Chapter 477

Olivia

“Liv…”

“Nathan!”

I pushed away from the doorway and ran toward my husband, not caring if the salt from the parking lot whipped up around my skirt or if my hair got messy. Nathan grinned, opening his arms for me. I slammed into him, letting him lift me and twirl me around.

“You made it,” I breathed.

Nathan leaned down and pressed a warm, tender kiss against my lips. He tasted a bit like coffee, and the smell of his cologne was almost dizzying.

“I made a promise, didn’t I?” he said when he pulled away. “Oh my god, Liv, your hair…”

I smirked and tucked a strand behind my ear. “You like it?”

“Like it?” Nathan grinned. “Baby, I love it. It looks so good on you.”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“And you sure did.” He took my hand and twirled me, his eyes sweeping lovingly over my entire body. “And your outfit, too…”

I grinned and held my nails up. “They match my skirt.”

Nathan smirked and pressed my fingers to his lips as his other arm circled around my waist, pulling me close again. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the entire world.”

His words made me blush an undeniably deep shade of red, and I leaned up on my tiptoes, pressing a warm kiss into the crook of his neck.

“You’re late,” I pointed out.

Now, Nathan was the one who blushed. “Yeah… About that,” he said softly. “I’m really, really sorry, my love. But the Alpha association…”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to hear it. All that matters is that you’re here, now. Better late than never, right?”

Nathan let out a soft sigh and ruffled my hair a bit, causing my new bangs to fall into my eyes. I blew them away with a wisp of breath and looked up at him.

“I’m still going to make it up to you,” he said softly. “I promise. Our Valentine’s Day date is going to be one for the ages.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Taking my hand, Nathan led me inside to the bustling party. The warmth from the vents hit my skin, and instantly I felt myself relax. Finally, the missing piece to the puzzle was here: my husband.

We made our way over to the table where our friends were sitting, and they beamed up at us when they saw us approach.

“Ah, Nathan,” Clint said, his arm loosely draped across the back of Dianna’s chair. “You made it after all.”

“Liv was practically in shambles, you know,” Angela chided. She poked her finger scoldingly into the center of his chest. “I hope you’re aware that as her best friend, it’s my job to beat you up whenever you hurt her.”

Nathan chuckled and rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “I’ll gladly take whatever beatings come my way,” he said, sounding a little sheepish. “I’ve got no excuses.”

“Other than the Alpha association,” Levi chimed in.

Nathan sighed, but said nothing.

…

“So far, the donations tonight have already amassed nearly fifteen thousand dollars,” Benjamin said, pushing his glasses up on his nose. “Thanks to a couple of big-time donors.”

Both Nathan’s and my eyes widened as Benjamin told us about the statistics so far for the donations tonight.

“The night’s only half over, too,” I said quietly as my hand floated up to cover my mouth. “I can’t believe it…”

Nathan grinned beside me and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Imagine what we’ll be able to do with the school with these funds.”

“It feels unreal,” I said. “And to think this is only our second event we’ve put together as a team…”

Benjamin beamed from behind his desk at the donation booth. “Go, enjoy your party, Luna,” he said, nodding his head toward the door. “You’ve earned it.”

“So did you.” I set the plate of cookies that I had been holding down in front of Benjamin. “And don’t forget to come and get me in thirty minutes so I can take your place at the booth. You should be enjoying the party, too.”

“Will do, Luna.”

With that, Nathan took my hand and led me away. We made our way over to the dance floor, where the lights were strobing a deep red color and the music the DJ was playing was soft and romantic. I let him pull me close, my hair slipping over my shoulder as I gazed up at him.

“You really do look beautiful,” Nathan whispered as he reached up to brush a strand of hair out of my eyes. “I mean, you look beautiful all the time, but…”

I smirked a bit as I looked up at him. “Can I admit something?” I asked.

“Anything.”

I swallowed, and my smile faded a bit as I thought back on the past few days. “I, um… The reason why I sent you that picture the other night…”

Nathan blushed almost immediately at my words; the red tinge was barely visible under the lights, but it was there. “You know, I’d happily take more of those pictures.”

“Yes, but…” I paused, licking my suddenly dry lips. “You’re gonna think this is silly. Nevermind.”

He furrowed his brow. “Come on, Liv. What’s up?”

I left out a soft sigh. “Alright. I… I keep thinking back on all of those prostitutes,” I admitted. “And I kept imagining you with one…”

As I spoke, Nathan’s eyebrows raised. “Liv, you know—”

“Yes, I know you’d never cheat on me,” I said. “But I can’t help it. The idea of you hanging around with men who treat women like that just rubs me the wrong way, and… I’ve been wondering…”

I paused, trying to figure out how to word this.

“Is it really necessary for you to be on the association?” I finally blurted out.

Nathan’s eyes widened. “Liv, I—”

“Just… Hear me out,” I interrupted. “Think about how much we earned tonight, just in donations. Donations from our community, from people who have the same values as us. People who also want the best for our pack. Yes, the association is hanging out funds, but… at what cost?”

When I finished speaking, Nathan was silent for a long time. His blue-green eyes darted back and forth, just like they always did when he was thinking deeply.

Finally, he met my gaze. “This is important, Liv. I’d like to at least give it a chance. But I can’t stress enough that you don’t need to worry about me—I won’t let anything come between us.”

“What about all of the meetings?” I asked. “And the gentlemen’s club parties? Don’t forget that you missed a pivotal appointment for our baby, and then Dan inserted himself into our private gender reveal party.”

Nathan swallowed so hard I could see his Adam’s apple bob. “I know,” he murmured. “I know it sucks, trust me; I don’t like it any more than you do. But I can’t just back out. Not so soon.”

I felt tears begin to prick at the backs of my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. “Just promise you’ll start standing up to Dan before our baby comes. I can’t keep doing this, worrying about you all of the time, having him and his ridiculous ideals get in the way of our family.”

Suddenly, Nathan cupped my hand in his cheeks. His eyes searched my face intensely, and we stopped dancing. The lights above us kept spinning, soft heart-shaped shadows swirling across our bodies.

“I will never, ever let anything get between us,” he assured me. “You and the kids are all I have, Liv. You’re my number one. I promise, I’ll prove that to you.”

I stared up at him, my heart racing in my chest. Slowly, finally, I nodded. “Okay. But if it doesn’t get better after your probationary period…”

“Then it’s simple: I’ll leave the association,” Nathan said, straightening. “You won’t even have to ask.”

His words made me relax a bit. I felt his arms circle around me, pulling me close, and I leaned up to plant a soft kiss along his lips.

“God,” he whispered when our lips parted, nuzzling against my neck. “I wish I could ask you to marry me all over again.”