JULIAN POVI need a fucking drink.Walking towards the wine cabinet, I pulled out a bourbon and poured a considerable amount for myself before downing the content.Shit.I had fucking said it. But do I regret it? No.I couldn't tell what exactly had come over me a few seconds ago. All I could think of was claiming Avery before anyone else did.Before Jack did."I was jealous," I murmured to myself, placing my hand on my chest.Sighting Avery and Jack with Sophia and the members of the crowd had sent a feeling I hadn't thought I'd experience surging into me.Jack had been too close to Avery. I didn't appreciate their closeness one bit. Ever since Jack declared his feelings for Avery to me, I hated the fact that he hadn't let go.He still secretly wanted her, even though he acted cool about being around her. I had seen the way he looked at her.Even when Avery had appeared for the first time a month ago, he had been acting weird, and all he could do was talk about her, even though I war
AVERY POVI had expected the question about Jason. I knew he was going to question his paternity and forced me to say it out loud to him. I was aware it would be difficult for me to dodge the question.But I never expected a question from Jack. What did he mean by that?It was funny and I couldn't help but laugh.I held my side as I giggled more."What, you think this is funny?" Julian grunted.I nodded, "It is."It was funny. There was nothing, and there had never been anything going on between Jack and me.Jack was like a brother I never had, and he was helpful. Ever since the first time I met him. Even though we didn't have many interactions, he was still much more useful than Julian had ever been.Now, I believe Julian assumed we had something going on. Why would he think that? I didn't know."It isn't funny, Avery, and I am damned sorry. You might not wipe that damned smile off your face.""I'll only do so when you stop asking me ridiculous questions," I straightened and giggled
AVERY POV"Be right back," Julian said, snapping me out of my thoughts.I rushed after him as he stepped towards the door."What do you mean he stopped breathing?" I asked Jack."I do not know. Aisha called me, and I immediately answered her call. Then I saw him that way," Jack replied."You're not making any sense," Julian stated.I thought I was the only one who didn't understand his words, and I guess Julian didn't understand either. Despite how simple he had spoken, it felt like he had spoken in another language, something gibberish and not English.Jack turned to Julian, and then he looked at me before shrugging."Like I said, I have no idea about what's going on. I tried my best to give him CPR, but he wasn't responding, so I assumed you would know what was happening, hence my reason for coming to you."Jason had barely been sick before. I recalled that he only showed weakness after playing in the rain. He had stayed there for at least an hour, just running and yelling at the da
JULIAN POV"I do not think she's involved in what is going on. I mean, she's been put in prison. Do you think she'll be able to communicate with an enemy? Also, she's your sister. She wouldn't want to harm you on purpose," Jack said.He said that ever since I declared Sophia involved in what was happening. When Aisha finished narrating precisely what happened and how it happened, I concluded that she was involved.There was no way she couldn't possibly be involved in what was going on."But she's hellbent on harming Avery?" I asked him, kicking open the dungeon's door.Jack breathed out."She is trying to harm Avery, hence she's harming me indirectly. Besides, I know my sister, and I am very much aware of what she's capable of doing." I pointed out."I just feel it's too much thinking she meant evil for you," Jack said."She had never meant well for me," at least, that I knew of ever since I became an Alpha.It had been from one trouble to another with her and James.It was either she
AVERY POVI entered the room just in time for Sophia's questioning.Sophia bowed her head, shaking it slowly. She didn't raise it until after a brief second. I had assumed she was crying, due to her shoulders trembling along with her head.But when she raised her head, I realized she was doing otherwise.Sophia barked in laughter, "Should that scare me, Julian? Oh, I am scared your bastardy son isn't where you kept him."She said in a voice tinier than hers. Then she started laughing again. "Oh, my goodness, that's very hilarious.""It is until I...""And what do we have here?" she tilted her head, eyeing me up and down. "The reason I am here in the first place and the little whore who wouldn't let go of my brother."As soon as she said that, Julian and Jack turned and their eyes landed on mine."What are you doing here?" Julian asked, leaving Sophie's side as soon as I stepped forward.After Aisha finished narrating what had happened to me. She didn't exactly tell me where Julian and
JULIAN POVSophia. That little witch!She had stripped me of my patience today. Every damned self-control I had, she had tugged at it and even fucking egged me on for no reason.She had made me want to do something cruel to her. I had sometimes forgotten she was my sister and how frustrating she could be.She was trying to get back at me, and I knew that. I had tossed her in the dungeon, stripped her of every position she had, and made her look like a fool.I had given her a punishment I wouldn't even give to a mere omega in the pack house, and oh, she was ranked the lowest right now, even though she was still treated like a princess.Aside from what I had done to her, she was trying to get back at me because of Emily. I wouldn't understand why she wanted me to remain with Emily.Sophia knew Emily and I were doing well. She fucking knew how tired I was with Emily each day and how I complained about her. She knew I never wanted Emily in the first place.I never wanted anyone, but I'd h
AVERY POVJulian suspected his family was trying to create a diversion. I wanted to believe otherwise because, well, Emily was wounded, and she had still not woken up after she had been checked.The doctor hadn't talked about her state yet, and I hoped it wouldn't be awful news. I learned she was pregnant. I couldn't help but imagine her losing the child.I wasn't that cruel, though. And I didn't want her to lose it.But then again, it was Emily we were talking about. She was manipulative. She had done that the last time I set my feet in this pack house.She had pushed herself, framed me, and made it seem as though I had done something cruel to her. In fact, she had bled in the same way.Even though I wasn't here to determine precisely what happened with her, I knew it was just a ruse to make me leave the pack house, and Julian had fallen victim to that."Are you coming with me, or do you still believe they are not doing all these things to stop you?" Julian's voice snapped me out of
JULIAN POVAvery was being invasive. For my life, I didn't know why she wasn't responding to my question the way I wanted. It was as if she had preplanned all the answers in her head, and with each question I asked her, she would have changed the subject to what happened three years ago.I was guilty of that, I know. But then again, it was barely my fault. I knew no amount of explanation would make me look innocent in her eyes."Can we leave here?" she asked, looking around and then back at me. She wrapped her arms around herself and she gave a little shudder."I do not feel comfortable being here," she said."Why?" I asked her.This was the West of the pack house. It was one of the best spots in the whole of the pack house to walk around. Not only were there few people to be seen here, but it boasted a lot of things for recreational activities.Pack members only came around when they were free.For now, it was too busy for anyone to be here."Are you cold?" I asked her. "The sun is t
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