Chapter 84

Olivia

I woke up early the next morning, the sun only just beginning to peek over the horizon.

With a yawn, the events of the past night slowly began to flood back into my mind as I recollected why I wasn’t in my own bed. I looked over at Nathan's sleeping form, his chest rising and falling evenly, before carefully sliding out of the bed and retreating.

After dressing myself, I stepped out into the quiet morning, the dewy grass tickling my bare feet as I walked around the backyard for some fresh air.

Then, I saw them. Footprints, much larger than any mere animal’s, indented deeply into the soft grass. There was something strange about those footprints, too; there were only three. They were haphazard and out of rhythm, as though the creature that left them had been limping.

My heart quickened as I followed them, my breath hitching in my throat when I suddenly spotted a tuft of dark fur caught on the low branches of a nearby shrub.

Fingers trembling, I plucked it free and held it up to the rising sun. It was coarse, wild. A gut feeling told me this wasn’t from any animal that typically roamed these parts. This had to belong to a werewolf.

“Nathan,” I called out, my voice strained as I hurried back towards the house. He was sitting in the kitchen, nursing a mug of coffee by the time I walked in.

“Hm?” he responded, his eyes appearing heavy with sleep.

“Nathan, look.” I thrust the tuft of fur at him, the footprints imprinted into my mind.

For a moment, Nathan’s brow became furrowed, his tired eyes trying to focus on the strange tuft of fur. He finally snatched it from me, his eyes widening as he studied it.

“Where did you find this?”

“Outside,” I said, “in the backyard. I told you I heard something last night and you said that I was acting like a little kid—”

Nathan stood suddenly. “I’m sorry, Olivia,” he said, clutching the fur tightly in his hand. “I should have listened to you. We could have caught it.”

I let out a soft sigh of relief, but I couldn’t deny the shaking feeling inside of me that maybe this thing was better off being left alone; if it really had only three paws, then perhaps it was injured, and wasn’t a threat…

“What will we do?” I asked, my voice meek.

I watched as Nathan’s jaw became clenched. “I'll have to take this to the police,” he muttered as he walked over to the door. “If it’s a rogue, it could be really dangerous.”

“But it hasn’t hurt anyone,” I said, following him. “Maybe we shouldn’t jump straight to assuming that it’s dangerous.”

Nathan shook his head. “It hasn’t hurt anyone yet, at least,” he replied. “But you never know with rogues. It could be mapping the town so it can bring its buddies and ransack the place.”

Before I could say anything else, Nathan slipped out the front door. I watched from the doorway as he drove away, still holding the tuft of fur in his hand as his eyes looked sternly ahead at the road.

It wasn’t until later that I realized that I didn’t even get the chance to tell him about the footprints.

…

Later in the afternoon, Angela called. Her voice was bright and excited on the other end of the line, a stark contrast from the fear that gripped her when she told me about the monster.

“Olivia,” she trilled, “I’m having a party tonight. Girls only. You should come.”

“A party?” I asked, the idea of socializing tempting, yet frightening.

It had been a while since I'd been in a social setting, and the prospect of making new friends excited me, especially now that I was getting more comfortable in town and wasn’t getting quite so many nasty looks and comments from other people..

But the thought of that ‘rogue’ prowling around in the darkness filled me with anxiety.

“Yes,” Angela responded. “It’ll be fun! A chance to get to know the ladies in the town; they’re dying to talk to you. We can all use a little distraction from all these scary rumors, too.”

That was true. I was intrigued and anxious all at once. “Alright, Angela,” I agreed finally, my heart fluttering with a mix of fear and excitement. “I'll come.”

When Nathan returned, I told him about the party, having completely forgotten about the footprints by then.

He seemed taken aback at first but then a slow smile spread across his face.

“Sounds like fun. Do you need a ride?” He offered, though I could hear a layer of worry in his voice.

I shook my head. “I’ll walk,” I said. “Angela’s house isn’t too far.”

However, Nathan’s face darkened at the mention of it. “I won’t let you walk with that rogue out there,” he said, his voice stern and commanding. “I’ll drive you. It’s no trouble.”

I nodded, figuring that there was no point in arguing.

That night, he drove me to Angela's house where the party was being held. The car ride was mostly silent, the air filled with unsaid thoughts.

I caught him glancing at me every now and then, his gaze lingering on my face. All the while, my mind buzzed with a million questions as I wondered if spending the night together created more unspoken tension between us, just when we were feeling better about things.

As we pulled up to Angela's house, illuminated by fairy lights and bustling with excitement, I felt my stomach start to churn with worry.

This would be the first time that I did anything social without Nathan since I came home. And for the longest time, these girls all hated me and saw me as an outsider who destroyed their Alpha’s marriage.

I knew that Angela had set them straight, but it still made me nervous.

Nathan, seemingly noticing this, turned to me. “Have a nice time, Liv,” he said, his gaze warm. “And text me if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay,” I replied, my heart fluttering with anticipation and a bit of anxiety. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to go home.”

I reached for the door handle, but froze when I felt Nathan's hand on mine. His touch sent a shiver up my arm, igniting an unfamiliar warmth in my chest.

He gave my hand a soft squeeze, and our eyes met. His gaze was intense, filled with something I couldn't decipher. “Be safe,” he said, his voice low, the words hanging in the air between us.

I blushed, heat creeping up my neck and coloring my cheeks. Nathan didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't say anything.

He simply watched as I climbed out of the car and walked towards the party, his hand still warm on mine.

As I walked away, my heart pounding, I turned back to glance at him one more time. Nathan sat in the car, watching me with a strange look in his eyes.

It was as if he was trying to commit this moment to memory, burning it into his mind.