4 hours until the moon is fullAVAI woke up freezing cold and wet. At some point whilst I was unconscious, someone had pulled clothes on me, so at least I wasn’t naked.I could hear Elijah talking to someone near me, and decided that my best chance of survival was to pretend to still be asleep.“Artemis, are you okay?”She didn’t respond.“Artemis!” I shouted in my mind.Fuck, why can’t I talk to Artemis?I heard footsteps walking towards me, and felt someone kneel by my side, just before fingertips stroked my cheek. “Soon, my dear, you will be mine,” Elijah drawled. His fingers moved to my neck, scratching the three marks on my neck. “These will be gone, and you’ll be bonded to me. I will control you. Together, we’ll rule Eclipse Mountain. We will reinstate the old ways, where the Lycans hunt werewolves without retribution. Together, we’ll remake the world.”I fought to stay still, to keep my body limp and my breathing even, even though his touch made me want to be violently sick.
OSCAR“Selene said I’d know when to go to Ava, that time is now, Callum. We need to move.”“She said the same to me, Oscar. I don’t think it’s time yet.”I stared at him.Then it clicked.“Our times are different,” I whispered. “Maybe I’m meant to go now and I go straight to Ava, but you come later? What did your prophecy say?”His mouth fell open like he’d just had an epiphany. “I take the long road. I must have to deal with the rogues. ‘Her protector walks the weary road, bearing the weight of the heavy load… with every step, a challenge new, obstacles that block his view.’” He met my eyes, his still wide. “I know what I need to do. You go straight to Ava. You are her strength, you help her keep going, no matter what he puts her through.”“What do you do?”“I take out his army.”My mouth fell open.“‘And when the final hour draws near, when all is lost and ruled by fear, he’ll rise above, through blood and flame, to save her soul, to speak her name.’”Fuck, that meant we had to spli
3 hours until the moon is fullAVAI came around on the wet ground. Apparently Elijah had knocked me out again. My body was in agony, I still couldn’t talk to Artemis and I had no idea what any of my kings were doing.“What the Moon Goddess doesn’t want is inconsequential, Avelina,” Elijah smirked. Oh how I wanted to punch his stupid face.“The Moon Goddess gives us all our mate bonds, Elijah, she can break them too.”There was another massive thunder clap, as if Selene herself was helping me illustrate my point.“Where are we?” I growled. “We haven’t gone far, my dear.” He stroked one finger down my face, sending shivers, and not the good kind, down my spine.His hand moved back to my neck, tilting my head to the side, his fingers lingering around my mating spot. “Maybe I should just mark you now?” he murmured, stroking my skin. “You can’t mark her yet, my King,” the doctor from earlier moaned as he spoke.“It won’t stick, she… she’s not your mate.”Elijah stomped towards him and b
AVAI wasn’t looking forward to this conversation with Oscar.I knew what the endgame for the night was.Somehow, at midnight, I needed to (eww) be in front of Elijah letting him sink his disgusting teeth into my neck. At the same time, I now knew that Artemis needed to still be unconscious, so the mark from Elijah doesn’t stick.But I also need to somehow sneak up on him but not have him catch me whilst Artemis is unconscious… this was starting to feel impossible.“We need to find him, we need to know where he is going to be at midnight and make sure we’re there. I need to be there the second the moon is at its peak.”I paused, searching Oscar’s eyes. “I… he…” I let my eyes fall closed. Oscar wasn’t going to like this bit. “He has to think he’s going to win. He has to think he’s going to get… me.”What I wasn’t going to tell him… is that Elijah has to actually bite me for this to work. The concept made me feel sick to my stomach, but it was true. His teeth actually need to sink into
One hour until the moon is fullNOAHAn hour before the moon peaks and the pack was chaotic. All night, Beta Alex and I had been turning the pack territory upside down, digging out weapons, traps, all kinds of random stuff we’d not even realised that we still had after the last major battle a decade ago.Anyone who could fight was ready to do so, with newer and weaker fighters backed up by more experienced members in the areas that were best protected naturally.We’d moved pups, pregnant women, the elderly, unwell and anyone else who couldn’t fight into the safe rooms earlier in the day since we had no idea when the attack would actually come. Now… we just waited… for the attack to come.Rogues were lining up all around the border close to the trap that Ava and Jeremiah had concocted, so we’d placed a good chunk of our forces there, with the remainder spread out around the rest of the border to go after the stragglers.I’d tried to reach Ava a few times over the last hour… I couldn’t
MidnightNOAHI was in the middle of a battle when it happened. When I felt it.When I felt my mate being ripped away from me.My knees buckled and my body forced me to shift back to human form as a shooting pain shot through my body starting from my heart. I lay on my side, and I could feel myself shaking in agony.“Noah!” I heard someone calling, but they seemed far away. “Noah, fuck!”A face appeared leaning over me. Alex.“Noah, can you stand?” He was checking my body for signs of injuries that would explain my collapse, but didn’t find any.I shook my head, my breathing heavy.Alex’s arm wound around my waist, helping pull me up to stand. He motioned for someone to help, one of the warriors.The pain eased off and I was able to take some of my own weight, but that didn’t last long. Another sharp pain shot through my body, bringing me back to my knees. When I woke up, I was in the hospital.OSCARI knew he was going to bite her, but nothing at all could have prepared me for the a
ALEXA battle still raged throughout the pack territory.We weren’t entirely sure what was happening out in the big, bad world, we just knew that it wasn’t good. After he collapsed, we’d taken Noah to the pack hospital. He had been screaming, truly screaming in pain, crying about Ava, but not able to tell us what happened.The awful thing is… how he was reacting reminded me of something horrible.Fifteen years ago, I lost my wife. My fated mate. The mother of my boys.The only reason I got through it was my boys.There’s a reason a lot of wolves lose themselves, their minds and often their lives after their mate dies. Our mates are the other half of us. If you lose them, well. It’s like you are being torn apart from the inside out and your soul is being ripped out. It’s like your very being is being destroyed.You had to find something to live for to be able to carry on living.If Noah was in this much pain… something happened to Ava. Which meant my boys would also be in this much pa
I was in unbelievable amounts of pain.My body felt like it was being pulled apart.My veins were burning.My soul felt like it was being ripped out.Dionysus was screaming.And somehow, I needed to get both my mate and brother out of this alive.“Well, Oscar?” Elijah’s drawl carried across the clearing. “What’s it going to be?”Elijah must have known that something like this would happen, and that’s why he perfectly placed Ava and Callum so I wouldn’t be able to get to both of them before he could kill whoever I didn’t go for first.I still didn’t believe for a minute that he’d let Ava go, regardless of what I did. If I went for her, it would just get me close enough for Elijah to kill me. If I went for Callum, he’d do whatever to Ava, probably rip her throat out some more, before killing me and then Callum.“What do you think you’re going to achieve by doing this, Elijah? I know you won’t let Ava go, you want her too much.”I ignored the pleading look on Callum’s face. Knowing my br
CALLUMThe aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air, mingling with the scent of pine from the surrounding forest. I watched as Ava cradled her mug, her green eyes sparkling with a lightness I haven't seen in weeks. The weight of her crown seemed to have lifted, if only temporarily."I can't believe we have to leave today," Ava sighed, her curly brown hair still tousled from sleep. "This getaway has been exactly what we needed."I nodded, feeling a pang of regret that our time here is coming to an end. "It has. You needed this, little one. A chance to just be Ava, not Queen Avelina."Oscar chimed in, his tone playful. "Yeah, no royal duties, no political manoeuvring. Just us, the beach, and s'mores by the campfire."Theo snorted, a rare smile tugging at his lips. "Don't forget the skinny dipping."Noah nearly choked on his coffee, laughing. "How could we forget? I still have sand in places I'd rather not mention.
AVAI dug my toes into the warm sand, relishing the sensation as I looked out over the sparkling ocean. The rhythmic crash of waves provided a soothing backdrop to our little beach paradise. Noah's strong arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me close."Penny for your thoughts, my queen?" he murmured, his breath tickling my ear.I leaned into him, savouring his warmth. "Just thinking how perfect this moment is. All of us together, away from the pressures of the Kingdom."Theo approached, his blue eyes twinkling as he handed me a fruity cocktail. "Careful, or you might get used to this life of leisure."I laughed, taking a sip. The sweet, tangy flavor danced on my tongue. "Don't tempt me. I might just abdicate and become a beach bum."Oscar's voice rang out from where he and Callum were setting up a volleyball net. "As if you could ever abandon your duty, Ava. It's too ingrained in you."His words, though teasing, held
AVAThe flames of our bonfire danced against the night sky, casting shadows across the sand. I leaned back, feeling the warmth of Callum and Theo supporting me as Noah and Oscar stretched out across my legs. The ocean's rhythmic waves provided a soothing backdrop to our quiet evening."Look, a shooting star!" I exclaimed, pointing upward.As the streak of light arced across the heavens, I closed my eyes and made a silent wish. Please, let there be a way for me to have a child of my own. To have a family with these four incredible men I love."What did you wish for, love?" Noah asked, a teasing lilt to his voice.I opened my eyes and smiled mysteriously. "You know I can't tell you that. It won't come true."
AVAThe sizzle of bacon filled the air as I stood over the hob, wielding a spatula like a scepter. It had been a long time since I'd cooked anything myself, and the familiar domesticity warms me more than the heat from the stove."How's it coming along, love?" Noah's deep voice rumbled against my ear as his arms encircled my waist. His lips brushed my neck, sending a delightful shiver down my spine.I leaned into his embrace, savouring the moment. "Mmm, perfectly crispy. Though I might burn it if you keep distracting me like that."Noah chuckled, his chest vibrating against my back. "We can't have that, can we?" He gave me a final squeeze before moving away to pour coffee.I returned my focus to the bacon, flipping each strip with practiced ease. The aroma was intoxicating, reminding me of lazy Sunday mornings from my childhood. Before my world expanded to include four incredible mates and an entire kingdom."I vote we make this a weekly tradition," Theo piped up, sliding past me with
AVAI stared at my four mates in disbelief, my mind struggling to process their words. "A week away? But I can't possibly…"Callum's warm eyes met mine, gold flecks shimmering as he stepped closer. "Ava, love, we've arranged everything. Michael's agreed to cover your duties.""But the kingdom…" I protested weakly, even as a part of me yearned for escape.Oscar's playful smirk cut through my objections. "It’s sorted, I promise. Jeremiah and the Queen's Guard are on board too. They'll be coming along to keep us safe and sound."I felt a gentle brush against my mind;Theo, working to reassure me. His deep voice rumbled, "We've packed your things. You don't need to worry about anything."
THEOThe weight of silence hung heavy in Callum's office, broken only by the occasional creak of leather as we shifted in our seats. My eyes drifted from face to face; Callum's furrowed brow, Noah's clenched jaw, and Oscar's distant gaze. The air was thick with unspoken worry, all of us grappling with the same gut-wrenching concern.Ava."We can't go on like this," I finally said, my voice rough with emotion. "Ava's struggling, and we're all feeling it. We need to do something."Noah leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Agreed. But what? We've tried everything the healers suggested."I ran a hand through my hair, frustration building. We're supposed to protect her, to make everything right. But how do we shield her from h
AVAThe empty cot loomed before us, a stark reminder of my failure. Noah's hand trembled as he reached for a tiny onesie, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. Oscar stood frozen, his usual warmth replaced by a hollow emptiness. Theo's jaw clenched, his protective instincts rendered useless. And Callum... Callum's anguish hit me like a physical blow through our mental link.I wanted to scream, to rage against the unfairness of it all. But my voice was trapped, suffocated by the weight of our grief. The nursery, once a symbol of hope, now mocked us with its cheerful yellows and greens. Stuffed animals looked back at us with lifeless button eyes, their plushy arms forever waiting for the embrace of children who would never exist."Ava! Ava, wake up!"Callum's voice cut through the nightmare, dragging me back to consciousness. I bolted upright, gasping for air, my cheeks wet with tears. His strong arms encircled me, his scent grounding me in reality."Shh, it's okay," he murmured,
Two Weeks Ago…AVAI gazed out over the balcony, the cool night breeze ruffling my curls as I took in the twinkling lights of the city below. So much had changed in just a few months."Quite a view, isn't it?" Noah's voice came from behind me as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I leaned back against his solid chest, savouring his warmth."It's breathtaking," I murmured. "I still can't believe this is real sometimes."Theo appeared at my other side, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Believe it, my queen. We've all worked hard to get here. You especially."I reached out to squeeze his hand, feeling a surge of pride and affection. "We certainly have."
Note from Katherine JaynaraWelcome back to the My Four Mates universe <3 Four Kings for Christmas is a festive short set a couple of months after the end of Bullied By My Four Mates. We see Ava and her mates deal with new problems in the Kingdom whilst maneuvering around the issue of Ava's infertility.Much love from me to you this festive season.CHAPTER 1: GROWING PAINSTwo Months Ago…AVAMy heart pounded like a war drum as I stood in the council chamber, my crown feeling heavy. The advisors' voices blend into a cacophony of worry, each word hammering home the gravity of the situation the Kingdom was in."The northern region grows restless, Your Majesty," Lord Falkirk says, his face creased with concern. "Reports of dissent are spreading like wildfire."I force my expression to stay neutral, even a