Novels by Ava Bellemont

Serena's POV (as Kael)The first wave came like a fever.My wolf stirred. No, not stirred; my wolf lunged. Hungry, restless, snarl-like within me.Almost doubled over with pain, fingers grabbing my sword in a vise.Heat.Not just a warm feeling from exertion. Nerve-wracking. The season had come, and my body was betraying me. Panic clawed at me. I couldn't afford anyone to notice. Not with me being Kael. One slip of any kind would reveal the truth beneath my skin.And so I forced myself to continue with the drills, every movement mired in pain, quenching the fire in my chest whenever I looked at Darius. By midday, it felt like my disguise would crack under pressure. I left before the final bell rang, heading straight for my dorm.I thought to help; it only worsened.I bit my lips until they bled, and the taste of my blood worked to lessen the spell."You're Kael. You're Kael. You're not Serena," I mumbled to myself as I tried to keep my wolf in check and not lose myself. But the man

Serena's POV (as Kael) “Seriously?” I mumbled as my Brain brought up something I’ve been trying to forget.Isolde had gone about her business with far too much expertise.Circling through the academy like a serpent, she had rarely been loud enough to get accused of doing so, and never direct enough to get taken to task for whatever amelioration of character assassination she sought to accomplish. A soft word to an instructor, an ever-so-slightly-few-degrees-off-kilter head in some instance before peers. "Kael isn't like us.""Something about him doesn't fit.""Darius is distracted around him."Even poorer than dry tinder ignite faster than some mere rumors, but, soon, the fire was everywhere. That evening, during the weapons drill, Instructor Veylan's stare lingered on me longer than normal. He held his lips in a thin line as I let my blade slip a fraction too far from formation. Normally, such a slip would not bear a second glance from my instructor, but tonight he barked, "Focus

Serena's POV (as Kael)“I’m listening.” I said, as I waited for bon to talk but his gaze hust got more intense and he refused to speak.Finally, his voice broke the stillness."What the hell was that out there?""Uh... I swallowed hard, forced a crooked smile onto my lips, one worn like armor by Kael. What? Didn't you see? I won. That's all that matters."His eyes narrowed in an unreadable storm-gray. "Don't play with me, Kael. I know strength when I see it. And tonight..." The trailing off was heavy. "That was not normal. What are you hiding? You have been acting weird lately. Tell me what it is, maybe we can sort this ourself or even get the academy to help, if you do not want them in you can also tell me.”The tension hung in the air between us, taut as a bowstring drawn to its limit. It was not an accusation, not really-louder than that, it was edged with an entirely different emotion: concern.So I turned, cramming my hands deep into my pockets in a casual-boyish gesture. "Maybe

POV of Serena (Kael)The academy had always thrived on whispers-secrets carried faster than the wind, running through corridors and classrooms until rumor became truth. But lately, the only name being whispered was mine.“Kael’s hiding something.”“He’s obsessed with Darius.”“Bet he’s too weak to even finish the season.”There the words dripped poison from the lips that smiled at my face during drills and sneered behind my back. At the head of this league was Isolde Veyra.Darius’s supposed mate.Like a queen among the Selvara girls, the silver hair shining under torchlight, and every careful gesture dripping superiority. And now she’d made me her little sport.“Can you imagine Darius wasting his time on Kael?” I overheard her murmur to someone else, her tone just loud enough for me to catch it. “What kind of Alpha would choose someone who can’t even carry his bloodline forward?”This was followed by laughter that almost gutted me while I willed Kael’s smirk upon my face. Not only to

Serena’s POV (As Kael)The night air was thick with the smell of pine and the damp earth, and the moonlight fell silver upon the towering walls of the academy. The patrol drill was meant to be a mundane exercise, a chance to show discipline under pressure. But tonight the danger of every step weighed heavily.Because tonight was not just any night.The season had come. Instinct prowled beneath my skin, gnawing at the fragile seams of my disguise. The wolf within me stirred, uneasy, fighting the restraints that kept her within Kael's body. Every breath became heavy, every heartbeat louder as if my body was actually betraying me.“Pair off!” the instructor barked, dragging the whip of his voice across the courtyard.Fate was pulling her claws.I found myself beside Darius Blackthorne. His storm-gray eyes caught the torchlight, cool and unreadable, but the sheer raw weight of his presence pressed against me like a brand. The others formed groups of three and four, shadows disappearing in

Serena's POV (as Kael)Dawn had swept against the courtyard stones; frost still had its grip."Joint trials," the headmaster announced; the voice resonated through the assembly grounds. "The Dravenhold and Selvara wolves will be paired randomly. We shall test for strength, for cunning, and for trust."There were murmurings now among the ranks. Trials meant bruises and the breaking of pride. To be shackled to the Selvara wolves meant additional humiliation over that.My wolf shifted restlessly as names continued to be drawn."Kael Ashborne!" called out the steward.My stomach twisted."They pair with Isolde Veyra."The courtyard stilled. For a heartbeat, I swore even the birds hushed.Isolde's lips curved too sharp to be called a smile. She floated toward me, all grace and venom. "I see fate has a sense of humor," she murmured in my ear.Or cruelty, I thought bitterly.The first task looked simple on paper: retrieve a banner hidden deep in the training woods and return before the hourg

Cael’s POVI awoke from sleep because my phone began to buzz. I groaned and dragged it off the nightstand and squinted at the screen.Missed calls. A ton of them. From mom.My chest tightened. What now?I pulled myself upright, dragged my hand over my face, and quickly dials her back. She answered on the first ring."Cael Marcellus!" Her voice harrowed and cut through my half-awake state. "Where are you?""I just woke up," I muttered, swinging my legs off the bed. "What's wrong?""What's wrong?" she repeated, pitch rising. "You were supposed to be at the airport already! Your sister is landing, and you-"I froze halfway to the bathroom. "Wait, what? Selene? Why would I pick her up in the middle of a semester?"She let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Oh for heaven's sake, Cael. If you weren't so wrapped up in your world, you would know she graduated last month! I've told you that three times. And this weekend is my wedding, so she figured this is the best time to come home, but obviously

Cael’s POVVictor's eyes darted between me and his younger brother. His brows were knitted. "You two already know each other?"Lucian gave no indication of readiness to move an inch but simply leaned back in his chair with a grin. "Who doesn't know Cael Marcellus? He is reputed. I was just surprised to see him here as family; that's it."Victor chuckled, satisfied with the explanation. "Well then, I'm even more pleased. To have such a reputational man of a stepson is an honor. Isolde is very lucky."My mother beamed, her eyes warm on me. "Don't I know it." Turning to me, her tone then turned playful. "And I wouldn't mind a painting for my wedding gift, Cael. Something special. Something only my son could create."I almost actually smiled. "We'll see what I can do."The dinner droned on with the same endless talk of my art, of Victor's business, and of the million wedding plans that multiplied every second. I nodded and answered questions whenever they came, but my mind was very far aw

Cael’s POV“Home…not so sweet home.” I mumbled as I stepped into my bedroom.I just had the intention to enter the bedroom, lay down on the bed, and erase everything from my mind.Adrian was already gone. The suits had disappeared; the cologne bottles were vanished from the line they had occupied on the dresser; the framed photo of us which he had insisted on keeping next to the bed was also gone. Only his closet door stood ajar on a bare wardrobe.I stood at the doorframe for eternity, feeling utterly drained, the quaking voice of Claire, Adrian’s pathetic excuses, and some dim person from last night’s resurfacing felt like a surreal touch washed off from my skin.Deepest regrets came slamming through, and for the next thirty seconds, I found myself cursing in the bathroom, the shower at maximum heat, I thought, because nothing would really wash the filth off anyway.Downstairs, starvation hit me like a ton of bricks. I retrieved some eggs and bread and tried to concentrate on the m

Cael's POVStanding there, I felt stupid. I stared at Adrian as if he had been someone else."You said you could explain," I slowly forced the words through a tight throat. "So explain."Adrian dragged his hand down his face. "Cael, it wasn't what it seemed." He paused and continued in almost a gasp. "She used me. She knew I was vulnerable; she took advantage."Claire gasped. "That is not true!"Ignoring her, Adrian moved closer. "She has been working for me for two years, you know that. Always around, always playing innocent. Then one night, it just... happened. I wasn't planning it. She set me up, and I..."What Were You Thinking? My voice rose and cracked more than I intended: “You forgot you're gay? You forgot about me? You forgot about us?”His face twisted in shame, but his words came out fast, desperate: "I don't know what happened to me. She seduced me, and I gave in. But I swear, Cael, I love you. You're the only one I want. That baby-" He looked at Claire coldly, making sick

Cael's POVThe flashbulbs were still bright in my eyes as my driver whisked me away from the auction house. It felt as though I was the talk of everyone tonight-Cael Marcellus, the artist himself, the one who fetched the highest piece in his recent work to date. It went on and on as reporters shoved their microphones at me for comments on what I was going to do next for an artwork, how it felt to hear the title "father of a new generation."I smiled, nodded, bought them the answers, but frankly, my mind was nowhere in that glittering hall. Applause and champagne meant nothing when my personal life was crashing down.Adrian and I had been at one another's throats for a week now, fighting about everything and nothing, something that was bound to explode from those tiny little things.His complaints were always ok the same thing. He always complained that I would ignore him, too focused on my career-to-unavailable, so words had been particularly biting and harsh coming from him, conside