ONE

AVA

"Will you help me or not?" I said through gritted teeth. I was frustrated. Our conversation had been going on for five minutes. But, somehow, he still wasn't getting what I was trying to convey.

His beady pitch black eyes studied me with curiosity and suspicion. I could perceive the strong smell of liquor oozing from his pores. I felt stupid. I should have sought help from someone else.

"So, you want to know about the Shadow Assassins Camp?" He asked, leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest.

"That's right. I'm looking for someone" I told him.

Turning his face away from me, he spat on the ground.

"You're not from this town. How do you know about them?"

"My friend is a part of them."

His eyes darkened and he straightened. He was large and buff. I gulped as he leaned forward, reducing the distance between us. It didn't help that his height was just as intimidating as the look on his face.

"You're lying. You are a part of them, aren't you?"

'Stay calm, Ava. Stay calm' I thought.

Releasing a sigh, I looked him in the eyes and said,

"I am not a part of them. I just want to find my friend."

Nose flaring, he suddenly grabbed the front of my hoodie, startling me.

"I've got one of them here!" He yelled. My eyes widened at the sound of the angry growls coming from the bar behind us. Several male werewolves began to step out, their stares menacing.

"Get her!" Someone yelled.

It was at this point that I realized how dangerous the situation was. I knew I had to survive. So, I did the only thing I could think of.

I spat on my captor's face, kneed him in the balls and ran off.

It had rained earlier today. Hence, the streets were wet. My heart pounded wildly in my chest as I ran, the breeze whipping against my face.

"Don't let her escape!"

A grin graced my lips at the thought of how I'd landed myself in a ridiculously dangerous situation. It was too late to regret anything. Notwithstanding, I wasn't going to let them get their hands on me, not without putting up a good fight.

I raced into the alley way, ensuring a good distance between us. Then, I jumped onto the roof of a building. I stayed there, watching them as they searched for me.

"She's not here" one of them said. "She's long gone. We should go back."

When I was certain that I was no longer being chased, I made my descent from the roof. My stomach grumbled, reminding me of the fact that I'd left it unattended since this morning.

I'd left my pack house and hometown in search of Keegan Creed, my mate. He was a sigma. This meant that despite the fact that he belonged to a pack, he preferred to go solo. I understood this, but I'd hoped he wouldn't abandon even his own mate. Turns out that I was wrong.

It's been three years since I discovered that he was the man who was made for me. But, instead of claiming me or rejecting me, he had abandoned me. After I'd found out that he was a part of an assassin group, he had disappeared without a word. The mate bond was burdensome. It's why I'd taken it upon myself to go in search of him and reject him. Hopefully, it wouldn't hurt as much as the pain I'd endured for three bitter years.

...

My phone rang in my pocket and I took it out. Instead of attending to my hunger, I'd opted for a drink and had made my way into a bar.

Once I picked the incoming call, I heard Andrea's voice.

"Are you alright?"

The concern in her voice made me smile. Andrea was the wife of my pack's Beta. She had once been a member of the Shadow Assasins, the group Keegan belonged to. At the time I'd left the pack house, she was in the second trimester of her pregnancy.

"I'm hanging on. I'm tough, ya know" I responded.

She sighed.

"Have you found any clue yet? Everyone is worried about you."

"Not necessarily. I'll find something soon. I went to the place you described for me. It was empty. The building is no longer their base. After the death of their leader, they'd probably changed their location" I explained.

"Finding Keegan is not going to be easy, Ava."

"I know. It's why I prepared myself for this quest" I told her.

"Be careful, alright? The town is more dangerous than you might think"

I furrowed my brows, puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"Werewolves, vampires, faes and other shape shifters are abundant in the town. They frequently clash with each other. Most times, the innocent ones are sacrificed because of their constant disagreement and thirst for control. Moreso, the shadow assassins are despised by the people of the town. When you ask about them, do so discreetly."

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. It made sense now. I should have been careful.

"Did something happen?"

"Not yet."

"I'll call you later. Take care."

The line went dead and I tucked my phone into my pocket. Someone moved past me in a rush, sending my glass of liquor crashing on the floor.

I rose to my feet immediately, prepared to express my frustration. Only for me to find that the culprit was a young girl who looked no older than sixteen. She was trembling with fear, her green eyes wide and teary. Her dark hair was stuck to her sweaty temples, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

She took another step backwards, her eyes filled with terror. It was only at this point that I realized that she wasn't looking at me.

She was looking at something behind me.

Slowly, I turned around to satisfy my curiosity. There were three of them. Burly and filthy, they approached the girl with a sly smile on their faces. They had terrible looking scars on their faces and their clothes were unclean.

"Now, you shouldn't run. We caught you. You can't escape" one of them said, his yellow fangs in display.

"Give us the money you just stole from us" the biggest of them stated.

She shook her head, attempting to move farther from them.

As soon as they took another step towards her, she bolted towards the counter. They all went after her. One of them grabbed her by the hair and pushed her to her knees. It made my heart sink.

I knew I had to do something or she would get hurt.

"Don't. You shouldn't interfere in their matters" someone whispered from behind me.

I turned around with a start, and came face to face with a fae. He had his hood over his head and his azure eyes were gold rimmed.

"Why not?" I said.

"You will only end up being tormented for the rest of your days. Anyone who has lived in this town for a while, would know this."

The girl's sobs attracted my attention. So, I turned to look at her. They were making her strip. My blood boiled in my veins as I watched them.

"I don't care. She's just a child. They didn't have to go this far" I spat. The fae grabbed my hand to stop me from going to them.

"Let go of me"

"You don't want to do this."

"Stay out of my business" I hissed, snatching my hand out of his grip.

Without hesitating, I bound towards the three men and stepped in front of the girl. She was almost completely naked. Sobbing weakly, she held her hands to her chest.

"That's enough. Just let it slide, will you?" I said. The trio exchanged bewildered glances and faced me with bigger smiles on their faces.

"You must not be from this town. Who are you?" one of them questioned, a dangerous spark in his bloodshot eyes.

"I'm just someone who couldn't stand your disgusting attitudes. You have recovered the money she stole. Just leave her alone" I said.

"Ah, I get it now. You want to be her replacement"

I frowned, clenching my fists. Before I could blink, one of them had grabbed me by the hair.

"Strip. Go ahead and strip" he said.

"I asked you nicely. Now, you've chosen to embrace foolishness. Has no one really thought you a lesson?" I hissed.

"You bitch" they snarled. A fist swung towards me, barely missing my right eye. I kneed one of them in the guts and punched the other in the face. I was no pushover, they didn't know. My family was famous for the ridiculous amount of strength we possessed, these rats didn't know that either. In a few minutes, I'd knocked them out. Spending my time on the training field to distract myself from the pain of being abandoned had definitely paid off.

"Let's get you out of here" I said to the girl as I took off my hoodie and handed it over to her.

"Thank you" she mumbled and rose to her feet, slipping on my hoodie.

I held out a hand to her and she took it with a smile.

"You're so cool" she whispered and I grinned.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Hayley."

"Come on, let's get out of here. You shouldn't have entered the bar in the first place, Hayley. It's dangerous, you know" I said. She lowered her head.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to..."

"Hayley! Hayley?!" Someone yelled as he stormed into the bar, his eyes wide and frantic.

"I'm here! Over here!" Hayley said and he rushed towards us. When his gaze met mine, I froze. He was gorgeous. With his shoulder length jet black hair framing his face, and a sharp jawline, he was more like an Adonis. His eyes were emerald green, they glowed brilliantly.

"Who are you?" He breathed, his brows furrowed.

"She saved me" Hayley said and his frown deepened.

"What do you mean?"

....

"Thank you for what you did earlier. I am indebted to you" Hayley's friend said to me as we left the bar together.

"Is Hayley your friend or something?" I asked him.

His lips quirked up slightly.

"My younger sister."

"Oh..."

"Let me buy you a drink," he stated.

Our gazes clashed again and I swallowed hard, my stomach tightening.

" You don't have to. It's not much of a big deal."

"To me, it is a big deal"

"Whatever, suit yourself" I sighed. The words had barely left my lips when my stomach grumbled aloud.

Heat creeped up my neck as embarrassment washed over me.

"I know a good restaurant. My treat" Mr tall, sexy and handsome stated. I couldn't argue. A couple of minutes later, we were all seated in a restaurant.

"What is a beautiful woman like you doing so far away from home?"

His gaze was intense; it made me feel self conscious. He had such an unforgettable face.

"Is it that obvious?"

He nodded and I looked away. He was distracting. I couldn't help but admire his swoon worthy facial features.

"You still haven't given me an answer. Neither have you told me your name," he pointed out.

"Ava. What's yours?"

He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Venom"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left the motel without telling you" his sister suddenly mumbled, her head lowered.

Venom turned to look at her, then I saw it. Right there on his neck, was the same tattoo I'd seen on Keegan and Andrea. I knew it at once. He was a shadow assassin.