AVERYMy head hurts. It’s a familiar feeling, to wake up with a splitting pain everywhere and it leaves me groaning.I place my palm over my eyes, trying to understand what’s happening for a few seconds.I was with Aleister. He kissed me, without a care in the world. The eyes that watched were all awed. They couldn’t believe their King was so in love with an enemy Princess.Then, he said something and he looked so hurt.‘ I will never abandon you. I promise. ’My ears ring, and I can only hear one noise in the background—the violent splashes of water as it crashes against the shore.The salty taste lingers in the air, biting into my skin and sending my mind into a state of frenzy.“ Princess, are you awake? ” Renee’s soft voice whispers close to my ear.I shoot up in the bed, my chest heaving rapidly. I look around. The room is familiar to the one I had in the South—my home. But it’s not that place. The air carries a sense of cruelty. My lungs tighten as my wide eyes move towards Ren
AVERY“ Ava. ” Nora takes a step ahead. “ What’s wrong? Why are you…acting like this? ”She is repeating the same questions again. I glance at her, my chest still heaving in anger. They are all there, fitting right into a perfect picture. Friends, and family. They even share the same expressions. Disdain and surprise.And I? I am nowhere. I have never been a part of their group.“ Why? ” I narrow my eyes on my brother. “ why insist on bringing me here, Dustin? ”“ It’s because this is your home, Ava. We couldn’t leave you in that enemy Kingdom. ” Nora whispers, instead of him.My brows lift to my forehead as I stare at Dustin. He appears nonchalant—even after everything, he has nothing to offer. No words, no answers.“ Where was this consideration when Dustin traded me for Amelia? ” I turn to face them.Nora opens her mouth, her eyes meet mine and then she closes her mouth again.“ We waited for you to reach out, Avery. All you needed to do was to ask us and we would have done every
AVERYI steal a glance at King Striker. His expressions match his words. Shock and confusion fill the faces of the others too.Instinctively, I scoff and glare at Dustin. He held back information again.“ Mate? Did you meet your mate in the South, Ava? ” Nora gasps, her eyes widening and flickering towards Dustin.As usual, my brother doesn’t care even if his lies come to light. He is just that unbothered. “ Well, didn’t my brother tell you that Aleister Anasazi…the Lycan King of the South… ” I turn to the others again and trail off. They hold their breaths, their eyes fixed on me. It’s as if the wheels are turning in their heads as they hope that Aleister is not the one.I continue. “ Aleister is my fated mate. ”Amelia yelps dramatically and places her palm over her mouth to suppress further sounds of surprise. With a frown, Tyson stares at me and King Striker appears pissed off as he glares at Dustin.Nora, however, looks comical with her parted lips and twitching brows. “ are yo
AVERY“ Will you threaten me with that secret again? ”My question makes her eyes narrow and her breathing labored. She glares at me for a moment, probably contemplating which approach to take.To my surprise, the others stand by, never interfering or saying anything. “ What are you talking about?! ” When the wheels stop turning in her mind, she fakes innocence and huffs.I shake my head. “ You are the worst of evil. Nothing can ever make you change, Mom. ”“ How dare you! ” She screeches, lifting her hand to hit me.I catch her wrist mid-air, and sneer. “ don’t you dare try it again! ”Her eyes widen. “ You have gone mad! Dustin— ” She looks at him from over her shoulder. “ Look what your sister is doing! ”My gaze flickers towards him. He stands there, still unfazed and as calm as water. There is nothing in his eyes that can betray any emotion.“ Dustin! ” Mom shouts. “ Don’t you get it, Mom? ” I whisper, throwing her hand away. “ Just like he didn’t step in when you hit me, he wo
AVERY“ The boy has risen from the dead. ” The screams were all I could hear.“ The Prince can use his ability. ” They continued to yell.But I was on the rock, my limbs twisted at weird angles. My head hurt, and the pain made it impossible for me to see anything. It felt like there was blood in my eyes and a red veil hid everything from my sight.Dustin. My mind kept calling out to him. The warriors that came to kill him had not taken pity on him. They came with ruthless orders. They had to tighten a rope around Dustin’s neck and halt his breaths. They wanted him to disappear.But I didn’t want him to go.He was the only one who played with me, comforted me, and protected me. He was always there when Dad wanted to hurt me or when Mom shouted at me.I tried to save him. But he kept pushing me away. He wanted me to live. But how could I live without him? My Brother. He was my only family. The pain kept growing in my spine. It felt like it was broken. That’s why a bone was poking ou
AVERY“ You knew. ” “ Now I can say…you have grown up. ” Dustin’s face appears in my sight that was filled with the ceiling before. “ but you still haven’t learned to keep yourself together. ”“ You knew. ” I repeat, a lump forming in my throat again.My eyes hurt. I touch them with my fingers to find them swollen. “ About Mom, Dad, and everything else? ” Dustin lifts his brows.He knew. Why don’t I find it surprising? “ You knew what I did. ” I mumble, sitting up in the bed. “ You always knew. Is that why you were disappointed in me? ”Dustin steps away to let me sit up properly before he takes a seat on the bed beside my feet.“ Is that why you let Mom trample all over you? ” Dustin’s gaze rests on the window.I purse my lips. “ You knew she was abusing me all this time? ” Dustin glances my way, a strange fleeting look in his eyes before he fixes his gaze on the window again.“ It’s time you know one thing. ” He says, composed and calm.I stiffen. “ what? ”“ That woman… ” He sta
AVERYRight after Dustin leaves, Nora comes barging inside. Startled, I stare at her as she closes the distance between us hurriedly and grabs my arms.“ Don’t you know you shouldn’t stress yourself at such an important time?! ” She says, frowning at me.Dumbfounded, I don’t even get the time to push her away as she wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me.“ I am sorry. I am so sorry. ” She whispers. “ I should have done better with you. I should have…not treated you like that. ”My whole body stiffens as my hands hang in the air. “ Leave me, Nora. ”“ No, you told me everything that was going through your head so you should listen to what I have to say too. ” She says, shaking her head.Annoyed, I grab her arms to push her away but she keeps holding me.“ I never wanted to hurt you. Trust me. I could never imagine you were feeling like this. ” She utters.“ I have heard all of that, Nora. ” Sighing, I give up on forcing her away. “ I said what I wanted to say to you. Now I am at pe
AVERYCan a few words rattle your world, make your breath stop, and freeze you in the moment forever? Yes, they can.“ You are pregnant… Did you not want it? Is that why you are turning pale? ”The voice in my ear is so faint, I can hardly hear it.“ Are you feeling alright? Is something wrong, Ava? ”Ava.Avery.Avi. Princess.To others, I have assumed so many names and gave them a version they wanted.But what did I always want? ‘ You can’t even bear a child. What use is a woman who can not bear a King’s child? ’ That woman’s voice is still there, hateful and angry.Yes, that’s what I always have wanted. I have wanted a child to prove that I am a worthy woman. A child will fix everything. If only I carry a child, I won’t be called those names again. Barren. Useless. Unworthy. But Aleister didn’t think that. For him, in all truth, I have been a perfect woman. Someone he loved despite knowing what I couldn’t provide him.Maybe…That’s why…This news doesn’t bring me relief. This c