THE CHOICE

Adrian's POV

I watched Ava climb out of my aunt's car, looking like a goddess in that obscene dress. Every protective instinct I had screamed at me to wrap her in a blanket and hide her from the world.

She was mine. Had been mine for four years. No mate bond was going to change that.

"It's late, Adrian," she said tiredly. "I'm not doing this tonight."

"You found your fated mate." I stood, blocking her path to the door. "Were you even going to tell me?"

"Why would I? You found yours and didn't hesitate to parade her around in front of me."

The accusation stung because it was true. I'd been so caught up in the mate bond with Sophia that I'd neglected Ava. Pushed her aside like our four years together meant nothing.

"That was different."

"How?" She laughed bitterly. "Because you're the Alpha and you can do whatever you want? Because your mate bond matters but mine doesn't?"

"Because I love you!" The words burst out of me. "I love you, Ava. Not Sophia. You."

She flinched like I'd struck her. "You don't get to say that. Not now. Not after everything."

"I messed up. I got confused by the mate bond, let it cloud my judgment. But these past few days without you have been torture. I can't sleep. Can't eat. Can't think about anything except how badly I screwed this up."

"Adrian…"

"Reject him." I grabbed her hands, desperation clawing at my chest. "Reject your fated mate and stay with me. We'll make it work. We always have."

"The way we made it work when Sophia arrived? When you moved her into our home and stopped sleeping in our bed?" Tears streamed down her face. "I can't do this again. I can't be second choice to another mate bond."

"You're not second choice. You're my first choice. My only choice."

"Liar." She pulled her hands free. "If that were true, you never would have let Sophia sleep under our roof. You never would have spent every waking moment with her. You never would have humiliated me at the gala tonight."

Guilt twisted in my gut. "She set you up. I should have known…"

"But you didn't. You immediately believed her over me. After four years together, you took her word without question." She wiped at her tears. "That told me everything I need to know about where I stand with you."

"Ava, please."

"I'm leaving in a week. Prince Dante has asked me to move to his territory, and I'm going to accept."

The words hit me like a physical blow. "You barely know him."

"I barely knew you when we started dating. I learned to love you. Maybe I can learn to love him too."

"Or maybe you're running away because you're scared." I moved closer, lowering my voice. "The Ava I know doesn't run from difficult situations. She faces them head-on."

"The Ava you know is gone. You killed her when you chose Sophia over and over again." She stepped around me, heading for the door.

I caught her arm, spinning her to face me. "I'm not giving up on us. I'll prove that you're the one I want. That you're the only woman I've ever truly loved."

"You have one week," she said quietly. "After that, I'm gone."

She pulled free and disappeared into the house, leaving me standing in the darkness.

I ran my hands through my hair, trying to calm the wolf inside me that was howling in agony. I'd pushed away my chosen mate, the woman I loved, and now I was losing her to another man.

The front door opened again and I looked up hopefully, but it was Sophia who emerged.

"Is she okay?" Sophia asked, her voice dripping with false concern.

"No thanks to you." I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice. "You lied about her pushing you."

"I did not! She was being aggressive."

"Stop." I held up a hand. "I know you lied. Ava would never physically attack someone, especially not in public where her anxiety would be triggered."

Sophia's expression hardened. "You're taking her side? I'm your fated mate!"

"And she's the woman I love." The admission felt like a knife to the chest. "I thought the mate bond would be enough. That once I found you, everything would fall into place. But all I feel is hollow."

"That's just the adjustment period. Once you reject her and accept me fully, you'll see…"

"I'm not rejecting Ava." The certainty in my voice surprised even me. "I made a terrible mistake letting the mate bond cloud my judgment. I should have fought harder for what we had."

"You can't fight fate, Adrian. The moon goddess chose us for a reason."

"Maybe. Or maybe she wanted to test whether I truly loved Ava. And I failed spectacularly." I looked at Sophia, really looked at her. She was beautiful, perfect on paper. But she wasn't Ava. "I think you should move to the guest house."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"This isn't working. I need space to figure things out, and having you in the main house is just making everything more complicated."

"You're choosing her over me?" Sophia's voice rose shrilly. "Your chosen mate over your fated one?"

"I'm choosing to fix the biggest mistake of my life before it's too late." I started walking toward the house. "Marcus will help you move your things in the morning."

I left her standing there sputtering and went inside. The house was quiet—everyone had apparently gone to bed. I headed straight for the room Ava and I had shared, but when I tried the door, it was locked.

"Ava?" I knocked softly. "Please let me in."

"Go away, Adrian."

"This is my room too."

"Then sleep somewhere else. I'm not ready to talk to you."

I pressed my forehead against the door, fighting the urge to break it down. My wolf was going crazy, demanding I claim our mate before we lost her forever.

"I love you," I said through the door. "I know I've said it before, but I need you to really hear me. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. The mate bond with Sophia is nothing compared to what I feel for you."

The room becomes silent.

"I'm not giving up on us, Ava. I'll spend every day of this next week proving that you're my choice. My only choice."

Still nothing.

I stood there for another minute, hoping she'd relent. When she didn't, I finally walked away and headed to one of the guest rooms.

I didn't sleep that night. Instead, I lay in the unfamiliar bed and thought about how badly I'd ruined everything.

Ava had been my partner, my best friend, my entire world for four years. And I'd thrown it all away because I was too weak to resist the pull of the mate bond.

But I wasn't giving up. Prince Dante Salvatore might be powerful, might be her fated mate, but he didn't know her like I did. Didn't love her like I did.

I had one week to win her back.

And I was going to use every second of it.