Chapter 378

Olivia

I was walking briskly toward the Council building, driven partly by exhausted mania and partly by wild abandon. Did I know what I was going to say to Edward? No. Did I know what I was going to do once I got there? Absolutely not.

But to me, this was the most logical course of action. Nathan was dying slowly, and I couldn’t waste any time. I needed to find the source of this hex, and something in my gut told me that it was Edward.

I always knew that something was off about him. His sudden appearance, the strange energy I received from him, the way the amulet tingled in his presence… Something was off. And whatever it was, I was going to uncover it.

Because I was the Luna, and when the Alpha was unfit to lead, then it was my job to protect the pact from traitors.

Suddenly, however, my wolf’s voice came to my attention like an echo in the back of my mind.

“Olivia,” Jade murmured, “you need to be careful. You’re worrying me.”

I exhaled sharply, my gaze fixed ahead. “I know what I’m doing, Jade,” I replied internally, a stubborn edge to my voice. “All I need is for you to lend me your strength if things go south.”

But Jade wasn’t so easily convinced. Always the more logical one, she seemed to shift in my mind, a note of concern coloring her voice. “Olivia, I can try; but if he’s as powerful of a magic user as we suspect he might be, then maybe it won’t be so easy.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, a frown creasing my forehead. “But I’m the Ancient Wolf,” I thought back to her, my mind reeling at the notion. “Magic shouldn’t be able to affect me like that. Right?”

Jade’s reply was tinged with a seriousness that shook me to my core. “Even the Ancient Wolf has limitations, Olivia. We’re both still young, unpracticed, and don’t forget—you’re pregnant. If you try to harness the Ancient Wolf’s powers now, it could harm the baby.”

Her words hit me like a physical blow to my chest, and instinctively, my hand drifted to my belly, the life inside of me a silent reminder of the stakes at hand. The idea of harming my unborn child for the sake of confrontation sent a shiver down my spine. I really was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“I… You’re right. I don’t want to harm the baby,” I admitted, the resolve in my voice faltering. “But what choice do I have? Nathan is in danger. He could die. For all I know, he could be dying this very moment.”

Jade sighed, a soft sound that was akin to the breeze that blew across the empty street. The first leaves of autumn were beginning to fall, dotting the asphalt with the occasional splotch of orange and red.

“We will do our best,” she said gently. “But remember, if things get too difficult, your priority should be to run. Get out of there and protect yourself and the baby. That’s what matters most. And it’s what Nathan would want. You know that as well as I do.”

Her words left a sinking feeling in my stomach. What Nathan would want… the way she said it seemed so final, as though he was dead already, beyond any help. I couldn’t let that happen.

I resumed walking, albeit at a slower pace, my mind grappling with the weight of Jade's words. My amulet, a constant presence around my neck, felt heavier than usual, as though it too bore the burden of the situation.

The closer I got to the Council building, the more my heart raced. Edward’s betrayal, the danger he posed, the uncertainty of what lay ahead—all of it swirled in my mind like a tornado that was threatening to sweep me up and carry me away.

But beneath it all, there was a resolve, a determination that had defined me since the moment I became the Ancient Wolf. I might have been young, unpracticed, and pregnant, but I wasn’t powerless.

…

As I entered Nathan’s office at the Council building, my heart was pounding furiously against my ribcage, a mix of anger, fear, and determination fueling my every step.

Edward was there already, sitting at Nathan’s desk, looking every bit the part of a concerned uncle. His expression was one of mild surprise as I burst into the room.

“What brings you here, Olivia?” he asked, his tone smooth and measured, as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

I didn’t waste a moment. Clenching my fists, I pulled out the photo of the sigil I had discovered etched into the floor of the guest room.

“What did you do to Nathan?” I demanded, my voice echoing in the spacious office.

Edward’s gaze flickered to the photo, then back to me, his expression unchanging. “I’m not sure what you mean, Olivia,” he said, his voice betraying nothing.

“You know exactly what I mean!” I countered, my voice rising. “Ever since you came back, Nathan has been changing. And now this? He’s in a coma, Edward! A coma!”

He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. “Olivia, you’re upset. I understand, but making wild accusations won’t help Nathan.”

I slammed my hand on the desk, leaning forward. “Don’t patronize me! This sigil was hidden in the guest room where you stayed. And it’s a witch’s hex. You’ve been plotting against Nathan all this time, haven’t you? Trying to take his place as Alpha!”

Edward’s gaze hardened slightly, but he maintained his composure. “Your imagination is running wild. Why would I harm my own nephew?”

I stepped back, my breath coming in short, angry bursts. “Because you’ve been nothing but a liar! You infiltrated our lives, our pack. You want to take everything from him. I should have stood my ground when I had my first bad feeling about you.”

A tense silence hung in the air. Edward’s eyes seemed to darken, a cold, calculating look replacing the feigned concern. He stood up slowly, his movements deliberate. “You’re right,” he said quietly, his voice losing its warmth. “But I can’t let you interfere.”

My heart skipped a beat as he stepped closer. His eyes, normally a soft brown, now glowed with an unnatural hue. I took a step back, my instincts screaming at me to run, but my body was frozen in place. I tried to reach for my wolf, but no matter how hard she tried to lend me her strength, it wouldn’t come. The amulet buzzed violently around my neck, and before I could move away, Edward seized it.

“And this,” he said, ripping the amulet from its cord and tossing it to the ground, “is nothing but a useless little trinket. You thought it would protect you?”

I swallowed. I tried to inch away, but he had me cornered. When I reached for my wolf again, she was too weak to even move.

“Olivia…” Her voice was strained and weak. “You have to run!”

But I couldn’t. I was frozen to my spot, useless, empty. A husk of my former self.

“Screw you, Edward,” I managed, although my own voice was choked and hoarse, as if my throat was being constricted from the inside.

Edward just chuckled. “You should have stayed out of this, Olivia,” he whispered, his voice now a sinister hiss.

I tried to speak, to scream, but my voice was just gone now. Edward’s presence was overwhelming, and I felt an inexplicable drowsiness creeping over me. My eyelids grew heavy, my vision blurring.

Edward’s hand reached out, touching my arm. His touch was ice-cold, sending shivers down my spine. “Sleep now, Olivia. When you wake up, all of this will be over.”

I struggled against the drowsiness, trying to pull away, but it was no use. His power was too strong. My knees buckled, and I felt myself falling, the world spinning around me.

As I succumbed to the darkness, my last conscious thought was a desperate hope that someone would find me, that Nathan would somehow be saved, that my babies would be okay.

And then, everything went black.