Ava’s POV
The triplets had given me more than enough money, and I felt a strange mix of gratitude and guilt as I carried the cash in my bag on the walk home.
When I finally made it back to the house, my nerves were on edge. I could hear my stepmother moving around in the living room. Taking a deep breath, I walked in, my heart pounding as soon as I crossed the threshold.
She was sitting on the couch, her back straight as she scrolled through her phone, but when she heard the door close, her eyes immediately snapped to me. There was no soft greeting, no warm words. Just the cold gaze of a woman who expected everything to go her way.
“You’re back,” she said flatly, her tone laced with suspicion. “Where’s
Ava’s POVThe cold was starting to settle deep into my bones, but I stayed rooted in front of the door, hoping… maybe even praying, that my stepmother would come back and open it.I lifted my hand, knocking again, harder this time around. “Please…” I whispered, pressing my forehead against the door. “Please, just let me in. I swear I’ll figure something out. I will make sure more money comes out.”The only answer I got was the sound of the television from inside. It wasn’t loud at first, but then the volume went up, drowning out any chance of her hearing me. I could almost picture her sitting there on the couch, her legs crossed, remote in hand, with a smug expression. I know she wasn’t going to let me in not unless I agreed to what she wanted.And I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.I stepped back, staring at the door for a long moment, the rain sliding down my face, mixing with the tears that slid down my cheeks. My throat felt tight, like it was holding back the last bit of pride I still had
Ava’s POVThe whole driving state was silent, but I could feel Iris’s anger hanging over me, even though he hadn’t said a single word to me. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary, his eyes fixed straight on the road.I knew he wanted to say something, probably a lot of things, but he didn’t. And honestly, I was glad. I wasn’t sure if I had the strength to explain anything right away. My head still felt heavy, my heart even weighed more.When he finally pulled into their driveway, the rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the cold still clung to my skin. Iris stepped out first, shutting the door with more force than needed, and I climbed out slowly, dragging my soaked bag along with me.The front door swung open before we even reached it as if Steve and Zayne had been waiting for Irish's arrival. Steve’s voice was the first one I heard.“Ava?” His eyes darted from me to the bag in my hand, and then back to me. “Why the hell do you have your bag? Why are you so drenc
AVA'S POV“Disgusting stripper…” I heard one of the students bark as what seemed to be a rotten, large tomato splattered across my face. Laughter erupted around me, fingers pointing and mocking. Tears filled my eyes almost instantly; every step I took toward this humiliation felt more painful than the last.The abuse didn’t stop there. More strange objects hit me as I stood frozen in place, the sound of their laughter echoing in the room. My suffering was clearly entertainment for them. I felt filthy—not just from the disgusting object they had thrown, but deep inside, I felt filthy too.“Why are you suddenly crying? Isn’t this your job? Shouldn’t you be proud of it?” Vanessa sneered in my ear, forcing me to walk down the hallway while holding up a sign that read: The Packs’ Renowned Stripper Ava.I bit down on my lower lip, struggling to hold back more tears. It was harder than I had thought. I couldn’t stand up to Vanessa; I knew that would only bring me trouble, especially since sh
AVA'S POV“Mate?” Zach repeated, confusion written all over his face as he stared at me. That single word, the only thing he had said all night, left me even more confused.How could I be mated to Zach Storm? The only son of the renowned beta of this pack, and me—a nobody. At that moment, I didn’t know whether to feel excited at the thought of being mated to the most popular guy in school or terrified by the look Vanessa was giving me. It was as if I had committed a crime.“There’s no way!” Tracy shouted, looking horrified. “That’s disgusting, Zach. How can you be mated to her?”Zach said nothing, just kept his eyes fixed on me as he slowly rose to his feet and began walking in my direction. Fear took over me instantly. What was he going to do? Surely, he wouldn’t break the bond—finding a mate was rare, and everyone wanted one—but still, what was he planning?“Zach, this is ridiculous. She’s disgusting!” Vanessa intervened, jumping to her feet and hurrying toward him, trying to get hi
AVA'S POVI had heard of second chance mates. The odds of an alpha falling in love with an omega and marrying her were way higher than the chances of finding a second chance mate. In fact, the chances of the moon goddess herself getting married to a wolf were still better than ever finding a second chance mate.It was a miracle, something that only happened maybe once in a thousand years—well, for our pack, at least. And yet, somehow, I had a second chance mate. Not just one. Three.I sat there on the floor, staring up at them, wondering what god had woken up one day and decided to spend thousands of years crafting the most beautiful work of art I had ever seen. They all stood around 6'4". The one on the left had the most stunning green eyes, with rich brown hair styled just enough to make me want to run my fingers through it. His chiseled face looked like something out of a painting, each feature perfectly set.The one on the right... I wanted to say he was the typical handsome blond
Ava’s Pov“Can you get in the car?” Zayne asked, his piercing silver eyes locking onto mine. Just looking at him made my wolf stir. Something about him felt different from his brothers—was this the mate bond everyone talked about? I wasn’t sure, especially after last night. I hadn’t had time to figure anything out before I was being chased by whoever Vanessa, their insane sister, had sent after me. “It’s okay. No one’s going to hurt you. Please, get in,” Steve said softly, his gentle eyes meeting mine as he took my hand. The moment his hand touched mine, a strange sense of calm came over me. It felt like I could tell him my darkest secrets, and he wouldn’t judge me for any of them. His hand was soft yet firm, grounding me in a way I didn’t expect. My wolf stirred again, even stronger this time, just from the brief contact. I didn’t want him to let go. For some reason, I felt like I could trust him—unlike his brother, Zayne, whose stern and unapproachable look made me uneasy.
Ava's Pov My hands brushed over my lips as my mind kept replaying what had happened in the car. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, no matter how hard I tried. I paced back and forth in the massive room I had been given, trying to calm myself down. The memory of Iris leaning in, the way my stupid self had actually closed my eyes, waiting for the kiss, haunted me. “I’m so stupid!” I groaned, throwing myself onto the bed and letting out a deep sigh. How had I ended up in such a ridiculous situation? The brothers had assumed I was exhausted—and honestly, I was—so they had shown me to this room and told me we’d have a proper conversation in the morning. Now, I've been left alone for hours. At first, the TV had been enough to distract me, with different interesting shows playing. But eventually, boredom crept in, and my thoughts drifted back to Iris. The way he had touched my face, the way he had almost kissed me. It was all I could think about. But none of that mattered. I nee
Ava's POV. My breath hitched at his question. Did he truly want an answer to that? Should I tell him that I wanted him to let go of everything holding him back? “Ava…” He whispered, igniting a slow burn deep inside me. “Should I let go?” He repeated, and before I could say anything in response, something warm flicked against my neck My body stiffened as realization hit me. It was his tongue on my skin. A strange heat that I had never felt before rose within me as he traced a slow path from my nape to my collar. He pulled his lips away moments before pressing them against my collar. He began sucking gently on my collar. I had to bite on my lips to stop a moan that threatened to escape. “You're so beautiful,” He whispered. His voice was filled with desire as he slowly pulled the strap of my dress down and kissed my bare shoulder. The slow nibbles became rougher and sent shivers down my spine. My heart began pounding loudly that I was sure he could hear it. I was losing myself
Ava’s POVThe whole driving state was silent, but I could feel Iris’s anger hanging over me, even though he hadn’t said a single word to me. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary, his eyes fixed straight on the road.I knew he wanted to say something, probably a lot of things, but he didn’t. And honestly, I was glad. I wasn’t sure if I had the strength to explain anything right away. My head still felt heavy, my heart even weighed more.When he finally pulled into their driveway, the rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the cold still clung to my skin. Iris stepped out first, shutting the door with more force than needed, and I climbed out slowly, dragging my soaked bag along with me.The front door swung open before we even reached it as if Steve and Zayne had been waiting for Irish's arrival. Steve’s voice was the first one I heard.“Ava?” His eyes darted from me to the bag in my hand, and then back to me. “Why the hell do you have your bag? Why are you so drenc
Ava’s POVThe cold was starting to settle deep into my bones, but I stayed rooted in front of the door, hoping… maybe even praying, that my stepmother would come back and open it.I lifted my hand, knocking again, harder this time around. “Please…” I whispered, pressing my forehead against the door. “Please, just let me in. I swear I’ll figure something out. I will make sure more money comes out.”The only answer I got was the sound of the television from inside. It wasn’t loud at first, but then the volume went up, drowning out any chance of her hearing me. I could almost picture her sitting there on the couch, her legs crossed, remote in hand, with a smug expression. I know she wasn’t going to let me in not unless I agreed to what she wanted.And I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.I stepped back, staring at the door for a long moment, the rain sliding down my face, mixing with the tears that slid down my cheeks. My throat felt tight, like it was holding back the last bit of pride I still had
Ava’s POVThe triplets had given me more than enough money, and I felt a strange mix of gratitude and guilt as I carried the cash in my bag on the walk home.When I finally made it back to the house, my nerves were on edge. I could hear my stepmother moving around in the living room. Taking a deep breath, I walked in, my heart pounding as soon as I crossed the threshold.She was sitting on the couch, her back straight as she scrolled through her phone, but when she heard the door close, her eyes immediately snapped to me. There was no soft greeting, no warm words. Just the cold gaze of a woman who expected everything to go her way.“You’re back,” she said flatly, her tone laced with suspicion. “Where’s
Steve’s POVI couldn’t sit still. The moment those words left her mouth, I felt my heart drop.“I’m in deep shit.”She said it so quietly, but the weight of it pulled the air right out of my body. I stared at her, still watching her fingers wrapped around the teacup, the steam rising and curling in front of her pale face.I shifted from where I was sitting on the floor and pushed myself up. My knees cracked a little as I stood, but I didn’t care. I walked closer and slowly knelt in front of her, lifting my hands and cupping her cold face between my palms. Her skin was softer than usual, but it was cold, and her cheeks still felt damp from the rain.
Iris’s POVThe sound of the knife hitting the cutting board filled the kitchen, steady and slow. I wasn’t in a rush. Cooking had always been one of the few things that calmed my mind, and tonight wasn’t any different. The sky outside had already darkened, rain had started falling not too long ago, and the cold breeze slipping through the window kept brushing against my skin.I could hear the soft sounds of gunfire and explosions coming from the sitting room. Zayne was buried deep in another one of his video games. His laughter would echo every now and then, followed by the sound of him trash-talking the other players.In the corner of the room, Steve sat with his head bent over a pile of books, his pen mo
Ava’s POVTwo days had passed, but the weight on my chest only seemed to grow heavier. School hadn’t been any easier either. I spent the day dragging myself from one class to another, pretending to listen, pretending to laugh, pretending to be fine, but I know I wasn’t a little bit fine.I have found a way to escape from Vanessa's torment, but I can’t do that forever. I have to find a way to escape her finally. But how?I have stood up for myself the other day, but that can’t continue forever.I brushed the thought away, trying to ease myself before I’d get home. Knowing fully my stepmom is going to be sitting inside the sitting room waiting for the money I promised he
Ava’s POVI let out a long quiet breath the moment Vanessa was gone. My fingers were still slightly stiff from how tightly I’d held her wrist, and my chest ached from holding my breath too long.Even though Venessa walked away, I knew it wouldn’t be the end. I knew her well enough to know she’d come back harder. Vanessa wasn’t the type to lose and stay quiet. She’d wait for the right moment to make me pay for daring to stand up for myself.But even knowing that, I didn’t feel scared.I pulled in another deep breath, pushing my hair away from my face, and slowly turned back toward my locker. My legs felt heavy, like they wanted to give up, but I forced them to move.When I reached my seat, I sat down with a heavy breath, my eyes scanning my desk, the thought of Zach dropping another unrequited gift lump around me. I swallowed hard, my fingers hesitated on the lock for a moment before I pulled the desk open.The first thing I did was look inside. My eyes swept every corner, half-expect
Ava’s POVVenessa lifted her arms, attempt to slap me but before her hand could reach me, my hand shot up, fast, wrapping around her wrist so tight I felt her pulse jump beneath my fingers, my grip didn’t shake. I made sure of it.Her eyes dropped to where I held her, and for a second I saw the shift of surprise flickered, just barely, in her gaze before the anger came crashing back even harder.I know she hadn’t expected me to stop her…..I know, she thought I’d stand and take every of her shit, like I always did. But not again.“Let go of my hand Ava,” her lips clipped together, her eyes held mine.
Ava’s POVVanessa’s lips curled into a small, sharp snicker as she stared down at me.She didn’t say anything, She just stood before me, tapping her fingers against her folded arms, circling me like a cat deciding how long it wanted to play with its trapped prey. Every of her footstep adds to the tickling of my heart beat.I kept my head down, my fingers gripping the dirt-stained edge of my skirt, holding on like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. My chest rose and fell too fast, my heartbeat pounding inside my ears so loud it drowned everything else, but still, I couldn’t move. My body stayed frozen. Only my ears worked.Venessa suddenly stopped