{~~Avery Sterling~~}I rushed out of the taxi and headed straight for the cafe doors. I would have been here sooner but logan had turned a quick shower into let’s have a quickie and now he’s headed to the hospital- where I’ll need to be in an hour- and I’m hurrying to meet with a soon-to-be widow. Um, I mean.... a disgruntled woman. Who has been through so much?To my luck, it seemed like she was just arriving so perhaps she’d lied to get me here quicker. I couldn’t blame her. I wouldn’t want to wait to discuss my dying husband’s illness or my missing daughters. I took a spot while she was at the counter, and asked myself to breathe a little better. I might be able to pull off being here earlier thing.She turns, scanning the room. And when she spotted me, I waved a little. She smiles, but her eyes are sort of empty. Even though her husband was an asshole, I believe he wasn’t always like that. This disease, it truly fucks with a person. Turning a once good man or woman, although it is
{~~Logan Grey~~}She’s late. She should be done by now. I turned on the tracker I had on her phone and found that Avery was headed towards the hospital. Not wanting to seem desperate I took the stairs so by the time I got to the last floor her taxi would have arrived. I looked forward to talking to her. We didn’t get much time together.I stepped out of the time. Just in time. But she was frozen in the spot, not hearing a single thing I said. Following where her horrid expression was aimed, I spotted something that stole my happiness. And that thing was pregnant.“Hi, Logan,” Ava said. Her bright smile aimed at me. But all I could notice was her big round belly, and how the alpha in me wanted me to grab Avery and run for the hills. Instead of doing something that pathetic, I emptied my face and looked at her.“Ava, I didn’t think you’d return.”“I told you I was in town. Can we talk in private?” she made a small gesture with her eyes towards Avery.Avery seemed to snap out of her shoc
{~~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