Chapter 4

Ava’s POV

FIVE YEARS LATER

“Jace, Niko, Rhea!” I shouted, my voice edged with exasperation as I stepped into the house. How could three tiny terrors drain every ounce of my sanity? Jace popped up first, his angelic face a flimsy cover for his penchant for chaos.

Niko trudged in next, Rhea clinging to his side like a shadow. I folded my arms, my stare pinning them as they formed a guilty line, eyes wide, braced for the scolding they knew was coming.

“Which one of you masterminds thought slipping an orange peel under Alex’s car was a brilliant scheme?” I demanded, eyes narrowing. Rhea fluttered her lashes, feigning innocence with a shrug.

Then she jabbed a finger at Niko, silently throwing him to the wolves. They knew the drill: they were a team, but Niko always led the charge. I sighed, collapsing into a chair, my gaze softening as I took in their faces—faces I’d die for.

“You know I really love you cuties, don’t you?” I said, my voice low, a quiet ache in my chest. They nodded, their small faces serious, catching the weight of my words.

“So, can we please stop the pranks? You know how much I’m juggling. And don’t forget, Daddy David is still cross with you three.”

Five brutal years had passed since my world shattered. I’d risen to become a renowned doctor, among the best, thanks to David’s relentless support.

He’d taken me in after that gut-wrenching day—when his car accidentally hit me. He’d cared for me when I learned I was pregnant, his kindness a lifeline in my darkest hour. That care grew into something deeper, something I hadn’t seen coming.

It started when he asked me out, his words awkward but sincere, captivated by how my eyes shifted, their colors dancing in a way he couldn’t name.

He was right. Wolf eyes: vibrant violet; human eyes: stormy blue. Stare too long, and they merged into a haunting blend of indigo and sapphire.

We’d been together three years, but doubt gnawed at me—because of the kids, and because I hadn’t told him my truth. The fear that he’d flee if he knew kept me silent.

“Yes, Mommy, we’ll stop,” they chorused, crowding around me. Niko pressed against my right, Rhea on my left, Jace standing tall in front. I ruffled Rhea’s hair, her face a cruel mirror of Liam’s—those same soft features, that same disarming charm. It sliced through me.

Regret clawed at my gut, but I buried it. I refused to let Liam haunt me after his betrayal—the public humiliation, the banishment, the way he’d ripped my heart out before the pack. Forgiveness was a fantasy.

The doorbell jolted me from my thoughts. I rose to answer, my heart heavy. David stood there, flowers in his left hand, his smile warm and open.

He pulled me into a tight embrace, then kissed me deeply. “For you, my queen,” he teased, grinning as he handed me the bouquet.

“Thank you,” I murmured, smiling as I kissed him back. The kiss deepened, a fleeting escape, until we forgot the kids were there.

“Mommy!” Niko’s voice cut through, and I pulled away, laughing awkwardly, cheeks flushed. Niko still hadn’t warmed to David, his defiance a quiet echo of Liam’s stubbornness. It stung like a fresh wound.

I didn’t want to force them to love David, but I needed them to, at least until I could tell him my secret.

We sat, and David shared a tale about slipping on a banana peel, his animated retelling sparking giggles from the kids, easing the tension. Then the doorbell rang again, sharp and unwelcome.

“Are you expecting someone?” David asked, brow raised. I shook my head—I hadn’t invited anyone. I nodded for him to check the door.

Muffled voices drifted in, followed by an eerie silence. David returned, his eyes curious, wary.

“They’re here for you,” he said, searching my face.

I frowned, rising as two figures entered.

“Lady Ava,” one bowed, and my heart sank, a sickening drop. The kids looked puzzled, David confused. I waved the kids to their room, but David stayed rooted, his presence a silent demand for answers.

The kids hesitated but obeyed. David didn’t move. This wasn’t how I wanted him to glimpse my past.

“I’m no lady,” I said, voice like ice, turning away. “Not since your Alpha stripped my title and threw me out from the pack like trash.”

“Leave,” I snapped, my voice cracking with old pain.

“Please, Lady Ava, just listen,” the other said, voice low but urgent. They were Liam’s loyal guards. I knew why they were here, but Liam lacked the spine to face me after shattering my world.

Before I could speak, I caught David’s gaze, his confusion now laced with hurt. I sighed, turning to him. He shrugged and headed to the bedroom, his silence heavy with unspoken questions.

I knew he felt betrayed by my secrecy, but who doesn’t carry shadows?

“Tell Liam I’ll never forgive him,” I whispered, nodding at the door, my voice trembling with rage. “And I’ll never return to the Oakwood Pack.”

As they left, I sank into a chair, hands covering my face, trying to smother the storm inside. Why did Liam still stir something in me? I thought I’d buried those feelings years ago.

David returned, his voice soft. “The kids are fast asleep,” he said. I nodded, my heart a lead weight.

He didn’t ask, didn’t push. He just wiped my tears, his touch steady, kind.

“I’m here when you’re ready,” he said, pulling me close. I clung to him, grateful for his patience.

But deep down, I knew I couldn’t fully love him. My past—my truth—loomed too large, a ghost I couldn’t outrun.

A FEW WEEKS LATER

I stood in the parking lot, tugging at my car’s stuck handle. It felt tampered with, and dread crept up my spine. The air grew heavy, my senses screaming I wasn’t alone. “Who is there?” I called, voice shaky.

Fear gripped me. My wolf was a faint whisper, dulled by years in the human world and possible wolfbane. I turned to run, but a figure lunged, pressing a cloth to my face.

The chemical scent choked me, my lungs burning as I fought to stay conscious. My vision blurred, and I sank into darkness.

AT THE OAKWOOD PACKHOUSE

I groaned, my head pounding as I sat up. The room was too familiar—my old bedroom in the Oakwood Pack. The truth hit like a fist: I’d been kidnapped, dragged back to the place I’d vowed never to see again.

The door creaked, and I flinched as Liam stepped in, his presence igniting my fury.

Rage surged as our eyes met. I wanted to tear into him, to make him feel the agony of his betrayal. It took everything to stay still.

“Ava,” he whispered, his voice a velvet knife, cutting through my resolve. Damn him—it still sparked something in me, and I hated myself for it. I looked away, refusing to let him see.

“Take me back,” I snarled. “I told your guards I’d never return, and you dare kidnap me?”

His breath was warm, too close. “Freya is gone,” he said, voice heavy. “She betrayed us—cheated, leaked pack secrets. We caught it fast, but the damage was done. We’ve been rebuilding.”

I didn’t care, but I let him speak, my anger a smoldering ember.

“My father is dying, Ava,” he said, almost pleading. “He is asking for you. Only you can save him.”

I laughed, a bitter, jagged sound. “You think I would help you after everything? You banished me, Liam. Humiliated me, discarded me like I was nothing, all for loving you.”

“Did I ever beg when you chose Freya? When you left me to rot? Now she’s betrayed you, and you want me to fix it?” My voice shook, the sting of his betrayal as raw as ever.

“I’ll never help you. Never!!” I spat. “I want nothing to do with you or this pack.”

His eyes darkened, his voice a low growl. “You don’t have a choice, Ava. Not unless you want your human friend to pay the consequences.”

His words were a gut punch. He knew about David—he’d seen him. Of course.

“You wouldn’t touch him,” I said, voice breaking, desperation creeping in. I knew his ruthlessness; he’d do anything to win.

He leaned closer, his lips a breath away. “ Don't Try me.”

I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. The air crackled, his betrayal a chain binding me, with everything I loved at stake.