Chapter 470

Olivia

“Hand me another ribbon, Angela—red or pink, your choice.” I stretched my arms high over my head in an attempt to tack up yet another Valentine-themed banner in our pack’s aging school gymnasium.

The ladder wobbled a bit beneath me, but it seemed as though I hadn’t learned my lesson from the gender reveal party; I was still determined to prove my balancing skills. My excuse was that I was only a little over five months pregnant, so it was fine. No one else really seemed to agree, but I was too stubborn to let the job go to someone else.

Angela rooted around in our supply box, her tongue peeking out in concentration as she tried to make the momentous decision between which color streamer to choose.

After the surprise funding check from the Alpha association, I planned to make the most out of the upcoming charity gala. With just a few days left until the date, I couldn’t have been more excited.

Now, thanks to that check, we could put the gala earnings toward even more upgrades.

I already had potential plans for the school board: new playground equipment, a fresh coat of paint on all of the auxiliary buildings, and the art classroom needed new easels and other supplies as well. Not to mention the fact that some of the windows on the main building needed to be updated.

The school, to say the least, had fallen into a bit of disrepair. Such things didn’t exactly get the attention they deserved under Colin’s leadership. He had always placed more emphasis on things such as lining his own pockets rather than actually doing what was best and necessary for our pack, and now we were paying the price.

But it was okay; Nathan and I had it covered. Our pack would finally thrive. Already, even just a little over a year after moving back here, the pack wasn’t nearly as much of a ghost town as it was then.

“Any day now,” I teased. “Clock’s ticking, Angie…”

“Alright, alright. Hmm, let’s do pink,” she finally said, standing and holding a fresh pink roll of streamers out to me. “You’ve used too many red ones already. Balance, Liv, balance.”

I laughed as I accepted the pink streamers. Angela was never one to mince words, but that was what I loved about her. That, and her eye for decor; especially when it came to events like this one.

Suddenly, nimble hands anchored my hips from behind. I became startled at first, but relaxed instantly against my husband’s familiar, sturdy form as soon as I felt my wolf relax inside of me.

“What did I tell you about standing on chairs?” Nathan teased.

“I’m not standing on a chair,” I retorted. “I’m standing on a ladder.”

Nathan rolled his eyes. “Same thing,” he said. With ease, he lifted me down from the ladder and set me on the floor, taking the streamer from my hands.

Angela and I exchanged smirking glances as Nathan climbed up on the ladder and strung the streamer up himself. It was a bit lopsided, but I chose to ignore it.

“I must say, everything looks pretty wonderful so far,” Nathan complimented as he stepped back down.

He placed his hands on his hips as he turned, taking in the gymnasium that had turned into a Valentine’s Day paradise; red and pink hearts, gold and silver glitter, flickering battery-operated candles, and more to come.

Angela curtseyed playfully, quick to accept the praise. I couldn’t help but feel a hint of pride as I looked around at our work.

“We try our best,” I said with a smile. “Hopefully this will become an annual tradition.”

Angela nodded. “I hope so, too.”

The light tone, though, couldn’t entirely disguise the momentary dark cloud that passed over Nathan’s expression. Angela broke the awkward silence by clearing her throat. “I’ve gotta check on… something,” she said, already walking away. “Be back shortly!”

Now that we were alone, I turned back to Nathan, a bit put off by his lingering melancholy. It had been a few days since the gender reveal party, but I think it still weighed on us.

Even now, images of Clarissa shrinking from Dan’s cruel words flashed through my mind. It had been an awkward night, to say the least. And to make matters worse, there was no escaping it for the near future. Not if Nathan wanted to preserve his seat on the association.

“Hey...how are you feeling about everything with the association lately?” I asked softly. “I know schmoozing can grow so tiresome, but you know I’m always here to listen if you need to vent.”

Nathan sighed heavily, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close. “You know I would withstand far worse if it secured our people’s future, especially our children’s.”

He looked around at the gymnasium then, taking in the festive decorations. “After all, this very school is going to see the positive effects of the funding. Imagine what the pack will be like in just a few years if we keep it up.”

“Remember when we used to go to school here?” I asked.

Nathan chuckled. “Yeah. Even back then, it felt a little dingy. It’s about time for an upgrade.”

“But not too much of an upgrade,” I teased. “We wouldn’t want to ruin the character of the school.”

“Oh, like the broken door to the roof access that can’t be locked, so our kids can hang out up there like we did?” Nathan grinned.

I smirked. “Exactly.”

Just then, Angela rejoined us. “I have to admit, I may have overheard some of that,” she said. “And Liv, I just wanna say… don’t place all of the credit on the funding. You’ve done a lot, too, Luna.”

“Angela is right.” Nathan tightened his grip around my waist. “Your pamphlet and the auction brought so much tourism to town. There’s more money flowing through this pack than ever before.”

Heat crept up my neck at their praise. “Oh, please. That wasn’t me.”

“Hush,” Nathan warned, pinching my waist lightly. “Just accept the compliment—”

Suddenly, Nathan’s phone vibrated loudly, interrupting the moment. He shot me an apologetic glance before stepping away. I watched him go, noticing how his shoulders seemed to tense as he looked down at his phone.

Hopefully it wasn’t anything serious.

Angela linked her arm through mine and began leading me across the room. “What’s next on the decor checklist?” she asked. “I was thinking, maybe we could reposition the tables over by the side exit…”

A little while later, just as Angela and I were finishing up creating a little separate dance area for the kids, Nathan called me out into the hallway. I followed his beckoning hand, my brow furrowed as I crossed the gymnasium.

“What’s up?” I asked as I stepped out into the hallway, the door clicking shut behind me with finality. “Everything alright?”

My husband grimaced, passing his hand over his face. Instantly, I felt my heart sink; that wasn’t a good look. “That was Dan,” he finally said softly. “Liv, I’ve gotta tell you something. And I’m sorry in advance.”

I furrowed my brow, trying to quell the sensation of dread creeping up my spine. “What is it?”

“I have to attend a business trip first thing in the morning. I won’t be back until Friday…”