Ava wiped at the tears on her cheeks. Looking up at Adrian she realized he was crying as well surprisingly. The tears just fell from his eyes as he looked at her. It was so weird because she could count the times on one hand that she had seen him cry. He hadn’t even when his dad had fallen ill. Or maybe he had but not in front of her.
She was suddenly filled with the conviction that she no longer wanted to hear what he had to say but for the first time in a while, Adrian couldn’t read her thoughts.
“You are right. I owe you an explanation.” He sucked in a breath.
“I’m sorry, Ava. Maybe I should have told you this long ago. Maybe we could have avoided this.” It was like every word he said took something out of him.
His eyes were red and rimmed with tears and even though Ava was angry at him, she found herself closing the distance between them to wipe his tears.
Adrian looked at her as though it was a miracle she was standing in front of him.
“Ava, I–”
There was a knock on their door. Not just a knock but pounding on the door. Wolves didn’t just pound on the door of their Alpha’s private room. Something had happened.
Ava pulled on a robe to hide her flimsy nightdress and after confirming she was decent, Adrian opened the door.
It was Elder Elvis and he looked very angry. Ava nearly scoffed. What was he doing here right now when they were having such an important conversation?
“Elder, what is the emergency?” She asked irritatedly.
He ignored her facing Adrian.
“I, Elvis Costello, Elder of the Mountain Coast Pack chCalvinge Adrian Gavin, Alpha of the Mountain Coast Pack to a duel to the death for the honour of my daughter.”
The honour of his daughter? What was he talking about?
Adrian looked resigned rather than shocked and Ava felt like she was watching everything from underwater because she couldn’t understand anything going on.
She walked up to Elder Elvis, he was only a few feet away.
“How dare you just walk into my mate and I’s bedroom to chCalvinge him to a duel? How is Ivy’s honour any of Adrian’s concern?”
Elder Elvis finally looked at her with derision.
“It became his concern when he knocked her up. She was to be mated this month and he stole not only her honour but my dignity as well. What do I tell her groom?”
Ava refused to believe it. She trusted her mate wholeheartedly. They might have been going through a rough patch but he was still Adrian. The man she had fallen in love with.
“That’s absolute rubbish. Adrian didn’t do anything of the sort. You have always wanted to see your daughter heading this pack but even this is too desperate for you. You exhausted all your options and now you want to trap him with your lies.”
Elder Elvis laughed.
“He didn’t tell you, did he? Well, ask him why he is so quiet.”
That was when Ava realized how quiet Adrian had gotten since Elder Elvis started throwing accusations about.
She turned to look at Adrian.
“Adrian, you can’t let him behave like this, allow him to talk to you like this. Tell him to get out of our room.”
“Ava.”
It was the way his voice shook, his eyes begged and his hands reached out as though to comfort her.
“No.” She refused to believe it. No.
“I’m sorry, Ava, I did it. I got Ivy pregnant.”
Ava’s world fell apart.
****
Adrian was expecting the slap but he was still surprised at the force behind it. Ava’s beautiful blue eyes held so much pain, anger and heartbreak at his betrayal.
“Ava please–”
He reached out to her but she ignored him and entered their bathroom slamming the door behind her.
He sighed and turned to face Elder Elvis.
“A duel. Was there a need for so much theatrics?”
Elder Elvis turned an unsightly red. “How dare you?! After what you did, do you think you have any leg to stand on? I want–”
“Lower your voice, Elvis. You want me to marry your daughter. That won’t be possible. Ava will always remain my mate but I will not be unfair to Ivy either.” Adrian almost shut his eyes as though that would shield him from the painful reality that was now his life.
“I will take her as my consort and her child shall bear my name.”
Elder Elvis glared at him still unspecified probably because of how he had spoken to him. He had probably expected Adrian to apologise profusely. As though that bothered Adrian. All he could think of now was to break down that bathroom door and fall at Ava’s feet to beg for forgiveness.
“You think this will be so easily resolved? I will–”
Adrian stepped closer into his personal space letting his dominance speak for him. Adrian was larger, taller and stronger than Elder Elvis, which even he seemed to realize as stood for a second or two before taking a step back.
“That’s what I thought. If you are so eager to duel, then I shall grant your death sentence to you as well.”
Elder Elvis’s eyes shone with undimmed hatred and Adrian knew he had made an enemy in that instant but he could care less, he had to end this conversation quickly to speak to Ava.
Suddenly Elder Elvis smiled. It was a fake forced one but who was complaining?
“Of course, Alpha. There will be no need for that. I was merely jesting. A father must look out for his daughter, right?” He patted Adrian’s shoulder playfully.
“I look forward to having you as an in-law. I’ll leave to allow you to talk to your mate so that she calms down a little.”
Elder Elvis turned to go only to whirl back with the same ingratiating look on his face.
“Oh and least I forget, I will organize the pack meeting for tonight. So that you can officially take my daughter in before the pack members realize her scent has changed and your child is termed a bastard.”
Then with that parting shot, he was out. He would have to take Ivy in as his consort while Ava was still mad at him. He went to the bathroom door. It was locked. He had expected that.
He knocked on the door.
“Ava, open up, we need to talk.”
*************
Ava didn’t know how long she sat on the floor of the bathroom, the tap running as she cried. She had never cried so hard in her life. All the while, she heard Adrian’s persuading voice begging to speak to her.
She didn’t think she could do it. She tried to understand. She did. Maybe something had happened but the guilt on his face. It was more damning than anything Elder Elvis said.
She’d heard their conversation from behind the door. He would take Ivy as his consort. He would atone for his mistake. She cried harder.
She thought of all the times Adrian had held her, told her he loved her, the first kiss they had when she has been reluctant to accept their bond, the day they had finally given in to their desires, the first time he told her he loved her. She thought of all the times he supported her, his smile, his mischievousness.
Then she imagined Ivy, that insufferable bitch, touching Adrian, kissing Adrian, fucking him. When he had been inside Ivy, had he thought of her even once? Thought of their relationship or had he forgotten all about it with every touch they must have shared?
Ava tortured herself for hours, not ready to face Adrian because no matter what he had just done, she couldn’t find the strength within herself to leave him.
Goddess help her, she still loved Adrian. Loved him beyond reason. If only her emotions, her feelings for him had died the moment he told her the truth, maybe the way forward would have been clearer.
Eventually, she heard him leave the room. Probably for the pack meeting. She gagged. She fought back nausea at the thought of Adrian acknowledging Ivy and bringing her into their lives forever.
She tore up the beautiful night dress she had gotten. She felt so stupid thinking about it now. She entered the shower and let the water pelt her until her mind went numb and blissfully empty.
Then she walked into the room and pulled on her running outfit after pulling her damp hair up in a messy bun.
She was out before she could think too much about it. She avoided the meeting point as she left. She was thankful that her parents and her brother were not around to see the deterioration of her and Adrian’s relationship.
She was aware they would find out eventually but that would be after she knew what to do. What the hell was she going to do?