Chapter 1

Olivia could not believe she had already been working for Dark Moon for a month, and time had flown by as she was given one assignment after another. They ranged from photos for new identification badges that showed each employee's personality to an ad campaign for the latest wireless tech developed in conjunction with Emery Technologies. She was even asked to take new landscape photos to use throughout the building as part of the remodeling. 

She was thrilled that not every day she worked during the week was spent locked inside the main office. Instead, her week was split between taking staff and product photos and being out in the wild, where she felt most at home. She was also happy that Nicholas was usually nearby when she was in the office. He had insisted on helping her make decisions on her photos. 

Today was one of the days when Olivia was out in the wild. She had begun on Friday and was staying at her parents’ house at the Dark Moon Pack. Nicholas had asked her to take pictures of the nature and wildlife that thrived there. He had told Olivia that he wanted to bring more of the feeling of nature into the business headquarters. She wasn’t sure if that was why he wanted them, and it made little difference to her. She sighed as she thought about it being Monday morning and about the fact that she would have to return to the city that night. 

Olivia quietly made her way to a meadow among the trees. It was June, so she knew it would be filled with native wildflowers and butterflies. When she reached the edge of it, she was not disappointed. The flowers were every color of the rainbow, and there were dozens of butterfly species. She raised her camera to her eye and had just taken the first shot when a voice startled her, causing her to stumble and land hard on her backside.

“I had hoped you would get pictures of this place,” Nicholas said to her as he stepped out of the trees from where he had been watching. He strode to her, extending his hand to help her to her feet. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s OK,” Olivia said, taking his hand and standing. She brushed the dust off herself and continued, “I love this place. I would sneak up here when I was a kid. I always got scolded for coming this far from the main pack, but it was worth it.”

“I know you have just started, so I will move out of your way and watch the butterflies while you work. Then, when you’re done, I will walk back with you,” Nickolas told her as he moved over to a large oak and sat under it, leaning against the trunk.

“That sounds like a plan, but I might be here for hours depending on what I find,” Olivia said with a grin.

“I don’t mind.”

Olivia nodded in reply. She felt it odd that on a Monday morning, Nicholas was not in the office dealing with whatever had happened over the weekend. She also felt off about him showing up in their home pack and following her into the woods. Perhaps he had wanted to see the meadow and accidentally stumbled across her. 

She pushed all her negative feelings to the back of her mind as she glanced at the Alpha. He was still leaning against the tree, his eyes closed, as he took in his surroundings with his other senses. He looked calm and serene and so devilishly handsome that she could not help but have a wave of lust for him. She was thankful she was downwind of him so he would not notice her scent.

Stepping slowly and carefully, Olivia entered the flowers and began taking photo after photo. The butterflies flitted around her like jewels as she snapped pictures of them on the flowers and floating in the air. She was so focused on capturing all of the beauty she could that she lost track of time. 

She felt eyes boring into her as she took one last picture while standing in the middle of the meadow. She turned to see Nicholas standing, leaning against the same tree, glaring at her. She quickly approached him, trying not to trip over the thick plants surrounding her. As she neared him, she saw his expression soften as he began to smirk at her.

“I’m sorry,” Olivia apologized.

“Sorry for what?” Nicholas questioned, tipping his head to the side a bit.

“I lost track of time, and I should have….” 

Nicholas cut her off, “You should have done nothing different than what you did. If you are done, I will walk you back to your parents’ house so you don’t get lost.”

“I won’t get lost,” Olivia laughed. “I have probably spent more time out here than I have ever spent inside all the buildings in the pack combined. You should go ahead and get back. If the water is clear enough, I still want to go to the river and get some pictures of it and the waterfall. The rain that fell on Saturday interrupted some of my plans.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Are you sure?” Olivia questioned.

“Positive. I have a duty to protect my pack, don’t I? I wouldn’t feel right with you being out here alone, and if something happened to you, I would never forgive myself.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely! After all the work it took to find the perfect photographer, I can’t imagine having to start all over,” Nicholas told her straight-faced.

Olivia’s mouth dropped open as she tried to respond. It wasn’t until Nicholas burst into laughter that she could speak again.

“That was just mean,” she told him, shaking her head. 

She took her camera from around her neck and was putting it into her bag when she felt a hand slide onto her back. She turned to see Nicholas kneeling beside her, only inches away. He reached up and pushed a strand of hair that had come loose from her messy bun away from her face. Her breath caught in her throat when his scent of fresh pine and lilies hit her nose.

“In all seriousness, you, Olivia, are completely irreplaceable. Don’t ever doubt that for a second,” he told her, barely above a whisper. He stood and took a step back. “When you are ready, I want to go with you when you take the rest of the pictures. I like watching you work.”

Olivia could feel her face becoming flushed as she hurried to finish packing the camera she had been using in the meadow. She switched it for a different one that was smaller and less cumbersome for the short hike to the river. She wanted to ensure she was ready in case they came across something she wanted to photograph. She shut her bag and stood holding it, only to have Nicholas take it away from her.

“I will carry your bag. I want you to focus your camera and use it,” Nicholas told her as he put his hand on her back and began to guide her to the trail leading to the river.

“Yes, Sir,” Olivia replied with a smirk.

The short walk took far longer than it would for others. Olivia stopped to take pictures of many things along the way. She caught the perfect shots of ferns nestled in a rock alcove, a long fallen log covered in moss, and many other things that made her feel at peace. She would often dart off or stop in her tracks without telling Nicholas, leading him to stop when he no longer heard her footsteps and tip his head to the side as he watched her. A few times, she was met with a raised eyebrow as if he disapproved of her allowing him to walk off without her or disappear into the trees without notice.

When they reached the river, Olivia plopped down on the bank and watched the water flow by. It was full to the top of the banks and running clear. She smiled as she planned which areas to photograph after a short rest. Then, a soft grunt came from beside her. She turned to see Nicholas sitting and staring at her.

“What?” she questioned.

Nicholas answered, “If I had known that you wanted to sit by the water and relax, I would have brought a picnic for us to enjoy.”

“Well, I might be able to help with that,” Olivia said as she took the bag from where it sat between them and opened it. She pulled out a sandwich and a bottle of water and handed it to him before getting the same for herself. “I know it will be an all-day event when I come out here. I always bring food. It isn’t fancy, but it keeps you from starving.”

“If we need more, I can always take down a deer. It has been a while since I had a good hunt,” Nicholas offered as he unwrapped his sandwich.

Olivia wrinkled her nose at the thought of hunting and replied, “I don’t think so. It feels wrong to kill something out here for some reason. Plus, my wolf never…” she trailed off.

“Your wolf never what?”

“My wolf still hasn’t come forward. She’s there. I can feel her from time to time, but that’s all. I can’t speak to her, and I have never shifted. Maybe that’s why I have always liked being out here by myself. I feel like maybe if it is quiet enough, I might be able to hear her just once. That’s all I want.”

“I don’t understand. Your family is made up of warriors. You might not be of ranking lineage, but you are not from weak blood.”

“She seems to have her reasons for not coming forward and making herself known. No one knows why. I have been to different doctors and healers. None of them had an answer for why. Every year that passes and I ask when it will happen, I am told I need to be patient and give her more time.”

“I can smell your wolf.”

“Most can except the very weakest among us. However, physically, it is like I don’t have one. I have none of the physical benefits of being a werewolf like the rest of you do. I am essentially a human who smells like a wolf.”

“To me, that is even more reason for you to not be out here by yourself. If you got hurt, what would you do? You could die before anyone even noticed you were gone,” Nicholas told her sternly.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that for a while. After today, I will be too busy photographing the new product releases and sales campaigns to even think about coming out here,” Olivia explained. 

“In that case, we need to finish eating so you can take all the pictures your little heart desires.”

Olivia could only smile at that.

After the pair had eaten, Olivia opened her bag and looked at her cameras and equipment inside. She didn’t want to carry her entire bag and was trying to decide what she would need for what she had in mind. She glanced up to see Nicholas staring at the contents with his brow furrowed. She tried to hide her amusement at the Alpha’s confusion.

“Is something wrong, Nicholas?”

“Um, no. Not really,” he answered. “I have watched you do photo shoots at the headquarters, and I have never seen most of the stuff in this bag.”

“Let me tell you what everything is, and then I will explain why I need all of it,” Olivia told him. “I have four cameras. That might seem unnecessary, but let’s just say I have broken my fair share over the years. Also, each camera is slightly different, and I like using each for specific things. I also have multiple lenses, batteries, battery packs, memory cards, and a collapsible tripod. If I am at the office, I can also have someone run to get something for me if I need it, but out here,” she paused and waved her hand to gesture to the woods around them. “Out here, I am on my own. If I don’t bring it with me, I am out of luck.”

Nickolas smiled at her. “Someday, you will have to teach me how you work your magic and use all this stuff. But, for now, go do your thing, and I will be here waiting for you.”

For the next two hours, Olivia moved from location to location, doing what she loved. She took photos of the places and things she had always loved and wanted to share with others. Every time she moved, Nicholas moved to continue watching and ensure her safety. The last time she glanced at Nicholas, he was wearing an expression of pity as he watched her. As she returned to where he sat, she scolded herself for telling him about her wolf. She was packing when he grabbed her hand and stopped her.

“Olivia, what’s wrong?” he asked her softly.

“Nothing,” she answered as she pulled her hand free and continued packing her equipment. “I’m just tired, it’s late, and I have a long drive back to the city.”

“No, it’s more than that. What is wrong?”

“I saw how you looked at me—the pity. I have seen it for years. I thought I had finally found my place, and I wouldn’t see that anymore, and then I saw it from you. The one person that I never wanted to see it from. The man who is my Alpha and my boss.”

Nicholas pushed a few stray strands of hair off her face and cupped it in his hands. “Olivia, I would never pity you. On the contrary, I am sad for you because you have not had the pleasure of knowing your wolf the way I know mine. I hope she introduces herself to you soon. If she is waiting this long, she will be magnificent.”

Olivia looked down and whispered, “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I know I am your Alpha and boss, but I hope you also consider me your friend. I liked spending the day with you today and seeing more of what makes you who you are.” Nicholas hauled himself to his feet and continued, “Hurry up and pack everything if you are done. We have a long walk back to the pack house and car ride to the city.”

“No, you have a long car ride. I have a long drive,” Olivia corrected him as she picked up her bag, only to have him take it away from her. “Are you carrying that for me so I have more energy for the drive?”

“No,” Nicholas told her as he took her hand and began to pull her down the trail. “I am carrying it, so you don’t have to. And for your information, you will be riding and not driving. I have two drivers with me, so one can drive your car back to the apartment building, and you can ride with me.”

Olivia stopped suddenly, yanking Nicholas to a stop in the process. “What do you mean by all that?”

“I thought I was rather clear in my explanation. One driver will take your car, and one will drive the two of us. We will all go back to the city. Your car’s driver will drop it off at the apartment building and wait for us to arrive.”

“Yes, I understood all that. What I meant was, why? I am perfectly capable of driving myself home. This won’t be the first time, and I can promise you it won’t be the last,” Olivia objected.

“Olivia, if you haven’t noticed, I like you. I want to spend time with you and keep you safe. Do you have a problem with that?”

“No. I guess not.”

“Good. Come on,” Nicholas told her as he began to lead her down the trail again. “I also plan on ensuring you have a decent dinner tonight too. Any objections?”

“None,” Olivia answered cheerfully.