When Ava woke up she was in the pack hospital of Javier’s pack and Gabby was sitting in a chair next to her bed.
How was that even possible?
“Gabby, is that really you?”
As Ava looked at Gabby in disbelief wondering if perhaps she was still dreaming, her sister noticed she was awake as she heard her voice.
“Ava, you are up!”
Gabrielle took her hand looking at her with tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Ava. I’m so sorry.”
Ava sat up now convinced this was no longer a dream as she held her sister’s warm hands in hers.
“Gabby.”
She embraced her sister. Gabrielle froze for a minute before relaxing into the hug.
The two sisters held each other and let their tears flow.
“I forgive you Gabby and I’m sorry too.”
Sorry for all the pain she had caused her sister. For not being able to save her from Elder Elvis and Ivy’s scheme to get her thrown out. For not being able to find her until now.
Gabby’s arms tightened around her.
“I forgive you, Ava.”
Maybe she should have distrusted this new Gabby but she couldn’t bring herself to do that. This was a new chance at life that the goddess had given her.
They pulled apart and Ava looked at her sister. Gabby looked radiant now, more at peace.
She would need to tell her about Mom and tell Mom about Gabby.
The door opened.
“I hope I’m not disturbing anyone here.” It was Javier with his unrepentant grin.
Ava’s mouth nearly dropped open in shock. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be travelling.
Gabby smiled. “Not really, Doc.”
Javier stepped into the room with a file in his hands and a smile.
“Javier? I thought you were travelling…” Ava looked at Gabby. She was supposed to be in a tiny remote pack not somewhere as large as Jav8er”s lack that she could easily be found in. Had she escaped?
“And you Gabby, how did you get here? Have you been here since the beginning?”
Gabby smiled at her.
“No, I just came here recently.” She seemed to gather herself before she spoke again. Gabby took Javier’s hand.
“Ava, I know you already know each other but I’d like to reintroduce you to Javier, my true mate.”
Ava’s jaw dropped. Javier was Gabby’s mate?
“Oh my… congratulations.” She managed to stutter out once the shock left her.
This was a good thing. A great thing in fact. Both her sister and Javier would be happy with each other and she could totally see Gabrielle showing love to Javier that he fully deserved and Javier’s good heart gradually erasing all Gabrielle’s insecurities and pain.
“No need to look too shocked, we are family now.” Javier winked at her and she found herself smiling at him. Family.
“I’m really happy for you, Gabby.” Ava embraced her sister. “You have to give me all the juicy details.”
“And that’s my cue to exit. I came here to check if you were up and get your stats.” Javier checked her pulse and her heartbeat, his brows furrowing in deep thought.
“What’s wrong?”
Ava felt better now, the fear of the alley a mere fragment of a memory.
Javier smiled and shook his head.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. I just need to check on some of your blood test results. In the meantime, you can catch up with your sister.”
Before she could further question him, Javier had pecked Gabby on the forehead and was out of the room. Fighting off the anxiety from that cryptic statement, she and Gabby caught up with each other.
She found out about how Gabby and Javier had met while she was in exile and he had been travelling only to stop at the pack she was in. They found each other and Javier had carted her off to his pack after the nice Luna of that pack had let them leave without informing Adrian.
The rest was history. She hadn’t called home because she was scared of the fact that their parents and Ava hadn’t forgiven her.
Then Ava informed her about their mother. Gabrielle was in shock.
“But she’s always seemed so healthy and alive. How could this happen to her of all people?”
“I don’t know, it’s a mutation and doesn’t have any cause in particular, but I do know that she and Dad want to see you. No one is holding grudges against you. We should see this through together. All of us.”
Gabrielle grasped her hand with unshed tears in her eyes. “All of us.”
Ava didn’t know how exactly this would go. She couldn’t say if Mom and Ava could meet at their pack without Elder Elvis moving for the continuation of her exile or if they would meet at the Silverwolf pack with Alex or if it would have to be here in Spain.
What she did know was that she would do her very best to get over Adrian while keeping her family together as best as she could. She needed to call Alex and their parents to know where everyone was and…
The door opened again and it was Javier.
He paused when he noticed their joined hands and tear-streaked faces.
“Sorry, am I interrupting something? I can just–”
Gabrielle wiped her face. “We are good. Just clearing the air. What do the reports say? Is Ava in the clear now?”
“Well sort of,” Javier hesitated.
“Congrats Ava, you are pregnant.”
Pregnant?
She was pregnant? How could she have failed to see it? The puking, the bone weariness, it hadn’t just been because of Adrian’s cheating.
“Ava, this is great news!” Gabby beamed. “Wait until Adrian hears about this, he’ll be so happy–”
“Adrian will never hear about this.” Ava looked at her sister and her mate. “Neither of you is allowed to tell him.”
Gabrielle and Javier looked at her with varying degrees of surprise.
“Javier, please would you excuse me and Ava for a minute?” Gabrielle asked Javier when Ava made no signs of explaining her sudden outburst.
“Sure,” Javier said and patted Ava’s hand somewhat comfortingly before walking out of the room.
“Alright. It’s just the two of us, now. Tell me what is going on, Ava.”
Ava’s lower lip quivered as she fought back tears. “He… He got Ivy pregnant, Gabby.”
“What?”
*******
After she explained everything to Gabby, she seemed more sympathetic.
“Oh Ava, I understand your pain but this is a huge decision. Are you sure you want to do it?”
Gabby seemed genuinely worried about her but she didn’t seem to understand Ava’s decision.
“I’m sure.” Ava paused fighting back the arising tears once more. “He’ll come after me and I’ll be forced to return. I can’t live with him and Ivy. It would kill me.”
She was pregnant. She was pregnant.
Beeeana couldn’t believe it. Her dream has finally come through but now she couldn’t share it with Adrian as she has planned to. They wouldn’t find out the news together and celebrate all night long. Adrian wouldn’t kiss her and spin her around while she giggled lost in happiness.
“Ava, it’s alright stop crying.”
Gabrielle embraced her.
“I’m so sad and tired, Gabby. We should have been celebrating this together.” Ava sobbed into her sister’s shoulder with a heavy heart.
“I don’t know where to go or who to meet from here. I dreamt about this moment for so long and now that it is here, I feel so bereft. I know it’s crazy but even after everything, I want him to be here. At the same time, I know I can’t do that to my child. They deserve to grow happy not in the cesspool of ambition and competition with Ivy’s child.”
“It’s alright, Ava. You can take your time before coming to a decision.” Gabrielle cooed, rubbing her back.
Goddess, Ava had missed this relationship that they had shared before everything went to hell. Gabrielle continued.
“In the meanwhile, you can stay with us.”
Ava pulled away to look at Gabrielle, shock evident in her eyes.
“Truly?”
Gabby raised an eyebrow.
“Did you really think that I would let you leave on your own at a time like this? That’s not happening. We are family and I’ll be here for you whether you like it or not.”
Ava smiled at her sister wondering how she had gotten so lucky.
“I’d like that. I would like it very much.”