7 years ago…
AVA
I was a nobody, or at least that’s what they told me.
They told me I was a nobody and therefore worthless; I deserved to be bullied, because being bullied would make me stronger, more resilient. I know now that it was bullshit, but when you say that to a kid time and time again, they start to believe it.
All day everyday, the heirs to the pack, both the Alpha and Beta twins, and even a lot of the girls my own age made a point of making my life miserable. To begin with, it was just verbal, but in my early teens, it became physical too. I had scars all over my back and the tops of my legs that would never heal properly because they were from before I shifted for the first time.
Considering I shifted for the first time early... that says all you need to know.
I got my wolf early, but they didn’t know that. I never smelled like a wolf because my wolf, Artemis, could hide her scent. Even before they can shift, wolves have a distinctive smell that identifies them; all wolves smell like the woods, with their own unique scent overlaying that.
Whilst being able to hide my scent was a nifty trick that I was told would be great for my safety whilst out and about when I grew up, it did mean the girls at school assumed I was human and so would never have a wolf, which just made the bullying worse.
I’d been able to speak to Artemis since I was seven or eight, and she was a chatty wolf. Thanks to Artemis, I knew more about my birth family than most people would if they were adopted.
I knew that Artemis was special, and that I was heir to the Eclipse Mountain pack. I knew that my parents were killed trying to protect me, and that I’d been smuggled out for my own safety. I knew that one day, Artemis and I would have both a Lycan and a wolf form.
But even with all that, I wanted nothing more than to leave when I turned 18. The bullying made me miserable, and I never had the confidence to truly do anything about it. I just needed something to happen, something to be the catalyst to give me that boost, so that I didn’t feel the need to hide in the background anymore. I got that boost... but not until I was older.
I had a place ready to go in my maternal aunt’s pack, I was just counting down the days until I could finally set out on my own.
If I'd known that everything was going to change before I turned 18 and in fact all the legends Artemis had been telling me over the years were actually true, I wouldn't have even bothered getting the place ready in my aunt's pack, but hey, what can you do?
AVAThe first Monday in June was always an interesting one at school. It was the first day of the formal summer training season. The weather was warm enough that everyone was expected to train outdoors, and all indoor training was put on the backburner unless absolutely necessary. It was never necessary.I stood in front of the mirror in the changing rooms at school, yanking my curly brown hair into a rough bun to keep it out of the way during my training session with Beta Alexander. Normally my green eyes sparkled with excitement at training with the Beta, but today, not so much.At lunch time, I was cornered in the cafeteria, my lunch dumped straight over my head. I could have taken down the people responsible easily enough, but the Beta and I had determined that I needed to keep what I was capable of under wraps just until I was ready for it to become public knowledge.My wolf was special, and once that knowledge was out, there was no turning back. Artemis was a beautiful black wol
AVAI hated the lessons I had on Tuesdays. Double maths, biology and geography was torturous. Fortunately, today was different. Mr Jones, our maths teacher, jolted me out of my thoughts. “Class, we have a new student joining us today. This is Isabella, she has transferred here from a pack in Wales, and will be finishing her schooling with us. I hope you will all welcome Isabella.”I glanced around the room, suddenly realising the only empty seat was next to me. She sat down, more graceful than I could ever hope to achieve, holding out her hand to shake mine. “Isabella, call me Izzie,” she smiled.“Ava,” I smiled back.She was tall, slim. The exact opposite of me. She had that kind of figure everyone thinks they want. It wasn't just me that noticed either. Leo, our future Delta, turned to stare at her, no embarrassment at all. I shook my head, suppressing a giggle, before pointing him out to Izzie. “You've already got an admirer,” I laughed. She giggled, before retorting back at m
AVAI woke up bright and early the next day, looking forward to what the day would bring. Artemis was excited to show off in training. Even though we wouldn’t be shifting because very few people knew that I could, she was still looking forward to putting everyone in their place if needed.It was going to be a good day!I was up early enough that I headed over to the training ground, planning to let Artemis out for a run. Beta Alexander was already at the training ground when I got there, which is surprising since it was 5am… I was expecting to be the only one.“Ava? What are you doing here at this time in the morning?”“Artemis is feeling cooped up, she needs to run before school today.”Beta Alexander nodded. “Want me to run with you? I’m going to be letting Kieran run too.”“Go for it, Beta,” I smiled, before ducking into one of the little shacks to shift.I trotted back out just minutes later, shaking my fur out. Beta Alexander was still standing in the middle of the training groun
AVAAt the end of training, I walked back over to where the twins, Leo and Isabella were all waiting for me.“That was amazing!” Isabella squealed, throwing her arms around me. “Now I see why you were training on your own!”I grinned in response, “thanks guys.”“Now I know why dad comes home looking like his ego has been hurt some nights, Ava,” Oscar, one of the Beta’s sons, laughed. Callum, his twin, just nodded in agreement.“Yeah… I would apologise for that, but I’m not going to.”“Are you joining us for dinner at the pack house tonight, Ava?” Oscar asked.I very rarely did, but perhaps now I could? It would just mean I had to get through an evening of comments and questions about how I knocked Beta Alexander on his backside…“Sure, why not,” I smiled. “I just need to shower and change, so I’ll meet you there in an hour?”“Sounds like a plan,” Oscar replied, pulling me into a hug. Callum looked jealous, right up until he joined the hug from behind.The Alpha twins looked left out,
NOAHHow we never truly noticed Ava before is beyond me.She’s stunning, both inside and out, and she’s unbelievably strong too. She has an air of having been through more than most people our age, and yet coming out stronger.I’m drawn to her in a way I would never have expected, especially since my 18th birthday is still a couple months away. What is even stranger still is that I know Theo, and even Oscar and Callum feel the same.All four of us cannot and do not want to keep our hands off her, and that’s just unexpected. Sure, Theo and I have shared girls in the past, and I knew Oscar and Callum had, but all four of us? That just sounded like a problem waiting to happen.When she challenged the four of us, all of our faces dropped. We all were very aware that if she could take down the Beta, she’d easily take down the four of us. We’d have to try to overwhelm her with numbers, but that would never work either.She was still smirking as she leaned back against Oscar and Callum’s che
AVAI got suspicious looks from my parents when I got home, but I guess that’s to be expected when your daughter rocks up late at night with her own clothes bundled under her arm just wearing a t-shirt that smells of one of the Alpha heirs.I did explain that we’d been to the lake after dinner and I’d just gotten wet, but they definitely didn’t believe that was all that happened.Fortunately, they just let me head to bed without asking awkward questions.Once I’d showered and changed, I flopped down in bed with a giggle as I thought about the night’s events, before my thoughts were disrupted by the sound of my phone pinging with the creation of a group chat with all four of the boys.The FiveCallum: I had a great time tonight, little one, and I know you did too.Oscar: I’m going to go to sleep thinking about how you feel in my arms.Noah: I hope you’re still wearing my t-shirt, Princess.Ava: Of course, I put it back on after my shower and everything. My parents did look at me funny
AVAThe FiveNoah: Good morning, Princess.Callum: We’re going to the club tonight, little one. Care to join us after you show us all up in training again?Ava: I wouldn’t miss it for the world.Noah: Good, you promised Theo and I an Ava sandwich.I snorted when I read that, my coffee coming out of my nose.Theo: And we plan to hold you to that promise.Ava: Of course, boys. You two can dance with me first.Theo: I call being in front.Noah: No fair!Ava: Tell you what. You two spar this afternoon, whoever wins, goes in front.Oscar: Or, the four of us spar, the winner is in front, the runner up behind.Ava: Maybe next time. You and Callum had me in between you last night, it's Theo and Noah’s turn.Artemis purring in my head distracted me from the chat. “I could go for all four of them fighting over me.”“Of course you could,” I retorted. “Not helpful, Artemis.”School blurred past, and before long, we were at the training ground. I was standing next to Beta Alexander, waiting for ev
AVA“Now both Oscar and Callum have touched you, it’s my turn, princess.”I turned to face Noah. “What are you planning?”“Nothing yet, princess. That’s for later.”“What about you, Theo?” He just smirked in response.“That’s on a need to know basis for now, Ava.”I raised one eyebrow at him, my eyes flicking between him and his brother. “Well then,” I whispered in Theo's ear. “Come and dance with me.”When Noah started to stand too, I shook my head, smirking at him. “Just Theo, you can have me later.” He grumbled under his breath, cursing.I took Theo’s hand, leading him towards the dance floor. He spun me around, before wrapping his arm across my shoulders and holding me against him so we were both facing the boys. His hips were grinding against me as he moved with me, his very hard length pressing against my ass.“Help me play with them,” I whispered in Theo’s ear. He nodded, a grin appearing on his face.I reached my right hand up behind me, running my fingers through his hair, le
AVAThree days after the coronation, my Kings and I went to one of the Crown’s countryside properties to celebrate on our own. It was needed. With everything that happened in between us arresting Elijah and the coronation itself, we all needed to just unwind for a little while.We spent five perfect days enjoying each other’s company, swimming, relaxing by the lake, and just celebrating everything in our own way.We’d been through a lot in the last six months, and it was time we took the time to reflect, celebrate, and breathe a sigh of relief.The following weeks and months after we came back were chaotic.Of course, we had brief glimmers of normalcy when Theo and Oscar turned 18. We had to have a ball that the Kingdom could attend, but after, we hosted a party just for family and friends, and I spoiled the two of them rotten.My 18th birthday followed six weeks after theirs, and after the huge fuss that was my birthday for the Kingdo
Three weeks laterAVAThe three weeks following Elijah’s arrest were chaotic. The police had their work cut out for them, as did the courts. In the end, Elijah was sentenced to death for crimes against the Crown, as were some of Elijah and Matthew’s closest and most dedicated cronies.As for the rest of them, they were locked up, and most of them would stay in prison for a very long time. A few were genuinely forced to cooperate by Elijah, and so had to undergo a lengthy rehabilitation programme to make sure no traces of his influence remained.I even succeeded in charging Minister Byron for encouraging the breaking of laws that were fundamental to the safety of millions of women and girls. He’d spend the rest of his life locked up too.
AVAWe had a time and we had a place. A time and a place that as far as we knew, Paula believed to be correct. Of course, we weren’t going to put all of our eggs in one basket, I didn’t trust her that much after everything she’s done, but… we had to try.We moved kids, the elderly and anyone else who couldn’t fight, including my parents straight to the safe room as soon as we finished talking through a plan. I couldn’t risk it any longer. I needed them safe.I needed my mum safe. Since it reduced the chances of me trading myself for her, everyone else was on board with that plan too. I assigned four members of my Queen’s guard to look after the safe room, and Jacob had assigned another six of his own warriors.
AVAThe whole thing with Paula… was a shock, and it wasn’t a shock I really knew what to do with. I'd known and loved this woman for a long time; she was key in helping me feel at home here, or, at least I believed she was.And now, to find out she betrayed me, my family and everything we stand for? No. That was a fact neither Artemis or I really knew what to do with. We needed closure, but how do you get closure when someone has maliciously tried to stop you ever having children of your own?I hardly slept that night. I just kept remembering my mum's face as she sobbed on the floor and the look of utter disgust that my dad gave Paula.The morning after, I got a frantic link from Alex. Far too early in the morning for problems to be coming up.
AVAMy stress levels were still through the roof the next morning. We had an appointment with the doctor to talk about the chemicals that he’d found in my bloodstream, to see if we could work out what the long term effects might be.My four Kings made a point of truly worshipping my body… but it didn’t help, not really. No amount of explosive orgasms was going to distract me for that long.When we reached the hospital, it was crystal clear from the doctor’s face that it wasn’t good news.Once we’d all sat down and exchanged pleasantries, he ran off a list of chemicals and compounds that were used to make this poison that was in my blood. It was a long list.“We have people running simulations, my Queen, a
AVAProblems are like buses.For a while, everything is all hunky dory and there are no problems for anyone to worry about (apart from Paula being MIA, which she now had been for a week). But they are like buses. So after a period of calm… three come at once.We were woken up in the middle of the night by an emergency alert across the pack. Rogues.“Ava, you need to get to the safe room,” Jacob insisted. “They’re here for you, you know that.”“I’m not hiding, Jacob,” I replied as I ran around pulling shorts and a t-shirt on, before sprinting out of the room with my Kings behind me, the six members of my Queen’s Guard who were on duty quickly catching up. The other six were out look
CALLUM“Paula. Paula let Matthew out,” I growled. “Ava trusts her.”“I know,” dad replied, his voice pained as he winced under the weight of my aura. Realising that… I forced Ares to tone it back, but he was not calm, and he really wanted me to know that.“We need to talk to Ava’s parents.” Noah sounded just as pissed as I felt.I nodded. “You’re right. They’re close to Paula too.” I linked Jeremiah and then Ava’s parents, bringing them all to Jacob’s office as quickly as possible.
AVAThe next morning, I made a point of distracting myself from as many problems as I could. I went for a run with Alex, swam in the lake with my Kings, and made cookies with Paula.I needed to clear my mind of nonsense to give myself a chance to solve some of the pressing questions that were floating around my mind. What better way to solve a problem than to not think about the problem?It was shortly after the cookies went in the oven that I realised something. Something… big.Why wasn’t I pregnant?I had been having a lot of sex, unprotected sex, with four men for months. I had my usual monthly cycles, and everything seemed normal. But sure
AVAWe all needed to unwind with the party, but of course, we were still caught up in the middle of an absolute shitfest, so the happiness and chill-vibes were never going to last forever.I sat at the desk in my office, staring at the map of the Kingdom I had pinned to my whiteboard. My Kings, Jacob, Alex and Jeremiah were all with me, and we had extra guards on both my office and the packhouse door. I refused to get caught short again.Jeremiah and Alex between them were marking all the locations where there had been known rogue attacks and where there had been encounters with either Matthew or Elijah over the last few months so we could try to work out where either of them would be hiding. Was it going well? No.