Chapter 208

Olivia

The moment Elder Mingan turned her attention to me, it felt like the ground beneath my feet had vanished.

I tried to rally myself, to muster the strength to respond to the mounting challenge, but my throat felt dry, and words eluded me. My secret—that my wolf was dormant, hidden deep within, inaccessible to even me—weighed heavily on my shoulders.

“Well?” Elder Mingan asked, cocking her head to the side so that her gray hair fell onto her shoulder. “Prove your claims, Miss Olivia. Is Alpha Nathan being truthful about your matehood, or is this another ploy to get what you both want, just as it was when you lied to everyone the first time?”

At Mingan’s words, a slight gasp rippled through the crowd.

The first time.

It was something that never left my mind, night and day. Most people were understanding of Nathan’s excuse when he gave his press conference, but not everyone. Some people still viewed us as liars, taking advantage of the sanctity of the mate bond to achieve our goals.

And the thing was, they didn’t even know the full truth. Our lie wasn’t a well-rehearsed plan to find out who the traitor was. It was a last-minute decision, a last ditch effort to preserve something that was crumbling.

And now, as Elder Mingan looked at me, I thought for sure that she knew. She knew all along. Our dredging out of the traitor, Colin, was just a side effect of our unlikely arrangement.

Nathan must have sensed my turmoil because, in an instant, he was by my side, his presence immediately grounding me. He took my hand, intertwining our fingers, as he addressed the Elders with a calm assertiveness that only he could muster.

“Elders,” Nathan began, his gaze sweeping across each of them, “I understand your skepticism. Our claims might seem ungrounded to you, and I’m willing to offer a solution."

Elder Corbin smirked. “Oh? And what might that be?”

“In thirty days, Olivia and I will undergo the sacred Mating Ceremony. It’s a bond that cannot be faked or forced,” Nathan said. “If, after that time, we cannot convince you of our authentic bond, then I will no longer evoke the Supreme Alpha Right to Safety for these children."

A ripple of surprise, and in some cases amusement, spread through the Elders. Elder Amara’s laugh, delicate yet mocking, rang out. “You would risk your pride, your reputation on this show of theatrics? Even for you, Nathan, this is a new low.”

The others joined in, chuckling and murmuring in agreement, clearly convinced that Nathan had painted himself into a corner.

“Perhaps it is,” Nathan said, pulling his shoulders back confidently. “Or perhaps you’re mistaken about my true relationship with Olivia.”

“Perhaps we are.” Mingan leveled her gaze, her gray eyes filled with discernment. “We shall see in thirty days.”

Another ripple of voices made its way through the crowd—some supportive, some filled with resentment.

But amidst the sea of condescension, one Elder remained silent. Elder Freya, a figure I always found enigmatic, with her deep-set green eyes and long, wavy auburn hair, stared intently at me.

Elder Freya never spoke. Not even once. At least, that was what I heard; no one, not even Nathan, had ever heard her voice. Nathan always told me that he sensed that she used telepathy to speak to the other Elders, but never to him or anyone else.

It was unsettling, the intensity of her gaze, but before I could dwell on it, her voice echoed in my mind.

“I can tell that your wolf is hiding… Because your wolf is special, isn’t she?”

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

Elder Freya… The Silent Elder, the Elder who children feared and teenagers made up stories about how she lost her voice, was speaking to me. To Olivia.

Was she reading my thoughts? Or was it something else, a deeper connection I didn’t yet understand?

No one, aside from Nathan and Angela, knew of my unique circumstances. The revelation that someone else might be privy to this secret was both surprising and alarming.

Meanwhile, the laughter from the other Elders had subsided, replaced with a veneer of smug satisfaction.

“Very well,” Elder Mingan declared, her cold eyes never leaving Nathan’s face. “If you wish to make a spectacle of yourselves and prove what we already suspect to be a falsehood, then so be it. Thirty days, Nathan. We will be watching.”

“I say we up the stakes,” Corbin interjected. “If you two cannot prove your matehood within thirty days, you will leave. For good.”

Another gasp made its way across the crowd. I tensed, feeling Nathan’s grip tighten around me, but he set his jaw hard and nodded.

Nathan nodded once, his jaw set, determination clear in his eyes. “It’s a deal.”

With that, Nathan turned and led me away from the center of the square. The weight of hundreds of eyes on our retreating forms felt oppressive, but I held my head high, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of seeing any weakness.

Angela quickly fell into step beside us through the parting crowd, her gaze filled with concern. “Are you both okay?” she whispered, her eyes darting between Nathan and me.

“We’ll manage,” Nathan responded, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “We always do.”

Angela looked as if she wanted to say more, but she merely nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line.

As we left the square, the shadow of Elder Freya’s words lingered in my mind. My thoughts were a whirlwind.

Who was she, really? Why did she choose to speak to me, when she had supposedly never spoken to anyone before? How could she possibly know about my dormant wolf? And what did she mean by ‘special’?

I thought back to my strange dreams about my wolf; about being more than I thought I was. About my father telling me not to let anyone see my wolf, and the golden color of my wolf’s fur.

What did it all mean? Was my wolf truly special in some way, and that was why a spell had been put on me? To protect me, or to keep me from realizing my true potential? To keep me in a… cage?

Before I could voice any of these concerns, Nathan pulled me into a tight embrace as we rounded the corner and were hidden from sight.

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered, his lips brushing against my forehead. “We’ll get through this together.”

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to have faith that in thirty days, we could prove our bond to the Council and the world. But deep down, the doubt, the uncertainty, gnawed at me.

“We need a plan,” I murmured into his chest. “Thirty days… Thirty days to become mates, and I still don’t have my wolf.”

“We’ll find a way,” he reassured me, pulling back slightly to meet my gaze. “Together.”

The sun had risen higher in the sky, its warm rays casting long shadows across the cobbled streets. As we walked back to the villa, I couldn’t help but wonder about the challenges that lay ahead and the mysterious Elder who seemed to know more about me than I did about myself.