Chapter 564

Nathan

I leaned back in my chair with a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose in a futile attempt to stave off the encroaching headache. Spread out on my desk was an array of file folders, legal pads scrawled with notes, and printed transcripts—a minefield of information that would need to be carefully navigated on the day of the upcoming press conference.

It had been two weeks since Dan and Montgomery’s bodies were found in the confinement pit, and it had been a dizzying whirlwind of activity since then. Between visits to the coroner’s office and being questioned by police, not to mention navigating the extra emotional damage of the whole ordeal to add to the growing mountain, I had hardly had time to breathe.

But thankfully, this weekend, it would finally come to a close after our press conference.

This wasn’t going to be like the small, local media briefings we had held in the past on pack affairs and minor conflicts, though. No, this one was going to be broadcast regionwide, putting the full glare of the public spotlight square on our operations here for the first time.

The magnitude of what was about to unfold weighed heavily on my shoulders. On the one hand, there was a sense of relief at the prospect of finally exposing Dan’s depraved trafficking ring to the world, to let the truth be known about the suffering he had inflicted on so many innocent lives.

We would be able to give voices to his victims, rally support and resources to help them rebuild and find justice. Hell, the public response in the wake of Dan and Montgomery’s tragic demise had been overwhelmingly positive so far, with many seeing it as a long-overdue reckoning.

Women from all walks of life who had been exploited or abused by those degenerate bastards were already coming forward in droves, ripping off the veil of fear and silence to out others who were complicit in the ring’s atrocities. The swell of solidarity spreading through our community—through communities across the nation—was nothing short of inspiring.

And yet… I couldn’t quite shake the lingering sense of worry that had been gnawing at my gut. Because while one battle may have been won, the war was still raging all around us. Montgomery’s words kept ringing in my ears:

“You may destroy one petal, but the rose still thrives.”

I shuddered just at the thought. There was no knowing exactly how deep or far the roots of this operation ran.

But that wasn’t all that was getting to me; no, there was always more. The Elders, as I had promised, were set to return to the pack soon. After their banishment, I wasn’t sure how our people would feel about this decision.

A promise was a promise, though. And I intended to stick to it.

The heavy oak door swinging open with a bang jolted me abruptly from my thoughts. I jerked my head up from my desk, expecting some new issue or another, only to relax when I saw Olivia standing in the doorway.

“Olivia?” I called out, taking in her frazzled appearance; she looked as though she had just run here. “Everything alright?”

“I had an idea,” she blurted out without preamble, stalking over to my desk and pressing her palms into its surface as she leaned in towards me. “A brilliant idea, and you’re going to love it.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Lay it on me.”

Drawing in a deep breath, she pushed off from the desk and began to pace in a tight, restless circle. “Okay, so we already decided we’re going to fill in the pit, right? Bury that wretched place for good and move on?”

I gave a slow nod, not quite seeing where she was going with this. Yet.

“Right,” she continued emphatically. “Except… we don’t have to just bury it and leave it be, like we’re ignoring our shame. We can do so much more with it—with that entire space, actually.”

Leaning forward, I rested my forearms on the desktop and regarded her levelly. “I’m listening.”

Her pacing halted abruptly as she whirled to face me. “I think we should build something.”

“And what would you propose?” I asked curiously.

“A sanctuary,” she said. “One completely dedicated to lifting up those who have suffered and been exploited by the worst depravities in our world.” She paused, giving me a weighty look. “A shelter for women and children and other marginalized people, open to all civilians regardless of whether they’re officially a part of our pack or not.”

For several moments, I could only gape at her in stunned silence. She blinked at me, chewing her nails, just as she always did when she was worried. “Well?” she breathed. “What do you think?”

I felt like I was at a loss for words. Before, I had thought that the best way to deal with this confinement pit would be to fill it in, leave it alone, and let nature take over that area—essentially forgetting it, leaving it in the past as a part of history that wasn’t worth mentioning.

But now, as I pondered Olivia’s idea to build a shelter there instead, I couldn’t help but grin.

“You’re a genius,” I said, slowly rising from my chair. “A goddamn genius.”

The excited gleam in her eyes only seemed to intensify at my praise. “I thought you’d think so,” she said, crossing the room to grip my hands. “The PR team and I will handle it—we’ll start putting together plans for a complex, and then once it’s built…”

“Then we can start talking about the services,” I finished for her. “Counseling, rehabilitation, detox.”

Olivia nodded. “It would even be good for the local economy,” she said. “We can work with our neighboring packs to set people up with jobs and housing, which would strengthen our bonds with other packs as well.”

I didn’t even know what to say. Without a word, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. Seeing her like this, so full of fire, so full of excitement, so drawn toward her passion toward doing good in the world, was a breath of fresh air.

“This is amazing, Liv,” I said softly. “You’re amazing.”

With a soft smirk, Olivia leaned up on her tiptoes in that way I always loved and kissed my cheek. I could smell her chapstick, a faint strawberry scent. When she pulled away, her eyes were filled with so much conviction that it made my heart skip a beat.

“You’re sure you and the PR team could handle this on your own?” I asked.

She nodded. “I think it’ll be a project that will get everyone excited. Believe me, Nathan; the entire community will want to get involved.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’d say I hope you’re right, but I know you’re right.”

“Is that so?” she asked, tilting her head back to look up at me, her honey blonde hair cascading over her shoulders.

I nodded and pressed her closer—so close, in fact, that I could feel her heart beating against my own ribcage.

“It is,” I murmured, leaning down to kiss her. “I’ve always trusted my Luna.”