AVA
We knew it was very possible that the fourth and final marking could be rough. I even expected that
I’d need to shift after.
I was definitely right on that count. After Theo and I mated and marked, Artemis started freaking out.
She was stressed and anxious because something wasn’t right… but she also felt like she was a little
power drunk.
It was a strange, unpleasant combination.
“I need to get outside.” I stumbled to stand, sprinting for the door. Once again, not even slightly
caring that everyone in the packhouse would be seeing me naked.
“Ava, wait!” Theo shouted from behind me. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
He sprinted behind me, also not having gotten dressed. I heard another door slam as I ran, followed by
the sounds of another three sets of footsteps.
As soon as I was outside, I shifted, letting Artemis take the lead. As soon as she did, it was like my
entire body just calmed down. It was the strangest and yet the best feeling.
I could feel power coursing through my veins. I felt incredible, I felt complete for the first time in a
long time. It was amazing.
But Artemis also felt really distant.
THEO
I couldn’t begin to describe how amazing I felt. As soon as I shifted, it was the strangest thing.
Hermes felt lighter, more agile, and yet somehow even bigger. And, he’s an Alpha, he was already a
big wolf.
I turned to face Ava and Artemis, and they looked amazing. Powerful. “Artemis… you’re somehow
even more spectacular.”
A scuffle from behind us said Callum, Oscar and Noah were all shifting too, coming to stand with the
pair of us. The four of us bowed to Ava, heads ducking low. Artemis returned the bow, just not quite
as low.
She stood back up, tilted her head, yipped and sprinted off into the woods, begging us to chase her.
Which, of course, we did happily, all four of us nipping at her heels as she ran.
We hadn’t gone far when Ava suddenly stopped, shifting back as if Artemis was ripped away from her.
It wasn’t a clean shift. It was brutal, messy and looked painful. As soon as she went down, I shifted
back, running to her side on two legs rather than four.
She was barely moving.
“Ava?” I whispered, my heart pounding. “Can you hear me?”
She didn’t reply. I reached out to touch her hand, and it was like I got an electric shock, strong enough
that it knocked me backwards.
“I’m trying to link her and she isn’t replying,” Callum’s voice was pained as he dropped to his knees
beside me.
“She’s not answering through the mate bond either.” Oscar dropped to his knees next to Callum, Noah
following next to me.
“Ava, baby…” Oscar leaned over her, stroking her hair.
“Oscar? Is that Oscar?” I heard.
“Ava! Yes, he’s here, Oscar is here…” I exclaimed… right until I realised something odd.
One, the other three were looking at me like I was mad because she hadn’t said anything out loud.
Two, it hadn’t sounded quite like Ava…
Three, her lips hadn’t even moved.
“Theo? You alright, mate?” Callum’s face was concerned.
“I… yeah. I heard Ava. Or I thought I did anyway.”
“What did she say?”
I glanced at Oscar. “She recognised your voice, she was asking if that was indeed you.”
‘What the fuck is going on,’ I heard from Callum.
“What the fuck is about right.”
“Theo? I didn’t say that out loud.”
I looked up, meeting his eyes. “What?”
“What did you hear?”
“What the fuck is going on…” I replied.
“That was a thought, Theo. I didn’t say it out loud. I think we found one of your abilities.”
My mouth fell open. That was unexpected. With everything that had gone on, I’d even forgotten that
the others gained special abilities when they mated with Ava.
Felt weird.
“Can you still hear her?” Oscar whispered, voice pained.
“Not at the moment,” I replied.
‘Can you hear me?’ Noah thought.
I nodded.
‘Ava, you need to wake up.’ The voice sounded concerned.
“Artemis?” I whispered, hoping she would be able to recognise my voice like Ava had Oscar.
‘Theo? Hermes?’
“Thank fuck,” I replied, a deep breath I hadn’t even realised I was holding leaving my body. “Are you
and Ava okay?”
At that moment I noticed the others staring at me in disbelief.
‘We will be, I think.’
“What happened?”
‘The latest marking hit Ava’s body hard.’
“What is Artemis saying, Theo?” Noah asked.
“She’s trying to wake Ava up, she said the marking hit Ava’s body hard.”
I leaned back on my heels, taking Ava’s hand. It was freezing cold. “Noah… she’s freezing cold. Can
you warm her up?”
He nodded, scrambling to pull her into his arms, shivering as her freezing skin touched his warmer
skin.
The effect was immediate. As soon as she started to warm up, her mind started to wake up.
‘Artemis… what’s happening?’
‘Ava! We’ll be okay. I think we just needed some rest.’
‘From what?’
‘I think we’ve got all of our abilities now.’
She suddenly gasped, jolting upright and cracking her head straight into Noah’s nose.
The sickening crunch said it was probably broken.
NOAH
Having your nose broken is unbelievably horrifically painful.
But, at that moment, I couldn’t care less. Ava was awake!
“Ava!” I kissed her forehead, not caring about the blood streaming down my face. “You’re okay…
you’re okay…” my voice was barely audible where my face was buried in her hair.
“Fuck…” I could hardly hear her, she sounded strained and in pain. “Was that me?”
I nodded, a small smile on my face. “It’s fine, little one, I’ll heal. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
She pulled herself up to sit properly, one hand on the side of my face. She kissed my forehead, then
both cheeks just to the side of my nose, her eyes closed.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “All I seem to do is cause problems and hurt you all.”
Before I could convince her that what she’d said was all a load of rubbish, a warm sensation spread
from where she’d kissed me. It felt strange, almost uncomfortable, but amazing at the same time.
But then it hurt. It felt like my nose was being reset. I winced against the pain… but it was over in
seconds. She’d healed me.
“Ava… you healed it.”