Chapter 501

Nathan

The building that stood in front of us as we walked up the pathway was like something out of a painting; tall spires, stone facades, black gargoyles staring down at us with their menacing faces.

But I hardly saw any of it; I was too preoccupied with other things. Specifically, my wife.

We had been so distant lately. Ever since the baby was stillborn, it was as if the strings of fate that usually connected us at all times had been severed. I tried to tell myself that it would get better with time, and it had only been a few weeks, but it felt endless.

“Quite something, isn’t it?”

Dan’s voice pulled me back to the present. I looked over to see him standing next to me with an expectant look on his face.

“Oh, uh… Yes,” I managed around the lump that had formed in my throat. “I’ve never visited the northern faction before.”

As I spoke, I shivered slightly against the cold. It still felt like the dead of winter here, with snow falling from the sky at that exact moment. The limbs of the tall pine trees all around were heavy with snow, so heavy that they appeared to be struggling to hold up the weight.

“I can tell,” Dan replied with a smirk. “Cold, eh?”

“A little.” I chuckled and pulled my coat a little tighter around my shoulders. “Is it always this cold up here?”

“It is.” Dan and I kept walking up toward the imposing stone building, but just as we were about to ascend the tall steps, he stopped me and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Nathan, I think we should talk before we go inside.”

I pursed my lips. “What is it?” I asked, just wanting to get in where it was warm and get this summit over with.

Dan paused, then drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. As he did, white mist formed in the air between us.

“Look, I… I’m very sorry about your little one, truly. And I know that I upset your wife by attending the funeral. Perhaps I shouldn’t have gone.”

I didn’t know what to say. Truthfully, he was right; Olivia had been under the impression that the stillborn baby had been his fault. That if he hadn’t shown up that day, she wouldn’t have fallen and she would have delivered little Alvin safely.

But I think her anger was misguided. Dan was pushy and somewhat aggressive, yes, but it wasn’t his fault that our baby didn’t make it. It was no one’s fault.

Dan took in another sharp breath before he continued. “But this summit is incredibly important, you must understand,” he said. “I know that you’re in pain, but I must ask you to set aside your personal matters during the meeting.”

“Yes, I—”

“I have seen the faraway look in your eyes,” he interrupted. “I know how the pain plagues you. But you mustn’t let it get in the way of the important work we are doing today. Remember, this isn’t just for the good of your pack; it’s for the good of all the regions.”

I nodded slowly and swallowed the lump in my throat. “I understand,” I said. “Diplomacy is important.”

“Indeed.” Dan looked at me for a moment longer, then slapped my back heartily and gestured for me to follow. “Come along. Let’s go inside.”

…

“This meeting is adjourned.”

The plethora of Alphas from all around the continent stood almost in unison. Dan and I stood alongside each other, our backs sore from hours sitting in the high-backed wooden chairs that lined the impossibly long wooden table.

We had spent the entire day in the first of many meetings of the summit; nonstop talks of treaties, trade routes, pacts, you name it. It was all rather overwhelming, to say the least. But as Dan’s assistant for the day, he did most of the talking. I was just there to observe and absorb as much as I could.

“Well, our first day is complete,” Dan said quietly as the room began to bustle with activity, everyone moving to gather their things and head out for the evening. “How do you feel, youngling?”

“Tired, but intrigued.” I nodded my head toward the opposite end of the table, where an older Alpha with pure white hair had caught my attention earlier. He had spoken about various topics so eloquently and with so much wisdom that he had left me curious to know more. “Who is he?”

“Oh, him?” Dan pursed his lips. “That’s Alpha Montgomery. He’s the Alpha of one of the northern packs; the Northwinds.”

The Northwinds. I recognized that name; they were the northernmost pack. And often considered to be the coldest, no pun intended. But something about him intrigued me. I couldn’t entirely explain why.

Before I could say anything else, though, Dan clapped me on my back again. “I’m thirsty for scotch,” he said. “Shall we?”

I nodded, then paused, slipping my phone out of my pocket. “I’d like to give my wife a call, if you don’t mind,” I said.

Dan opened his mouth to say something, but then seemed to stop himself. Maybe his earlier demanding demeanor had softened a bit after the funeral.

“Very well,” he said. “I’ll wait.”

I thanked Dan and made my way over to the side of the room, where I quickly dialed Olivia’s number. The phone rang, and rang… no answer. Eventually, it went to voicemail. Furrowing my brow, I shut the phone off and put it away.

Maybe she was just busy, I told myself as I walked back to meet Dan.

But I knew that that might not have been the only reason. We had been so distant lately… maybe she saw my call and decided that it was better if we didn’t talk. Maybe she knew just as well as I did how awkward it would be.

And maybe, in a strange sort of way, I was relieved.

As I rejoined Dan, he raised an eyebrow at me. “That was quick,” he said, a ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips. “Decided not to call after all?”

I shook my head. “No, she… she was busy,” I lied. I forced a small smile and grabbed my briefcase off of my chair. “Just busy.”

“Busy, eh?” Dan’s lips twitched upwards into a full smirk now and he tilted his chin down at me, indicating that he knew that I wasn’t telling the full truth.

I swallowed and scrubbed a hand through my hair. “Alright, alright,” I admitted, albeit reluctantly. “She just didn’t answer. I assume she was busy, but…”

“But you suspect it might be more than that.” Dan’s voice was low enough so only the two of us could hear, and his face grew more serious.

“Sometimes, yes. Ever since… you know.”

Dan nodded slowly. “I see. Well, perhaps we can discuss it over a glass of scotch then, shall we?”

I paused, considering for a moment. Just how much did I want to tell Dan about my private life with Olivia? Just what did I want to divulge?

When I saw the open look in his eyes, though, I had my answer.

“Yes,” I said, grabbing my coat and following Dan toward the door. “I think we shall.”