Chapter 352

Nathan

I woke up to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the curtains. My eyes flicked to Olivia, who was still fast asleep next to me.

Her chest was rising and falling gently, her golden hair splayed out on the pillow around her. She looked positively angelic, a stark contrast to the tense and worried expression she was wearing last night.

Her still being asleep was unusual; she was usually an early riser ever since the twins were born, oftentimes beating me to the nursery in the mornings. But with the new pregnancy, I figured she needed all the rest she could get. I leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before rolling out of bed.

My next stop was the nursery to check on the twins. Yawning, I made my way down the hallway, but paused when I saw the door ajar.

That was strange.

Olivia and I always kept it closed at night. Maybe Olivia had gone in there and forgotten to close it? I tried to shake off the unsettling feeling as I stepped into the nursery.

Both Elliot and Aurora were awake already, their little faces scrunching up in a way that said they were close to crying.

“Hey, little ones,” I cooed, lifting Elliot first and making a goofy face to calm him down. It worked; he giggled and clapped his tiny hands together.

Just as I started to change Aurora’s diaper, I heard a creaking noise from the door. My head snapped around to find Edward standing there, looking oddly sheepish.

“Good morning, Edward,” I greeted, trying to gauge his expression. “What’s up?”

Edward let out a sigh and stepped further into the room. “Look, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop last night, but I heard you and Olivia arguing about me last night. I don’t mean to intrude, so should I just pack up and go?”

I looked at him for a moment, then turned my attention back to Aurora, who was getting a bit fussy. “No, no, you don’t have to leave today,” I assured him as I secured a fresh diaper around her.

Edward looked relieved, but also a bit puzzled. “Then why all the fuss? Olivia seemed pretty adamant.”

I lifted Aurora into my arms and walked over to the rocking chair in the corner. “It’s not you, Edward. It’s just—Olivia is very protective when it comes to the twins, especially with them being so young. Can’t say I blame her.”

Edward nodded, his eyes drifting to Elliot, who was now trying to gnaw on the bars of his crib. “I understand. You four are a family. I’m technically still a stranger here.”

“I wouldn’t go as far as to call you a stranger,” I said, shifting Aurora to a more comfortable position in my arms. “You’re my uncle, my blood. But Olivia and I agreed—you should start looking for a place within a week. If you don’t find anything, I’ll pay for a hotel for you. Okay?”

He nodded, looking a little sad but still grateful. “I appreciate that, Nathan. Thank you for your hospitality so far.”

I grinned, putting Aurora back into her crib and straightening up. “No problem. Families have to look out for each other, right?”

“Yeah,” he said.

I checked my watch. “Hey, why don’t you come to the Council building with me today? I’m leaving in an hour.”

Edward’s eyes widened slightly. “I wouldn’t want to interfere with your work or anything.”

“Trust me, you won’t,” I reassured him. “I could actually use the help. We’ve been looking for someone to handle some administrative stuff, maybe assist with a few tasks. Interested?”

Edward’s face broke into a genuine smile. “That would be nice, actually.”

“Great, so it’s settled. Go get ready. We’ll leave in an hour,” I said, feeling like things were finally starting to look up.

…

The morning air was still crisp and even a little foggy as Edward and I pulled into the Council building’s parking lot. My car rolled to a stop, and I glanced over at Edward, who was already looking a bit more hopeful than earlier.

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” he said with a slight grin.

We stepped out of the truck, our boots crunching on the gravel. As we made our way toward the entrance, I could feel a warm sense of welcome radiate from the Council members and staff we passed.

It wasn’t just common courtesy; they knew Edward was part of the Ford family, and there was an unmistakable air of happiness at seeing the family piecing back together what little we had left.

“Morning, Alpha Nathan,” one of the younger pack members greeted me. His eyes briefly shifted to Edward. “Nice to see you here again.”

Edward smiled and gave a small nod. “Thank you. It’s good to be here.”

As we continued on, I couldn’t help but hope that the support Edward was receiving didn’t make our earlier conversation seem even more harsh. The last thing I wanted was for him to feel unwelcome or disposable in my home.

Once we reached my office, I unlocked the door and let Edward in. “Have a seat.” I gestured to the chairs in front of my desk.

Edward sat down, taking in the room with a quick glance. “I’m still not used to what you’ve done with the place. It’s nice.”

“Thanks,” I replied as I settled behind my desk. “It’s a work in progress, just like everything else.”

There was a pause before Edward cleared his throat. “Nathan, is there any way I can make it up to Olivia? I get the feeling she’s not my biggest fan right now.”

I looked at him thoughtfully, pondering his sincere expression. “If you can really help us with this witch situation, Olivia will always have a place in her heart for you. She’s fierce about protecting this pack and our family. Prove that you’re on that same page, and she’ll be the first to welcome you with open arms.”

Edward’s face lit up, a mix of relief and determination settling in. “Then I’ll have to work extra hard to make sure it works.”

Later in the day, as we were going through some documents and discussing Council policies, Edward started to offer his thoughts. “You know, back in the pack where I’ve been living all these years, we used to have monthly meetings with different segments of the community. Elders, young adults, even the kids. It helped give everyone a voice.”

“That’s actually a good idea,” I said, genuinely impressed. “With everything going on, I’ve been so focused on immediate threats that long-term community building has taken a backseat.”

Edward nodded. “It’s easy to get caught up in the urgency of now. But community is always important.”

I leaned back in my chair, looking at Edward with renewed interest. “You’re full of good ideas, aren’t you?”

He chuckled. “I’ve had my fair share of experiences, let’s put it that way.”

I considered the conversation, the day’s events, and the positive energy around Edward’s presence. Then I took a deep breath and asked the question that had been building up in my mind.

“Edward, would you consider being my advisor? Officially, I mean.”

He looked stunned for a moment, but then his eyes softened, filled with a profound sense of gratitude and… something else that I couldn’t quite read. Satisfaction?

“I would be honored, Nathan. Truly.”