Chapter 537

Nathan

I stared at Olivia across the docks, my chest swelling with pride as I took in her confident stance, her eyes lit up with a newfound sense of determination.

Just two weeks ago, she had been a novice, still learning to harness the incredible powers of the Ancient Wolf that flowed through her veins. But after witnessing her relentless training firsthand, I knew she had become a real force to be reckoned with.

As I stood there in the dim orange light of the lanterns, I still felt sore from our battle. She had won fair and square, and had left a tiny scar on my ear to prove it.

But I didn’t care about my ear. Olivia had beaten me with her quick thinking and prowess alone, which was no small feat for someone with such a small wolf form. And it seemed, after that fight, as though a new part of her had awakened.

Olivia somehow felt wiser after that fight, but that wasn’t all.

It was her eyes.

They were still mostly a hazel color, but there was now a different quality to them; a slight ring of sky blue now surrounded her pupils, the same color that her wolf sported. It was as though her training had helped her to become one with her wolf, or rather, one with the Ancient Wolf.

“Take a picture,” she said, glancing over at me with a smirk on her lips. “It’ll last longer.”

Only then did I realize that I had been staring at her for a long time. Smiling, I crossed over to her. From where we stood, we could see the captain of the small boat, Rufus, preparing the vessel. Tonight, in the dead of night, Olivia was heading to the southern territories without me.

I would be leaving with Dan first thing in the morning, of course—not that Dan knew that. Olivia was leaving ahead of me to rendezvous with Mira, who I had been in contact with.

Olivia was not only going to be there to assist me in taking down Dan and his cohorts, but she was also going to accompany several escaped escorts to the southern territories as well, where a safehouse had been set up.

“You’re sure you’re ready for this?” I asked softly.

She paused for a moment, drawing in a deep breath, before she nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“You know you don’t have to go,” I said. “We can find another way. The pack needs you.”

“And this is how I’m serving the pack.” She gestured to the boat. “Besides, with Levi in command while you’re gone, the pack is in good hands.”

I nodded. Olivia was right; I had left Levi in command during my absence, and the pack was secure. For now, at least.

“There’s no telling what will happen after this is done, you know. The southern pack leaders may or may not offer support if there’s retaliation.”

Olivia turned to me and put her hand on my shoulder, the blue rings in her eyes catching the light of the nearby lantern. “We’ll handle that when it comes.”

Her calm demeanor shook me to my core. “You’ve come so far in such a short time,” I said, my voice hushed as I stepped closer, drinking in her familiar scent. “When I fought you during your final test, I could sense the Ancient Wolf’s power radiating from you. You’re going to be incredible out there.”

Olivia’s lips curved into a smile that never failed to send my heart racing. “You really think so? Even against Dan and his cohorts?”

“Especially against them.” I traced the line of her jaw with the back of my fingers. “You’re stronger than you realize, Liv. Fierce, determined, brilliant... I’ve always known you were meant for greatness. He, or anyone else for that matter, couldn’t hold a candle to you.”

A faint blush crept into her cheeks, but her expression remained steadfast. “I’m just glad I’ll have you by my side through this. When we’re together, I feel like I can take on anything.”

“And you can.” I pulled her into my embrace, holding her tight. “And I’m glad I’ll have you by my side, too.”

Olivia leaned back, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders. “The plans for the ball are still the same?”

The ‘ball’ in question was the event that Dan and I would be attending the day after tomorrow. I had plans to meet with my messenger first, who had been helping me keep in contact with the pack leaders, but the ball was going to be the first place we would all meet in person.

And it would also be where Dan was arrested.

I brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and nodded. “Yes,” I said. “Wear your dress and meet me at the spot we talked about, along with the other girls. We’ll go over the plan one more time beforehand.”

She set her jaw hard. “And you’re sure Dan has no idea?”

“Positive,” I said, although that was a bit of a lie. Truthfully, there was no way to know for sure; which was why I had a plan B. And plan B was a lot more… bloody than plan A.

But I wouldn’t worry Olivia with that now.

Heat crept up the back of my neck as I tried—and failed—to suppress a grin. “I can’t wait to see you in your gown, you know.”

Olivia giggled and traced the line of my collarbone, her fingertips raising goosebumps along my skin. “This is supposed to be business, you know. It’s not like we’ll have a chance to dance.”

I leaned in until our foreheads were nearly touching. “I’ll find you before the plan begins. Just for one dance.”

A sly smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Deal.”

The captain of the small boat suddenly poked his head out of the cabin, waving to us. “It’s time,” he called out. “Gotta head out before the sun comes up.”

Olivia and I exchanged glances. Our moment of levity faded, replaced by the familiar weight of responsibility that came with being the Alpha and Luna of this pack—and so much more, as of late.

“Well, that’s your cue,” I murmured, pressing my lips to Olivia’s in a fierce, searing kiss. “Stay safe out there. And know that I’ll be with you soon.”

“I’m counting on it.” Olivia’s eyes twinkled with a mixture of affection and mischief then. “In fact, when this is all over… I think we should take a vacation, don’t you?”

A surprised laugh escaped my lips. Leave it to Olivia to be thinking about downtime even in the middle of a critical operation. “You’re right, we should. And you can pick any destination you want—I’ll move mountains to make it happen.”

“Oh, I’m going to hold you to that,” she purred, rising up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against the sensitive skin beneath my ear. “I love you, Nathan.”

Those three words never failed to set my heart on fire. “And I love you, Olivia. More than you’ll ever know.”

With one last, lingering kiss, we parted ways, Olivia striding up the ramp and onto the boat where the captain and the other escorts waited. I watched from the docks as she took her place at the front of the boat, radiant and powerful, every inch the Luna I had always known she could be.

As the first rays of the rising sun began to peek over the horizon, the ship slipped away from the shoreline, gliding soundlessly across the still water. A pang of worry twisted in my gut—it was impossible to know what lay in wait for us in the days ahead.

But I couldn’t waste any time worrying, because the boat wasn’t even out of sight before my phone was buzzing with a text from Dan.

“Where are you?”