Chapter 13
Ava looked out the window as the cab sped on, she could not even remember the last time she had been in one of these.
By right now was not the time to think about when last she had been in one of these, her mind was ladened with far bigger problems.
First, she had slept outside the house for the first time since she had alpha Jude had been together, she was even drunk…or tipsy, but still the same thing to her.
Secondly, she had done the one thing she was not supposed to do, she had sex with alpha Damon, and not only that he had marked her, completing the ritual mate bond.
Her wolf had been silent all this while, Ava did not know what to make of the situation. It was supposed to be a thing of joy for her to be mated.
But that wasn’t the case at the moment, she was mated to her enemy, the man who had bullied her all those years.
“Ma’am” the driver called slowly, “I said we are here” he repeated himself, from the way he just said Ava knew it was not the first time he had called her, she had zoned off.
“Ow sorry, here,” Ava said handing him some money for his trouble “Thank you” she murmured under her breath as she stepped out of the car and walked into the house.
The guards cast side looked at her as she walked in, she could tell she would be the subject of gossip for the next few days when she walked by a few maids on the corridor.
Their suspicious and judging gazes and slithering eyes told her all she needed to know. Ignoring their bows and subtle greetings, Ava proceeded to her room, she couldn’t care less about what they thought of her.
Ava stopped in her tracks when she got to the door, pausing to peer in through the slight gap of the open door.
Her room was never open, it could only tell her one thing, alpha Jude was inside, and he was definitely waiting for her.
Summoning the courage to face him, Ava pushed the door open all the way, walking in with her head held high. If he could betray her as he did by making her work with her enemy, she might as well face him straight on.
She walked in and glanced around, surprised at the empty room that greeted her, she could have sworn he was here, Ava thought as she proceeded to freshen up.
Taking longer than usual, Ava took her shower, it was the least she could do to not only wipe his scent off her but to cleanse herself of the guilt that was threatening to envelop her.
Soon she was done, thankfully for the cold weather, Ava slipped into a hoodie and matching sweatpants, which helped her conceal the evidence of her sin.
A gentle knock brought her out of her thought and she strolled leisurely to the door, sighing exasperatedly when she peered through the peephole to see a maid.
“I do not need anything” Ava Calle stopped her through the closed door, silently wishing her away.
“Ma, alpha Jude would like to have a word with you in his office.” She said.
Ava’s eyes widened, and she swung the door open, standing face to face with the shaken maid, she had this effect on them.
“What?” Ava asked to make sure she heard right.
“Alpha Jude summoned your presence, ma’am,” she said, her eye fixed on the floor like if she dared to look up she would be struck dead.
“Why?” Ava asked, she needed a hint she wanted to be prepared when she stood before him.
“I have no idea,” the maid said lowly
” Okay, I will be with him shortly,” Ava said, slamming the door shut in her face.
Ava leaned on the closed door, taking deep breaths to calm herself and gather her thoughts.
The walk to the study seemed farther than it would usually be, her steps were dragged it was obvious she would rather not see him
Having been unable to see eye to eye with all this while has definitely affected them, and it wasn’t her fault, Ava could not blame herself like that.
He had caused all this when he bluntly asked her to work with him, even after she had made her distaste known to him.
Reminded him of who this man was and probably still is. But he had paid deaf ears to her, even when she had pleaded.
So yes, it was his fault that he had lost all form of respect and love she had for him.
“Come in.” Ava paused at his voice that came from within when she knocked. His voice had lost its warmth and the calming effect it had on her.
Now all she felt were goosebumps and fear.
Pushing the door open, Ava was greeted with the sight of him hunched over a pile of files on his desk, his brows creased in a frown of concentration.
“You called?” Ava asked rhetorically, staying as far away from him as she could, barely a few steps away from the door.
“Yes,” Alpha Jude said after a long silence, his head to take his sweet time to answer her, Ava thought within her, holding back a snort of disdain that threatened to fly out her lips.
“What for?” She asked, wanting to make it as snappy as possible, it was obvious where this was going to lead and Ava was ready to let fate take full course.
“You did not return last night” he stated blandly.
“It rained heavily, surely you were aware,” Ava answered straightforwardly.
“You are a betrothed woman, sworn to me, Ava. You do not sleep outside this house” Alpha Jude said, raising both his voice and eyes at her.
“The same woman who you paid dad wars to and made to work for her enemy for your benefit?” Ava asked angrily.
“You will not speak to me in such a manner, Ava.” Alpha Jude said jarringly. “You do not or have the right!” He bellowed.
” Oh, I do,” Ava said, taking a few steps in his direction, stopping only a little feta away from his desk.
“You have me that right there day you made me work with that man,” Ava said fearlessly.
“It is not my fault that you choose to hold on to your past, Ava, it has been what?” Did he ask rhetorically, “Ten years? Ten years and you are still clinging to it, just let it go.”
“You did not feel what I felt, Jude, you were not there,” Ava said she could feel her throat burn from the anger that she held in.
Her eyes stung with unshed tears, and her fingers trembled from the rage that rocked through her being.
She could feel her wolf begin to stir awake, she had seemed to have been sleeping all this while. Ava kept her on a leash, determined to give alpha Jude a piece of her mind before she did what was in her mind.
“It was not you who had to go through sleepless nights, you were not the one who had to endure years of bullying,” Ava said, taking bold steps toward him with every pause.
“It was me, Jude, me!” Ava yelled as the tears spilled down her face.
“So what If alpha Damon bullied you as a teenager?” Alpha Jude asked angrily.
“It was many years ago?” He added, “Yes, he made you leave your family and a pack you loved with everything, shattering your dreams and aspirations to follow in your father’s footsteps.”
“Perhaps it was just youthful exuberance, a moment of weakness or to have a laugh with his friends. He has even forgotten who you are even after working with him in such proximity, he has no idea who you are or what he did.”
Alpha Jude said it was his turn to walk towards her. Her figure stands straight and unmoved like a statue.
“Yet, here you are still hanging on to this past. Ava darling,” Alpha Jude said, placing a hand on her shoulder which she shrugged off angrily.
“I think it’s time you get over this and let things go, anger does not look good on you my love,” he said stroking the side of her face with a slim finger.
Ava sighed, her eyes heavy with tears, and she slowly slipped the emerald ring that adorned her left middle finger.
Taking a step back from him, Ava took his hand, placing the ring in his palm.
“I am calling off the engagement alpha, Jude” Ava said in her calmest voice.
“And I will tell Alpha Damon who you really are, Mitchell” Alpha Jude threatened.
Ava stared at him long and hard, he had already hurt her enough, there wasn’t anything he would do to hurt her more than she already was.
Those were Ava’s thoughts as she turned around and walked out of the study, lifting a brow when she caught a whiff of a particular scent.