JACK POVTHE NEXT MORNING"How do I look in this?" Avery asked, swirling in front of the floor-length mirror.We were in the room, and she was getting ready to take a walk around the pack house. I believe she enjoyed doing that now. Although I was against it, there was no way I could deny her with a face as lovely as that."You're not saying anything," Avery said.I didn't need to say anything. Avery could be in rags and still look like the most beautiful woman ever. She was so gorgeous, and it hurt that she didn't even know it."I didn't bring you here to space out. I should have called Rose instead," Avery huffed.She rolled her eyes, walking away from me to the closet.I intercepted her midway, gripping her hand. "Hey, you don't need me to tell you how gorgeous you look right now.""You think I am gorgeous?" she raised a brow at me, a small smile playing on her lips."I know you are. You don't just know it." I shrugged. "You could be walking naked right now and turn the head of eve
JACK POVScrunching up the paper in my hand, my eyes narrowed as I looked around the room. That little witch. She knew. She had sent spies to watch me.I wouldn't have thought she would be the one coming after me. I believed it would be Jullian, seeing as he still seemed pretty interested in Avery. Although he never said much about her.I knew it. From the look on his face, he still wanted her.I wouldn't be surprised if he had sent that witch to come spy on us. I didn't understand why he was still protecting Jason and not Avery. He didn't hate Avery, yet he wasn't doing anything to make her not die."Why is this place so quiet? Are you still in the room with me?" I heard Avery's voice. It was muffled, and I couldn't help but wonder what she was doing.I didn't want to check for fear of seeing her indecent since she was still by the corner of the wardrobe."I am here," I said."Thank God," she said, "Because I think I might need help with this.""Help?" I frowned, taking a step from w
AVERY POVHe kissed me. Jack had fucking kissed me, and for the life of me, I wouldn't deny it. It was enjoyable despite how brief it had been.My hand involuntarily went to my lips while my eyes were on the mirror. I could recall how he hesitated until it felt like something snapped within him, and then he made a firm decision.The darkness that had immediately clouded his beautiful eyes and how he had touched the back of my neck was gentle and so romantic."Oh," I groaned slightly. Covering my face, I shook my head frantically."You can't possibly be having naughty thoughts about him. No, he's your friend and the friend to your mate..." Ex mate.Technically, Jullian and I were yet to mate, so we weren't precisely mated to each other, but I could still feel the bond before the betrayal. I doubted I'd feel that again as he had shattered what seemed to be left of it.But thinking about Jack in this manner was the last thing I wanted."Then what do you want?""Kelly," I grimace, pushing
JACK POVAvery. What was she doing at the moment? I couldn't help but wonder. Perhaps she was regretting returning the kiss. Although she had been shocked and I hadn't given her enough chance to kiss me back, at least she was receptive to it.I didn't regret the kiss despite knowing how wrong it was for me to do so to Avery. Jullian had a claim on her. He had wanted to mate with her...Fuck.Avery was my mate. I knew that. If I hadn't been a fucking coward and stayed in the shadow just to watch everything that had been happening, she would be in my arms. Happily be in my arms with my two kids; perhaps she'd have the third one in her belly right now."Alpha..."I jolted as Luke, my beta, nudged me.Bracing my chin with my hands, I stared at him as he leaned forward on the table in our small meeting room. The meeting room was inside the large meeting room meant for every pack member.I was in this meeting room with Luke, where vital information was discussed, but we didn't want others t
AVERY POVBreathing in and out for the hundredth time, I raised my hand to knock on the mahogany door I was in front of.I shut my eyes and opened it again, "I'll open on the count of three." I murmured, rubbing at my pounding chest with my free hand."1,2..." I grimaced, rushing towards a giant statue of the goddess Selene that was situated at the end of the hallway as I heard shuffling of feet. I had been doing that since when I had walked to Jack's office door. Rose had told me he was here after searching for him nonstop after the walk outside didn't go as I had planned.I couldn't avoid him any longer. Or maybe he was the one avoiding me since I had yet to make any contact with him.I didn't know why I couldn't step into his office. Somehow, I knew it was due to the awkwardness I was trying to avoid, and again, I didn't know what to say to him if I had happened to stand in front of him.Besides, it was weird for me to keep running away. I mean, it was only a kiss. It wasn't the fi
AVERY POVEverything that was happening in my life was laughable. First, Jullian mated me but rejected me without even batting a lash.I had forced myself on him a lot of times, yet he had shattered my heart by going around with so many women. The worst was he had rubbed all that in my face. When it seemed like it would get better, I was sent out of his pack house, only to leave with something of his, Jason.Returning again, believing he would want me, or maybe he had truly wanted to be with me, Emily struck, and now I was running away from him.Here comes Jack. Even though I had thought of him as a friend and someone I could talk to, I had never imagined us being mates. He said I was meant to be his initially, but Jullian had taken me from him, which was weird.I was nobody's. I was my own person, and I didn't understand why he was trying to stake a claim on me because of a kiss.I shoved Jack away as he got closer, "You don't own me, Jack, and that is so weird coming from you.""It'
AVERY POVI stood on the spot I was in for a long time, staring at where Jack had been and allowing his words to sink in in my head."Do you think he's my mate, Kelly?" I asked, frowning.I was confused. Kelly had never surfaced when I was near Jullian to declare that we were indeed mates, but I knew within me we were. Or maybe Jack was right.Perhaps the imprinting made me believe he was my mate, but he wasn't. Again, how did Jack know that Jullian had imprinted on me? Did Jullian say that to him?There was no way both of them had sat to discuss me, but they were boys, after all. They could definitely sit to discuss the girls that they had been with."Kelly?" I questioned, walking away from the statue and towards the entrance of the hall.It was still sunny. Since I was unable to speak with Jack effectively, resuming my walk around the pack house would be best."Fine, do not respond," I rolled my eyes. "When I make the wrong decision for both of us, just know it's on you."Yet, she w
JULLIAN POVARGENT PACK HOUSETHAT SAME DAY(SAME AS STORMHAVEN PACKHOUSE)Avery was in Jack's pack house. It was confirmed by the spies I had sent. I didn't know what to do with the information, but somewhat it sent a sort of relief coursing through me, knowing that she lived and wasn't dead.At the same time, I couldn't help but feel jealous, knowing Jack's feelings for Avery.But I knew I couldn't do anything to ensure her safety, even if I went down to his pack house to demand her return.I was powerless despite being a powerful alpha."Hey, bro."I stared at James as he stepped into the room. I have been using my office a lot this day. It was the only place I could be in without interruption, even from Emily.She knew better than to come into the office when I was busy. She only had the chance to have a discussion with me when I was out.James was also the only person who could come in and out of here. He was my Beta, after all. My mother, too, except that I hadn't spoken to her s
AVERY POVI knew it would come to this. The talk about the prophecy and using it against me. I knew all about the prophecy and what had been said because Eileen had told me all I needed to know. However, I wished they could have added why Julian had been a jerk to me.If the prophecy had been all that, why did the family treat me like dirt when they knew Julian and I were supposed to work together? Also, why had he allowed them to treat me in that manner?"And if I refuse to work together with him?" I asked her as if we were in a business together.Julian's mother shook her head. She rose to her feet, walked to the window side, and then returned to where she had been sitting.But she didn't sit. Instead, she stared at me."This isn't what you can agree on, Avery. It isn't a business transaction. You were in his life for a reason. I believe you were created for him—""Unbelievable," I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Of course, the goddess is that jobless to create me so I'd satisfy the urge
AVERY POVI was pregnant; I knew that. I felt the same way I felt while with Jason. Somehow, during our back and forth, plus Jason's disappearance, I had managed to allow Julian access to my body again.Of course, I know that was stupid, but then he was Julian. I couldn't resist him when it came to that.With my Aversion to food and everything happening, I had wanted to believe it was the flu and it would all go down until I took a pregnancy test.Well, Aisha was the only one who knew about that because she had bought the test and secret and I had told her to keep the result a secret.I didn't want anyone to know, not even Jack.I groaned, rising from the bed.My eyes wandered around the room and stayed on Julian's mother.Since her return, she had been trying her best to get closer to me. Even as I had tried to avoid her, I never let her not have access to Jason.She was Jason's grandmother, and despite how much I loathed her, there was nothing I could do about her. She was the cause
JULLIAN POVAvery was still out, and I hadn't received any feedback on her health yet. I was not currently in the pack house; otherwise, I'd have known how she was doing.But James still kept me updated, even though I did not trust he was in the same place as Avery. Since his arrival here, he had the habit of moving around with the girls. I wondered if he wasn't affected by the fact that we were currently without a packhouse or on the verge of being at war since Emily had decided to wage one at us.Or maybe he was trying not to make our current situation affect him by not thinking about it. My mother was another thing. I hadn't heard about her since we arrived here.She had indulged herself in activities around Jack's pack house. Jack didn't have a problem with her. In fact, he was the one who even recommended that she help out if she wanted to.Jack didn't have a problem with James, either. He only had a problem with me, and that was due to Avery.I frowned as we arrived at what seem
JULLIAN POVI paced from the bed where Avery was lying down to the window and returned to the bed again. I had been doing that since she became unconscious.The doctor who was supposed to check her was yet to be here, and I wondered what was taking him that long. I couldn't believe he didn't have a reserve doctor for emergencies for a packhouse as big as Jack's.I had wanted the ones available to at least look at what was happening to Avery, but they seemed inexperienced. They could only stabilize her and ensure she was still living.I groaned, pushing a hand through my hair, tugging."You need to sit; my eyes are starting to spin because of you," James said, rubbing his eyes."I never asked you to be here," I stated, glaring at him."Aren't you a ray of sunshine, big brother?" James replied sarcastically, and I glared at him.Avery was in my room at the moment, even though Jack had been against it. Despite the fact that he had told me I didn't have a say over his pack house, I still
AVERY POVI shouldn't have said that, and I couldn't take my words back. Jullian's eyes darkened. They stayed on mine for a brief second.He said nothing to me. He just watched me. I couldn't exactly say what he was staring at, but if the look could kill, I should be dead by now because it felt like he would strangle me if he had the chance to do so."You've been sleeping with my best friend?" It was a simple question, yet it sounded overly dangerous to him."What does it have to do with you?" I retorted, holding his gaze.Jullian snarled; he clutched my chin, tilting it towards his. I stood on the ball of my feet due to how he was pulling me and our height difference."It has every fucking thing to do with me, Avery. Are you trying to test my patience? Are you lying to me now, and do you want to see what I can do for you?" he asked me."Avery!" Jack interrupted me before I could speak.Fuck! Why the hell was he here? Jullian was furious and looking for someone to pass the aggression
AVERY POVMy heart thumped wildly in my chest as I gazed around the room. Jason wasn't here. Aisha had left with him.His absence made my anxiety even skyrocketed. I didn't want to be alone with Jullian, and I didn't even want to speak to him. But now that he was inside my room, I doubted I could do anything.The lock clicked, and I bit on my lower, avoiding his gaze."Avery," he said. His voice was gruff.I shook my head, not responding to him directly because what could I say? I had nothing to say to him!"Avery," he said again. I took a step backward, hoping he wouldn't come closer, but he did anyway.Turning to face him sharply, I glared. What does he want with me? That was the question that kept swirling in my mind. Had he not done enough? No, he was definitely enjoying tormenting me!He enjoyed seeing me in pain and he had come back to torment me even more."Glare at me all you want, but you should speak to me, Avery," He said.I sucked in a deep breath. Then stared at him, poin
AVERY POVI had always been prepared for the unexpected. I believed that was how my life was set out. The goddess had created me and deposited me in the middle of chaos, so I wasn't often fazed when it came to things happening in my life, except for when Jason was taken.This wasn't the unexpected I had wanted to happen or be expecting.Biting my lower lip, I stole a glance at Jack. I noticed he was staring at me, and I saw Jullian staring at him from the corner of my eyes.Aside from the chattering from James and his mother, the tension in the dining room was as thick as steel.I could feel it and wondered if the rest were feeling it. The food I often enjoyed was barely enjoyable due to the silent communication going on between Jack and Jullian.Swallowing, I set my fork on my plate, still filled with food, and stood to my feet.Jack and Jullian did the same.I started from Jack to Jullian and then back to Jack."I volunteered to be in the field. They are short of workers," I said."
JULLIAN POV"That isn't good on you, brother," James said as he stepped into the room.What was he doing here? I believed Jack's pack house was large enough to accommodate my mother, James, and me in different rooms.Also, Jack had not said anything about me sharing rooms, although I wouldn't object to it if I were asked to. This wasn't my pack house, so I shouldn't be choosing what I do in it and whatnot."Tea, coffee? Whichever," James said, setting the glass tray with him on the table.I frowned staring at the steam coming from the cup, before letting my eyes wander to James.He undid the rope on the robe he was wearing to reveal a plaid blue t-shirt, and then he sat on the sofa in the room's center and crossed his legs. Taking one of the cups, which I believed to be the tea's Cups, he took a sip of the steaming liquid before wincing."Fuck, that's hot," He hissed. "I told that little shit to make it fit for drinking.""She probably did that to bring this shitty reaction from you,"
JULLIAN POVWhile coming here, I had prepared my mind for what I would see exactly but didn't think I prepared enough.I thought I didn't care about Avery. At least, I made myself believe that I didn't and wouldn't bat a lash where she was involved.But what was this weird feeling that kept surging into him? Also, her nearness, her scent. It had ignited all that I didn't want to feel anymore.Of course, my thoughts were also to be mad at her. She had escaped with my best friend, and only the goddess knew what they had been doing together. I wanted to demand she say everything that had happened between them, but I knew I wasn't in the proper position to do so as I had awfully failed her."My dear friend," Jack said, causing my attention to leave Avery.I searched his face. It was void of humor. Somehow, I could read every of the damned expression on his face.I saw fear, and another time, I saw anger. Then, I saw determination as well and fear again."To what pleasure do I owe you a vi