“Ginger, do not touch the food yet. The guests have to get here first!”
“Sure, Luna.” Ginger threw the berry she had in her hand into her mouth.
At Ava’s glare, she displayed an innocent face shrugging.
“You said not to touch it, you didn’t say anything about eating it.”
Ava nearly threw up her hands in frustration. Getting mature wolves to behave was way harder than herding cats.
“Calm down, sis or you might get a wrinkle.” Alex pecked her cheek.
“Alex, thank goodness. Have you seen Adrian?”
Her brother was decked out wearing a suit instead of his usual sweatpants and sweaters or shirtless.
“Yeah, in fact, he asked me to call you. He wants you, me, him, Zinora and Calvin to welcome them. Their car just pulled up.”
Ava almost fainted in panic.
“You should have led with that! Let’s go.”
Ava pulled her laughing brother along and went to meet her mate outside. This was the second time she was seeing Adrian in a suit, the first time being after their disaster of a date. He looked hot and she felt an immeasurable amount of pride that he was hers.
Tonight, she would show him exactly how much she loved him in a suit.
Nodding to Zinora and Calvin, she hooked her arm through Adrian’s, and with a practised smile on her face, she looked at the approaching envoy.
Her jaw dropped as she recognized one of the people moving towards them. Was that…
“Javier?”
Ava couldn’t believe that Javier was here. He should have been in the hospital in Spain saving lives not among the envoys sent to her pack to ascertain if Adrian was lying or not.
She suddenly realized that in the months since she had left Spain, she had totally forgotten about calling him to confirm that she had arrived safely or even texting him.
It could have been because she had lost her luggage on the way back due to the call of the mate bond or because of the fact that he had just dropped out of her mind the moment she had seen Adrian.
To think that once she had thought that maybe, just maybe she could have a life with him after the bond between her and Adrian was severed. Now she knew there had been no chance in hell of that happening and that she had been deceiving herself.
Ava stood frozen as the envoys approached. She noticed Javier look at her, his eyes widening ever so slightly in surprise. She saw him notice her hand in Adrian’s and their complementary dressing.
It felt weird. Like she had been caught cheating. Which was insane because she had never encouraged him in the first place.
“Welcome.” Adrian said to the envoys. They were four. So much for clearing out an entire floor for them. Two males and two females.
Ava found her smile again even if it felt somewhat strained. She would simply apologise to him at a more auspicious time.
The other male envoy took the lead, he looked like an average wolf apart from the fact that he was bald and had very pale irises. He was tall, large and commanding.
“Alpha Adrian. I am Harry and these are my associates who will be assisting me with this inquisition. Javier, Samantha and Helen.” He indicated to each of the people accompanying him.
Ava inclined her head respectfully at each of them, even Javier, as she became less self-conscious about their awkward situation.
Adrian nodded as well and continued the motions according to tradition.
“This is my mate and Luna of the pack, Ava. My Beta Alex and his mate Zinora. And my Gamma, Calvin. Please be at ease and consider yourself at home.”
Harry grunted.
“My colleagues and I have travelled from far for this. We will rest today and tomorrow we will begin our work. We have no intention of staying here any longer than we should.”
“Of course,” Ava said with a smile. “Allow me to show you to your quarters.”
Harry nodded and Adrian kissed her on her forehead before he released her hand.
Ava’s cheeks heated. Adrian wasn’t usually this affectionate in public maybe it was the dress while it was proper by all means and didn’t show all that much skin, it did wonders for her curves.
In Cynthia’s words, ‘if he doesn’t fuck you after he sees you in that, he might be impotent.’ Jenny had laughed agreeing before giving the dress to her as a gift.
Ava showed the guests to their assigned rooms with Calvin accompanying her while Adrian, Alex and Zinora stayed downstairs getting ready for brunch which the guests would hopefully join them for.
After informing them that they could freshen up and come down to brunch or that they could ask for their food to be sent up, Ava and Calvin started to walk out of the wing.
“So, how are things with you and Cynthia?”
Calvin stumbled midstep and Ava smiled. His reactions were almost always comical when it came to Cynthia.
“Um. We are taking it slow for now. I don’t particularly care though. It’s not easy to find someone who has been through so much but instead of allowing it to weigh her down, she took that experience to become a better person. I admire her spirit of strength and perseverance.”
“Well, if my opinion counts, both of you look happier around each other.”
“Really?”
“Sure, in fact–”
“Luna Ava, if I may have a word?”
Ava stopped in her tracks at the sound of Javier’s voice. Calvin looked at her in askance. They were almost at the staircase to go downstairs. Ava nodded, indicating that he could go on without her.
It would be best if they could get the awkward reunion out of the way now. Adrian was occupied downstairs and the other envoys were firmly ensconced in their rooms for now.
Calvin bowed and went down the stairs.
Ava turned to look at Javier. He looked as handsome as before if not more with his dark blonde hair looking even more lustrous in the dim lighting but it did nothing to her just as it had been before. His molten gold hazel eyes were filled with animosity when before they had only been filled with friendship and humour.
“So Luna Ava, huh?” He dived right in without mincing words.
“Yeah. It was quite difficult to get used to at first.” She smiled tentatively. “How have you been?”
“Fine. I got a promotion, one guess who is the new head of surgery.”
“Oh, that’s great. Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”
Just in a few months, he had gotten such a promotion? Ava was more than happy for her old friend. She would have embraced him but the awkward air between them stayed her hand.
“Are you really? Happy for me that is. When you were leaving you told me that we could still be friends even though I confessed my feelings for you. I couldn’t get through to you. I had to call Alex to confirm if you had arrived safely. He told me then the atmosphere was currently tense and that you would get back to me only for you to ghost me for months on end.”
Why hadn’t Alex informed her? Although it was possible he had forgotten as well with everything that had happened in rapid succession.
“I’m sorry. I lost my luggage and my phone. Plus everything got so chaotic here once I arrived… I can’t make any excuses. I was a terrible friend. I’m truly sorry.”
Ava didn’t know what was wrong with her. How could she have forgotten Javier of all people? Someone who had always been there for her.
His face remained rigid for a second or two more before going carefully blank.
“You shouldn’t apologise to me, Luna. I don’t have a right to you either way. Please excuse me. I need to freshen up and get ready for brunch.”
He bowed then turned to leave.
“Javier.”
He paused for a second then continued walking away, ignoring her call.
She didn’t know what to do. The last thing she wanted was for him to leave on these terms but it would seem like there was nothing else she could do.
Ava sighed dejectedly and walked down the staircase only to see Adrian walking towards her at the base of it.