Chapter 185

Nathan

The weight of the room was palpable.

My heart thundered in my chest as Angela quickly mashed the herbs I'd handed her, creating a potent mixture. Olivia’s pallid face, eerily lit by the dim room light, was a stark contrast to her usual radiant glow. I watched with bated breath as Angela administered the strange concoction, her hands steady, though her face was etched with worry.

“This should help with her blood pressure,” she murmured, pouring the potion into Olivia’s mouth. “Then we can get her second baby out of there.”

“I hope you’re right,” I said.

Angela fell quiet. Her sweat-streaked face was lined with worry, her blue party dress covered in blood from the agonizing delivery. I took a moment to glance over at Clint, who was still holding Olivia’s son—our son.

“He’s waiting patiently for his mom and his sister,” Clint said quietly.

It was a strange juxtaposition, to see the grizzled old man so delicately holding the little bundle of innocence in his arms. But seeing him like that made me feel at ease; he held the little one so carefully, so close to his chest, that I could rest at least knowing that one baby was going to be okay.

I looked back at Olivia then. She was still lying limp on the floor, where they had made a makeshift bed of towels, old blankets, and a pillow for her head while I was out hunting for the herbs. If she hadn’t been in the throes of delivering two babies before she passed out, I would have thought that she actually looked somewhat peaceful.

With a shaking hand, I reached out toward Olivia and brushed a strand of sweat-soaked hair away from her clammy forehead. At my touch, she seemed to stir a bit—but only momentarily. I paused, waiting for more recognition of my touch, but there was nothing.

“Nathan.” Angela’s voice broke through my thoughts, snapping me back to reality. I felt her hand on my wrist, and I turned to look at her. “Nathan,” she said, “I need you to be prepared for the worst.”

“The worst?” I muttered, still in a state of disbelief.

Angela nodded grimly. “You already know, Nathan. She might not make it through this. Are you prepared to do what Olivia would want and take care of these babies?”

I swallowed, nodding solemnly. “Yes, of course,” I murmured. “Just…”

My voice faltered. No matter how hard I tried, no words would come.

Olivia had to get through this. She was the strongest person I knew. Without her, I could take care of her babies… but the world would never be the same. None of us would ever be the same.

“I can still sense her in there,” I heard my wolf’s voice echo in my skull. “Her wolf is keeping her alive for the time being. She might have time. But her wolf… It’s weak.”

“What are you saying?” I asked in response.

“Her wolf needs some guidance,” my wolf answered. “Although I’m not sure what I can do.”

My wolf’s words left me feeling a mixture of dread and hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could pull through just long enough to get through this.

“Come on, Liv,” I whispered, willing her to show some sign, any sign, of improvement.

Suddenly, Angela’s face changed. I followed her gaze, noticing Olivia’s abdomen contract sharply.

The second baby was coming. And with it, an unexpected rush of hope filled the room. But there was a problem—Olivia was still too weak.

“Dammit,” Angela said, her hands buried inside of Olivia to feel for the baby. “She’s crowning, but she needs another big push. But Olivia is so weak.”

She needed more strength, the kind of strength that only her wolf could provide.

“What about her wolf?” I asked suddenly. “I know she’s been lending Olivia her strength. If we could just help somehow…”

Angela’s brow furrowed. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened in realization. “We need to strengthen her bond with her wolf, quickly!” Angela exclaimed, her eyes darting around, searching for a solution.

In my tense state, I could barely process her words. But before I could ask for clarification, Angela turned to me, her eyes locked onto mine with a fierce intensity.

“Nathan, kiss her.”

I blinked, taken aback. “What?”

“You heard me,” Angela snapped, urgency dripping from every word.

“Your bond with her, the deep connection you share—it can awaken her wolf. It can give Olivia the strength she desperately needs right now.”

I hesitated, confusion and desperation warring within me. “But how?”

“It’s about energy, about the bond between mates. When you kiss her, it’ll amplify the connection, giving her wolf a boost. Trust me, Nathan. Do it now.”

Without another word, I leaned down, my lips meeting Olivia’s cold, unresponsive ones. It was the most intimate and vulnerable moment of my life.

With the weight of the unborn child and Olivia’s life hanging in the balance, I poured every ounce of love, longing, and desperation into that kiss.

The room around us seemed to fade, every sound muffled, every sensation dulled. All that mattered was the electric connection between us.

I felt it then – a surge of energy, a powerful pulse that seemed to flow from me into Olivia. Her wolf responded, a faint growl echoing deep within her, as if waking from a long slumber.

Breaking the kiss, I looked up to see Angela nodding in approval. “It’s working,” she whispered.

The minutes that followed were a blur. Olivia’s body convulsed as the contractions intensified. And then, with one final push—an effort that seemed more from her wolf than her weakened human self—her second baby was born.

Tears streamed down my face as Angela handed me the second child, a healthy, crying little girl. Holding both of our children, one in each arm, was an indescribable feeling. They were perfect, every tiny finger and toe, every soft cry, a testament to the love that I felt for Olivia.

But as overwhelming as the joy was, my gaze kept drifting back to Olivia. She still lay there, serene and silent, showing no sign of waking up. Angela busied herself with cleaning Olivia and ensuring both babies were fine, but her glances toward Olivia were laden with concern.

“Angela,” I choked out, my voice barely above a whisper. “Will she wake up?”

She paused, casting a careful glance at Olivia before turning her gaze back to me. “The herbs should stabilize her, but she’s exhausted, Nathan. She used up almost all her strength. We just have to wait and see.”

Every second felt like an eternity, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. The children in my arms were the most beautiful beings I had ever seen, but Olivia was my anchor, my heart, the woman I loved. I needed her to wake up, to look into my eyes, to hold our children.

“Liv,” I whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “Come back to us.”

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Clint, his eyes filled with a mix of happiness for the birth of the children and worry for Olivia. “She’s a fighter, Nathan. She’ll pull through.”

Leaning down, I pressed a gentle kiss on Olivia’s forehead, feeling the soft warmth of her skin against my lips.

“Wake up, Olivia,” I murmured. “We’re waiting for you.”