Every detail of their upcoming mating ceremony—the invitations sent to allied packs, the arrangement of their shared quarters, the decorations for the hall—had been handled by her alone.
When she once asked Nathanie for his thoughts, he had replied flatly, “You’re better at these things. Why ask me about every small decision? Handle it.”
Yet when everything was arranged, he had found fault in nearly all of it.
In the end, it was Olivia who adjusted the décor until he finally approved.
Thinking about it now left Adriana feeling tired beyond measure.
The cab pulled to a stop outside the Alpha manor.
The distance from the gates to the main entrance was short—no more than a few hundred meters—but it took her nearly half an hour to cross it. Every step felt like walking through fire.
When she finally reached the door, she reached instinctively for her keys.
Her hand came up empty.
She froze.
Then she knocked.
It took a while before the door opened.
Nathanie stood there, his expression already edged with irritation.
“Where are your keys?” he asked sharply. “Why do you keep knocking instead of letting yourself in?”
Adriana didn’t answer immediately. She stepped inside slowly, the pain in her ankle forcing her to move with care.
Only when she reached the living room did she set down her bag and retrieve her keyring.
“My spare key?” she said calmly. “You removed it last week to give to Olivia. Don’t you remember?”
His brows knit together as the memory surfaced. The annoyance faded slightly, replaced by a trace of awkwardness.
“I’ve been overwhelmed lately,” he replied. “You could’ve just made another copy. You have time for that sort of thing.”
Adriana offered a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
She had long ago stopped expecting fairness.
To Nathanie, anything concerning Olivia required immediate attention.
Her needs could always wait.
She moved toward the dining room, steadying herself against the wall.
Olivia was already seated at the table.
The moment she saw Adriana, she jumped up with exaggerated enthusiasm.
“Adriana, you’re finally home!” Olivia chirped brightly, hurrying over and looping her arm through Adriana’s as if they were the closest of friends. She even stuck out her tongue playfully, her smile wide and innocent.