Chapter 2 - Playing a dangerous game.

Ava

“So, you charm an old woman into taking her granddaughter on a blind date and think it’s, okay?” I glared at him for only a second before getting up with such force that the chair went flying. “I told you I was not in the market for a college. That should have been your cue to leave me alone.” I whipped around before he could say another word, not caring that the entire restaurant had come to a standstill as I stormed out.

Looking up and down the street, I spotted a taxi and rushed to get in and get away before he could chase after me. I couldn’t believe that my grandmother had stooped so damn low. To let me go out with a man she didn’t even know. What if he kidnapped me? What if he killed me? I was even angrier by the time I reached our hotel, but my grandmother hadn’t returned yet, so I couldn’t reprimand her.

As soon as I heard the door opening, I jumped up from my bed and rushed to the living room and glared at her. She smiled her sweet smile and put her things down as if she was innocent!

“What the hell were you thinking?” I had never spoken to her like that before, but then again, she had never done something so stupid before.

“He smelled good. Why? Didn’t your date go well?” Grandma made her way to her room and I followed her like a steaming beast.

“Are you actually kidding me? He smelled good, so you thought he would be a good person? Did you even realize he was taking me on a date? He wasn’t from a college, grandma. He was some random guy off the street who just wanted to … Hell, I don’t even know what he wanted to do.” I fell onto her bed while she moved about the room looking far too happy with herself. It was infuriating.

“Well, at least you got a meal out of it.” She sighed before sitting down beside me on the bed. “Sweetheart, if we never take a chance on new people, we will never make friends.” She shrugged and I frowned. I hated it when she talked sense, but it could have been a terrible situation, and it frustrated me that my grandmother didn’t realize that.

“I didn’t. As soon as he told me, I left.” I got up and intended on leaving her alone, when she sighed deeply. I turned around to find my grandmother frowning at me. “What?”

“If you stayed, you might have had a nice time. Really Ava, I get it that you want to become the world champion, but what use will it be if you have nobody to share it with.” She frowned, and I honestly didn’t want to fight with my dear old grandmother anymore.

“All I’m saying is that the world is not the same as it was when you were young, grandma. Just look at my parents. Innocently driving home from a date and in the blink of an eye they were gone.” I hated reminding my grandmother of it because she always looked so sad, but at least it cut the conversation short and I could finally take a warm bath and go to bed.

We were leaving first thing in the morning and I still had to pack some of my things. It had been an entire week of competition, and although I loved being on the ice, it was tiring.

Daniel

I let her go, but I made one of my men follow her. I wanted to know everything about Ava Talbott. I wanted to know where she lived. Who she hung out with and why she was so determined to become the world champion.

Mostly, I wanted to make sure she didn’t have any dirty dark secrets hiding. I knew that if my father found out, he would have her killed immediately. He hadn’t been the alpha of our pack for many years, but he still had spies and he still had power. My phone rang as I left the restaurant and I sighed deeply when I saw the name.

“What do you want?” I didn’t hate the person on the other side of the line. I just didn’t like her. She was everything I disliked in a female.

“When are you coming home? I have to speak to you about something important.” Harper Levine was the eighteen-year-old daughter of the beta, and she was also the woman my father chose for me. Our pack didn’t mate our destined mates. It was something my father decided on many years ago. He believed it made us weak to be with the one the moon goddess chose for us.

We also didn’t mark our mates, so the mate bond was never fully completed. That way, if we were attacked, our enemies couldn’t use love as a weapon against us. My father saw love is a weakness, and I was sure if he had the option, he would never have sired any heirs. As luck would have it, there were only the two of us. Me, and my brother Alex, who was a year younger than me.

After the day my mother died, our father didn’t even attend the funeral. We found him after the service in his office dealing with business because, according to him, I was wasting time on trivialities.

“Daniel!” Harper’s voice cut through my thoughts and I sighed deeply. My meetings in the city had already kept me there a day longer than they should have. If I left the day I was supposed to, I would not have found Ava’s scent.

“I’m leaving this afternoon. I should be home by tonight.” She squealed on the other side of the line and I frowned, pulling the phone away from my ear. Harper was the same age as Ava, but they were worlds apart. There was something in Ava’s eyes that was different. She was clearly far more mature. She clearly didn’t stand for any of my nonsense. I smiled as I thought about the way she left the restaurant.

I knew there was no way I would ever be able to fully love Ava. So, why was I even trying to find out more about her? I was putting her life in danger by just trying. I returned to the pack house that evening and my spy let me know he had found out where Ava lived just as Harper stormed into my office.

“Your father sent me to find out if you have decided on a date for our ceremony yet.”