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
AVERY“ What are you doing now? ” Nora is hot on my tail while Renee comes around the corner and joins the others.“ Princess.”“ I told you what I am doing. ” I can’t stop smiling.“ Who are you trying to hurt? ” Nora sighs.“ Princess Avery, I suggest you stop pushing your limits. You should be resting. ” King Striker comments.“ Striker is right, Avery. Why do you keep running around? I get that you are angry, but it’s too much now. You need to think about your health. ” Tyson joins in.“ Why don’t you tell that to your mate, Your Highness? Stop eating my brain. I told you, I have no desire to be friends with my ex-fiance. Besides, you were never a good fiance anyway. I am glad you got Amelia and I got rid of you. ” I snicker.An awkward silence hangs in the air before Nora sighs. “ Ava. ”“ Oh, here we are. ” I stop outside that woman’s room.The group halts behind me, all looming over my head, and concerned about my next move.“ Ava, think this through. ” Nora pokes my arm again.
ALEISTER—3 Days Later…I hear her voice sometimes. Inside my head.She keeps calling my name and telling me that she needs me. Sometimes, I think she is crying and it makes my blood boil in my veins.However, I can’t believe it’s true. First of all, why would she cry if she went there by herself? Second of all, I can’t run after her to make sure it’s her and not my imagination.Right now, a bigger issue stands before me. If I avoid this, it will mean I don’t give a fuck about my people which will never happen.“ I had to keep them hidden. Your father didn’t care anyway so I thought they would be better off in the villages. The mothers didn’t tell those girls that they are your sisters. It kept them safe until now but sometimes…people question their extraordinary abilities which is making it harder to keep them a secret anymore. ” Noelle says.I sigh, rubbing my temples. How many children did my father bring into this world? It feels like he slept with a new woman every night and now
ALEISTER“ Defeat is your fate. ” He says, turning his head away. “ You can not avoid your fate. ”“ A man who is after children will decide our fate now? ” My smirk widens.“ Your ancestors were after my child. Do they decide the fate then? ” He asks. My smirk falters. It’s the ultimate truth. Our ancestors did some fucked up things to his mate and killed his child.“ The funny fact is, Moon Goddess didn’t curse them. She reinforced the notion that you could do whatever you wish if you are her blessed Lycan Kings but you know what? You Lycan Kings are pathetic puppets. Once you fall, the Moon Goddess—that Selene won’t help you. In the end, you will come crawling to the bloody side. ” He grins sinisterly.I stare at his side profile for a moment. He is right. My grandfathers and father cruelly took lives, raped unwilling women, kept witches as slaves but Moon Goddess didn’t curse them. The notion that a Lycan King could do anything truly existed in all minds.“ I am not here for a ch
AVERY—4 days Later (1 day passed since Aleister received the message)...Now, I was noticing things I hadn’t noticed before. I didn’t fear the sea.I didn’t hate myself. I didn’t flinch at the sight of people I found terrifying before.But one thing had remained constant.“ Princess. ” Renee sighs, peering down at me.I purse my lips. I was sitting beside the couch in my room again. I sleepwalked my way here during a nap and now Renee is here to wake me up for dinner.“ What is it? ” I grumble.Recently, my mood has been quite snappy. I want to fight people left and right. Because I miss Aleister.Yesterday, I lost my temper and had a fight with Dustin again about this. He told me, I should stay a few more days. I asked if this was some sick trick to control my tantrums, and he simply gave me a side-eye which screamed he couldn’t bother answering that question.I just had a hunch. This can’t be some trick.So, I closed my mouth and stomped back to my room where Nora was waiting fo
AVERYNow, I have a hunch that…Dustin is keeping me here because of that reason. Maybe, he wants to hide my pregnancy from Levian. That’s the only way that crazy Vampire King won’t come after my baby until we find a way to defeat him.I shake my head and enter the Dining Hall. The five of them are already seated and talking. “ Come sit here, Ava. ” Nora pats the chair beside her.“ A seat on this table is always devoted to the Princess. She will sit there. ” Dustin intervenes.“ Why can’t she choose where to sit? Are not you controlling her too much, you control freak?! ” Nora huffs.And here it goes.Whenever Nora and Dustin sit in one place, they are always mocking each other. She is the only person who can talk to Dustin like that.Even his King friends refrain from saying some things sometimes, but she doesn’t hesitate for a moment.I click my tongue. My poor love-sick brother! It seems like he won’t chase Nora again, but he won’t get over her either.“ Ava you— ”“ You two need
AVERYFor hours, Nora ate my brain again. When I told her about Aleister, Draven, Declan, and Celia, she couldn’t believe me at all.She thought I suffered all the time and didn’t get to even step out of my room and whatever I was feeling was some momentary feeling.Well, now she knows what Aleister means to me. Amelia, on the other hand, just listened, her eyes shining with curiosity and wonder as I told her about her siblings, about Aleister’s intentions.I told her that he wouldn’t kill her or he didn’t want to. But she had a hard time believing it.Nothing can be done about it so I didn’t try to convince her. When she meets Aleister, she will understand it better anyway.Same goes for Nora and the others. They won’t believe me until they actually interact with my cute mate. When they do, they will just fall in love with how beautiful he is. Even if he is not…Well, I can not bring myself to care.If they still find faults with him, they can gladly keep their opinion to themselve
AVERYAleister Anasazi can not resist me. He couldn’t do it when he considered me an enemy and he can’t do it now when he says he loves me more than life.That’s why I am lying on the bed now with his big frame hovering above me. In the haze of the desperate moment, our clothes disappeared, leaving us bare and panting.His hands had already explored my skin, feeling me up and groaning every time I arched into him. Now, his length slides between my wet folds, earning another moan from me.“ Be gentle, Aleister. ” I whisper, against his lips, my eyes fixed right on him.He rests his forehead against mine and meets my gaze. Unable to control my impulses, I stroke his cheeks before kissing his lips again.As the kiss deepens, Aleister thrusts inside me slowly, filling me, inch by inch. I whimper, feeling every bit of his length inside me.He feels different every time. I tell myself that I will get used to the pleasure, but it’s not possible. My mind still spins, and my legs shake as he
AVERYLife is unpredictable, they say.I caress the cheek of the newborn, my finger trembling softly. I am awed and reduced to a teary-eyed, half-conscious woman with nothing more meaningful in life than the bundle lying on the bed beside me. So, I believe now…Life is unpredictable. If someone had told me that I will give birth to a beautiful girl, with glassy grey eyes and a sharp cry…I would have told them that I didn’t need them to fool me into believing things that would never happen.But it has happened.“ You have the right. ” Aleister lays on the other side, watching the girl lying between us with similar expressions. He looks dazed as if he is in a dream and scared of touching this beautiful creature.“ We decided on that. You will get to name her if it’s a girl. ” I pull my knees to my chest, trying hard to forget the pain I felt during labor yesterday. People say something else too—they say giving birth is no easy feat. It’s like dying and coming back to life after seei
AVERY“ Was this really as necessary as you make it out to be? ” I ask, moving across his room, smoothening down the non-existent creases in the dress.It’s the same gown that I wore to the festival. Back then, Aleister sent me away without even looking at me but he carried this dress with him wherever he went when I left him.Now, he wants me to wear it on my initiation. I told him it’s unnecessary, but he insists that I must wear this.“ I can get you a new dress if you want, my Princess. ” Aleister says, stepping out of the dressing room and pulling me into his arms immediately. I notice the dark suit he is wearing, the material fitting every bulging muscle and making him appear bigger than he already is. Our eyes meet and warmth spreads in my insides—It’s instant and soothing. “ How do I look? ” I whisper, reaching up to press my lips to his mouth gently.“ Like my Princess. ” Aleister tilts his head, connecting our lips again. “ Like the greatest star in the sky or the beautif
AVERYIt was not as bad as I imagined it. Aleister did stick out from the others, but no matter how wary they were, they couldn’t say anything about it or him anymore.We had breakfast together, and then I showed Aleister around. As expected, Dustin gave us a side eye whenever we stumbled across him but he couldn’t do anything about it which left me giddy.For the first time in my life, I have my own team. Aleister and I are together, and I don’t care if the whole world is on the other side. He is enough for me.But I like that my former friends and acquaintances have accepted him as my mate.“ You have been smiling from the morning. ” Aleister mumbles, pressing a kiss to my neck from behind.“ Do you not like it when I smile? ” I inquire playfully.“ Of course, I love it, Princess. ” He trails a path of kisses up my neck as his hand rests on my stomach, caressing it softly. “ I want you to keep smiling like this forever. Will you do that for me? ”“ If you don’t make me mad, I will. ”
DUSTIN“ What are you thinking now? ” Lenora asks curiously.“ That’s not the right question, Lenora. ” I tell her and place my palm over the edge of the window. The sea appears calm today, or maybe, it’s just me. I am calm, inside out. There is no noise inside my head right now. After seeing Avi genuinely happy, I think I will be better for some time. “ Did you always know that King is her mate? ” She inquires and stands beside me.“ Does it matter? ” I wonder. Why does everyone make a fuss about it? If I know, so what? Does it change anything?The loser thinking makes me want to roll my eyes. If you jump into the ditch after knowing that it’s not deep or you jump without knowing it’s not deep…it’s all the same. In the end, you still have to jump in the ditch. “ How did you know? ” She turns her head and studies me curiously.“ Moon Goddess told me. ” I vowed to not lie to Lenora before, so she gets all the honest answers.She snickers. “ I am serious, Dustin. ”It’s another thi
ALEISTER“ Levian…can tell when someone is lying. If you had stayed back, he would have found out about your child. You don’t realize how brutal he can be when it comes to getting what he wants. And right now, it’s not the time for the war. It’s time to hide that you are pregnant, Avi. ” Dustin explains to her.“ You want to hide my child? ” She huffs. “ that’s not happening. ”“ That’s why I didn’t tell you before. Now that your mate here has told Levian that you are not pregnant and that he is not allied with the other three Kingdoms, Levian is not desperate to snatch your child. He will wait. Because he believes we are weak when we are not united as the four Kingdoms. ” He says and wipes the dried blood from under his nose again. “ He will wait for you to find your mate. ” I conclude neutrally.“ He will wait for me to break and join him. Or he will wait for a mate to come to break me and get me to lose my mind like the rest of you. ” Dustin replies, and smirks. “ but that’s never
ALEISTERI have a hunch that Dustin Landric—the twat let me hit him intentionally. I would have preferred if he fought back. I don’t enjoy hitting those who want to get hit.“ Aleister. ” My Princess nuzzles into my neck, and peer at me with her puppy eyes.My throat feels heavy as I stare into those eyes. I came here to be mad at her. Her friend sent me a letter and informed me that my Princess hadn’t left me and it was all her brother’s plot. He drugged her and kidnapped her.But she could have let me know about it.And she didn’t.I was mad, but what do I feel right now? The heaviness in my throat increases. She loves me, she is carrying my child and she is showing me that she cares about me without giving a fuck about the watching eyes.It’s like I am in a dream. Maybe, I lost my mind back in the South and this is a part of a beautiful imagination.If it’s that…I slide her stray hair behind her ear and watch as she smiles at me brightly. Her blue eyes are moist, and they still l
AVERY“ Once we are done, do you want me to give you a visit to the Wolveshire Citadel? ” I wonder, clinging to Aleister’s arm.He glances at my eyes, slowly looks down at my arm wrapped around his bicep, blinks, then looks away. From where I walk beside him, I can see his neck turning slightly red.“ I don’t think your brother would like that. ” Aleister grumbles under his breath as we step into the sitting area.“ I think the same. ” I nod quickly. “ but I don’t mind. He can be broody about it and go sulk in his room. ” My eyes wander off to my brother who is standing in front of the window, his back to us. “ Ava. ” Nora squeaks, grabbing my attention.I look to my right and find the rest of them standing beside the couches stiffly. Their wary glares filter towards Aleister, making me frown.Subtly, Tyson pushes Amelia behind him and stands in front of her protectively while the girl looks as horrified as a dying fish. Nora and King Striker are beside them, all in their defensive s
AVERYI fake a gasp and roll on the bed. Instantly, Aleister halts and turns to me worriedly.“ What happened? ” He asks, approaching me hurriedly.I clutch my head until he is standing in front of me. When he leans in, I grab his shoulder and sit him on the bed again.My eyes narrow. “ I liked what we did but I don’t want anyone to see this view. ”I point towards his abdomen before rolling out of the bed and grabbing his pants to throw them at him.“ You faked it? ” He rolls his eyes.“ I know what works with you. I just used that information. ” I shrug, searching for my dress. The look of disbelief comes back on his face. He leans back, dropping the pants on the floor again.“ I am not wearing them. You wanted to fuck me in your room. Now you can’t hide me, Princess. ” He chuckles, balancing himself on his palms.“ First of all, we didn’t do what you said we did. We— ”“ Made love? That’s the same as fucking. My cock goes in and out your— ” A knock silences him. Gasping, I drop t
AVERYI am getting worried now. Aleister hasn’t said anything for like an hour after what I told him.I am comfortably lying on top of him now, and I am so tired that I want to sleep. But the hundred different emotions that keep surging back and forth in my mind keep me wide awake.I yawn, snuggling into his neck. “ say something. This silence is irritating me now. ”Silence meets me as a reply again.I huff and draw my face out of his neck just to glare at him. But he looks lost and his eyes see right through me.“ Are you that shocked? Did you not want— ”“ You said…it’s not possible. ” Aleister finally mumbles, his heart beating like a loud drum under my palm.My gaze meets his wide eyes as I sigh. “ Well, my Mom lied about that. I am perfectly fine. I confirmed with a Healer. ”“ What? ” Aleister whispers, his eyes still holding disbelief.“ Yes, Mom lied and made me believe I couldn’t get pregnant. ” I shrug, dropping my head back. “ but who knew…her lie would get me pregnant mor