Chapter 416

Olivia

As we sat there in the cozy cafe, warming our cold bodies with the hot drinks and sharing a plate of pastries between the four of us, a crazy thought somehow managed to float through my mind.

Maybe it was just the festive atmosphere or the feeling associated with the upcoming holidays, or maybe it was the feeling of Nathan’s arm around my shoulders as the twins dozed off in their stroller beside us.

Either way, it was a crazy thought. Getting married tonight? It was totally insane, ridiculous, and utterly, completely impossible.

Chalking it up to my pregnancy hormones flaring in combination with the sadness that still plagued my heart over the cancellation of our dream wedding, I decided to return my attention to the present moment.

There would be no wedding tonight. It didn’t make any sense; I was just getting ahead of myself.

Right?

Returning my attention to the table, I found that Levi and Angela were engaged in a lively conversation, discussing their plans for the upcoming week and the possibility of a group vacation sometime in the future.

“We should all rent out a cabin up north a ways,” Angela said. “I found this beautiful place that looks like it’s out of a story book.”

“I saw that,” Levi chimed in. “It is nice; a log cabin with a big fireplace and lots of woods all around.”

“That does sound nice,” Nathan said, “but I’m not sure if I could join you guys. My Alpha duties here can’t really be ignored. And besides, we’ve always got my family’s cabin here.”

Angela sighed. “Yeah, but this place is different,” she insisted. “The town nearby is really cute, and there are even ski slopes. You guys could go skiing while Olivia and I hang out in town…”

“Skiing does sound fun, actually,” Nathan said as he gave my hand a squeeze under the table. “I don’t know. I’d love to join you guys, but…” He turned to me, giving me a warm glance. “You could go at least, Liv. You deserve a little vacation, no?”

I shrugged. “I’d rather go with all of us.”

“Same,” Angela continued. “Nathan, you really can’t take two days off over the holidays? We could just do an overnight trip.”

Nathan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I can try, but no promises. I’m sorry to be such a downer, guys.”

For a moment, the four of us just exchanged glances. I knew what Levi and Angela were thinking: it was something that I had discussed with Angela before in private. Nathan worked really hard, sometimes to a fault.

He rarely took time off, which was why I had been so hesitant when he not only offered to put aside his meetings to help with the festival setup, but also when he took the twins to work with him while I was at the bakery last weekend.

It was a little worrisome, but I hadn’t mentioned it to him because I knew it was no use.

“Nathan,” Levi began cautiously, “I’ve noticed that you’ve been burning the candle at both ends lately. Your workload is overwhelming, and I can see the toll it’s taking on you. You know you’re allowed to take a couple of days off for the holidays, right?”

Nathan ran his hand through his hair again, a telltale sign of both frustration and exhaustion. He let out a heavy sigh. “You’re right, Levi. It’s been tough. I never imagined it would be this much work, but I’ve got so much to fix ever since my father made a mess of the pack, you know?”

I watched Nathan's face, a mixture of determination and weariness etched on his features. It was true that he had taken on a monumental task in trying to restore our pack to its former glory.

Colin had made a mess of things, isolating our pack and not putting the pack’s best interests at the forefront of his mind. Since Nathan had taken over, though, he had fixed so much. Our town’s economy was on the rise, there were more jobs thanks to our new trade routes and sea port, and, as he had said not long ago, he was on the hunt for ways to increase tourism.

And for a moment, I thought back on the idea of the pamphlet; I was Nathan’s Luna, after all. Maybe my calling was helping him, helping our pack. Maybe trying it out wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Then, to my surprise, Nathan quietly admitted something he hadn’t shared with me before.

“I’ve also been trying to get the attention of the Council of Regional Alphas, or the CRA,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I blinked, taken aback by this revelation. Nathan hadn't mentioned anything about the CRA before. The CRA was a council of Alphas who worked together to ensure the best for their packs as a whole. They received more funding and assistance, and their decisions made a huge impact on the surrounding areas.

But the CRA was highly prestigious, and it was no walk in the park to get in. In fact, it was an invite-only council. Many smaller Alphas like Nathan spent their lives trying to get the attention of the CRA, all to no avail.

“Nathan,” Levi said, his eyes widening, “that’s… amazing. You’ve never mentioned that.”

“Well, it’s just a distant dream right now,” Nathan said with a soft sigh. “I didn’t want to mention anything until I was even certain that I wanted to bother. But if I did somehow manage to get an invite, who knows? Our pack could really use it, and hell, I could use the help from the CRA. It would be a game changer.”

I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride for Nathan. He was always trying to move up in the world, to do what was best for his pack. And after everything we had been through, I only ever wanted to see him succeed. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze under the table, silently promising to stand by his side through it all.

After we finished our drinks, we stepped back outside into the festival’s lively atmosphere. We felt warmer now thanks to the hot drinks and indoor heating, and it filled us with a new sense of excitement to keep enjoying the festival.

Nathan and Levi were soon engrossed in a carnival game, trying their luck at tossing rings onto bottles. Angela and I stood to the side with the stroller, watching their playful competition.

As we watched, however, Angela turned to me and asked in a hushed tone, “Liv, how are you feeling about the whole wedding thing?”

The question hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been trying to keep my chin up about all of it and look on the bright side, but I wanted to marry him—really marry him, not just sign some papers at the City Hall.

I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, and they welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over. “Angie,” I admitted, my voice trembling, “I’m heartbroken. I just want to marry Nathan and have the beautiful, memorable wedding we’ve been dreaming of.”

Angela’s expression softened, and she reached out to squeeze my hand. “I’m so sorry, Liv,” she said. “I can’t imagine how tough this must be for you.”

“I just… I just want to get married in front of our friends, the pack, our family. I want to show our love to everyone and kiss in the snow. Is that too much to ask?”

Angela shot me a sad look. But then, that look turned into one of contemplation.

“What is it?” I asked, furrowing my brow.

Angela shook her head, her own brow knit together as she seemed to battle with something she wanted to say but couldn’t find the right words. But then, finally seeming to come to a decision, she suddenly turned to me with a determined look in her eyes.

“Why not have the wedding tonight? At the festival?”