Getting discharged from the hospital was a high point for Ava. She wasn’t quite sure what she would do now but she needed to get the pack to warm up to her again. The one person who could have advised her on what to do was the same person who had put her in this situation leaving her with very few options.
But it didn’t matter because she was determined to prove herself to her mate and to her pack.
Ava wasn’t happy that she had missed the pack run. She’d stayed up all night listening to the howls, itching to go out and join them, held back only by the doctor’s warnings that if she transformed before the silver was completely out of her system, she risked blood poisoning.
As she dressed up in normal clothes that her parents had dropped off for her, she couldn’t help but listen to the conversations going on outside her door. Ever since the pack run, something had changed.
The hospital was Ava’s refuge. Always had been but upon her return, it was to find out that her good friend and mentor, Nancy, had left their pack to move in with her daughter in Australia who just lost her mate.
So the hospital was familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. Because most of the people she knew had either left or hadn’t been really close to her to start with.
“She definitely slept with him. My sister works in the laundry room. The bedsheets had streaks of sperm and reeked of sex.” The voice was hushed as though she didn’t want anyone to hear her but Ava could hear the eagerness in her voice to spill the beans to all that cared to listen.
The next voice sounded a little more cautious.
“You know, unless you saw it yourself, you can’t really be sure. Although I agree with Elder Elvis. Alpha Adrian doesn’t have any siblings or child, if something happened–”
“Nothing will happen to him. He is strong, have you seen him move? If that two-bit whore of his mate hadn’t put herself between him and the bullet, he would still have survived.”
Ava’s cheeks burned and fury sat heavily on her chest as she realized they were talking about her. Almost right outside her room door. She was done with this.
It was one thing to let her sister humiliate her because of the irrational guilt she felt towards her for taking Adrian, it was another thing entirely to let her pack members speak as they wanted in front of her room without respect.
“Olivia,” Ava could almost hear the eye roll from where she stood. “Just because Alpha Adrian fucked you once a year ago doesn’t give you the right to trash talk his mate, who is also our Luna if I might remind you.” It was the second voice of reason again.
Olivia huffed. “It was twice not once and she won’t be our Luna for long. Haven’t you been paying attention, Kaye? With all the requests that have been made, Alpha Adrian will have to pick someone to have a child with. Whoever that is will bear the heir to this pack and will ultimately rule beside Alpha Adrian.”
Ava froze halfway to the door. Adrian was going to have a child with someone else?
“I heard that Gabrielle and Ivy are the top picks.” The first gossip continued. “I swear since Alpha Adrian’s coronation, it’s been like we were in a human telenovela or something. If Gabrielle is chosen then it will be like she snatched Alpha Adrian back from her sister who stole him from her in the first place.”
“There are no official top picks. It could be anyone.” Olivia protested.
“Well, it’s not going to be you.” Kaye cut in. “Do you know how many other women Alpha Adrian has been with? Numerous. I doubt he even remembers your face at this point. We have patients to check on, the outcome of the selection won’t affect us either way so let’s get a jump on it and stop slacking off.”
Ava heard Olivia grumbling and then the gradual fading of their footsteps.
Ava’s legs were suddenly weak, she held on to a table at her side for support.
So that was what all the buzz had been about.
The pack, probably fueled by the fear from Adrian’s almost assassination were now putting pressure on him to have a child. A child with someone who was preferably not her. Someone who the pack didn’t see as someone of questionable character.
Ava choked on her tears. The thought of someone else touching Adrian, being in his arms, tasting his lips, laughing with him, sharing a bed with him, and carrying his child was almost enough to make her flip.
The only way out of this would be to publicly accuse Gabrielle without any evidence or proof of drugging her. The only other witness, Shawn himself was dead. There would be no one to prove her story and even if by a slim chance someone believed her, what then?
Her sister would be punished, killed possibly if Adrian had his way. Or banished if common sense prevailed. Her family would be broken up again after finally finding a common ground and making up with each other.
There was no way to win this. She was going to lose Adrian or break her family.
**********
Cynthia cut herself while pruning her potted plant. She frowned at the injury that took more than a few seconds to heal. The pregnancy was already stunting her healing process as an adaptation to protect the child she carried.
The cut healed finally and she left the plant alone.
Ivy. Ivy. Ivy. Right from when they had still been teenagers, she had seen that greed for power in her.
It hadn’t taken much to whisper the right words in her ear. Ava was inexperienced, naive and worst of all tainted. Nobody would completely trust her after what her sister had done to her.
Ivy had taken the bait hook, line and sinker. Of course, she had. She wasn’t stupid. Who wouldn’t want to be Luna?
Cynthia had reassured Gabrielle that Adrian would pick her over Ivy but the truth was she could care less. The destination was the same even if the route changed.
The burner phone rang and she was startled out of her reverie.
It was too soon. Had something gone wrong?
Her hands shook as she picked up the call.
“Hello.”