Chapter 194

Olivia

The room had seemingly been silent for a while before I walked in.

Nathan’s blue-green eyes, normally full of warmth and joy, were now shadowed with a troubled glint. The faint glow from the setting sun poured through the windows, casting a soft amber hue that added to the heavy ambiance.

“Nathan?” I asked, my voice quivering slightly as the past two days’ events whirled around in my mind, filling me with an automatic sense of dread. “What’s wrong?”

Nathan said nothing, but as I set foot into our living room, my attention was immediately drawn to a piece of paper clutched in his hand. I knew from the weight of the look in his eyes that it held news—and not the good kind.

“Nathan?” I called, my voice echoing a hint of apprehension. He looked up, eyes not entirely focusing on me, lost deep in his thoughts.

“Olivia,” he whispered, his voice rough, almost broken. “You need to sit down.”

Without waiting for a response, he gestured to the chair opposite him. The ticking of the wall clock felt unnervingly loud as I hesitantly took a seat. He held out the letter, now bearing the tell-tale creases of having been read multiple times.

“I...” He swallowed hard, clearly battling with himself. “I opened it by accident. I misread the name. I’m so sorry, Liv.”

Taking a deep breath, I accepted the letter, instantly recognizing the delicate, neat handwriting. It was from Meredith, Ryan’s mother. A feeling of unease began to churn within me.

“Olivia,” Nathan began again, “I think it’s best if you read it.”

I started to scan the letter, every line making my heart beat faster and harder in my chest.

Dear Olivia,

I wish I were writing to you under happier circumstances. Our family is in deep pain. Ryan suffered a horrific car accident, and it’s uncertain whether or not he will pull through.

……

Please consider this a formal request. Failure to heed this request will result in drastic actions being taken, and I’m sure that none of us want that. Return Elliot to his father, and all can be avoided.

Yours sincerely,

Meredith

The room spun as the weight of Meredith’s words sunk in. My vision blurred, tears forming at the edges of my eyes. The last remnants of sunlight seemed to dim as the implications dawned on me.

“He wants...Elliot?” My voice broke, hardly more than a whisper.

A mix of fear, anger, and disbelief surged within me. Clenching the letter in my fist, I felt the paper crumble as a wry chuckle rumbled in the back of my throat. “This has to be some sort of sick joke. I won’t give my son away!”

Nathan looked pained, his face etched with concern and conflict.

“Liv, I know how this sounds, but you have to understand the implications. Ryan, as an Alpha, has the right by pack law to claim his heir. Refusing could lead to serious repercussions.”

I stared at him, feeling a cold anger well up. “You can’t possibly be suggesting that I just… hand over my son—our son—to Meredith! Just because of some archaic pack law?”

“Olivia, I’m not saying I want to,” Nathan said, standing abruptly. “God, I don’t want to! But I spoke to the Elders already, and they’ve made their demands. If we don’t do something about this, there will be war. The Redclaws are violent—surely you know that.”

I pushed back from the table, standing up, my whole body trembling. “But they can’t just come in and demand I give up my baby! Ryan abandoned us, Nathan! He chose to walk away. This… This can’t be real. It’s an empty threat, and nothing more.”

I could see the anguish in Nathan’s face, hear it in his voice. “I know he walked away,” he replied. “And I hate it as much as you do. But we need to think rationally, Liv. Yes, this threat may be empty, but I don’t think we should brush it off as such right off the bat.”

The room was silent for a long moment, save for the now deafening ticking of the clock. I could feel a storm brewing outside, mirroring the tempest within our home.

Outside, the wind continued to pick up its intensity while big, fat raindrops began to fall from the sky and patter against the windows, just like the storm that was beginning to rage inside my heart.

“What are you suggesting, Nathan?” I finally demanded, my voice quivering with emotion. “That we just... comply? That we hand over our baby?”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, exasperated. “I don’t know, Liv. I don’t. No, we won’t comply, not yet, at least. But we need to consider our options. Maybe there’s a middle ground. Maybe there’s a loophole in the law we can exploit.”

The desperation in my heart gave way to anger, a fiery rage that burned hot and fast.

“Ryan has been absent from Elliot’s life since the day he was conceived. He made his choice that day over dinner. And now, just because things have taken a tragic turn, Meredith thinks she can waltz in and play the family card? Over my dead body.”

“Olivia, I—” Nathan began, but I cut him off.

“I mean—Just think about the baby shower!” I said, my voice rising. “Ryan just showed up out of nowhere. How did he even know that the baby shower was being held that day? Why did he suddenly want a part in my children’s lives? This reeks of conspiracy, don’t you see that?”

“I don’t deny that,” Nathan said with a sigh, running a hand through his messy blond hair. “I was wondering the same thing myself. But Olivia…”

Nathan paused, and I let out a small growl. “I won’t allow it,” I snarled. “Conspiracy or not, truth or not, I won’t let Ryan take Elliot. I won’t.”

Nathan reached out, trying to grasp my hand, but I pulled away. “Liv, please, we need to think of the pack. They look up to us for guidance and protection. If it comes down to it, are we willing to risk their lives over this?”

Our eyes locked, a battle of wills and emotions playing out. I felt torn, pulled in every direction by my love for my son, my duty to my pack, and my anger towards Ryan and his family.

“Elliot is OUR son, Nathan,” I whispered fiercely, my voice filled with determination. “Ryan will have to pry him out of my cold, dead hands.”