Chapter 303

Left alone in Nathan’s office, the air felt thick with unspoken words and lingering tension. Layla started to cry softly, her shoulders shaking with the weight of her vulnerability.

“Olivia, I don't think Nathan wants to help me. What if he refuses to take the paternity test? What will I do then?” Layla's voice quivered, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

I closed the distance between us, wrapping her in a comforting hug.

“Listen,” I said. “Nathan will come around. He always does. He just needs some time to digest all this information. And honestly, if he doesn’t agree to take the test for whatever stupid reasons, I’ll personally drag him by the ear to the hospital.”

Layla chuckled through her tears, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “You would do that?”

“I doubt it’ll come to that,” I reassured her, “but yes, I absolutely would.”

Layla gave me a weak smile, her eyes still glistening. “Thank you, Olivia. I really appreciate your support.”

“Of course,” I said, returning the smile. “Hey, would you like to walk around town a bit? Maybe grab some coffee?”

Layla's face brightened a little. “I’d like that, actually.”

As we left the Council building, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of the morning’s revelations lifting, if only slightly. We walked to the local bakery and picked up fresh coffees, the warm aroma filling the crisp morning air.

Eventually, we stopped outside the library, which was still in the process of being rebuilt after the attack that devastated our community. The construction noises filled the air, a cacophony of hope and resilience.

“This is… Nice, Olivia,” Layla said, lifting her coffee cup slightly. “Thank you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” I replied with a gentle smile. “I want you to feel welcome while you’re here. I know our pack isn’t always the friendliest toward outsiders, especially right now.”

Layla paused as we passed by the library and stopped next in front of the old grocery store, which was also quickly coming along in its reconstruction. The elderly couple that ran the place, with their two adult sons, were pointing their fingers and giving instructions to the workers.

“I have a confession,” Layla said quietly.

“Lay it on me.”

Layla drew in a deep breath. “You’re the first woman who has ever really shown so much kindness toward me.”

“Really?” I asked, cocking my head to the side. Layla was so mild and sweet, it took me by surprise. I assumed that she had tons of friends.

But Layla nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never had good friendships with women for my entire life. I hope this doesn’t sound narcissistic or anything, but… Other girls always seem almost… intimidated by me. I’ve always been accused of stealing their man’s attention away or something like that.”

“Oh,” I said, nodding. “Because you’re pretty.”

Layla said nothing.

“Listen,” I said, “women like that aren’t worth your time. And for what it’s worth…” I paused, looking up at the roof of the post office, which had two workers standing on it and repairing broken sections of the roof. “I would consider you my friend.”

Layla’s eyes widened. “Really?”

I nodded. “If this kid turns out to be Nathan’s, you should come over whenever you want. I think you’d like my friend Angela, too.”

For a moment, Layla was silent. She said nothing, but when I glanced at her, I could see misty tears dancing in her eyes and a soft smile playing on her lips as she thumbed the top of her coffee lid. I pretended not to notice.

We kept walking for a few minutes, letting the silence between us fill with the sounds of the construction workers around us. Finally, Layla chuckled a bit, drawing my attention.

“You know, I’m really impressed by how efficiently everything is being rebuilt, especially after what happened,” Layla said, glancing around. “It’s amazing how quickly things are getting back to some semblance of normalcy.”

“It’s Nathan,” I said softly, pride filling my voice despite the complexity of my feelings for him at the moment. “He’s a good Alpha, focused on restoring the community.”

“I always knew he would be,” Layla agreed, sipping her coffee. “Even when we were together, I sensed that he had all the qualities of a great leader.”

Her words stung a little, reminding me of a past I had no part in but still influenced my present. Shaking off the thought, I took a sip of my coffee.

“So, how are things between you and Nathan?” Layla asked cautiously, her eyes meeting mine. “If you don't mind me asking.”

I looked down at my coffee, suddenly finding myself incapable of making eye contact. “It’s complicated. I did something that hurt him, and I don’t know how to make it right.”

“Was it...” Layla hesitated, as if searching for the right words. “Was it infidelity?”

“No,” I said quickly, looking up. “Nothing like that. But somehow, it feels even worse.”

Layla reached out and gently rubbed my arm, her touch warm and comforting. “You know, I sense a true love between you and Nathan, something that can withstand many trials. If he’s holding something back, he’ll come forward with it soon enough. Don’t lose hope.”

Her words warmed me, giving me a sliver of optimism amidst the chaos that was my life right now. “Thank you, Layla. That means more to me than you could know.”

We stood there for a few more minutes, each lost in her thoughts, sipping coffee in companionable silence.

The construction noises continued, a constant reminder that even in the face of ruin and heartbreak, life had a way of moving forward.

...

That night, I was alone at home, nursing a cup of tea as I sat on the sofa, drowning in my thoughts. Suddenly, the front door burst open, and Nathan stormed in, his face a stormy mask of emotion. Startled, I almost spilled my tea, my heart pounding.

“Nathan, what the hell? You can’t just barge in here like that, especially after being gone for so long!” I scolded him, setting down my cup and standing up.

“Jenifer escaped from the asylum,” he blurted out, his eyes wide and frantic.

The words hit me like a tidal wave, leaving me momentarily speechless. “What do you mean, ‘escaped’? How did that happen? Where is she now?”

“I don’t know, Olivia,” Nathan replied, running his fingers through his hair in a display of raw frustration. “That’s what’s so terrifying about this. She’s out there, somewhere, and the facility has no idea where she could be. They said they tried contacting me multiple times, but I never got the calls. And the fucking Elders kept the news from me, too.”

His voice cracked a little, exposing the weight of his worry.

"Okay, let’s not jump to the worst conclusions here,” I said, trying to sound calmer than I felt. “Maybe she went back to her pack’s territory, or found some family members to take her in. She might have joined another pack for all we know.”

Nathan looked at me, his gaze searching my face for reassurance. “You’re probably right. She’s just one person, mostly harmless on her own.”

He seemed to sag a little, as if a burden had been lifted, even if only slightly. But then, just as suddenly, he turned to leave, his movements curt.

“Wait, where are you going?” I asked, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could think. My heart raced, suddenly aware of how much I didn’t want him to go, not when there was still so much hanging in the air between us.

He paused, his hand resting on the doorknob. For a moment, he looked as if he were wrestling with himself, torn between the need to walk away and the desire to stay.

“If this is about the paternity test, I’ve decided that I’ll take it,” he said, his voice solemn.