“You have been away since forever! Don’t tell me the honeymoon lasted that long!”
Jenny laughed, her cheeks red but her eyes glinted with unspoken joy.
“You tell me. I could scent you from a mile away. You consummated your mate bond. Now, who is keeping secrets?”
“Oh, Jenny, you have no idea.”
“Well start talking already. I want to know everything.”
It had been Ava’s idea for Jenny and Nelson to go off without cellphones to call members of the pack so that they could enjoy their time away without disturbances from pack members.
Maybe she should have been more tactful in that regard but how was she to have known that within that time frame, so many things would happen? There was no way she could have successfully predicted that.
Adrian had gone off to talk to Nelson about him taking over training the warriors while Calvin went on recon. Whatever that meant. She would ask him later about it, it’d sounded important.
When they had spoken earlier about Gabby, he’d said that he revealed to Gabby that he knew about everything she had done and that if she tried anything funny, she would get the boot.
While Ava wasn’t particularly thrilled, especially about the threat, she had to admit that it was pretty restrained, especially for the level of anger that Adrian has reached.
Avana sat tight and told Jenny about the entire story. About Gabrielle apologising, the Primo pack, Shawn, the trial, the consort selection, the heat and now the rogue saga.
“Jeez girl, are you okay? I step out for a couple of months and all of this happens. That’s just crazy. I can’t believe Gabrielle did all of that.”
“Neither did I, it was all so sudden and I was thoroughly blindsided.”
Jenny took her hand and squeezed gently before pulling her into a warm hug.
“I feel like such a bad friend. I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.”
“No, Jenny. Don’t say anything like that, you earned that break. I know you care and that is more than enough for me.”
When they pulled apart, Jenny looked into her eyes searching for something and seemed appeased by what she saw.
“So are you going to do it?”
At Ava’s blind stare, she amended.
“Will you talk to Gabrielle?”
Ava thought about it.
“What do you think I should do?” Ava looked at her friend.
Jenny shook her head.
“I can’t make that decision for you, Ava. She’s your sister. It’s very personal. I can’t tell you to cut ties with her or accept her back when it will be you stuck with the consequences of your actions.”
“I don’t know, Jenny. I love my sister but I feel like every time I trust her, I open myself up for betrayal. It’s like we can never get back what we’ve lost because we have become two different people. Unless there is a miracle.”
Ava wasn’t feeling very optimistic about a miracle at the moment.
There was a weighted silence then Jenny spoke.
“I know you will come to the right decision. I have faith in you.”
**********
Gabrielle didn’t know what she was doing at Adrian’s office.
Cynthia had practically forced her hand telling her that the only way she could save her hide was by begging her sister. Ava was foolish, she told her, she would fall for it again and they would have time to regroup, to restrategize.
Cynthia had already laid the groundwork for her, she just had to come over and swallow her pride to tell her sister she was sorry.
Her throat clogged imagining telling Ava that she was sorry that she regretted everything. Where was the justice in that? Ava should be the one begging for her forgiveness, for her mercy. But what other options did she have?
She could still feel the ghost of Adrian’s grasp around her neck. He could have broken her neck. She had seen the look in his eyes, he wouldn’t have regretted it one bit.
Now she had been sitting here for close to an hour. Ava was making her wait. Making her sweat it out. Exalting in her power over Gabrielle. The office phone rang.
Gabrielle let it ring thinking about how it was none of her business. Then it started up again and she couldn’t hold herself back. When she had been something to Adrian, she took his calls all the time. Now it was Ava’s responsibility. Ava who had stolen Adrian from her. Her mouth felt bitter.
She picked up the call. “Hello.”
The person on the other side was quiet then the call ended.
Gabrielle frowned and tried redialling the number. It rang and rang but there was no answer. Who could that have been and why hadn’t they responded?
A direct call to Adrian meant it was something serious, not everyone had a direct line to the Alpha. Maybe it was someone who had been waiting to hear Adrian’s voice before speaking and had been startled to hear a woman’s voice.
The number should be labelled in the phonebook which was in the drawer, all numbers that had been in a conversation with Adrian were there. she reached out and opened it.
The door to the office opened and she startled back seeing Alex. She closed the drawer feeling like a child caught with their fingers in a cookie jar.
“Gabrielle, what are you doing here?” Alex sounded suspicious.
Great. Just where had he been for the past hour?
“I wanted to see Ava.”
“Behind Adrian’s desk?” He sounded sceptical.
Gabrielle rolled her eyes as she left the desk. “Please, give me a break. I am your sister too, you know. But Ava is all that matters to you. To all of you.”
Alex remained tense but his eyes showed a silver of pity.
“Gabby, that’s not what this is about. I will always care about you as my sister but–”
“I am not a stranger to be questioned about being in Adrian’s office but that’s not even what this is about, is it? You just wanted to buttress the point that I don’t belong here.”
Gabrielle laughed bitterly, tears surprisingly pricking her eyes. Of course, that was why she had been kept waiting. To emphasize her place. Her place beneath her Luna. She should have expected it. She just didn’t expect from Alex.
“You know I came here to apologise to Ava, to make peace. But now I see that was a mistake. Both of you act like I started all of this. Like if I were to stop, you would forgive me but it’s all a lie. Ava started this and I am going to end this. Forget about peace, this fight just started.”
“Gabrielle–”
Gabrielle walked out of the office angrily bumping Alex’s shoulder as she left.
She would find out another way out of the situation she had gotten herself into. Cynthia’s plan was never going to work anyway.