Chapter 341

Olivia

The room seemed to close in on us as Edward introduced himself. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt Nathan tense beside me. This couldn’t be right. Edward was supposed to be dead. Gone. A ghost of the family’s troubled past, erased from history. How was it possible that he was standing here, then, alive and well? He had to be an imposter.

“Edward? As in, the brother of my father, Colin? The one who died?” Nathan’s voice wavered between disbelief and a sort of cautious hope.

Edward chuckled, a sound that seemed both nostalgic and regretful. “Died is a strong word, my boy. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“What are you talking about?” Nathan pressed, his eyes narrowing. “Look, if this is some sort of prank, it’s not funny.”

“It’s not a prank,” Edward said. “It’s quite real. I’m your uncle.”

My mind was racing. Edward’s Gulch, a steep ravine not far from here, was named after this man who had supposedly met a tragic end there years ago. And yet, here he was, standing in the Council building as though he had just returned from a long vacation.

“Explain.” Nathan folded his arms over his chest and gave this unexpected visitor a glare that could have made anyone give up the truth.

“You see,” Edward began, “I didn’t die. At least, not the way everyone thinks. I had to make it look like I did.”

“Why?” The word shot out of Nathan’s mouth like a bullet.

“Because your father wanted me dead,” Edward confessed, his voice low, thick with emotion. “He would have killed me. So, I had to protect myself.”

Nathan’s face betrayed very little surprise when it came to his father. We had both been under the impression that Colin had killed Edward. And he certainly killed Nathan’s mother in the same way.”

“To protect myself,” Edward continued, “I had to disappear. I staged the whole thing—a fake death at the bottom of what you now know as Edward’s Gulch.”

I felt Nathan’s hand reach for mine, squeezing it tight. Our fingers intertwined together, and in that moment, I felt more like Nathan’s rock than I had ever been.

“Go on,” Nathan said, still sounding skeptical. “How did you pull it off?”

Edward sighed. “I took some livestock, used it to stage an accident, a bloody scene, and then I ran. Far away,” Edward continued, his eyes distant as though reliving the moments. “Your father, of course, went along with it and said it was true. He was always too smart to believe it, obviously. But I was out of the picture, and that was good enough for him. That’s not to say that there weren’t times when I wasn’t followed.”

“Where did you go?” I found myself asking, my voice softer than a whisper.

“Well, at first, I bounced around,” he began, meeting my gaze in a way that reminded me all too well of Nathan. “Eventually, once Colin stopped sending hitmen after me, I made my way to a neighboring pack. They took me in, offered me sanctuary. Twenty-seven years, Nathan. That’s how long I’ve lived among them. That pack became my home,” Edward said, sadness tinging his words.

“But why come back now?” Nathan’s question hung in the air, a blend of suspicion and desperate curiosity.

“When I heard about you, my nephew, leading this pack, and standing up to the challenges you’re facing…” Edward’s eyes met Nathan’s, and there was nothing but respect in his gaze. “I had to meet you.”

Nathan looked at me, and I could see a torrent of emotions swirling in his eyes—doubt, confusion, maybe even a little bit of hope. I returned his gaze, squeezing his hand, letting him know that no matter what, we were in this together.

“This is a lot to take in,” Nathan finally said, breaking the silence.

“I can only imagine,” Edward said sympathetically, “and I don’t expect you to decide how you feel about me right away.”

Edward looked from Nathan to me, his gaze softening as it landed on the twins who were now in the care of Angela at the back of the room. His eyes then flickered to my belly, and in a strange way, it felt as though he knew somehow. Like he could see the little life inside of me. I couldn’t explain it, but it somehow felt as though he sensed it.

“You have a beautiful family, Nathan,” he said softly, his oddly familiar eyes lifting to meet mine.

For a moment, nobody spoke until Nathan finally cleared his throat.

“So, you stayed away all these years because of my dad, because of Colin?” Nathan finally broke the silence, his voice laced with both understanding and skepticism.

“Yes.” Edward nodded. “I knew your father’s capacity for malice, Nathan. And when I heard he was in prison and you were the Alpha, I was wary. I had to be sure you weren’t like him.”

“And what convinced you that I’m not?” Nathan raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed.

“I’ve been watching your actions from afar,” Edward admitted, his voice tinged with pride. “Leading the pack, standing up against enemies, making wise decisions. You’ve shown strength and compassion—two traits that your father, Colin, never had.”

Nathan looked at me, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He was wrestling with a whirlwind of emotions. How could he not? This man before him was family, yes, but he was also a stranger—a ghost from the past who had chosen to reappear, and we still weren’t even sure whether we could trust this man.

Edward must’ve sensed Nathan's hesitance because he took a small step closer and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a trinket—a vintage locket—and held it up for Nathan to see. “I’ve had this since I was a child,” he said softly, popping it open to reveal two faded black-and-white photos.

The atmosphere in the room shifted perceptibly. Nathan uncrossed his arms and took a closer look. His breath caught in his throat. “Those are my grandparents,” he whispered.

“Your grandmother gave this to me when I was about ten years old. She said it was to remind me of where I came from, who I am,” Edward explained, a wistful smile gracing his lips. “I kept it all these years.”

I watched as Nathan reached out hesitantly to touch the locket, his fingers tracing the contours of his grandparents’ faces. There was a kind of magic in that moment, a bridging of past and present, of doubts and certainties.

“Okay,” Nathan finally said, looking up. “I… I think I believe you.”

The tension that had filled the room seemed to dissipate. Edward closed the distance and wrapped Nathan in a hug. I took a step back and observed, exchanging glances with Angela, who had tears in her eyes. She shot me a subtle smile and a wink, as if to say, “Don’t worry. You and I will be discussing this later. Privately.”

When I looked back at Edward and Nathan, they were still hugging. It was a heartfelt, lingering embrace—the kind you give someone you've missed for a very, very long time.

“Do you trust him?” I asked my wolf, still unsure myself.

“I’m not sensing anything right away,” she replied, taking her time. “He seems genuine. And he smells familiar. It’s possible that he has Nathan’s blood after all.”

As they pulled apart, Edward looked at Nathan, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “I’ve missed out on so much of your life, and I know I can’t make up for lost time. But I’d like to try, if you’ll let me."

Nathan nodded, his face a blend of relief and newfound hope. “We can try,” he echoed.

As I stood there, watching this unexpected reunion unfold, I felt a blend of emotions. This was new territory for all of us.

And yet, as I looked at Edward, then at Nathan, and finally down at my belly where another little life was growing, I realized that perhaps this was a second chance—a chance to rewrite the narratives of broken family ties and to make room for new beginnings.