OliviaโDianna?โThe name escaped my lips before I could stop myself. The door had creaked open, revealing an older woman with wisps of gray hair framing her face. She wore a pair of paint-covered overalls, beneath which she wore an equally-paint-stained orange sweater.Her eyes, wide with shock, were fixed on the painting I held in my hands. As our gazes met, a moment of silence passed between us, heavy with unspoken questions. Somehow, something about this painting that had been hanging over my mantle at home had struck a chord within her.I just hoped that it was a good chord.โWhere... where did you find that painting?โ The artistโs voice trembled as she spoke, betraying a vulnerability that contrasted sharply with the reclusive, almost mythical figure the town had painted her out to be.I swallowed. โMy husband... He got it at a yard sale,โ I explained, still somewhat stunned by her sudden appearance. โItโs been hanging over our mantlepiece for ages now.โShe scoffed. โA yard sal
OliviaI stepped out of Dianna Millerโs house that day with the scent of oil paints in my nostrils and a newfound sense of hope in my chest.โDianna,โ I said as I stopped on her porch, โthank you so much for talking to me. And thank you again for donating those paintings to the auction; itโs going to make a world of difference.โDianna nodded, flashing me a warm smile. โIโll admit that it was nice to have such a sweet young lady to talk to,โ she said. โMost people who come by here just want to line their own pockets in some way or another; get a photo, ask me questions for their book, you name it. But youโฆโโI just want whatโs good for our pack,โ I said. โWe need the help of the Alpha association if weโre going to grow and rebuild after everything our pack has been through, and thatโs why this auction is so important.โโOf course,โ Dianna said softly. โFeel free to stop by anytime. It does get awfully quiet around here.โ She paused, her gaze sweeping over the austere landscape around
NathanI rolled over with a soft smile on my face, the soft light of dawn filtering through the curtains. A quick glance at the clock told me that there was still a little time to relax before it was time to head to work, and the house was quiet, indicating that the twins were still sleeping.Instinctively, I reached for the familiar warmth of Olivia next to me. But my hand found only the cool, empty sheets. A frown creased my forehead. It wasnโt like her to be up this early, not after the late nights we had been having recently.โI guess sheโs awake already.โPushing myself up, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The house was quiet, the kind of silence that usually meant the twins were still asleep. I padded down the hallway, expecting to find Olivia in the nursery or maybe in the kitchen.Instead, I found Clint sitting in the living room, surrounded by toys and the giggling twins. He looked up, a grin spreading across his face.โMorning, Nathan
OliviaI stepped into the Council building just as the sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon.Everything was going to plan; the auction would begin in a little under an hour, and everything was prepared. The signs and flyers, which had been posted all over town and mailed to every resident, had attracted a lot of attention.Already, the town was filling with people from neighboring areas, those who were coming in anticipation of Dianna Millerโs works. Soon, the auction was bound to be a success.It had to be.โOlivia!โ Ashley called out, her face lighting up as she approached. โYouโre here! Everything is coming together beautifully.โโYou can say that again,โ I said, my heels clicking on the floor as I approached. โThe place looks great.โโWe made some last-minute changes to the decorations,โ Laurie added, pointing up at some colorful streamers that were draped throughout the high rafters.โOh, and the catering came just in the knick of time, too,โ Joshua said. โItโs making
OliviaThe Council building was buzzing with lively chatter and the clinking of glasses as the final guests made their way in and took their seats, but my eyes were still fixed on the door, hoping for one last guest to make her entrance.โDo you think sheโll actually come?โ Angela, who had just slipped in after a long shift at the hospital, said as she stood next to me with a glass of champagne in her hand.I swallowed. โIโd like to say I hope so, but logic is telling me otherwise,โ I said, finally tearing my gaze away from the door.Angela sighed. โItโs okay if she doesnโt. The pieces she donated for the cause are more than enough.โAs she spoke, my eyes drifted over to the star items of the evening; the three pieces that Dianna had graciously given us. They were to be saved for the very end of the auction, but had taken center stage. Even now, I could see guests pointing at the pieces and murmuring.โYeah,โ I said, managing a small smile. โYouโre right.โThe auctioneer, a portly man
OliviaโOh my god,โ Nathan whispered, his eyes widening as his grip on my waist tightened. โIt canโt beโฆโI was speechless. The moment that Dianna Miller had stepped into the grand hall of the Council building, the room had fallen into a hush. Her heels clicked slowly on the floor, echoing throughout the room. Even the auctioneer had fallen silent.Her presence, as enigmatic as her paintings, sent a ripple of excitement through the crowd. I felt a surge of hope when I looked into her eyesโher arrival could change everything. No, it would change everything.As she approached, I saw the nerves in her eyes, the uncertainty of a woman more accustomed to the solitude of her studio than the bustle of a crowded event.Yet, she walked with a grace that hid her nervousness. When she reached Nathan and me, I didnโt hesitate; I wrapped her in a tight hug, gratitude flooding my voice as I whispered in her ear, โDianna, thank you so much for coming. You have no idea what this means to us.โDianna
OliviaDiannaโs final artwork, her most rare piece, was unveiled on the stage and elicited a gasp from the audience. My eyes widened slightly as I took in the beautiful abstract piece, a swirl of shapes and colors that almost seemed to resemble a landscape, but not quite.โLadies and gentlemen, โ the auctioneer announced, โthe final work of art by the incomparable Dianna Miller. Let the bidding begin.โBeside me, Dianna drew in a sharp breath and clutched her necklace. I glanced at her, then at Nathan, who gave my waist a squeeze.โHere we go,โ Nathan whispered.All at once, the auction hall began to fly into a frenzy of bidding. The auctioneer could barely keep up, his voice rising in pitch and cadence as his hands flew to point out the cacophony of bidders.โIโm hearing five thousandโฆ ten thousandโฆ twelveโฆ fifteen thousand!โA woman dressed in furs and pearls near the front shot up from her seat, waving her bidding card dramatically. โTwenty thousand!โ she cried out.โTwenty-two tho
OliviaMy heart sank as the Alphas turned to face us, their expressions cold and severe.โYou would be wrong, Luna,โ the stern Alpha, Dan, said flatly. โThe goal was clearโyou were meant to raise $100,000 in order for your pack to be considered for the Alpha association. You failed to meet that goal.โNathan stood beside me, frozen with shock. I shook my head in disbelief. โBut we were so close,โ I insisted. โWe were just $500 short. Surely that tiny amount isnโt enough to discount all of our hard work?:Dan scoffed, his cold gray eyes flashing with contempt. โRules are rules,โ he growled, then turned to Nathan, who was still frozen. โI expected more from you, youngling Alpha. Consider your application formally rejected.โWith that, the Alphas turned on their heels and made for the door without another word.Beside me, Nathan was completely rigid, his shoulders trembling ever so slightly. I turned to look at him, my eyes wide with a combination of fear, shock, and anger. This could no
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 thinkingโhow could I have ever agreed to this? Speaking to crowds had never been my forte; that was Nathanโs 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 husbandโฆSuddenly, a flicker of motion off to the side caught my eyeโNathan, 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 Nathanโs 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. โItโs over,โ Nathan beamed, giving my arm a squeeze. โThat wasnโt so bad.โ I couldnโt help but grin back at him. โNo, it wasnโt. You were great up there.โ And he really had been great; the press conference had been an overwhelming successโany lingering doubts or trepidation we had harbored before had been utterly blown away by the sheer force of the crowdโs enthusiastic response. For so long, it had felt like we were fighting this battle alone, like the victims who had suffered under Danโs 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.