Olivia“You won’t regret this,” Angela said as she gripped me by both shoulders and shoved me toward the door of the bakery. “Now get in there!”Before I could come up with a retort, I was already being shoved inside. The door on the bell chimed pleasantly, and the woman behind the counter looked up to see me standing there with a nervous expression on my face. Her name was Ms. Abernathy, although I didn’t know her first name.“Oh! Luna!” Ms. Abernathy said, wiping her hands on her apron. “Can I help you?”I swallowed, glancing around. The bakery was mostly empty, with only a few people sitting at various tables. It seemed as though the breakfast rush had already come and gone, and I was glad that there wasn’t much of a crowd.“Erm… Actually,” I said as I approached the counter, “I saw you had a help wanted sign in the window—”“Oh, yes,” she said with a grin. “One of our bakers left to follow her dreams in the big city. Do you know someone who might want the job?”For a moment, I alm
OliviaThe next morning, I found myself standing outside the front door to the bakery. It was still early in the morning, and with the twins in their stroller and my filled-out application in hand, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was making the right decision.The application had clearly stated that they were searching for a baker with a culinary arts degree; and considering the fact that I hadn’t even been able to go to college due to my father’s and my financial situation, I had a pretty good feeling that my application would wind up in the trash for the second time.But, then again, Nathan’s words echoed in my mind.“The worst they can say is no, right?”His words had truly bolstered my confidence, and besides, he was right; the worst they could say was no. And maybe it would be a little embarrassing, but I wouldn’t know until I tried. I had had plenty of rejections before in my life, anyway. What was one more?As I approached the bakery’s entrance, I hesitated for a moment, my hea
Olivia“Thank you all for coming. I have a very special announcement today.”Nathan’s voice boomed across the park as he leaned into the microphone. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and he had called a meeting in the park. I already knew what he was announcing: The First Snow Festival.“Our pack has been through a lot in recent history,” he continued, addressing the group of pack members who had gathered, as well as the camera crew that was broadcasting his speech on the local news. “And our traditions, the things that once brought us together, have nearly been forgotten.”He paused, licking his lips for a moment. I was standing beside him with Aurora and Elliot in their stroller, the perfect picture of a happy little family. I always hated things like this—I hated the attention—but if it was good for Nathan’s image as Alpha, then I would happily do it.“Perhaps some of you have felt as though I have not been performing as well as your Alpha as you would like,” he said. “And perhaps you
OliviaAfter the gossips walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling that had settled in my chest. Doubt gnawed at me, and I felt like I was making a big mistake by pursuing the bakery apprenticeship. I sighed and turned my attention back to the decorations and preparations for the First Snow Festival.“You should confront them,” my wolf said, annoyed at me. “You’re the Luna, and you’re allowing them to speak to you like that?”“People can have their opinions,” I replied inwardly with a soft sigh as I began tying the red ribbons around the tree branches. “As the Luna, I’d be better off letting their remarks roll off my back.”Jade growled ever so slightly in my mind. “But they’re not rolling off your back,” she complained. “They’re bothering you, making you question yourself. You shouldn’t just let them do that.”I let out another sigh. Jade was right; I shouldn’t have let them say things like that, and I especially shouldn’t have let their petty words bother me. But it was too late now
Olivia“Olivia! So glad you could make it!”Kylie rose from her seat at the diner, where we had agreed to meet for yet another wedding planning meeting. Nathan was busy at work, just as he had been more than usual lately. I didn’t blame him, though. Being an Alpha was a demanding position.But today, it felt more inconvenient than usual. I couldn’t find anyone to babysit the twins, and so I had decided to bring them—and to top it all off, I was having morning sickness.“Sorry I’m a little late,” I said as I hugged her and sat down. “Things have been a bit hectic.”She waved it off with a smile. “No worries, I completely understand. Let’s dive right in, shall we?”Over the course of our meal, we delved into wedding plans, discussing everything from the venue to the decorations. Kylie had a knack for making the process feel easy and enjoyable, and I appreciated her guidance.“Now, about the decorations,” Kylie began, flipping through her notes. “I know you wanted those handcrafted woode
NathanThe meeting with Alpha Marcus from the neighboring pack had been arranged to discuss a trade route issue that had been causing tension between our two packs. As I sat across from him at the large oak table in the meeting room, I could sense his frustration.“Alpha Nathan,” Marcus began, his tone curt, “As you know, I’m here to address a matter that has been affecting my pack’s economy. Your new trade route is infringing on one of our established routes, and it’s causing us significant financial losses.”I leaned forward, my brows furrowing. “I understand your concerns, Alpha Marcus, but I was under the impression that you agreed to this route just last month. I’ve got your signature right here.”As I spoke, I pushed the contract toward him that we had both signed just a month ago. Marcus sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “Look, I know I signed that,” he said, “but I couldn’t have foreseen these issues. My previous clients have been switching to your trade route out
OliviaWhen we finally pulled away from our hug, I let out a soft chuckle and wiped my tears away. “I’m such a crybaby,” I mused, meeting Nathan’s soft gaze.But Nathan just shook his head firmly. “No you’re not, Liv. It’s partially my fault; I haven’t been the man you need. I’ve been so focused on being an Alpha that I forgot how to be a mate.”I sighed. “Well, I appreciate the extra help,” I murmured. “But I don’t want you to shirk your Alpha duties, either.”As we stood together, Nathan seemed to think for a minute, chewing the inside of his lip.“Look,” he said, “we’ll find a balance. I’ve just got to finish up one thing inside, and then I’ll be back to help you. Does that sound okay?”I nodded. “That sounds fine.”“Good,” he said. “And by the way, I shut down those gossips earlier.”“Nathan, you didn’t have to—”“No, I did have to,” he insisted. “You think I was just gonna stand around and let some gossips talk like that about my mate? Besides, those three have had it coming for
OliviaAs I stood in the middle of the bustling park, on a sunny day just when it seemed as though things were looking back up after a tumultuous morning, I felt my heart sink.I couldn’t believe the call I had just received from Kylie, our wedding planner. I had just had a meeting with her not long ago and it seemed as though things were going perfectly fine, but when I heard her tense voice, I could feel my heart beginning to pound in my chest.“Olivia,” Kylie’s voice crackled through the phone, “we have a problem.”My breath hitched as I listened to her words. “What’s wrong, Kylie?” I asked, furrowing my brow.“Remember the beautiful location you and Nathan chose for your wedding?” she asked, her tone heavy with regret.“Yeah, of course,” I replied. How could I forget? The location was a picturesque venue overlooking the ocean, a place that Nathan and I had fallen in love with the moment we had set foot there. It was basically the location of our dream wedding. I had my heart set o
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.