Chapter 168

Olivia

The day had begun like any other, but as I sat across from Angela in our favorite coffee shop, I knew something was different.

There was a question burning inside me, and I couldn’t hold it back any longer. The connection between Nathan and my wolf had grown too strong to ignore, and it was time to confide in someone.

After days of hearing little snippets, echoes of my wolf’s voice every time I brushed hands with Nathan or came too close to him in the hallways of the villa, I was certain that he was connected somehow.

Angela was my closest friend, and I trusted her more than anyone else. And that was why I invited her here today: to tell her what had been happening.

“So, Angela, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” I began, my fingers nervously tracing the edge of my coffee cup.

She looked up from her book, her eyes widening slightly as she took in my serious expression. “Sure, Liv. What’s going on?”

I took a deep breath, searching for the right words. “You know about my wolf, Jade, and how she’s been dormant for years, right?”

Angela nodded, her face filled with concern. “Yes, of course. Is everything okay?”

I hesitated, then blurted out, “I think I’ve been hearing her again. I think she’s trying to reach out to me.”

Angela’s eyes went wide, and she leaned across the table, her voice full of excitement. “Really? That’s incredible, Liv! But… why now? What’s changed?”

I bit my lip, glancing down at my hands. “I think it might have something to do with Nathan.”

“Nathan?” Angela’s eyebrows shot up, her eyes twinkling with interest. “How so?”

“The more I’m around him, the more I feel her presence,” I explained, my voice tinged with wonder. “I felt it for the first time a few nights ago; he hugged me, and suddenly I heard her voice. Ever since then, I can only hear snippets of her voice if I’m physically touching Nathan. It’s like she’s trying to tell me something, but I don’t know what.”

Angela leaned back in her chair, her eyes thoughtful. “Well, maybe it’s like those stories, you know? About fated mates?”

I laughed, the sound hollow and disbelieving. “Fated mates? Come on, Angela. Nathan is just my friend. That ship has already sailed.”

She shook her head, her face serious. “I know it sounds crazy, Liv, but think about it. Why else would your wolf suddenly come back to life around him? It’s worth considering, at least.”

I looked at her, my mind whirling. The idea was preposterous, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that she might be right. I had considered it at first, after all, but I had talked myself out of it. The thought of Nathan and I being… fated mates filled me with a strange sense of discomfort in my belly.

“You really believe that?” I asked, lowering my voice a bit.

She shrugged, her eyes soft. “I don’t know, Liv. But it’s something to think about, and besides, you know how you and Nathan feel about each other. Maybe you should try something, see how your wolf reacts to it.”

“Like what?” I asked, intrigued despite myself.

Angela grinned, leaning forward again. “Kiss him.”

I choked on my coffee, my eyes wide. “What?!”

Her words came out so easily, so nonchalantly. A smirk played on her lips, and I thought she was joking. She had to be.

“Kiss him. Just once,” she said, her voice soothing. “Try to contact your wolf at the same time, and see if she shows herself. I bet she will.”

I shook my head, the idea both terrifying and tempting. “I can’t do that, Angela. It wouldn’t be good for our friendship. We’ve already been through so much, and things are on rocky ground. Besides, I would feel like I’m taking advantage of him.”

Angela’s expression softened, and she reached across the table to take my hand. “I know, Liv. I know it’s a big risk. But isn’t it worth it to find out the truth? To understand what’s really going on with your wolf?”

I looked down, my mind a storm of emotions. Was it worth it? Could I really risk my friendship with Nathan on a whim, on a theory that seemed so unlikely?

I shook my head. “I can’t. It wouldn’t be right for him.”

“Liv, I’m not saying you have to do this,” Angela said, her voice gentle. “But think about it. Think about what it could mean for you, for your wolf. Maybe Nathan is the key to all of this, somehow. Besides, don’t you think he would understand if you explained it to him afterwards?”

Truthfully, I didn’t know if he would understand. We had already set firm boundaries between ourselves so as not to stray into uncomfortable territory again. I feared that if I did something like that, even with an explanation, he wouldn’t forgive me.

I looked up, meeting her eyes, and saw only sincerity and concern. “I don’t know, Angela. It seems so far-fetched.”

She smiled, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “I know, Olivia. But sometimes the most incredible things in life are the ones that seem the most unlikely. You owe it to yourself to at least consider it.”

We sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in our thoughts. Finally, I sighed, nodding slowly. “Okay, Angela. I’ll think about it. I’ll consider the kiss.”

She smiled, her eyes bright. “That’s all I ask, Olivia. Just think about it.”

I nodded again, feeling both relieved and terrified. The idea of kissing Nathan was thrilling, but the potential consequences weighed heavily on me. My friendship with him was one of the most important things in my life, and I didn’t want to jeopardize it.

But Angela was right. The connection between Nathan and my wolf was real, and it demanded exploration. I had to find out what it meant, even if it meant taking a risk.

If I could get my wolf back somehow, it would completely change my life. And for all I knew, if I somehow managed to get my wolf back before my due date, maybe it could save my baby, too. After all, children of a parent with a dormant wolf could be born with no wolf at all.

It wasn’t unheard of, and in a world dominated by werewolves, I hated the idea of my future children being so stunted by something like that.

As we finished our coffee and said our goodbyes, I felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Angela’s suggestion had opened up a world of possibilities, but it also brought with it a host of uncertainties.

As I walked home, my mind kept returning to Nathan, to the idea of kissing him, to the sensation of my wolf’s presence around him. Was it really possible that he was my fated mate? Or was it all just a figment of my imagination, a wild theory with no basis in reality?

I didn’t know the answers, but one thing was clear: I had to find out. I had to take a chance, to explore the connection between Nathan and my wolf. Even if it meant risking everything.

I would consider the kiss. But that was all I could promise. For now.