Chapter 80

Olivia

The relentless tick-tock of the hospital clock punctuated the silence of the night as I lay in the sterile white bed, feeling more vulnerable than I'd ever been.

Nathan was there by my side, always conscious and alert as I drifted in and out of sleep. His firm grip on my hand offered a steady lifeline amidst the terrifying waves of uncertainty.

I couldn’t help but laugh inwardly at the ridiculousness of my situation, the fickleness of my mind. Just a few hours ago, for the millionth time I had told myself that I wouldn’t let these confusing feelings for my friend continue.

But now, here he was, holding my hand and all I wanted was him beside me.

As I watched Angela bustle around us, something felt different. She seemed hesitant around Nathan, which made sense given her crush, but she was treating me with an unexpected kindness.

We had spoken about our differences not long ago, but I didn’t expect what she said next.

“Olivia,” she finally broke the silence, her voice quivering with nerves as she turned to look at me. “I… I want to apologize. For everything. And I want us to be friends.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise as I met her gaze. In her eyes, I could see the remorse brewing like a storm.

I was taken aback. For a moment, I could only blink at her in disbelief. Then, slowly, words started to form. “Angela…” I began, the weight of our shared history, however brief, pressing down on my chest. “You really wanna be my friend?”

She looked at me with wide eyes, glistening with unshed tears. Then she nodded, a single tear breaking free and trickling down her cheek. “I would,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “If you’re okay with that.”

I glanced over at Nathan, who just gave me a surprised, but encouraging, look.

“I think I would be okay with that, I said with a smile.”

A strange sense of relief washed over me, something I hadn't felt in a long time. “Thank you, Angela,” I said, my voice choked with emotion, “for taking such good care of me.”

The atmosphere in the room shifted as Angela turned her gaze towards Nathan. Her voice softened as she looked at him, and my heart fluttered with a familiar surge of affection for him. “Congratulations, Nathan. You're going to be a father.”

Nathan looked at me, his eyes searching mine for a moment before turning back to Angela. It seemed as though the troubled nurse was putting aside her unrequited love for him and was now supportive of his new life. But at the same time, she didn’t know the truth.

Suddenly, Nathan spoke. His voice was low, a far cry from his usually commanding tone. “Angela, can you close the door? We need to discuss something important.”

The room filled with a tense silence as Angela nodded, her confusion mirrored in my own heart. I watched as she shut the door, the soft click sounding like a thunderclap in the heavy silence.

Nathan stood and crossed the room, meeting Angela in the middle. I could only prop myself up on my elbows and watch, intrigued at whatever was unfolding in front of me.

He stuck out his hand.

“I need a promise from you, Angela,” Nathan began, his words slow and deliberate. “Whatever we discuss now, it must stay between us. This is crucial. Pack’s honor.”

The power of the pack bond between Nathan, our Alpha, and Angela, his follower, was palpable. She looked surprised, but nodded in agreement. “I promise, Nathan.”

“Shake on it. Seal the bond.” Nathan pushed his hand out a little further, his eyes gleaming with power.

Angela hesitated.

I watched this exchange unfold with a growing unease. “Nathan, what is this about?” I interjected, my voice wavering with apprehension.

He turned to me, shaking his head and silencing my questions. His gaze held mine for a moment before returning to Angela. “Shake on it,” he urged.

Finally, after drawing in a deep and shaky breath, Angela nodded and shook his hand.

I watched in awe as their promise became sealed. Now, whatever secret he was about to tell her could never be uttered outside of his presence, without his consent; it was the power of the pack bond. Absolute Loyalty.

When they finished shaking, they both dropped their arms back to their sides. Angela looked back and forth between the two of us with trepidation.

“Sit,” Nathan said, gesturing to an empty chair. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

“Okay…” Angela sat, crossing her legs nervously. Nathan sat back down beside me, ignoring my nervous gaze, and leaned forward on his knees.

“The baby in my belly doesn’t belong to me, and Olivia is not my real mate.”

Angela’s eyes widened in shock, and so did mine.

“Nathan!” I exclaimed, sitting up abruptly.

Nathan held his hand out for me, patting my arm reassuringly. “It’s alright, Liv. It’s about time that someone knows.”

“I-Is this true?” Angela murmured, her eyes nervously shifting back and forth between the two of us.

I let out an exasperated sigh and fell back onto my pillows, feeling deflated from the shock. Nathan simply nodded.

“Layla cheated on me,” he explained, his voice low. “Olivia and I have been friends since childhood, and I’ll admit that I used my Power of Obedience to make her go along with the charade on my wedding day. At the time, I didn’t want to expose Layla’s cheating and ruin her reputation, but now I realize that we’re in this a little too deep.”

Angela, her eyes still wide, chewed her nails nervously and shook her head. “But why tell me?” she asked, still looking back and forth between the two of us.

Nathan sighed. “I told you because… I need your help,” he confessed. “To forge a fake paternity test.”

Angela’s poor eyes widened even further. I sat up again, overwhelmed by sheer surprise as my stomach dropped. It was my idea, but I didn’t think that Nathan would want to go through with it after the way that he reacted…

“Olivia,” Nathan said, looking over and touching my arm reassuringly. “I’m sorry that I made that stupid suggestion earlier. I am truly sorry. I hope you’re not too mad at me.”

I was so taken aback by Nathan’s words to speak. My mouth hung open limply, as though the strings on my marionette persona had been cut.

“I… Um…” Angela stood, running a hand through her hair nervously.

“Take some time to think about it,” Nathan said, nodding. “I won’t force you. But I need to know your answer soon enough, before the Alphas get even more suspicious. I promise you that if you do agree to this, Angela, I’ll compensate you very well.”

Angela, without another word, nodded solemnly. I watched as she mumbled an excuse, then scurried out, leaving behind nothing but a shocked silence.

“Nathan…”

“I care about you, Olivia,” Nathan said, turning suddenly to face me with fire in his eyes. “I want you to have a fairy tale wedding that fulfills all of your childhood dreams, and I’m sorry that I even considered taking that away from you.”

I didn’t know what to say. Nathan’s vow struck me all the way to my core, leaving me filled with a combination of dread and excited trepidation.

The uncertainty was unbearable, and yet, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that our lives were on the brink of irrevocable change.

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