Chapter 304

The tension hung heavy in the room, almost palpable, like an invisible veil between Nathan and me. He had just declared his intent to take the paternity test after all, which was a bit of a relief, but his words still did nothing to dispel the emotional maelstrom swirling between us.

“I’m glad you’re taking the test,” I began, carefully choosing my words. “But that’s not the only reason why I wanted you to stay, Nathan.”

His eyes met mine, filled with a blend of confusion and caution. “What are you saying, Olivia?”

“I’m saying that I miss you, Nathan. The twins miss you. We need you.” My voice wavered, betraying the raw vulnerability I felt. The raw vulnerability, the loneliness, that I had been feeling for more than a week now.

He ran his hand through his hair, his expression a mix of frustration and longing. “Olivia, I miss you too, and I miss Aurora and Elliot. But I can’t just forget about what you did with the witch. You know that.”

My heart clenched. “I know what I did was wrong, but I had no choice, Nathan. We were desperate, and I did what I thought was best at the moment.”

“Best for who? You’ve put us all at risk, especially Aurora!” His voice rose, each word like a blade cutting through me.

I felt my own temper flare up in response. “Yes, I made a mistake. But I can’t fix it alone, Nathan. I need your help. If you truly love Aurora like she’s your own daughter, you’ll help me figure this out, even if you never forgive me.”

Nathan’s eyes searched mine as if he were peeling back the layers of my soul, looking for the truth he needed to find. He sighed, the sound heavy with the weight of our complicated love.

“Nathan…” I paused, looking down at the floor to hide the tears that were threatening to spill. “If you’re planning on breaking up with me, I get it. But don’t let Aurora get mixed up in it.”

“I don’t plan on breaking up with you, Olivia,” he finally said, his voice softening. “I… I just need time.”

The sincerity in his voice should have comforted me, but instead, it intensified the fear that gnawed at the edges of my heart. “I don’t know if I believe that, Nathan. How can you say you won’t break up with me when everything between us feels so fragile?”

His eyes darkened, a sudden intensity overtaking his features. In a fluid motion, he closed the distance between us, his hands finding my face, pulling me into a kiss so fierce it left me breathless.

The sensation of his lips on mine ignited a fire that had been smoldering beneath the surface, a fire fed by weeks of frustration, desire, and unsaid words. My hands moved instinctively to his hair, pulling him closer, as if I could merge our bodies and souls into one and make him feel the depth of my remorse and love.

I felt Nathan’s body press against mine, sandwiching me between his sinewy muscles and the wall. His hands found my waist, gently lifting my shirt. I could feel his cool fingers trace the lines of my waist, reaching toward my breasts.

But at the last moment, he stopped. His hand retreated from beneath my shirt, and instead cupped my face.

As we broke apart, his forehead resting against mine, his breath mingled with mine in the small space between us.

“Do you believe me now?” he whispered, his eyes locking onto mine as if daring me to doubt him.

My heart pounded. Inside of me, I felt my wolf react strongly to his presence, the first sensation of his body that I had felt in what seemed like an eternity. The scent of grapefruit salt and his wolf’s musk filled my senses, almost making me weak at my knees.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the soft cooing of the twins suddenly interrupted us, their little noises coming through the baby monitor on the coffee table. A new tension settled between Nathan and me, one that pointed to responsibilities beyond our own fractured relationship.

“Do you want to see your kids?” My voice was gentle, filled with an unspoken hope that this could be a bridge, however small, toward reconciliation.

He looked at me, his eyes tinged with a sadness that was hard to see. “Yes.” He nodded, his voice equally soft.

We moved in unison, walking down the short hallway into the nursery. I watched as Nathan approached the twins’ cribs, his large hands incredibly gentle as he picked up Aurora, then tenderly patted Elliot on his little belly. My heart swelled at the sight, a warm sensation bubbling up from deep within.

“I think Aurora’s hungry. Can you get a bottle ready?” he asked, never taking his eyes off Aurora.

“Of course,” I replied, turning to leave the room. I stepped into the kitchen and prepared the formula, shaking the bottle carefully to make sure everything was well mixed.

As I did, I felt a stirring within me, my wolf, Jade, nudging my consciousness.

“He needs to stay tonight, Olivia. I’ve been weak ever since he left. I need my strength back,” she said.

“I’ll do my best, Jade,” I whispered under my breath, tightening the bottle’s cap.

I returned to the nursery, stopping at the doorway when I saw Nathan gently rocking Aurora in his arms. He was whispering to her, his voice so soft I could barely make out the words.

“I’ll protect you, little one. No matter what comes our way, Daddy’s got you.”

Tears sprang to my eyes. As quietly as I could, I took a step back, intending to leave them in that precious moment for just a little longer. But just then, Nathan glanced over his shoulder, catching my eye.

A mix of emotions flickered across his face, and he extended his hand toward me, silently asking for the bottle.

I walked over, handing it to him. He took it and started feeding Aurora, his touch so delicate it made my chest ache. I watched, captivated by the tender scene before me.

“We need to talk about the whole witch situation.” He finally broke the silence, his eyes still focused on our daughter.

“I… I agree,” I replied, my voice laced with a sense of urgency.

“I’ll speak with Layla as soon as possible,” Nathan continued. “She might know some old lore, some way to kill a witch. This needs to be resolved, for the twins, for you, for all of us.”

Relief washed over me. I had been unsure about telling Layla earlier, not knowing how it would be taken. I wanted Nathan there for the discussion, at least, so we could tackle this issue as a team.

“Thank you, Nathan. That means more than you can know.”

He looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine for a long moment. “You should know that I haven’t meant to be absent from the twins’ lives, Olivia. It’s just… There’s so much going on in the town, so many responsibilities—”

“I understand,” I interrupted, my voice softening. “But they need their father, Nathan. And...I need you.”

A weight seemed to lift from the room, as if acknowledging our mutual need was the first step toward some kind of resolution. Nathan looked at me again, this time with a glimmer of the love that had always been the bedrock of our relationship, however cracked and strained it might currently be.

“I haven’t forgotten that, Olivia,” he said quietly. “And I’m not planning to.”

There was a silence as Nathan finished feeding Aurora, then gently laid her down in her crib. With one last kiss on each of the twins’ foreheads, he turned toward me, the solemn look taking over his features once more.

“I should go.”