Olivia“Now you know the truth, Olivia.”Nathan threw the list of names down on the table in front of me—the exact same list that he had told me about during his story. With shaking hands, I slowly reached down and picked it up. And, just as he had described, there they were.So he wasn’t lying
OliviaWrapped in my robe, I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting impatiently. My leg bounced nervously, and the book that I had brought to bed to occupy myself sat untouched on the bedside table.I shouldn’t have felt this nervous over seeing my husband; but after not seeing him for weeks, and even coming dangerously close to having a divorce, tensions were high. I felt rather like I did the first night we hooked up, back before we had admitted our feelings to one another.God, that felt so long ago now.When I heard the back door quietly click open, I nearly shot up from where I sat. A few moments later, I heard soft footsteps coming down the hall, and soon a familiar silhouette appeared in the doorway.“Nathan,” I breathed, rushing over to him.He captured me in his strong, warm arms, and for the second time that day—or maybe the millionth, if you counted all of the little moments throughout the day when it suddenly hit me again—I felt like a fool for ever pushing him away.“Liv,” h
OliviaThe sun peeked through the branches overhead as I pulled up to Layla’s little house, which was situated in the woods toward the center of her pack’s territory.Despite Layla’s status as the Luna of her pack, her home was a cute and cozy cottage; surely another home that Dan might ridicule for being small and insignificant, but I had always adored it since I had met her.Putting the car in park, I blew out a breath, steeling myself. This wasn’t really a social call—I needed information that could potentially help Freya, and Layla was one of the few people I trusted to have that knowledge.Gathering my tote bag stuffed with research materials and the twins out of their car seats, I headed up the gravel path to her porch. The door swung open before I could even knock, and Layla appeared, bouncing a squealing baby boy on her hip.“Olivia! I could feel you coming up the trail.” She smiled warmly, shifting the baby to usher me inside. As I walked past her, she reached out and pinched
OliviaI hurried down the dimly lit hallway, my heels clicking rapidly against the polished floors as I made my way to the utility closet.My heart pounded relentlessly in my chest with a mixture of nerves and excitement at the thought of seeing Nathan again—really seeing him in a way I hadn’t been able to for far too long.
OliviaThe reporter’s question hung in the air, heavy and loaded. My mouth went dry as the camera flashes threatened to blind me, the microphones all but shoved in my face.“Is it true that you are getting a divorce?”Before I could formulate a response—not that I even had anything to say&mdash
OliviaThe barrage started innocently enough—a few phone calls here and there from unknown numbers, a few texts, a few social media comments. I would let the calls go to voicemail and never listen to the messages the callers left, not wanting to invite more intrusion into my life.But within a matter of days, the missed calls were only multiplying rapidly. Before I knew it, I was on the verge of calling my cell phone company to change my number.
NathanI settled onto the plush leather sofa in Dan’s lavish sitting room, my gaze automatically drifting to the floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased a breathtaking view of Dan’s bustling pack territory, its lights twinkling in the light of dusk.A glass of scotch swirled in my hand, and the flavor of a luxurious dinner still lingered on my tongue. But despite the luxury that was surrounding me, my skin crawled with discomfort.
OliviaI jolted awake to the sharp sound of knocking at the front door, and almost immediately, I reached for my phone. I felt a wave of panic bubble up inside of me; more reporters? But a glance at the clock revealed it was well past three in the morning—far too late for reporters.So, who on earth could that be at this ungodly hour?
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.