Ava opened her eyes the moment Adrian was out of the hospital room and detached the IV from her body.
Her legs felt like noodles under her and she had to sit for a few more seconds to fully get her body under control. In those seconds, the doctor came back in with an assisting nurse holding what must be syringes to take her blood and other samples.
“Luna, you shouldn’t be up.” The doctor looked worried for her.
She didn’t know that Ava had harmed herself on purpose to get away from Adrian. That her wounds wouldn’t show up in scans because they were emotional and mental.
“I feel fine.”
“But–”
Ava glared at her with as much energy as she could channeling Ivy’s imperious look. It seemed to work.
“I said I am fine.” She looked down at her clothes. She couldn’t escape in her jogging outfit. “Make yourself useful and get me a change of clothes.”
Maybe if she acted saucy and entitled enough, they wouldn’t ask her too many questions or ask Adrian for permission to release her.
The doctor hesitated. “If you insist, Luna.”
She fought the urge to stay behind, to see if the threat was legitimate or not but she knew they were all excuses. She needed to leave now she was still able to.
By the time Adrian returned, she would already be halfway to the Silverwolf pack.
Adrian was losing his mind.
“Calvin, go and talk to Rhea. Maybe she will harbour some affection for you that will make information extraction easier. We need to find out exactly what is going on.”
Calvin paused looking worriedly at him.
“We’ll find her, Adrian. She’s probably just trying to clear her head.”
Adrian nodded, his throat tight. She didn’t need to clear her head, she was gone because he had failed her as a mate.
Words couldn’t describe how he had felt the moment he had returned to the hospital after an enlightening meeting to meet an empty bed and find out she had checked herself out already.
Adrian massaged his temples. He would find Ava. She couldn’t have gone far. He couldn’t do this without her. Any of it. He had already placed calls to all the neighbouring packs. He would know the moment she landed somewhere.
The problems he was facing personally were now being compounded by the fact that his pack might not be safe anymore. They had done their best to put the Silverwolf pack behind bars.
There was a knock on the door and Ivy slipped inside his office. Perfect, just perfect.
As though it wasn’t bad enough that Ava was gone, the person who he would have preferred gone was just looking at him as though she was feeling remorseful for the fight she’d had with Ava.
Adrian massaged his temple.
“What are you doing here, Ivy?”
Ivy sat on the edge of his desk.
“I came to check on you after I heard. Are you good?”
The headache was already setting in.
“My mate is gone, no Ivy, I’m not good.”
“I’m sorry. Maybe it was because of the altercation we had…” Tears gathered in Ivy’s eyes spontaneously and Adrian was impressed. “I feel guilty. I never thought she would leave, I promise, Adrian.”
Sure she hadn’t. She thought that she would have more time to taunt Ava with her pregnancy. Altogether, Adrian was just tired and frustrated.
He didn’t even want to talk to her or let on the fact that he knew she was just trying to use her pregnancy to make him go soft for her by manipulating him.
“Of course, Ivy. Thank you for your care. You may leave now.”
She looked disappointed that he was sending her away so quickly.
She stood up from the table and moved to behind his desk, her hand touching his as she crouched to kiss him. Seriously?
Adrian turned his head to the side as he stood up from the seat. Ivy straightened, her cheeks a bright red.
“My mate is missing and you somehow think what I need right now are kisses from you? Have some shame and get out of my office, Ivy.”
Ivy glared at him.
“I just wanted to be here for you but I forgot how obstinate you can be. I am your consort now, Adrian. Shame? What do I have to be ashamed of? You have a duty to me now, you can’t just toss me out anyhow you please.”
Adrian’s pleasant demeanour disappeared as he raised an eyebrow.
“We will only ever be co-parents, I will never give you any more relevance and if you aren’t out of here in the next ten seconds, we’ll see exactly how far I can toss you, consort or not.”
Ivy sputtered for words, obviously shocked at his attitude to her.
“I am still the mother of your child, Adrian and right now, I’m the one who is here for you. Your mate is nowhere to be seen. I intend on always being here and one day you will realize how much I love you.”
Then she beat a hasty retreat.
*******
“I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to rest.”
Ava just arrived at the Silverwolf pack. She felt drained, dizzy and so tired. She couldn’t remember when last she ate something and she still had no appetite. How could she?
Alex looked over at her in concern. She looked terrible and she knew it. Her eye bags were prominent and her eyes looked puffy from all the tears she had shed in the past hours.
Her complexion was pale probably from all the puking she had done on the way here. The effects of trying to break an already established mate bond were still riding her hard probably because she was the one who initiated it.
“Ava.”
The worry in her brother’s voice made her attempt to smile wanly at him as she dropped her bags in the room he had brought her to. The smile seemed to do more harm than good though, his worry seemed to be heightened.
“I promise we’ll talk after I rest. I’m fine. I promise.”
She moved to turn down the duvet so that she could lie down on the bed only she lost her balance and almost fell. Alex caught her in time though.
“Fine we’ll talk after but I’ll call the pack doctor now, you look like you are coming down with something.”
Yes, she was. She had known that away from Adrian, she would fade but she had chosen it over staying with him and growing to hate him and herself while still fading away all the same.
She wanted to go back to him. Kiss him, beat him, wail like a child and have him wipe her tears but she no longer had a place in his life. She had accepted that now.
“I’m good. I haven’t eaten today that’s why.” Or yesterday. But she didn’t add that part.
Alex helped her into the bed and kissed her forehead. “I’ll have something sent up for you. Once you wake up, eat something, okay?”
Ava nodded.
“Sure. Thanks, Alex.”
For not asking too many questions, for being there for her to run to.
“Anytime, sis.”
Ava didn’t know how long she slept for or even when she had fallen asleep for that matter. She woke up feeling leagues better and the fruit salad she met by her bedside when she woke up probably helped with that as well.
She left her room to look for her brother. They needed to talk. Luckily, Zinora’s room was close to the one she had been assigned and she was able to get the directions to the study from her.
Zee had insisted on following her there but she declined. She was heartbroken, not an invalid. She wondered how Adrian was doing now.
Was he looking for her or had he shacked up with Ivy and taken comfort in her arms as he had done before? Ava shook her head as though it would rid it of the thoughts that had settled there.
“What the fuck did you do to Ava, Adrian?”
She had never heard Alex curse like that or sound so angry. She stopped at the partly opened study door.
“No, I won’t be calm. From the start I let you know that no one absolutely no one messes with my sisters. After everything both of you have been through together, you should have treated her like a queen. So tell me why she showed up here reeking of heartbreak?”
There was a pause then Alex spoke.
“Sure you can come and explain in person. You had better have a damn good explanation because if not I will not spare you, Adrian.”
Ava moved away from the door and went back to the room he’d given her. Then she packed up the little things she had brought. Adrian was coming here. She refused to let him take her back because that was what she was going to do the minute she saw him.
She might even run into his arms. That was how much she missed him right now. She left a note, took a pancake that she hadn’t taken earlier from the food platter, crept past Zinora’s room and snuck out of the pack as quickly and as quietly as she could.