OliviaDan lifted his champagne flute, clinking a fork loudly until the buzzing conversations around the grand dining table quieted. All eyes slid expectantly to the head Alpha, who was grinning broadly as his gaze scanned the room.“Esteemed friends and colleagues,” Dan said, “please lift your glasses in a warm toast; tonight, we are welcoming the most recent addition to our alliance.” As he spoke, his steely gaze landed on Nathan, who straightened proudly in his seat beside me.“Young Mr. Ford here,” Dan continued, “represents the future of progressive change with his daring charity ventures and his lovely… family commitments.”Heat flooded my cheeks at the veiled pregnancy reference. Dan’s eyes slid over to me, albeit briefly, and something in his gaze made me uncomfortable. I felt as if he was assessing, calculating.But then, just as before, it was gone just as quickly as it had come. I hadn’t imagined the subtle jab in Dan’s tone and the cold look in his eyes, had I?“To Nathan’
OliviaMy heels clicked loudly on the marble floors as I walked up to Nathan and the leggy blonde who was perched provocatively on the arm of his chair.“Nathan,” I said, “can I talk to you for a moment?”Nathan lifted his gaze to meet mine, and there was a look of surprised innocence in his blue-green eyes. “Of course, love,” he said with a soft smile. “We were just discussing a few financial ventures I’m considering investing in for the pack, but it can wait.”“I see,” I said stiffly, my gaze drifting over to the concubine. Her green eyes flashed as she looked at me, and with a flip of her blonde hair over her shoulder, she rose and sauntered off.Once we were alone, I exhaled tightly. No way was I going to cause a scene here, but the territorial glare that that woman had shot me raised my hackles.“What did you want to talk about?” Nathan asked.“Not here,” I hissed. Taking his hand, I pulled him up out of the chair a bit more roughly than I intended and pulled him down a nearby ha
NathanThe night seemed to drag on as I circled the party, essentially making my rounds; chatting with one Alpha about sports here, chatting with another Alpha about stock prices there, the usual.Ever since Olivia pointed out the… truth about the women at the party, though, my conscience felt a bit heavier. I had been completely oblivious to all of the prostitutes, thinking that they were just friends or family.Oh, how wrong I had been. And now, their coquettish stares and smirks behind champagne glasses made it all the more uncomfortable. I wanted to go home, with my wife, but I couldn’t just yet. This party was important for appearances, regardless of the company.Eventually, I found myself waiting for a fresh scotch refill by the bar when the household butler suddenly materialized out of seemingly thin air at my elbow. “Pardon me, Alpha Nathan, but Alpha Dan requests your presence in his study at once to discuss… private matters.”I straightened, my feeling of surprise jolting aw
OliviaI let out a muffled, yet satisfied moan into the plush pillows, entirely spent and my legs quivering from Nathan’s determined focus to prove that no concubine could ever compete with me. His fingers lazily trailed shapes up and down my bare back as I melted further into the silky sheets.For several minutes we just lay there, entirely focused on steadying our breathing. The cool night breeze from the open balcony door pleasantly blew across our hot skin.I think I really needed this after a night of having to stand with my back straight and a smile plastered across my face while I rubbed elbows with people who I didn’t know nor like. To let loose with my husband, in the comfort of our own home… it was all I could have asked for.Eventually, I propped myself up onto an elbow and met Nathan’s husky gaze with a self-satisfied smile. “Your point is noted,” I teased. “I’ll have to consult with the council, however, on the matter of your fidelity.”Nathan scowled, but there was a smi
OliviaSeeing the normally reserved toddlers immediately scramble over to Clarissa, eagerly clambering onto her silk skirt hem with little regard for manners or sticky fingers, made my heart squeeze.She didn’t even bat an eye, instantly pulling toys and books from her large handbag as if by magic. My stunned delight must have shown on my face, because Clarissa glanced up and laughed openly.“Of course I had to bring the little ones some gifts,” she said with a cheeky grin as she held up a little stuffed zebra that Aurora was practically going bananas over. “I always have to spoil any little children I come across.”I couldn’t help but giggle. “I’m not complaining,” I said. “Thank you so much, Clarissa. Really. That’s very nice of you.”Clarissa waved me off with a chuckle. “May I?” she asked, holding up a little picture book that depicted an adorable array of mice wearing costumes on the cover. “I could play with them while you work, if you’d like. I’d love to babysit.”My eyes widen
Olivia“Olivia! How wonderful to meet your mother!”My mother? I blinked, momentarily taken aback by Benjamin’s comment. The mention of my mother caught me off guard; it had been ages since anyone brought her up. She had passed when I was only a teenager, barely old enough to grasp the full weight of the loss.I composed myself, shaking off the sudden wave of emotion that threatened to take over me. “I’m sorry, Benjamin, but my mother died a very long time ago.”An awkward silence fell over the three of us. Benjamin’s eyes widened behind his wire-rimmed glasses.“Oh my god, Olivia, I’m so sorry,” he said. “You two just just resemble each other so closely, I made an assumption…” His voice trailed off embarrassedly, and he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.I offered a slight laugh to help ease the tension. “It’s alright, Ben,” I said gently. “Honestly, a lot of people have said that Clarissa and I look alike.”Clarissa and I turned to look at each other then; curiosity and some
Nathan“On to the matters regarding the Graywind pack’s new trade route…”“I propose we give them a formal warning. They should not be given such lenience; it is an unauthorized trade route, not even to mention the fact that it is impeding on several other trade routes.”“I agree, Alpha Cyrus. Really, we must put our foot down on matters such as this. I fear that the smaller Alphas are becoming too comfortable with their movements.”“Every pack has its place. Perhaps some Alphas should be reminded of that.”I shifted in my seat as I listened in on the discussion, trying my best not to let my nerves get the best of me. As the youngest member—and the newest member—of the Alpha association, I still felt like I had to prove myself amongst all these seasoned Alphas who had been making pack decisions for decades.So that was why, when the current motion for new interpack trade laws came up, I decided to speak my mind.“If I may,” I said.The other Alphas looked expectantly at me. “Go on, Al
OliviaI tapped my foot anxiously in the doctor’s waiting room, my eyes glued to the obstetrics office entrance. The minutes until my ultrasound appointment were dwindling away, but there was still no sign of Nathan.He had sworn up and down that his important meeting would wrap in time to make it here, but he hadn’t even sent so much as a text to let me know he was on the way.Shaking my head, I pulled out my phone for what felt like the millionth time and opened up our text conversation; still nothing, no matter how many texts I had already sent so far that afternoon.“Hello?” I typed out, desperately hoping for something, anything. “Where are you? The appointment is starting in five.”I hit send, my breath hitched in my throat as I stared at the screen. Then, my heart lurched as those three little bubbles popped up, indicating that he was typing. Finally. Maybe he was almost here.But the bubbles rippled across the screen for an exceedingly long time before they stopped, with no te
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.