AVA
We’d just sat down for lunch the next day when Alpha Michael linked me.
“My Queen, how are you and our Kings?”
“We’re very good now, Michael, thank you for asking.”
“Of course, my Queen. I need to speak to you about your pack, we’re having a problem with rogues
again.”
“Let me just invite the Kings into our link, Michael. Saves us both repeating it.”
“Of course, my Queen.”
As soon as the four of them joined, he greeted them all by name, his voice full of respect. It was
actually kind of heart warming.
“Okay, Michael. What’s been happening?”
“We had multiple border breaches in the night, my Queen. I had already increased security following
what happened on the full moon, so they were not successful. We have two of them ready to be
interrogated, and the remainder were either run off or killed.”
“Did we lose any wolves or Lycans, Michael?”
“No, my Queen. We have seven in hospital with minor injuries, but they will all make a full recovery
by the end of the day. They are simply in hospital as a precaution.”
“That’s good news, Michael,” Callum replied.
“Indeed, my King.”
“Can you tell us anything about the rogues? Are they working with someone or is it just a bad
coincidence?” I asked.
“I believe they are working with someone, my Queen. There were too many similarities between how
they attacked. If it is a coincidence, it is a very big one.”
“Is there anything else we should know, Michael?”
“I believe they may be coming your way, my Queen.”
He could have led with that!
“What makes you say that, Michael?” Oscar replied, voice tense.
“The rogues started in the north of our territory, and gradually moved around the border until they
reached the one closest to you, my Queen, my Kings.”
I nodded, rubbing my eyes, forgetting that I was linking Michael and he couldn’t see me nod… I was
definitely operating on autopilot.
“My Queen… once your borders are secure, if you can, I have some information for you that might be
best given in person.”
Oooh, exciting.
“Okay. Give us a couple of days to make sure everything is okay here, and we’ll come up.”
“I’m looking forward to it, my Queen, my Kings. I’ll ensure the Crown Suite is ready for you all.”
I ended the link. “Let’s finish lunch,” I spoke to the group in full. “Then we’ll grab some shortbread
and cookies from Paula, head upstairs, find Jeremiah, Jacob and Alex, and get something sorted.”
“Sounds like a plan, my Queen,” Callum gave a small bow with a smirk on his face.
“Hopefully one day soon I can speak to Michael about my pack and it won’t be bad news,” I
grumbled. “I feel like I’m going to be taking over a pack that’s in a right shitshow.”
“Unfortunately Ava… that’s kind of what your destiny is.”
“I know, Theo. Doesn’t mean that it doesn’t suck though.”
He took my hand, squeezing reassuringly. “Whatever happens, Ava. The four of us are with you, I
promise.”
I couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on my face whilst we finished lunch. It did make me feel better
that I had my four mates behind me. With them there, I felt pretty unstoppable.
CALLUM
For once it would be nice to just be normal. I love Ava, I love the life we have and everything we will
have in the future, but sometimes it would be nice to just… not. The cabin was good, but with
everything still hanging over us, it didn’t really help any of us feel normal.
I sat next to Ava, my hand resting on her thigh, a small smile tugging at my lips when I saw the bliss
on her face at the sight of her eating one of those bloody shortbreads she loves so much whilst we
waited for dad, Jacob and Jeremiah to turn up.
Oscar was sitting opposite me, a look of concentration on his face. He was listening in to someone’s
mindlinks, I imagine. It was a good idea to hone that skill, but it was still a little disconcerting at
times.
Noah and Theo were standing by the window, arms folded, looking out across the pack territory. They
were communicating through the mindlink, and I assume that’s who Oscar was listening to.
That suspicion was confirmed when Noah spun around, malice in his eyes. “How long were you
there?!” he asked Oscar.
“Long enough,” he smirked in response.
Yeah, I didn’t want to know what they were planning. The look on Ava’s face as she chewed was more
of a concern to me. It had changed from sheer orgasmic enjoyment to something I couldn’t quite
place.
When dad, Jacob and Jeremiah arrived, Ava looked up, gave Oscar, Noah and Theo a look that said
‘sit down now’, before putting her, as she puts it, “Queen face” back on.
“My Queen, my Kings,” Jeremiah bowed his head, prompting the others to do the same.
Ava nodded once before starting to speak. “We spoke to Alpha Michael this morning. They have had
some rogue problems again, problems that he has reason to believe are moving in our direction.”
Jeremiah nodded once, his face expressionless. “What do you need me to do, my Queen?”
“We need to ramp up patrols and security around here,” she glanced between the three of them. Both
my dad and Jeremiah nodded, and Jacob’s face remained expressionless. He wasn’t good with showing
emotions, or being told what to do. “Once everything is secure here, my Kings and I, Jeremiah and
another five members of my Queen’s guard will be going to Eclipse Mountain… apparently Michael
has new information for us.”