Chapter 371

Nathan

Yesterday was just another day filled with the usual rigors of being the Alpha. The weight of my responsibilities was a constant companion, but I was accustomed to the pressure. The Council meeting had dragged on longer than expected, and I was looking forward to getting back to Olivia and the twins.

As I was leaving the meeting room, my phone buzzed with a text.

I glanced at the screen, expecting it to be Olivia or one of the pack members with a routine update. Instead, what I saw made me pause in my tracks.

It was a picture of Olivia in a lingerie store, the image sent by one of my pack members. The accompanying text read: “Why is the Luna out in a lingerie store when her kids are at home?”

At first, I brushed it off. Olivia had every right to buy whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. I trusted her with my entire being. But as I walked down the hallway, mulling over the text, my thoughts were interrupted by Edward.

“Something on your mind, Nathan?” Edward asked, his tone casual yet probing.

I hesitated for a moment before showing him the picture. “It’s just a text from a pack member. They saw Olivia at the mall.”

Edward’s expression changed as he looked at the picture. “Is Olivia seeing someone?” he asked, his voice laced with a hint of concern.

I frowned, confused and slightly taken aback. “What do you mean?”

Edward gestured to the picture. “It’s odd, isn’t it? A woman with two babies and pregnant with another going out secretly to buy lingerie. And with all the issues you’ve been having lately... Maybe it’s possible.”

I felt a pang of unease at his words. My sleep deprivation didn’t help; I had been struggling with insomnia for over a week now, and it was taking its toll on my ability to think clearly.

“You think Olivia is cheating on me?” I asked, the words feeling strange and foreign as they left my mouth.

Edward placed a hand on my shoulder, his gaze steady. “I’m just saying it’s odd, Nathan. You’ve been so busy with the pack, and with the twins... Maybe she’s feeling neglected.”

His words echoed in my mind as we walked through the corridors of the Council building. The more I thought about it, the more Edward’s suggestion seemed to make sense.

The sleep deprivation clouded my judgment, and doubts began to creep in, doubts I had never entertained before about Olivia.

We reached my office, and I sat behind my desk, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and suspicion. The picture of Olivia in the lingerie store played over and over in my mind, each time fueling a growing sense of anger and betrayal.

“Maybe you’re right, Edward,” I finally said. “Maybe she is seeing someone else.”

Edward nodded, his expression somber. “It is a possibility, Nathan. You’ve been so focused on the pack and the Council... It’s not unreasonable to think she might seek attention elsewhere.”

His words stung, and a sense of hurt mixed with anger began to rise within me. How could Olivia do this to me, to our family? The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that Edward was right.

I stood up from my desk, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. “I can’t believe this. After everything we’ve been through, she would do something like this?”

Edward’s voice was calm, soothing even, as he replied, “You need to confront her, Nathan. Find out the truth.”

…

Now, as I laid in bed, I felt sillier than ever.

Last night, Olivia had showed me just how silly I was for thinking that she would ever cheat on me. She had bought the lingerie for me, not for anyone else. How could I ever let anyone convince me that my own fated mate would cheat on me?

I could still feel her hands on me, the way she moved against me under the sheets. It was a night filled with passion. The way her lips ran over my neck, the soft moans that escaped her lips, the way her back arched when I made her feel good. It was still surreal, to make love with my childhood best friend, but it always reminded me of our true love for one another.

But now, as I laid there, sick and weak, I wondered what had happened.

How had I gone from being full of life and passion to… whatever this was? All in the span of a few hours, no less? It wasn’t like me; as an Alpha, sickness didn’t easily take over me. Sure, I hadn’t been sleeping as well as I would have liked, but it shouldn’t have been enough to make me sick.

And the weird part was, even my wolf was sick. His presence was weak and far away, as if he had retreated to some isolated corner of my mental landscape. When I tried to reach out to him, I was only met with the occasional whine or whimper, and nothing more.

Maybe I should have told Olivia, but I couldn’t. I knew that it would just worry her beyond all belief, and since she was juggling not only taking care of me but also Elliot and Aurora, I didn’t want to add anything else to her plate.

I would get better. I was sure of it. This had to just be a freak cold, some kind of superbug; surely, within a day or two, I would be right as rain.

But as I lay there, my mind kept drifting back to Edward. How was he doing? I decided to call him to check in, and even though my arm ached so much it was a strain just to reach over and grab my phone off of the bedside table, I knew that I needed to check in.

The phone rang for a few moments before I heard a click, followed by his voice.

“Hello?”

I swallowed, and my throat felt like it was filled with hot coals—gravelly and burning. “Edward, it’s Nathan,” I managed.

He paused before answering. “Why are you calling, nephew? You should be resting.”

“I just wanted to check in,” I replied. “See how you’re doing.”

I heard a chuckle on the other end. “It’s all quiet here. Just a few minor matters, pack members coming in to complain about neighbors or taxes or the like.”

“And how did you handle it?” I found myself asking, managing to sit up just a little. But my head felt heavy, and I fell back to my pillow with a stifled groan.

“Nathan, you sound bloody awful,” Edward said, hearing my struggle. “You can worry about these things when you’re better. Just know that everything is handled, and there’s nothing to fret over.”

“But Edward—”

“No buts,” Edward interrupted. “As your uncle, I’m demanding that you get some rest. Understood?”

I paused, considering for a moment. Edward wasn’t my father, and I barely knew him. I had no real reason to heed his words other than the fact that he was older than me.

But he was right. I was too sick, and besides, I trusted his judgment. It wasn’t as if there were major things going on that required my immediate attention. I was confident that Edward could handle the smaller things on his own.

“Alright,” I finally said, coughing a little as I spoke. “I’m sorry, Edward. I trust you.”

“That’s my boy,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. “Now get some rest. Goodnight, Nathan.”

“Night,” I replied before the line clicked off. I let out a raspy breath as I dropped my phone back onto the bed.

Yes… Whatever it was, Edward would handle it. And as I drifted off to sleep, I had one final thought in my mind.

Edward would make a fine Alpha after all.