Chapter 407

Nathan

The meeting with Alpha Marcus from the neighboring pack had been arranged to discuss a trade route issue that had been causing tension between our two packs. As I sat across from him at the large oak table in the meeting room, I could sense his frustration.

“Alpha Nathan,” Marcus began, his tone curt, “As you know, I’m here to address a matter that has been affecting my pack’s economy. Your new trade route is infringing on one of our established routes, and it’s causing us significant financial losses.”

I leaned forward, my brows furrowing. “I understand your concerns, Alpha Marcus, but I was under the impression that you agreed to this route just last month. I’ve got your signature right here.”

As I spoke, I pushed the contract toward him that we had both signed just a month ago. Marcus sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “Look, I know I signed that,” he said, “but I couldn’t have foreseen these issues. My previous clients have been switching to your trade route out of nowhere. My pack is losing money left and right.”

I nodded, acknowledging his predicament. “I see your point, Marcus. We value the trade relationship between our packs and don’t want to disrupt it. Perhaps we can find a solution that benefits both of us.”

Marcus leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “I propose that we re-divide the trade route in a way that ensures our packs can coexist peacefully. We can mark specific territories and trade stations to avoid further overlap.”

I considered his proposal. It seemed like a reasonable compromise. “That could work, Marcus. We can redraw the trade route map to accommodate your pack’s existing routes. This way, we’ll avoid any future conflicts.”

He nodded, a hint of relief in his eyes. “Thank you, Nathan. I’m glad we could come to an agreement. It’s crucial for both of our packs to thrive.”

I extended my hand across the table, and Marcus shook it firmly, sealing our agreement. “Agreed, Marcus. Let’s work together to ensure the prosperity of our packs.”

However, as Marcus and I began delving into remapping the trade route, there was a sudden knock on the door. I looked up to see Levi standing there, his expression serious, and I knew that whatever had prompted him to interrupt our meeting must have been important.

I cleared my throat and addressed the other Alpha. “Excuse me for a moment, Marcus,” I said, rising from my seat. “Levi, what’s going on?”

Levi stepped aside to allow me to exit the meeting room, and then he began to speak in hushed tones once we were in the hallway. “Nathan, there’s a situation at the park. It’s about Olivia.”

My heart sank at the mention of Olivia’s name. “What happened? Is she okay?”

Levi quickly explained the situation, recounting how Olivia had mistakenly directed a delivery of wedding decorations to the park, leaving the delivery driver confused and angry and the decorations in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Worry gnawed at me as Levi told me that Olivia had run off crying, leaving the mess behind. I couldn’t bear the thought of her feeling overwhelmed and humiliated.

I nodded to Levi and said, “I’ll handle it. Thank you for letting me know. Please let Alpha Marcus know that I’m very sorry, but I need to reschedule our meeting.”

“Of course,” Levi said with a nod. “I’ll make sure there are no hard feelings.”

As I approached the park, I could see the delivery truck and the frustrated driver waiting by the misplaced decorations. But what caught my attention were the familiar figures of the gossips from town, Laura, Stephanie, and Margaret, standing nearby, their voices dripping with criticism.

“You would think the Luna could handle a simple task like this,” Laura sneered, clearly not realizing that I could hear her perfectly. “What a little idiot.”

“She’s clearly got too much on her plate,” Margaret chimed in. “Maybe she should just stick to being a figurehead and leave the real work to others.”

I clenched my fists, struggling to maintain my composure. The gossips had no right to pass judgment on Olivia, especially in her current state of distress. I stepped forward, my voice firm and unwavering.

“That’s enough of that, ladies,” I said, addressing the gossips. “Mind your own business and stop spreading your negativity.”

They turned to look at me, their expressions full of surprise. “A-Alpha Nathan,” Margaret stammered, taking a step back. “We weren’t—”

“I said, that’s enough,” I repeated. “Get back to work and mind your business. All of you. You don’t want me to remove you from the event planning committee, do you?”

As the gossips fell silent like a group of scolded little children, I turned my attention to the delivery driver, who seemed relieved to see me.

“Your Luna might just cause me to lose my friggin’ job,” he complained, his hands on his hips. “What the hell am I supposed to do here?”

I sighed as I ran a hand through his hair. He was clearly upset, and although I was angry that he had upset Olivia enough to make her cry, I couldn’t entirely fault him—the man’s job was on the line, after all.

“Look,” I said, jotting down some directions on a sticky note. “I’m very sorry for this. You can just drop the decorations off in the Council building’s storehouse, which is right over there. I’ve written down the code for the gate here. We’ll take the decorations to the right venue when the time comes.”

The delivery driver nodded and took the sticky note. I decided to hand him a wad of cash as an extra apology, and watched as he climbed back into his truck.

With the delivery driver on his way, I turned my focus to finding Olivia. I knew that her well-being was my top priority. I followed the path behind the Council building, and there I found her, sitting alone with her head buried in her knees.

I approached her cautiously, not wanting to startle her. I sat down beside her and gently rubbed her back. “Hey, hun,” I murmured, “are you okay?”

She looked up, her eyes red and puffy from crying. “Nathan…”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. “It’s alright. I’m here.”

She let out a shuddering breath, her voice shaky as she spoke. “I’m not cut out for all of this responsibility. I’m stupid, Nathan. And a failure.”

I couldn’t bear to hear her speak about herself in such a way. I grabbed her shoulders and made her look at me.

“Liv, that’s not true,” I said gently. “You’re not stupid, and you’re definitely not a failure. You’re dealing with so much right now—being a mom, pregnant, handling wedding and festival preparations, and now the apprenticeship. It’s a lot to juggle.”

Tears welled up in her eyes again, and I wiped them away with my thumb. “If anything, it’s a sign of how smart you are. You always have such good ideas, and you care so deeply about our pack.”

She sniffled and leaned into my embrace. “I just... I think I need some help, Nathan.”

I nodded, my heart aching for her. “And you’ll have it, Liv. I’ve been so focused on my Alpha duties that I’ve left you to handle everything on your own. That’s not fair to you. We should be a team, and I’m sorry for not being there for you.”

Olivia looked up at me, her eyes filled with gratitude. “You mean it?”

I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Absolutely. I’m canceling the rest of my meetings for the week. We’ll tackle everything together, starting with the festival preparations.”

A small smile tugged at her lips, and she nestled her head against my chest. “Thank you, Nathan.”

I held her close, vowing to help her in every way I could. Olivia was my mate, the Luna of our pack and the mother of our children, and it was my job, above all else, to support her when she needed me the most.