{~~Avery Sterling~~}I can’t believe she came back. I was so sure that she wouldn’t, and yet here she is. Ready to take back her man. Her man. That’s right. He’s not mine. Sure, we were trying to build something good but this is the girl he was waiting for. Now we’re not in different states I’m sure he can see what he was missing out on when he decided to settle for me.“Excuse me, Miss Sterling.” A male nurse called for me. I looked up.“Yes?”“There’s a guy who wants to see you out back.” I frowned, why wouldn’t Logan just take the front doors? Or right, it’s probably not him. He’s discussing future plans with Ava right now as we speak. I said I wouldn’t run away, but I think I’m going to keep my promise to Aisha. Pack up my stuff, and just leave overnight.That’ll save him the stress of having to hand me divorce papers. I’ll leave the ring and a note telling him to just mail them to me. Yep, that’s the plan. I followed the nurse outside until I was in the back yard of the hospital.
{~~Logan Grey~~}“What the fuck do you mean?”Ava went back to sit on the bench. She didn’t look like she was ready to comply or tell me anything. I was prepared to ask her once more when my phone started to ring. My gut tightened, and a sickening feeling filled it. I answered it once i saw Ryan’s name.“Fuck, you’re okay. Thank goodness.”“Huh? Why wouldn’t I be okay?”“I got an emergency call from your hospital. There were shots fired, and some patients saw a nurse running from an angry gunman. I wanted.... is Avery there with you?”Another drop in my gut. “Oh no. Ryan, I need to tell you something.” I turned from Ava and ran. I was leaving her there. If she thought I would waste my time trying to get her to speak to me then she was in for a rude surprise. I explained what was happening to Ryan, needing his advice while also begging the gods that I find Avery in good health.And that the nurse being chased is anyone else but her.“I knew that bitch wouldn’t be gone forever. Listen t
{~~Logan Grey~~}Avery seemed to go into a panicked frenzy as soon as she realized that Rex wasn’t the one I’d attacked. Her eyes went wide with shock, her face drained of color, and before I could steady her, she crumpled, unconscious from the shock. I scooped her up in my arms, my heart pounding in sync with the urgency of the situation. Without a second thought, I carried her all the way to the hospital, my mind racing with the possibilities of what might happen if we didn’t get her treated quickly.The hospital was a hive of activity, chaotic yet purposeful. Ryan’s second-in-command was already there, a tall, no-nonsense officer with a clipboard, taking statements from the nurses, doctors, and patients. His presence was a calm center amidst the storm, efficiently coordinating with the other officers who were busy cuffing the men responsible for this whole mess. The air was thick with tension, a mix of fear and determination as everyone worked to restore order and safety.I hurried
{~~Logan Grey~~}Ava started to shake after a few minutes of silence. “What do you want from me, Logan? What has Avery done to you, you were never like this in the past.”“You robbed me, stole my ring, and have the nerve to act sad about it. Was your boyfriend making you do this? Did you tell your parents he’s the same guy they put in jail for dating you when you were younger?”That seemed to be the catalyst for the sterlings because her parents immediately turned to steel.“Wait, the man you told us about is that weird guy?”Ryan folded his arms over his chest. Amusement danced over his eyes. He looked so pleased with himself. Like he’d been waiting to ruin Ava’s day.“Yes, okay. It’s him. But he promised me so much, Mom. You get it right? I deserve to be happy. And I deserve to have my baby in peace. But you all abandoned me. You guys brought Avery back into the spotlight, you made her marry Logan. How could you do that to me?”Ryan suddenly took a step forward. “What do you mean by
{~~Avery Sterling~~}When I woke up, I was in a state of distress worried that Rex was waiting for me. Instead, I saw Shawn, logan was nowhere in sight. I asked about him, and Shawn told me that Logan had rushed out to speak with the head of the beta squad. Which meant Ryan had been here too. I felt a bit safer knowing that.What came hours later still stuns me. Logan was offering me a divorce. A chance to get out of the pack, to return to wherever I feel should become my new home. He told me every detail. How when i get better I might end up seeing Ava at the hospital because we’re not monsters after all.I understood that, and that night I was taken back to the lake house with six members of the beta squad stationed outside. They were to ensure when Rex returned he was either caught and locked away, or killed. I couldn’t sleep that night, and neither could Logan.He didn’t press me on anything, or even answering whether I’d stay after the divorce. I’m not even sure I want us divorce
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I woke up in the middle of the night, Logan wasn’t in bed but he left a note saying he went to the lake. So I’m assuming he couldn’t sleep either. A ringing sound pierced through the air. Nervous, I searched for it in the dark. Once I found it, I turned on the lamp and checked if it was my phone. And turns out, it was.Aisha is calling.“Hi-”“I saw the news!! oh my god, I knew ava was crazy but to be involved in such a massive scandal is insane. That bitch is going down.”I was confused. How did Aisha find out and what specifically is she talking about?“Um, slow down. What are you talking about?”“Don’t play dumb with me. Having you seen the news? Your pack is blowing up internationally, this guy Rex is wanted in so many places, and so many women have gone missing. They’re sending higher-ups from the fucking royal family!! can you believe that? The king of the north announced that his twenty-two-year-old daughter went on a trip to the bloodhound pack and she nev
{~~Logan Grey~~}Avery trembled in my arms, her breaths coming in short, panicked gasps as I held her close, feeling her heart race wildly against my chest. I murmured soothing words, my voice a gentle lullaby in the dim light of the room. Slowly, as the minutes stretched on, her breathing began to slow, each inhale and exhale deepening as the panic subsided, leaving only the fragile remnants of fear in its wake.I could feel her muscles gradually loosening under my touch, the tension melting away like snow under the warm caress of spring. I swept her off her feet- I’m not trying to be romantic, that is literally what I did- and carried her up the staircase, back into the bedroom. What she needed was more sleep, not her friend bringing her insight into this whole mess. Ryan hadn’t been the one to bring out this information. The thing is, the beta squad is a faction of the sheriff’s department. Ryan is like a lieutenant but if he says something the boss will listen because he’s smart a
{~~Avery Sterling~~}No one asked me to come into work after getting shot, in fact, I was dismissed but I still wanted to work on the LDS case. Logan said I could take the week off as the CMO insisted, but I wanted to help. I know staying at home would mess with my mind. Especially since the press- foreign and local newstations- were packed around the hospital entrance wanting to get a look at the horrid monster who did this.They’d called me Ava at first but quickly realized it was a mistake. I wasn’t pregnant. I just hate this whole thing. I wish I could get away but I won’t be driven away from my new life simply because my sister decided to shack up with a bloody murderer.Everyone in the hospital was busy, so I was left alone in the basement lab. With two of the beta squad members. I was reviewing Martin’s tox screen report. A tox screen, short for toxicology screen, is a test that detects the presence of drugs, alcohol, or other toxic substances in a person's body. It is often us