Chapter 150

Nathan

The tension in the room was palpable as I stepped up to the podium, my palms sweaty, my heart pounding in my chest.

The room was filled with journalists from our pack and many others, their cameras and microphones poised, waiting to capture my every word. I could feel their eyes on me, their unspoken questions, their accusations.

It had been a few weeks since Jenifer released our information and the newspapers published our secret to the world.

We tried to ignore it at first, figuring that people would soon see it as fake news and would move on. But they didn’t.

My approval ratings plummeted. I was on the verge of being kicked off of the Council for causing a disruption.

“If it’s indeed true that you and Olivia went through this plan to catch the traitors, I commend that,” Elder Mingan said as I stood before the Alpha Council. “But the people deserve to know. You need to address this issue for the sake of the entire Council. I hope you understand.”

Of course, I agreed to a press conference. It was a downright lie, though, that Olivia and I only did this to catch my father. When I grabbed her hand at the wedding, I had no idea that my father had done anything wrong.

I glanced at Olivia, who was standing at the back of the room. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. A lump formed in my throat as I thought about what we had been through, what she had endured because of me.

But there was no turning back now. I had to set things right, for both of us.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” I began, my voice steady despite my nerves. “I stand before you today to address some recent allegations, allegations that have rocked our community and shaken the very foundations of the Alpha title.”

There was a murmur among the crowd, and I could see the reporters scribbling in their notepads, their faces taut with anticipation.

“I want to make it clear,” I continued, “that the accusations against Olivia and me are false. We did not conspire to deceive you or to tarnish the sanctity of the Alpha title. In fact, our actions were taken in an effort to protect it.”

The room fell into a hushed silence as I paused, collecting my thoughts. I could feel the weight of their skepticism, their disbelief.

“I know that many of you are angry,” I said, my voice firm. “You feel betrayed, deceived. But I assure you, there is more to this story than what has been presented in the media. The truth is, we were caught in a web of treachery and deceit, a web spun by none other than my own father, Colin, and his accomplice, Jenifer.”

I went on to tell them the story, the whole painful, twisted tale. I spoke of my father’s lust for power, his corruption, his willingness to destroy anyone who stood in his way. I spoke of Jenifer’s vendetta, her desire for revenge, her manipulation of me and Olivia.

I spoke of my mother’s unjust murder, simply for being ‘in the way’. I spoke of my father’s brother, Edward, who had been killed just like my mother and erased from existence. I would never know him. I would never know anything about him.

And lastly, I spoke of Olivia and Gamma Kamran’s unjustified eviction. I spoke of how Kamran was a good man, someone who tried to fight against my father… And failed.

“And so,” I concluded, my voice cracking with emotion, “we had to act. We had to create a fake family, a facade, for me to be taken seriously as an Alpha. Olivia’s baby is not mine. Our ‘relationship’ was the only way to expose the traitors, to bring them to justice.”

I looked out at the crowd, my eyes pleading for understanding, for forgiveness. “I hope that you can see now why we did what we did. I hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive us.”

I paused, my gaze drifting to Olivia. Her eyes were filled with tears, her face etched with pain and regret.

“And to Olivia,” I said, my voice thick with emotion, “I want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what my father did to your family. I’m sorry for the pain and suffering he caused you. From now on, I will take responsibility. I will mend the broken pack and become a real Alpha, not a tyrant like my father.”

The room erupted into a cacophony of voices and questions.

Before me was a sea of raised hands, voices clamoring for attention as I concluded my speech. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the onslaught.

The reporters were like hungry wolves, eager to tear into the story, to get their answers, but I had expected this.

“Mr. Nathan, Mr. Nathan!” one reporter shouted, her notebook at the ready. “Can you give us more details about your father's involvement in this? How did you find out about his treachery?”

I looked at her, recognizing the sincerity in her eyes.

“It was a long and painful process of uncovering the truth,” I replied, my voice steady. “We had suspicions, and we followed leads, digging deeper until we could no longer deny the evidence. It was not a discovery I made lightly, and it has torn at the very fabric of my family.”

“But why the fake marriage, Nathan?” a male reporter called out, his camera lens trained on me. “Wasn’t there another way to expose the traitors?”

“The fake marriage was a necessary deception,” I answered, my voice firm. “We needed to gain trust in order for me to be taken seriously as an Alpha. It was a strategy that allowed us to get close to those who were betraying us.”

“How can the people trust you now?” another voice rang out. “How can they believe that you’re not just another liar, another politician manipulating the truth?”

I held back a wince and met the reporter’s gaze, my eyes filled with resolve.

“I understand the skepticism. But I ask you to look at the evidence, to see the truth for what it is. I did what I had to do to protect our community, to bring justice to those who sought to destroy it. I am willing to face the consequences of my actions, and I hope that the people will see the sincerity in my intentions.”

The onslaught of questions, many of them redundant, went on for some time. It was overwhelming to say the least, but I had prepared for this, and handled each question with grace and kindness.

But over the sea of raised hands and curious faces, only one mattered to me.

Olivia stood at the back of the room, watching intently. There was a knowing look on her face: she knew that, when this press conference was over, so would our ‘fake relationship.’

It was for the best. At least, that was what I kept telling myself over the past few weeks as I had secretly been making arrangements to get my own apartment in town. There was no reason for us to keep up this charade anymore, to keep waffling back and forth on our feelings.

It was time for it to come to an end.

But all I could see was the tear rolling down Olivia’s cheek, and the overwhelming look of sorrow in her eyes as she slowly stood and walked out of the room.