“So what’s up with you and Dylan?”
Gabrielle asked Ava over at the dinner table.
Ava paused. “Nothing.”
“Oh. Okay.” Gabrielle said, looking at her strangely.
Ava ignored Gabrielle’s questioning tone and reached for the salt shaker at the exact time that Adrian did.
Both of them dropped their hands simultaneously and Ava hoped her sister hadn’t noted the odd interaction.
“We haven’t been seeing you around as much as usual Adrian.” Arthur, Ava’s dad commented curiously.
“Oh, he’s busy with his Alpha training. Gotta get him ready for leading this pack. I know he will do exceptionally well and let this old man retire in peace.” Alpha Sean joked.
“The last thing you are is old, Sean. I brought dessert.” Marie dropped the pie on the table before settling in next to her husband.
Ava was slowly coming to dread these dinners where she had to come in contact with Adrian.
They had successfully avoided each other since that incident and she wanted it to remain that way if she had any say in it.
The conversation shifted to more serious matters for the adults.
“Heard the Bluemoons got hit by rogues two weeks ago.” Alpha Sean said.
“Two weeks ago? Why are we just heGabbyng about this?” Arthur sounded shocked.
“They didn’t want to be jumped while they were still recovering from the attack. You know the Silverwolf pack has been looking to expand their borders.” Alpha Sean stroked his beard.
“We need to increase border security, tighten our perimeter and find out what is causing these rogues to band together.”
Rogues, outcasts from different packs went feral without the structure of their werewolf family backing them and oftentimes than not were put down or hunted down by other rogues and hunters.
Due to this reason, rogues were by nature distrustful. If they were banding together, it couldn’t possibly be anything good.
Arthur nodded his agreement. “Yes, we need to cover all our bases.”
“I’d like to be involved in this as well, Father. If our pack might be in danger, I want to play my part to assist in whatever way I can.”
“Of course, you can be a part of this.” Alpha Sean looked at Adrian with pride. “I’m proud of the man you are becoming. How does border patrol sound to you?”
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll try my best.”
Gabrielle looked at Adrian with so much love in her eyes that Ava could barely repress an eye roll. Reeve looked at Gabrielle and gave her a slight smile.
Ava sipped at her soup. At last, things were returning to normal. If only the pull she felt towards Adrian would disappear then everything would be alright.
Yeah right. Liana commented snarkily.
Ava didn’t even bother answering her. She glanced at the clock and jumped up.
“Please excuse me, I need to leave now.” She dropped her plate off in the kitchen and grabbed her bag about to leave when she heard the Alpha.
“It’s pretty late dear, why don’t you let Adrian drop you off?”
“Oh no, Alpha I couldn’t bother him like that. I’ll be there in a jiffy once I shift.”
Her mother sighed heavily. “Ava, Adrian will soon become your brother-in-law. You can’t keep having these fights.”
“But Mom…”
“No buts. Ava, Adrian will drop you off and the both of you will finally put aside your differences and become friends.” Her mother’s voice held a tone of finality and Ava knew she couldn’t do anything about this. Once her mom got like that even her dad couldn’t defy her.
Friends? If only her mother knew that just days ago, his tongue had been down her throat she wouldn’t be bothered about them becoming friends.
“Sure.”
******
The drive to Jenny’s house was quiet and the vacuum in the air was filled with the songs from the stereo.
The car stopped in front of Jenny’s house.
Ava unlocked the car door. “Ava.” She paused.
She turned to face Adrian, an eyebrow quirked. Adrian turned down the stereo.
“Ava, I’m sorry. For everything. The kiss, hitting Dylan. I already apologised to him.”
He inhaled deeply looking down at his hands.
“I can’t justify my actions or just blame them on the mate bond. I am really sorry. I would like us to at least be friends. I’m not leaving Gabrielle’s life anytime soon, during this time I’d prefer it if we weren’t at loggerheads.” He looked up at her waiting for her response.
“Cool.”
She opened the car door and hopped out slamming the car door behind her.
Claire opened the front door of her house and squealed in delight before jumping on Ava.
“Ava!”
Ava smiled at her.
It had been a while since they’d hung out. Just the two of them. It was partly because Claire was busy starting up her fashion designing brand, and partly because Ava was avoiding her.
She knew if they had a serious conversation, everything about the mate bond and Adrian would come spewing out. It wasn’t like she didn’t trust Claire to keep the secret, she just didn’t want to talk about it because it would make the entire situation seem real. She was Recce Gavin’s mate. No. She refused to be that.
As Claire ushered her into the house, she spared a backwards glance at the black car that remained parked outside waiting for her to enter the house.
She looked away and stepped into the house.
She would keep her independence and sanity, and Gabrielle could keep Adrian.
*****
Ava lifted the man’s arm and tucked it under his quilt. She turned to get him a glass of water when she felt a sharp tug in her chest. The glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the ground.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s alright dear. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I think so.” Ava bent and began to pick up the large pieces of glass on the floor.
She pricked her finger on one of the pieces. The slice healed almost immediately but Ava looked at the splotch of blood on the blood and her blood ran cold for some reason. She shook it off and disposed of the glass.
She gave Patrick his water, cleaned up the mess she’d made and went to the hospital’s restroom.
Ava rubbed her chest.
What was that about, Liana, any idea?
No. I haven’t felt anything like that before. Liana replied, sounding confused.
Ava washed her hands and left the restroom. She wanted to take a breather. Get something to eat. She walked towards the ER to inform Nancy only to see a bleeding wolf at the hospital entrance. She ran to him calling out for assistance.
He shifted back to his human form and he had gashes running across his torso to his hip. “What happened?” She didn’t know where to touch him, he looked battered all over.
He said two words and Ava’s heart stopped.
“Rogues… border.”
I’d like to be involved in this as well, Father. If our pack might be in danger, I want to play my part to assist in whatever way I can.
How does border patrol sound to you?
Adrian. The pain in her chest. Did something happen to him?