Ava panicked. She tried to reach for the rope but she didn’t have the upper body strength required for that manoeuvre. Her legs were tied tightly together and she couldn’t move.
“Not so strong now, are you?” A cold mean voice spoke and Ava could have recognised it anywhere. Cynthia? Her sister’s best friend and Dylan’s most recent ex. Why would Cynthia set a trap for Ava in the woods?
They had barely spoken since the birthday dinner. Cynthia had no longer hung out with Gabby for some time now and while Ava had thought it was just a friendly fallout, her conversation with Dylan the other day made her feel like Cynthia was being antisocial because she was still recovering from the breakup. So why would she set a trap for her?
“Cynthia, I don’t know what you think is going on but we can talk about it amicably. Let me down.” Amicably. Ha. When Cynthia released her, her fist would meet Cynthia’s face amicably.
Cynthia laughed. “You really think I’m falling for that one? You are the most aggressive person I know, I’m not stupid.” Cynthia paced.
Liana I need a little help here, please. Ava said.
Liana was silent.
“You think you are so perfect and the world revolves around you. You have so much yet it isn’t enough for you?”
“What the fuck are you talking about you psychopath?” Ava said, confused. What was Cynthia going on about?
“I’m talking about Dylan! Isn’t it obvious? Why can’t you leave him alone? Why did you have to take him from me?” The pain in Cynthia’s voice was real and her voice cracked as she spoke.
Ava was baffled. Dylan? But she hadn’t even been able to see Dylan frequently between the fighting incident with Adrian and his application to that art school. Seriously, where was Cynthia getting her intel from?
“Are you mad? Me and Dylan? Where are you getting all this from? I didn’t take Dylan from you or anyone. We are good friends and that’s all.”
“Friends that stick tongues down each other’s throats.” Cynthia mocked. ” I saw the both of you kiss. You can’t fool me. But do you want to know what else I saw? I saw you kiss Adrian as well.”
Ava’s blood ran cold or maybe that was the blood pooling in her head from dangling upside down for so long. Cynthia knew about her and Adrian? Fuck. This was bad. Really bad.
Cynthia was basically Gabby’s best friend. She would tell Gabby everything and her sister would never speak to her again. How was she going to explain to Gabby that she was behind all the issues with her relationship?
“You are such a whore. Don’t you have anything to say to defend yourself? Nothing? Good. You always acted so pissed at Adrian. Like you could barely tolerate him. Like he was a nuisance or something but it was just for show, wasn’t it?
“I thought you would leave Dylan for me now that you had Adrian but no. You want them both to yourself. I saw you in the forest with Adrian. I saw you on that balcony when I came to visit Gabrielle. That’s when I knew if you couldn’t even spare your sister, your own flesh and blood, who was I that you would leave my man alone?”
Ava felt Liana stir within her. If she could just partially shift her feet…
“Cynthia whatever you think you saw isn’t what it seems. As for Dylan, I didn’t do anything. I rejected his advances and he is currently busy with his art. I didn’t do that, did I?”
“I think what I saw is exactly what it seemed like.”
“Suit yourself. If you knew about all this and you are so sure you are right why haven’t you told anyone? Why didn’t you tell Gabby?”
“Initially I wanted proof but now I want one thing. To punish you myself. I wonder if you will still be able to attract and steal other people’s men if you are disfigured. If your pretty face is gone.”
It was official. Dylan’s ex had lost her mind. Ava wondered if she was even listening to herself. Cynthia seemed to have forgotten that a little over a couple of years back, she had stolen Ava’s boyfriend, Dylan. She seemed to have also forgotten that if she tried something like disfiguring Ava, the daughter of the pack’s Beta, she could get banished from the pack.
All the same, Ava began to concentrate more on the partial shift. She wasn’t vain but she also wanted to have a perfectly normal non-disfigured face. “You can’t possibly be able to do that. We regenerate tissue very quickly. I wouldn’t scar.” Ava tried to buy time. Almost there.
Cynthia smirked and brought out a small canister. “Liquid silver and a little something extra just for you. The results… well you’ll see in a minute.”
Cynthia came closer, her hand opening the canister.
The rope gave out and Ava fell. She landed on her ankle twisting it but she ignored the pain and got up swinging. She knocked the canister out of Cynthia’s hands.
Cynthia stood frozen shocked that Ava had gotten loose. Ava didn’t give her any time to recover, she punched Cynthia across her face. Cynthia fell to the ground and tried to crawl away. Ava yanked her back by her blond hair and gave her a tight slap. Realising she couldn’t escape, Cynthia tried to fight back by punching Ava.
Ava easily fended off her attacks and proceeded to start giving her the beating of her lifetime.
“Wait. If you stop hitting me, I won’t tell Gabby about you and Adrian.”
Ava’s fist stopped midway to Cynthia’s face.
“There is nothing for you to tell her.” Ava said tightly.
“If you really thought so, you would have continued hitting me.” Cynthia’s grin was bloody and Ava suddenly noticed the bruises she had left on Cynthia’s face and body.
Then she was pulled off Cynthia. Cynthia took off almost immediately. Ava turned to face… Adrian.