She was gone again.
Adrian flung his phone away brimming with frustration. When Alex had called him, he hadn’t even minded that he was yelling at him because at last, he had news on Ava. He was already on his way there when Alex called him to tell him that she was gone.
As he turned his car back to return to his pack he tried to assure himself with the fact that she was fine. She was alive and well.
She just didn’t want to see him.
Somehow that hurt even more.
*******
Ava didn’t know where exactly she wanted to go. She didn’t want to meet her parents. Not like this. Her mother would take one look at her and return to their pack to give Adrian a piece of her mind, never mind her decision to travel.
The only option she had left was to go back to Spain but even Javier wouldn’t be there as he was also travelling on a journey of self-discovery.
Perhaps that was for the best because he was not there. At least she wouldn’t be giving him false hope. Because she was no longer with Adrian didn’t mean she wanted to be with him.
******
Ivy was pissed. It wasn’t like she actually liked Adrian but she was putting in so much effort, putting on her best performance and even letting Ava pummel her, all for him to ignore her and treat her like shit.
She tried to console herself with the fact that with Ava gone, there would be no competition for her child’s ascension.
She would kill Adrian slowly for all the insults and simulation he had put her through and as for Cynthia who thought she could act out because of Ava’s backing, once she gathered enough clout in her position as consort, she would be finished.
For now, she focused on Ava, she would never be able to relax fully if there was a chance Ava would come back. She had to take care of her now that she was outside the safety of the pack.
Adrian would lose his mind at the death of his mate making him more vulnerable to her and usurping his position would be easier.
Ivy dialled a number.
“I have work for you.”
Someone was after her and Ava was running out of strength. She felt the inevitable conclusion of her death coming upon her.
The feeling had started immediately when she dismounted from the plane in Spain. It had felt like coming home only coloured by the sudden feeling of disquiet. The hairs at the back of her head had risen and while she had initially dismissed it as her overthinking, it had become clear that it was far from that.
Maybe it was her fault for wanting to lodge herself at a human hotel instead of going to Javier’s pack or any other pack and running the risk of it getting back to Adrian.
The ominous feeling had returned when she had gone out for a walk feeling extremely cooped up in her room. She didn’t feel particularly bothered, she was a wolf, and she could handle herself. Or so she thought.
That had been an hour ago. Ava crouched in the corner of an alley silently praying. Her prayers went unheard. She heard the footsteps.
“Come out now, Ava Gavin. You should meet your death bravely.”
Ava stood to her full height. For once she agreed with her assailant. She was the Kuna of the Mountain Coast pack. She couldn’t hide in a corner as her attacker tracked her down.
She stepped out of the hidden corner. Her attacker stood a few feet away and grinned as he saw her step out. He was a werewolf no doubt and definitely a pack wolf. He seemed to put together to be anything else.
Plus he knew her name.
“Who sent you to me?”
If she was going to die here she might as well know who was behind it plus she was also stalling for time hoping a human or even another werewolf would happen upon them
As if in response to her silent request, another werewolf walked into the alley. Ava felt all her hopes die. The attacker’s partner had found them.
“I’m afraid that isn’t going to be possible, Luna.” He drawled before coming to a stop next to the first man. Looking at his partner he nodded and the first attacker disengaged from him and began to walk towards her.
With every step he took, Ava’s mind sped through her life. Her eighteenth year birthday that had changed everything and her life since then, the highs and the lows.
Even as her body tensed up with fear, the shift never came. They had definitely roofied her food to leave her vulnerable to their attacks. If only she had gone to Javier’s pack. If only she hadn’t left her brother’s pack.
She was as weak as a human right now and although she had decided to stand and face her fate, she felt herself take a step back but it was already too late.
The attacker was razor quick and his hand reached out and got a hold of her hair dragging her towards himself setting the silver dagger at her throat and drawing blood. She froze and as he lifted the dagger to stab through her heart, her eyes closed.
It would come any moment now.
Adrian.
She suddenly wished she could see the face of her cheating mate one more time before she passed on.
She heard gurgling sounds and the sounds of something hitting the ground. Ava opened her eyes to see the second attacker down and the first that had been about to stab her fighting off two new werewolves.
Realizing that he could soon meet the fate of his partner, he made a feint and ran off. One of the new wolves broke up and pursued him while the other approached her.
“Are you okay?” It was a female, her black hair pulled back in an excessively tight ponytail wearing form-fitting but stretchy outfits.
Ava would have nodded if she didn’t feel a sudden urge to puke. Turning to the corner, she threw up. The blood on her neck felt warm. A minute later and she would have been dead.
The female rubbed her back soothing her as though she were a child. And when she finally finished, her legs felt shaky beneath her as she straightened.
“Which pack are you from? I’ll place a call.”
Ava shook her head.
“Thank you, I’m good. I’m not from around here. I… thank you for your help.”
She made a move to leave. Maybe she would go to Javier’s pack herself and… the world spun around her.
Was the drug finally taking its full effect?
She tried another step to steady herself but the world fell out from beneath her and her mind dimmed as the world went dark.