Ava didn’t even know what the program for the day was beyond what Derek and Myles had told her. She couldn’t even remember when she had last looked at her tablet and had no idea where her school bag was. As she walked up the path leading to her block, she saw Emily standing with a man and woman who looked like her parents. Her shoulders were tense as she listened to whatever they were telling her. Once the Omega lifted her head to look at her, the fear and panic were instant, and she lowered her gaze immediately. It was her that Emily was scared of this time, not Zeke. She could feel it. “I think we need to go somewhere we can talk privately,” her father said.She hadn’t realised she had stopped to look at the wolf who would always rub her the wrong way. Her father was looking at her, too.She avoided Alpha Roland’s gaze as she walked into the First-Year building and straight for the notice board. Her father hadn’t stopped looking at her since they had left the house, but she could
Ava could only guess how Mr Patrick and her dad would prepare her for this meeting with the Head of the Council, which was never going to happen.They were crazy. As if she was going to stick around for that death sentence. Her father had dropped her off at the Administration block so he could drop his stuff off and see where he was staying for the next few days. People were still arriving for the weekend, so the whispers and looks from guardians and students were constant. She ignored them all as she crossed over to the fountain. She and her dad were going to eat while he extracted the whole story from her. She’d only told him and Mr Patrick the highly edited version. There was no point getting him too upset.Especially since a lot of it involved Zeke. Zeke, who’d had a mate waiting for him this whole time. Her fists clenched, but she took a deep breath and calmed herself. All of this would be over soon. There was no point in getting angry. She would never have been with Zeke, anyw
Zeke was still trying to figure out how his father would retaliate when he located Ava just in time to hear her conversation with that Alpha. He’d been relying on Shadow’s senses to track her down, so he hadn’t made it to the Administration block until the Alpha was lying in a rapidly forming pool of his blood at Ava’s feet. The sight slightly satisfied his blood lust, but the piece of shit still had a heartbeat. Shadow wanted to rip him apart for stepping up to his mate like that. He should have listened to his son’s warning, but that boy had got things completely wrong. Ava wasn’t under the Blood Moon Pack protection; she was under his. There is a very big difference. A deadly difference.When Ava started running, he followed, knocking her pursuers out of the way. He didn’t stop when they screamed and didn’t care if they got hurt as he kept his sights on Ava ahead of the crowd. He could see how fast she was going, which was much faster than any human he had ever seen. Either the co
She couldn’t think.His lips... His hands... Everything about him was turning her inside out. He kept kissing and sucking on that spot on her neck that seemed connected to more intimate parts of her body, and she just couldn’t...She couldn’t think.But she was angry with him and needed to say her piece. Did he say he wanted to mark her?Her eyes widened, and she pulled herself out of his arms and rushed over the ridge in the clearing. She didn’t look at the lake as she walked down to the grassy bank where they had their picnic. Her heart slammed against her chest as she processed his words.“What do you mean? You can’t mark me! You’re an Alpha!”But even knowing that, she couldn’t put out the fire he had lit in her body. It was all around her, pulling her towards him even when she needed an explanation. Zeke followed her, his eyes burning for her and his breathing uneven. His intentions were obvious. One more touch, and she wouldn’t be able to think anymore. “Stop!” she ordered.He
No amount of washing in the lake would erase what they had done. Zeke had never felt such peace, and Shadow was the most content he’d ever been.He sat on the bank, letting the sun dry his body as he watched his mate swim back to him after she had washed herself.His scent was all over her. And there was that subtle change in her scent, the way wolves changed scents once they mated. Once they were bonded for life to one another. Everyone would know, even if they didn’t see his mark.He couldn’t help but grin as she came out of the water and instantly tried to hide from him. “My father’s going to kill you. And my brothers,” Ava stated.That was actually a possibility. He’d defiled their little girl in all sorts of delicious and decadent ways.“He’ll love me.”That was probably not true. Ava’s family may have already heard of him and his beast, like every other pack. They wouldn’t want their fragile girl anywhere near him. But it was too late because she belonged to him now. “We bett
The drive to the Administration block was the most awkward thing Ava had ever lived through. And that included that one time in high school when a bunch of wolves had taken her clothes and all the towels in the locker room while she had been showering after gym class. Not a single person had come to her aid when she’d shouted for what felt like hours, including the teachers with their super-sensitive hearing. She’d had to wait until after lessons, when she had assumed the students had gone home, to try to find something to wear in one of the classrooms. Only the school hadn’t been quite as empty as she’d thought. She’d barely snuck out of the locker room when the students had filed out of the classrooms. Dozens of them laughing at her as she stood naked in the hallway. Nudity meant nothing to them, but because she always hid her body, they used that to bully her.She had all her bits hanging out and had been laughed at for weeks, but that embarrassment was nothing compared to sitting
Zeke watched Alpha Morgan walk out of the dean’s waiting area, but Ava remained standing in the spot. Her heart rate had elevated when she saw him, but it wasn’t out of fear. Her mouth had dropped open slightly, and her cheeks were getting flushed. He had expected this. Mated wolves tended to hide away from everyone while their bonds strengthened because the pull towards each other was insane. It was why they had a whole ceremony first and then arranged their lives accordingly. They didn’t do it on a whim during the academic year without the blessing of their Alpha.Still...He bit his lip to try to stop his smile as he stood and walked towards his mate. She sucked in a breath when he took her dainty little hand in his. Could she feel it as strongly as he did? That jolt of electricity down their bodies? The sparks when they made contact?What would have made this even better would have been the mind link. There was nothing more intimate than being able to share even your thoughts wit
“Yes, Mr Michelson. So please sit down, and let’s talk about Ava.”Ava stopped inspecting Zeke’s throat to look at Mr Patrick. Why did he make that sound so ominous, as if he thought something was wrong with her?“The day is almost over. We need to talk about the Head of Council and what he wants,” Ava insisted as she went to take the seat next to her father in front of Mr Patrick’s desk. “The longer I watch you, Ava, the more I’m convinced I know what they want,” Mr Patrick said. Zeke sat beside her, meeting her gaze curiously before they both turned to the professor.“And that is?” she asked.“The purpose of this school isn’t just to keep people in line and equip the future leaders with the skills to lead,” Mr Patrick said. “They also root out their future assets and their future threats.”“And what does any of that have to do with me?” she asked in exasperation.“Shall I make a list?” Mr Patrick said. “You’ve made several trips to the infirmary where they never found any injuries
Their voices were distorted and echoed like they were in a tunnel. They all sounded far away. Ava’s thoughts whirled in her head, making no sense. Her heart pounded against her chest so loud it was all she could hear. She turned away from them to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. She was trapped. And they were still speaking to her, surrounding her, their concern heavy in the air. How could she feel that?"Let me out!"She couldn't tell whether she screamed it or said it. The three men in front of her stepped back and looked at her as if she had grown three heads. What her dad had said was impossible. That nightmare started after she had been nosy and read the newspaper articles about the time her birth father was murdered and those dismembered bodies were found in the forest. It had nothing to do with her. Impossible. She had been six when the police found her. Six! Alpha Roland might have believed that her wolf had forced a shift and saved her, but even he'd never heard o
“Yes, Mr Michelson. So please sit down, and let’s talk about Ava.”Ava stopped inspecting Zeke’s throat to look at Mr Patrick. Why did he make that sound so ominous, as if he thought something was wrong with her?“The day is almost over. We need to talk about the Head of Council and what he wants,” Ava insisted as she went to take the seat next to her father in front of Mr Patrick’s desk. “The longer I watch you, Ava, the more I’m convinced I know what they want,” Mr Patrick said. Zeke sat beside her, meeting her gaze curiously before they both turned to the professor.“And that is?” she asked.“The purpose of this school isn’t just to keep people in line and equip the future leaders with the skills to lead,” Mr Patrick said. “They also root out their future assets and their future threats.”“And what does any of that have to do with me?” she asked in exasperation.“Shall I make a list?” Mr Patrick said. “You’ve made several trips to the infirmary where they never found any injuries
Zeke watched Alpha Morgan walk out of the dean’s waiting area, but Ava remained standing in the spot. Her heart rate had elevated when she saw him, but it wasn’t out of fear. Her mouth had dropped open slightly, and her cheeks were getting flushed. He had expected this. Mated wolves tended to hide away from everyone while their bonds strengthened because the pull towards each other was insane. It was why they had a whole ceremony first and then arranged their lives accordingly. They didn’t do it on a whim during the academic year without the blessing of their Alpha.Still...He bit his lip to try to stop his smile as he stood and walked towards his mate. She sucked in a breath when he took her dainty little hand in his. Could she feel it as strongly as he did? That jolt of electricity down their bodies? The sparks when they made contact?What would have made this even better would have been the mind link. There was nothing more intimate than being able to share even your thoughts wit
The drive to the Administration block was the most awkward thing Ava had ever lived through. And that included that one time in high school when a bunch of wolves had taken her clothes and all the towels in the locker room while she had been showering after gym class. Not a single person had come to her aid when she’d shouted for what felt like hours, including the teachers with their super-sensitive hearing. She’d had to wait until after lessons, when she had assumed the students had gone home, to try to find something to wear in one of the classrooms. Only the school hadn’t been quite as empty as she’d thought. She’d barely snuck out of the locker room when the students had filed out of the classrooms. Dozens of them laughing at her as she stood naked in the hallway. Nudity meant nothing to them, but because she always hid her body, they used that to bully her.She had all her bits hanging out and had been laughed at for weeks, but that embarrassment was nothing compared to sitting
No amount of washing in the lake would erase what they had done. Zeke had never felt such peace, and Shadow was the most content he’d ever been.He sat on the bank, letting the sun dry his body as he watched his mate swim back to him after she had washed herself.His scent was all over her. And there was that subtle change in her scent, the way wolves changed scents once they mated. Once they were bonded for life to one another. Everyone would know, even if they didn’t see his mark.He couldn’t help but grin as she came out of the water and instantly tried to hide from him. “My father’s going to kill you. And my brothers,” Ava stated.That was actually a possibility. He’d defiled their little girl in all sorts of delicious and decadent ways.“He’ll love me.”That was probably not true. Ava’s family may have already heard of him and his beast, like every other pack. They wouldn’t want their fragile girl anywhere near him. But it was too late because she belonged to him now. “We bett
She couldn’t think.His lips... His hands... Everything about him was turning her inside out. He kept kissing and sucking on that spot on her neck that seemed connected to more intimate parts of her body, and she just couldn’t...She couldn’t think.But she was angry with him and needed to say her piece. Did he say he wanted to mark her?Her eyes widened, and she pulled herself out of his arms and rushed over the ridge in the clearing. She didn’t look at the lake as she walked down to the grassy bank where they had their picnic. Her heart slammed against her chest as she processed his words.“What do you mean? You can’t mark me! You’re an Alpha!”But even knowing that, she couldn’t put out the fire he had lit in her body. It was all around her, pulling her towards him even when she needed an explanation. Zeke followed her, his eyes burning for her and his breathing uneven. His intentions were obvious. One more touch, and she wouldn’t be able to think anymore. “Stop!” she ordered.He
Zeke was still trying to figure out how his father would retaliate when he located Ava just in time to hear her conversation with that Alpha. He’d been relying on Shadow’s senses to track her down, so he hadn’t made it to the Administration block until the Alpha was lying in a rapidly forming pool of his blood at Ava’s feet. The sight slightly satisfied his blood lust, but the piece of shit still had a heartbeat. Shadow wanted to rip him apart for stepping up to his mate like that. He should have listened to his son’s warning, but that boy had got things completely wrong. Ava wasn’t under the Blood Moon Pack protection; she was under his. There is a very big difference. A deadly difference.When Ava started running, he followed, knocking her pursuers out of the way. He didn’t stop when they screamed and didn’t care if they got hurt as he kept his sights on Ava ahead of the crowd. He could see how fast she was going, which was much faster than any human he had ever seen. Either the co
Ava could only guess how Mr Patrick and her dad would prepare her for this meeting with the Head of the Council, which was never going to happen.They were crazy. As if she was going to stick around for that death sentence. Her father had dropped her off at the Administration block so he could drop his stuff off and see where he was staying for the next few days. People were still arriving for the weekend, so the whispers and looks from guardians and students were constant. She ignored them all as she crossed over to the fountain. She and her dad were going to eat while he extracted the whole story from her. She’d only told him and Mr Patrick the highly edited version. There was no point getting him too upset.Especially since a lot of it involved Zeke. Zeke, who’d had a mate waiting for him this whole time. Her fists clenched, but she took a deep breath and calmed herself. All of this would be over soon. There was no point in getting angry. She would never have been with Zeke, anyw
Ava didn’t even know what the program for the day was beyond what Derek and Myles had told her. She couldn’t even remember when she had last looked at her tablet and had no idea where her school bag was. As she walked up the path leading to her block, she saw Emily standing with a man and woman who looked like her parents. Her shoulders were tense as she listened to whatever they were telling her. Once the Omega lifted her head to look at her, the fear and panic were instant, and she lowered her gaze immediately. It was her that Emily was scared of this time, not Zeke. She could feel it. “I think we need to go somewhere we can talk privately,” her father said.She hadn’t realised she had stopped to look at the wolf who would always rub her the wrong way. Her father was looking at her, too.She avoided Alpha Roland’s gaze as she walked into the First-Year building and straight for the notice board. Her father hadn’t stopped looking at her since they had left the house, but she could