for my head whizzed by, narrowly missing its target. My heart pounded like a drum in my chest, adrenaline surging through my veins.I scrambled to my feet, my breath ragged, and my eyes locked onto t
OliviaThe sound of approaching sirens grew louder, and soon, the room was cast in the color of flashing red and blue lights. It was strange, seeing Nathan holding his demented sister in that cacophony of sound and color, but it was also strangely beautiful.But then the officers burst into the room, guns drawn.“Get down on the ground!” they shouted, not at us, but at Jenifer. Surprisingly, she complied with little hesitation. Either the magic that she had stolen from the witch had finally run its course, or perhaps she gave up.Either way, she went down with no fuss, laying on the ground with her hands behind her back.Nathan stood, and the two of us stepped aside, creating a path for the officers to approach her. I took a deep breath, still shaken by the terrifying events that had unfolded in the basement, where Alvin’s body still laid cold and lifeless on the floor.“You have the right to remain silent,” the officer cuffing Jenifer began. “Anything you say can and will be used aga
Olivia“Here you are,” the police officer said as she pulled up to the villa.Nathan and I thanked the officer as we stepped out of the car. We watched her drive away, and only then did it finally hit me, now that we were standing in front of the place we called home.“I can’t believe it,” I whispered to no one in particular. “Alvin…”Nathan’s jaw clenched, his arm tightening around my shoulders. He didn’t say anything, but that was because he didn’t need to. We had just watched our childhood friend’s body be loaded into the coroner’s van, solidifying the tragedy that we had just endured.“Nathan,” I finally found myself saying, my voice trembling, “I need to tell you something. About Alvin.”He turned to me, his jaw still set tightly. “What is it, Liv?”I took a deep breath, my heart heavy with the memory of what had happened in that basement. “He… He tried saving me,” I murmured. “I mean… he did save me.”Nathan’s grip on my hand tightened a little more. “I know, Liv,” he said. “I h
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.