AVA "Are you alright?"Hearing the sound of Darian's voice made me wipe away my falling tears in a hurry. I didn't want him to know how much my heart hurt. Keegan whom I hadn't seen in two months was tied up in the basement. Not only did he seem to be out of his senses, he seemed to have become an entirely different person. "I can feel it, you know? Your frustration and pain are obvious. You don't have to hide them from me," Darian whispered. Slowly, I turned around to face him. When I saw the soft expression on his face, my knees gave out. He grabbed me to steady me. Eventually, the tears began to flow. "What do I do, Darian? How do I handle this?" I cried. Darian stroked my hair and held me close to himself. He was my comfort. After Keegan's disappearance, he was the only person I could really lean on. I hadn't returned to my pack because I had been afraid that my pain would swallow me whole. "You can handle this. I know you can," Darian whispered. A servant approached us
AVA He lay motionless on the bed, his face pallid. I rushed to his side, my panic nearly shooting through the roof. I grabbed at his shoulders, willing him to move, to say something. He was limp like a broken doll, strands of his hair resting on his face. I bent over to listen for signs of a beating heart, but heard none. It was at this point that my knees gave out. Letting out a cry of dismay, my legs lost their strength, and I sank to the ground, still clutching at his forearm. "Ava! Look! He's breathing!" Darian's voice pierced right through my consciousness, snapping me back into reality. I stared at the unfolding scene before me, confused. Keegan was curled up into a ball but he was breathing. Judging by the trash can on the floor, he seemed to have vomited. Darian was sitting by his side, patting his back. I hadn't moved to Keegan's side, I realised. I had been standing by the door, my imaginations holding me captive for a few terrifying seconds.I brought my shaky hands t
DARIAN They all seemed to have prepared to push me into this. My father must have discussed it with them. "Your Highness, are you listening to us?" Terius, one of the chief counsel spoke, his pale brows creased up.My uninterested gaze swept across the court room while they stared at me, awaiting my final decision. I desired to be anywhere but here at the moment. I wondered what Ava was up to. I hoped she was getting along with Keegan, just fine. "Your Highness?"I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. They all seemed to be calm, but I could tell from the look in their eyes. Their patience was wearing thin. "So, you want me to get married to the daughter of general Troye?" I said. "In essence, it is to ensure the security of our people" one of the elders stressed. I didn't think so. In fact, I was not interested in marrying just anybody. My mates were all I needed. "Your father is aware of your scandalous visits to hotels and clubs. Your relationship with women has alwa
AVA The strange woman in Darian's office, stared at me with amusement written all over her face. I kept my expression impassive as I headed towards Darian's desk and placed his tea on the table. I hoped I'd misheard her statement."Hmm... this is interesting. How does she know your favourite tea?" the strange woman asked my mate. He stared at me, unblinking, barely paying any attention to her. When he didn't give her a response, she probed further. It was at this point that I decided that I really didn't like her. She was obviously a vampire of high class. The fact that there was a sparkle in her eyes, each time she spoke to Darian was another thing that made me dislike her even more. Nonetheless, I knew that if she found out who I was to Darian, she would stir up trouble."Darian? Who is she?" She asked, resting a hand on Darian's shoulder. My wolf growled in my head. She didn't like the idea of another woman touching our mate. "She's just a maid" Darian responded, still fi
KEEGAN The tension in the air did not fade. Ava stood in the corner of Darian's study, her head lowered. I bet she was embarrassed because Darian's visitor had seen her in her provocative maid costume. On the other hand, I was more embarrassed. This was new to me. Getting embarrassed over a kiss wasn't something I'd experienced before. For some reason, Darian didn't appear bothered. Infact, he seemed more satisfied like never before."Are you going to tell me what this is about or do I have to do some digging?" said the vampire whose name was Caspian.Darian leaned back on his seat, a smug grin tugging at his lips. His gaze found mine and grew heated. There was something about his gaze that made me want to claim his lips again. "I don't have to explain anything to you" Darian stated as his gaze drifted away and rested on Caspian. Caspian turned around to glance at us causing Ava to sink further into the corner. He smirked and turned away. "From what I see here, there's so
AVA The silent hostility between Keegan and Venom was somewhat deafening. Poor Hayley was curled up into my side, her face as white as sheets. I felt sorry for her. Every few minutes, she would whimper, a shiver running through her. Her condition had taken a painful dive. According to Venom, he'd been desperate to find me because Hayley's life force was quickly diminishing. "Are you sure that Hayley is not just an excuse for you to see Ava again?" Keegan said, his arms folded across his chest. Venom's eyes darkened, his lips set in a grim line. "Keegan, stop it. She's obviously in a terrible condition," I said. "I can clearly see that. However, my last memory of him..." "Let's not bring that up, okay? It was in the past. Now, I have not one but two mates. There's no possibility of me getting kissed by anyone else," I said. Confusion flashed in Venom's eyes, his brows furrowed. "What do you mean by two mates?" He asked."Why do you think we live in the apartment of a vampire?
AVA "She is my mate," a familiar voice said. Slowly, I turned around. Astoria frowned. "Y...you..." She stuttered, unable to hide her shock. "Who are you?" She asked, her fists clenched. "Venom is my name.""Right. What business do you have here? No, scratch that... how are you here?" He shrugged and halted beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist. I stiffened. "I have a business with Mr Edwards. Do you have a problem with that?" Astoria eyed him with disdain, her lips curled into a sneer. "Well, I'll be taking my leave now," she said and hurried away. "What's with Darian and these stinking mutts?" She mumbled under her breath. The moment she was out of sight, I moved away from Venom. Tucking strands of hair behind my ear, I heaved a sigh."Why are you here?" I demanded. He stared at me, his gaze soft. I tried not to squirm at the spot. "Why? Do I make you feel uncomfortable? I believe I just rescued you from a catastrophe. Don't you see that?" He questioned. I didn'
KEEGAN "Cora?" I breathed, my eyes wide. She blinked, unmoving. She was different now. The cold blankness in her eyes made me realize how much she'd changed. She was no longer innocent and cheerful. Somehow, I felt that I was to be blamed for this. The sight of the nasty scar marring her left cheek brought angry tears to my eyes. I wanted to hurt whoever had hurt her that way. As much as I wanted to rush towards her and sweep her into my embrace, there were several questions that needed to be answered. How did she find me?I dashed out of the room before I could let these thoughts consume me. I headed down the hall and stepped out of the front door. The moment I stepped into the front porch, my sister vanished into thin air. I froze, my blood running cold in my veins. "No," I breathed, rushing towards the spot she'd stood in. Disbelief and dismay smacked me hard. Realization followed not long after. My sister had just slipped right out of my hands, once again. My knees gave