TWO

Oh, no, no, and more no.

There was no way that Graham, who was from Santorini, could be at Blue Willow. He just couldn't.

Ava didn't bother to give any explanations for why she was leaving the chocolate shop; instead, she immediately ran away with Elijah as if the hounds of hell were chasing after them. She kept waiting for Graham to come after her and demand an answer of some type, but he never did. She was surprised.

And this made her feel a lot better.

Why did he even bother to be at Blue Willow in the first place? Graham was a student at an art school; nevertheless, why did he appear even better than he did while he was on Santorini? She let out a sigh. She had never before seen a more handsome man than he was.

Even for a one-night stand, the fact that a man like him had shown interest in Ava was a complete surprise to her. He appeared to have been plucked straight from the pages of GQ, while she... well, let's just say she looked her age. She thought that 38 was a challenging number, despite the fact that it was not in and of itself a negative number.

She was extremely self-conscious of the fine lines that had begun to appear around her eyes and mouth, constantly aware of the stray grey roots that appeared in the shape of a starburst at her brow each time her color grew out, and always critical of the cellulite that she observed when she looked at herself in the mirror. Her breasts had never been what might be termed as "perky," despite the fact that they were large and well-formed. They still had a love-hate relationship with gravity despite the passage of time, and breastfeeding hadn't helped much either. Nor had the labor and delivery of her kid done anything for her stomach.

In spite of everything, Ava was aware that she was attractive; she saw that when she dressed up, people took attention, and guys continued to gaze at her. Yet, Ava did not consider herself to be the type of Cosmo model that she could picture herself playing in the surf with a guy like Graham.

She entertained the thought of being naked in his presence for a moment. As if in hell something like that would occur.

A few years hadn't done him any harm, but what about her? The answer is no. At the age of thirty-eight, she already had a difficult time being naked in front of him. After having a child at the age of forty-four? If things had ever shown signs of turning around while she was younger, there was no way they were going to do so when she reached middle age.

She let out a sigh.

As if.

But Santorini was without a doubt one of her most treasured recollections. Because of the way he had touched her, she got the distinct impression that they were the only people in the entire world. He'd been so patient, and she'd come to feel absolutely stunning as a result.

Ava's reaction to the news that she was expecting a child was one of pure joy, but she didn't bother to seek for the father. Had not desired anything more from him than what he had already given her, which was the kid she had always desired.

"My love, it's time for you to get your head out of the clouds." She berated herself in front of others. Ava needed to coax Elijah into the shower so that they could wash all of that chocolate out of his hair, unless he had already changed and removed most of it with his tongue.

If chocolate was harmful for canines, did it mean that it was also dangerous for young werewolves? Nonetheless, she managed to find some solace in the fact that she had the thought. She had no prior experience with any of this. And how exactly does she want to convey her worries to the pediatrician? Or would it be preferable to visit a veterinarian? In point of fact, she most likely need the services of a witch. Her phone rang, which put an end to her internal monologue of self-criticism. It would be Gin. The fairy would come up to her even if she didn't answer if she didn't. This would not be a terrible thing at all, considering that Gin was more effective than I was in luring Elijah into the bathtub.

What the hell was she going to do if she was forced to leave Blue Willow and the life that she had just recently begun to shape for them?

She addressed him with a "Hey" as a greeting.

Gin stated her accusation by saying, "You didn't inform me that Elijah's father was a Redwood."

The answer is "No," She was unable to move. “Is he?”

"It was Grayson Redwood, who was shopping at my store, so definitely, honey. I would say that he is.

"Grayson Redwood, you freaking idiot. To clarify, you mean... Billionaire Grayson Redwood?" She heaved a big sigh before continuing. “Wolfen Redwood?”

"You've got it, that one."

Gin's tone was unnaturally upbeat, and it wasn't only because she was a sugarplum, either.

"I do not believe you really get the significance of this to me." Her throat was being savaged by panic.

Gin remarked in a loving tone, "That indicates that the demonling is the successor to the Redwood estate." This eliminates the need for you to bother your sister-in-law with a request for financial assistance. That indicates that you are about to get bitten. " Gin giggled. "In the most optimal manner."

Ava was beginning to feel terrified, but she managed to get a firm grip on herself and push herself to remain calm. "Let's all keep in mind that I'm Queen Fuck No of Central Nopestania," she said. What do you think about that?

"Girl, if I could spend just one night with a Redwood, I would gladly pay all the gold in my little Uncle Fergus's pot at the end of the rainbow." Gin drew a stop. "Well, maybe not Taylor because I'd feel like a nasty old witch with a gingerbread house trying to get strapping men to lick my marshmallows," the Gin said. "Taylor is a kind guy, but I just don't see us being able to pull it off." The silence was repeated by her. "But after giving it some more consideration, I think I could live with it."

This was almost too much information for Ava to take in at once. When she initially learned of Elijah's condition, she was under the impression that it was a trait inherited from her mother's side of the family. She had never given any thought to the possibility that the man she'd met in Greece was a werewolf.

She grabbed Elijah as soon as she saw him looking like the cutest teddy bear Pomeranian puppy, and then she raced away into the darkness of the night. For despite the fact that she had divorced Peter Breslin, he would have killed both of them in the event that he found out her son was anything other than human.

At least Lenore might be considered rational. It was her former sister-in-law who had first assisted her in evading Peter and finding safety elsewhere.

"You've gone dead quiet, Ava. "What the heck is going on?" Gin had inquired.

"Just some thoughts."

"Yes, from where I am, I can hear the cogs of your machine turning. There's more to it than what you're telling me,"

"I believe it would be best for you to come over. It's a long tale, but suffice it to say that I don't want it to alter your perception of who I am.

"It's not like you sold me to the bone fairies," the other person said. How terrible could it possibly be?

“Bad. The worst possible."

"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to get to it until later since Redwood Number Two is on his way to your house at this minute."

“Shit.” She toyed with the idea of fleeing.

"Don't run. They take the thrill of the pursuit far too seriously, Gin cautioned.

"It's as if you read my mind," the person said.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you'd turn tail and go if given the chance."

Ava cursed once again and said, "Shit. Crap"

"Shit, crap, shit," Elijah muttered.

"Be quiet, and don't even think of saying it. It's not a nice word."

He laughed as he began to undress and said something like "shit, crap, shit..." the entire time.

She was conflicted. In most cases, Ava was forced to physically remove him from his clothing in order to get him to take a bath. She came to the conclusion that she would like it if he had a clean mouth but a dirty face. His newest favorite expression would not leave a mark on the sofa.

Maybe if she didn’t act like it was a huge issue, he’d stop?

“Shit, crap, shit, shit… sheeeee—-ittttttt.” He laughed madly.

Yeah, she was in quite a pickle.

"Ava, have you checked in recently?"

"Yes, I must go. I'll call you later. By the way, was it necessary for you to give him my address?

"I didn't. He is trying to get a whiff of you."

“Gross.”

"It's what it is. Call me later." The fairy became stuck.

She had no choice but to look the situation in the eye and accept the consequences. Really, all she had to do was inform him; but, what if he got upset? What if he Changed right there in the broad light of day and ripped her apart because he was so angry?

Except from Elijah, she'd never had the opportunity to get such a firsthand encounter with a Changed werewolf before. He was really cute, and his little teeth never caused any harm to anyone. Grayson, on the other hand, was a fully developed man, complete with all of the testosterone and wrath...

Ava made an effort to swallow. She made an effort to call to mind the fact that he had never harmed her when they were in Santorini.

Oh, God, what was she thinking? He'd appeared to be so... unthreatening. Sure, he wasn't exactly harmless, but... for fuck's sake, he was an art student! Students in art classes read poetry, discussed architectural structures like arches, and examined the relationship between form and function. They also sought for more elevated forms of enjoyment.

They did not transform into scaly murderers that tore regular people to shreds and ate their flesh.

Elijah turned his head to look at her from where he was washing his hair in the bathtub while applying shampoo with great care. "Are we going to have to relocate once more, Mama?"

"I can't say for sure. Maybe.”

"I can sense your fear. There is no need to be afraid."

"Alright, Elijah. You just go ahead and take a shower, and I promise I won't be afraid."

“Promise?” His enormous amber eyes gleamed. "I'll defend and protect you, Mama." He banged on his little chest with a fist that was even tinier than himself.

She felt the traces of a tear in the corner of her eye. It made her want to cry just thinking about her small baby already experiencing these things, already claiming his territory, and already getting ready to battle to preserve what was rightfully his.

"I promise, little man. Just purge yourself.

He confirmed this with a resounding nod.

Perhaps there was enough time to run, right? The possibility that she may grab him and get in the car and…. she was overthinking in her head, when she heard a loud knock on the door.

Bloody Hell. 

The wolf was already standing at the door.