Olivia
The morning air was cold and crisp as Nathan loaded his suitcase into the car. I stood beside him, still in my pajamas, shivering in the chilly wind. A slight mist had settled over the landscape, which only added to the cold.
“You’re sure you have everything?” I asked, trying to restrain my teeth from chattering as I spoke.
Nathan nodded and turned to face me. His cheeks were rosy from the cold, but the wind didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. He had always been like that; always more of a wintery kind of person than a summery one. I was the opposite.
“You should get back inside,” he said softly. “It’s cold out here.”
I managed a small smile. “I don’t mind being cold for a few minutes.”
We just stood there awkwardly for a couple of seconds, unsure what to say, before Nathan
NathanThe building that stood in front of us as we walked up the pathway was like something out of a painting; tall spires, stone facades, black gargoyles staring down at us with their menacing faces.But I hardly saw any of it; I was too preoccupied with other things. Specifically, my wife.We had been so distant la
OliviaI stared numbly out the window at the lazily falling snowflakes. It was a little late in the year for snow, but I didn’t mind watching the fat snowflakes fall and disappear on the ground.I let out a small sigh and glanced over my shoulder at the flickering fireplace. The twins were fast asleep in the nursery, my own dinner time was coming close, and I wasn’t feeling very much up to eating.
NathanThe air of the small, underground bar that Dan and I stepped into was thick with the scent of whiskey and cigar smoke.I paused for a moment in the doorway, taking in the sights and sounds around me: the businessmen in crisp suits leaning around wooden tables, the busty blonde bartender who was fixing her high ponytail in the mirror, the jazz music playing from a band in the corner.
Olivia“Your husband is cheating on you. I have proof.”I blinked in surprise down at the text that was on my screen. It was from an unknown number, without so much as an area code that I recognized.“Hah. Yeah,” I said out loud, shutting off my phone. “Right.” I shook my h
OliviaThe anonymous caller didn’t send me any more ‘proof’ for the rest of the night, regardless of the way the conversation had been left. I tossed and turned in bed, the last text from our conversation floating through my mind over and over again.“I don’t believe you,” I had texted in a frantic flurry of denial. “Unless you send me solid proof of my husband cheating, I’m just going to assume that you’re messing with m
OliviaMy phone sat on the floor in front of me. The screen had long since gone to sleep, and only now reflected my crying face.But in my mind, I could still see it: the images of Nathan, of my husband, my childhood friend and fated mate…Getting into bed with another woman.
NathanThe sun hung high in the sky, but it barely penetrated the thick layer of clouds overhead. As I walked up to the meeting building, I shivered once more in my coat; and to think that I had always thought that I could handle the cold.This northern cold was something different, though. It froze you right to the bone. Even my eyelashes felt as if they would freeze off.
OliviaAs the days leading up to Nathan’s return from the summit passed, my anger only grew. Maybe the anger was just a coping mechanism and it would eventually dissolve into pure, unadulterated heartbreak and sorrow, but I didn’t care.My husband had cheated on me, and I had proof.Not an hour went by tha
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.