Chapter 325

Olivia

I was sitting up on the couch, staring at the front door, my heart pounding in my chest. The hands of the clock were merciless, ticking away the seconds that felt like hours.

It was late, too late. Nathan had never given me a specific time frame as to when he would be back, but it was almost midnight—well past any reasonable hour.

And all this time, I had been sitting here gnawing at my nails, a nervous habit I had relied on to calm myself ever since childhood. I really needed to stop doing it, but it was the only thing to keep myself from shaking right now.

As I waited, all of the worst scenarios ran repeatedly through my head. What if the witch had somehow figured out Nathan’s plan? What if Nathan got hurt? Could the witch be coming for the twins and me next? My thoughts spiraled into dark corners I didn’t want to explore.

Just as I was about to reach for my phone to call Nathan, the front door burst open. He stepped in, looking exhausted, his eyes carrying the weight of a long, exhausting day.

“Nathan!”

I jumped up and ran to him, my worries momentarily put on pause. He pulled me into a tight hug, nestling his face into the crook of my neck. It felt foreign, this closeness, especially after the emotional distance that had grown between us. But it also felt so, so comforting. I needed this, in a strange way.

“Did you get her? Is the witch dead?” I asked, pulling away just enough so I could look into his eyes.

He sighed, shaking his head as gently extricated himself from my arms and crossed over to the living room, where he sank onto the couch. “No. We got there, and her hut was gone. Just vanished. She must have known we were coming, even though I tried so hard to keep it under wraps.”

In response to Nathan’s words, I felt a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach. It felt as though someone had just pulled the rug out from under me. All day, despite my trepidation, I had hoped that Nathan would prevail against the witch just as he said he would and that all of this would be over.

But it seemed, once again, that my wolf had been right after all. We still had a long way to go. How long would it be before we finally came out on top, with no strife or struggles? Forever, maybe?

It was then that I glanced out the window and noticed Levi’s black car parked on the street. He was in the driver’s seat, vigilant, watching the house.

“Nathan, why is Levi outside?”

He looked up at me. “I asked him and a few others to keep an eye on the place. Just in case… you know.”

I did know: the witch could retaliate. It was a very likely possibility. If not now, then it could come at any time. For once, Nathan’s enduring vigilance felt like a blessing rather than a curse.

With a soft sigh, I walked over to the door and locked it, then sat down next to Nathan on the couch. “So… What’s our next move? What’s the plan?”

He looked at his hands, clenched into fists, then let out a sigh. “You were right, Olivia. I let my ego get the best of me. I thought this would be simple. Trap her, burn her out. But I guess that nothing is ever that easy. She’s elusive, cunning. I always think I know better, but—”

He couldn’t seem to finish the sentence, so I reached over and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “You were hopeful, Nathan. And maybe hope is the biggest thing we need right now. We’re in a dark tunnel, and that’s our little glimmer of light at the end.”

Nathan looked up, his eyes meeting mine, and in that moment, I felt the air shift between us. The tension eased, even if just a little. “You always know what to say, don’t you?”

I smiled, combing my fingers through his hair as he rested his head on my shoulder. “No, not always. But I do know that we’re stronger together than apart. And if this witch thinks she’s going to break us, she’s got another thing coming.”

…

The scent of dinner was wafting through the house as I sat on the living room floor, playing peek-a-boo with Aurora and Elliot. Their little giggles filled the room, warming my heart in a way that almost made me forget about the looming tension.

Almost.

Layla and her fiance, Cade, were supposed to come over for dinner, and it wasn’t just any casual get-together. Nathan had recently found out he was the biological father of Layla’s unborn child, and that revelation had sent ripples through all our lives.

Nathan walked in, stopping to watch us for a few minutes. There was a kind of wonder in his eyes, as if seeing his family—me and the twins—offered him a momentary escape from the complicated reality.

“You ready for this?” he finally asked, breaking the silence.

I set Aurora down, her tiny fingers curling around the edge of a little stuffed toy that she adored. “Yeah, I think so. Are you?”

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know what I'm going to say to Cade. This is messy, Liv.”

“Just speak from your heart,” I advised. “If Cade isn’t going to be open about the paternity issue, he's not fit to be the adoptive father of Layla’s baby, anyway. And she’s smart enough to know that.”

Nathan paused, his gaze lingering on the twins. “But it’s not just about Cade being open to it, Olivia. I want to be a part of this baby’s life. He’s my son. Biologically, I already feel a love for him. If he doesn’t want me to be in the baby’s life…”

His voice trailed off. I stood up, walking over to him, and wrapped my arms around him tightly. “Then we’ll fight for that. We’ll make sure you can be involved in some way.”

He hugged me back, the tension in his shoulders easing a bit as a slight smirk came across his lips. “Think you can use your Ancient Wolf powers to get Cade to be more understanding or something?”

I looked up at him, my expression serious. “I would love to, but ever since the night the Redclaws attacked, I haven’t been able to access those abilities. I think they only come out in life-or-death situations. Although, if I’m being honest, I don’t think it’s morally right for me to do it unless I absolutely have to, anyway.”

Nathan chuckled. “I was just joking, Liv. But I get it.”

He kissed my forehead just as the doorbell rang. Both our heads turned toward the front door, as if it were the gateway to a battlefield we weren't sure we were ready to step onto. But there was no turning back.

We walked to the door and opened it. Layla stood there with her smiling son in her arms, and beside her was Cade, a tall, handsome man with a stern expression on his face.

“Hey, guys,” Layla greeted, her breathy voice filled with an awkward sort of cheerfulness. “This is Cade. My fiance.”

Cade extended his hand, first to me and then to Nathan. When his eyes met Nathan’s, the atmosphere suddenly thickened, as if charged with an electric current.

“Oh, trust me. I remember... Nathan,” Cade said, his eyes narrowing.