Ava’s relationship with Adrian had taken a dark turn.
After that morning, Adrian had gone out and didn’t return until much later in the night. He’d taken one look at her on his bed and gone to open that locked door she had seen the other day while cleaning.
It was a connecting room. If he had this room all the while, why had he lied and made her share a bed with him? The answer to her question was rather obvious when she thought about it.
Then he’d wanted Ava to be close to him, but now…
“Get your things out of my room and stay in there. I didn’t want to see your face in my room from now on.”
“Adrian…” He’d ignored her and walked on.
Now that Ava knew it was Gabby who was behind everything, she was sort of scared to tell Adrian. She remembered the way he beat the wolf, Shawn, to death and was worried for her sister. If Adrian found out it was Gabrielle behind everything and that she had drugged her all to get the Luna position, she wasn’t sure what he would do to Gabby.
After speaking with Gabby that day, Ava sat and thought about how she could save her relationship with Adrian without compromising her sister’s safety. Gabby might be angry at her but the fact was she was still her sister.
She was still contemplating the issue when Adrian entered their room. She perceived the alcohol on him from the doorway.
Ava startled. She was in his room, not hers. She stood up hurriedly to leave.
“Wait.”
Ava paused.
Adrian walked until he reached in front of her. Ava tilted her head back to look at him, her heart in her mouth.
His black hair fell over his eyes, and his green eyes looked dim and shuttered. He lifted his hand and touched her cheek.
Ava shivered at the touch.
“Ava.” He breathed her name like it was a prayer and then he leaned in inhaling her scent burying his nose in her hair.
Ava’s breathing accelerated. He wasn’t in his right frame of mind or he wouldn’t be touching her like this. Adrian pulled away slightly to look at her. His thumb moved to touch her lips, parting them slightly before falling to her chin.
“What did I do wrong? What did he have that I don’t?”
“Adrian.” Ava nearly sobbed. She would never betray Adrian in that manner. She didn’t even recall if she’d been raped by that wolf or not.
She did know that she would never, never have given herself to him willingly.
The thing with werewolf healing was that if it had happened in hours she would have healed already without a trace. She hadn’t felt any different when she woke up but his semen stained the sheets and… goddess, how could her own sister have done that to her?
“I could change, Ava, if you gave the command. I cared about you a lot. You don’t know how much. And now all I feel is pain.”
“Adrian. I would never do something like that to you. You know me. I know what you saw but please believe me–”
“I don’t think I know you any more, Ava.”
“Adrian–”
He kissed her. It was harsher than any of the kisses they had shared and Ava found herself kissing him back. He yanked her hair back and paused their kiss to bite down on her mating mark.
Ava moaned in pleasure and he captured her lips once more. Adrian lifted her and placed her on the table of their room, her legs wrapping around him. Adrian tore off her shirt, she heard the rip but she merely opened herself to his ministrations. She clutched at his back as their kiss deepened. They parted to catch their breaths and Adrian kissed down her neck to her breasts.
Ava arched into his touch, her fingers buried in his hair, he nudged her legs apart and touched her so expertly that she found herself at the edge of an orgasm.
“Please, Adrian.” She moaned, unable to form a single coherent thought. She wanted, she needed–
“Did he make you feel this way as well?” Ava felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown at her. “Tell me, was he like this with you?”
“Adrian, take your hands off me.”
Adrian laughed and pulled her close to himself. She couldn’t break his grip on her. “Right. He is the one you prefer, not me.”
Ava partially shifted and pushed him away so that he landed on the floor. He was drunk, he didn’t know what he was saying or doing.
Ava turned away from him, her eyes smarting with tears as she moved towards the connecting door.
“You are one cruel woman, Ava Black. Everyone but me, your mate, is allowed to touch you.”
“Fuck you, Adrian.”
She shut the connecting door behind her and collapsed against the door sobbing.
“Strip Luna Ava of her rank.”
“We reject her as our Luna.”
“The Mountain Coast pack refuses to take orders from a treacherous Luna.”
Adrian didn’t have high hopes for that day. He had woken up with a hangover to end all hangovers. He vaguely remembered kissing Ava and her pushing him away. He wasn’t quite sure if it was a dream or reality. The connecting door was firmly shut and he didn’t see Ava till he left the room.
He had gone to his office as he did every day. They had postponed the family dinner because Zinora had gone to Shawn’s funeral while Alex was still angry at him as though he had personally sent his mate away.
Word had leaked that Adrian had killed the wolf but Adelaide had sworn her people into secrecy so no one knew the main reason why he had done so. Just that he had hence Alex foul mood.
But that fateful morning as his head throbbed so bad that he could barely read what Alex put in front of him, Calvin raced in as though the host of hell was pursuing him.
“What is it, Calvin?”
“Alpha, it is… Alpha the pack is on a protest. They want you to strip Ava of her position as Luna.”
What? Alex turned to look past him sharply. “And why would they do that? She has done nothing more than to implement laws for our safety. Now of all times after the attack on the Primo pack, they must respect the effort and dedication she Is putting into ensuring that we do not become a party to something like that.”
Adrian thought so as well but then he realized something. Could it be possible that somehow they had found out about…
“They say she cheated on her mate and isn’t virtuous enough to lead alongside him. It’s getting really messy outside. Ava’s supporters are fighting against the others claiming it is a baseless rumour. The Elders have summoned you Alpha. They say you need to resolve this issue before this protest permanently singers the pack.”
Alex’s eyes widened with disbelief and shock. “No way. Adrian, you don’t believe this, right?”
Adrian didn’t look at him as he spoke to Calvin. “Tell the Elders that I am on my way.”