Ava Wilson POV:
“Let’s go, Austin. It’s already been two hours since we sat here,” I said, feeling anxious. No matter how insane this situation was, I couldn’t support it. Everyone had already left after the doctor provided first aid to this Omega, yet he remained seated beside her, looking at her with so much care.Maybe he had never looked at me this way before.I had never felt this insecure, and I had been trying my best to prevent it from taking over. I knew it wasn’t good for either of us.But what else was I supposed to feel? It was our marriage anniversary, and he was here ruining it by spending his time taking care of an Omega. Even if she was injured, she had been treated and was now sleeping. So, what was the need for him to be here? If he was just doing his Alpha duty, it was unnecessary. She wasn’t even a part of our pack.This was all happening because of Austin, and as selfish as it may sound, I couldn’t do more than what he had already done.“You sleep, Ava. I’m going to stay here,” he lazily replied, even though it was already past midnight. How could he just say that he would stay with her, leaving me behind?“Are you serious, Austin?” I asked, filled with doubt. I couldn’t even believe what he just said, and I couldn’t make out his true intentions.He lifted his head and looked at me with tired eyes. “Yes, Ava. As Alpha, it’s my responsibility to take care of pack members, even if they’re injured and unconscious.”“Of course you should, but you’ve never done this before. Besides, she’s not even part of our pack. The doctor already said she’s stable and will be fine until tomorrow. So why do you need to be here when other maids can take care of her?” I tried to reason with him, expressing my discomfort and questioning his sudden concern that he had never shown before.He stood up and walked closer to me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Try to understand, baby. It’s important to ensure she won’t cause any harm to anyone here. As Alpha and Luna, we need to protect our people. Anything can happen.”“How so? She’s an Omega, you know, right?” I raised my eyebrows upon hearing the lamest excuse he gave me. It didn’t make any sense. The more he spoke, the more he acted strangely, and the more suspicious I felt about the situation.I couldn’t explain it, but something inside me told me that it wasn’t right. This was just making me more suspicious, and I couldn’t handle all the information he was bombarding me with. Maybe I was overthinking things, and he was right. We shouldn’t let any harm come to innocent pack members, even if we took her in to help her out of our sense of humanity, despite being werewolves.“Don’t worry, as soon as she wakes up, we can send her away,” Austin said, pulling me into a hug and kissing my head. It brought me a sense of comfort that I desperately needed.“Really?” I asked, melting into his arms and feeling my stress dissipate. I felt happiness wash over me.“Of course, baby. You’re the most important to me, and you know how much I love you. It’s already been five years; you should know that. You don’t need to be insecure about any other woman because you’re more than enough for me,” he said, caressing my head as I nuzzled in closer, taking in his sweet scent.How could I forget that he’s the man I chose?despite all odds? I couldn’t doubt him so easily when he chose me, even though we both knew we weren’t mates. We had fallen deeply in love with each other, and it was impossible to get each other out of our heads.“I know,” I answered proudly.“Then why do you need to behave like this? I’m sorry that your plans for today got ruined, but we can celebrate for the rest of our lives. We have so many more years, minutes, seconds, and plenty of time to invest in and spend on each other,” he apologised.I lifted my head, gave him a smile filled with assurance, and said, “You’re with me, and that’s all that matters. Besides, we have our whole lives ahead of us. We can’t let one night ruin it.”“That’s true because you’re my wife and I’m your husband,” he replied, smiling back at me. In that moment, everything that was running through my head vanished. This was the smile I lived for. It was hard to believe I could feel so insecure when I loved this man so much and we had spent so many years together before taking this step of being with each other—a step that could last forever.“Now go and sleep, baby. I hate seeing you tired,” I said, and he nodded as I walked out of the room.He’s my man, and I know I can trust him with all that I have. Tomorrow, he’ll send her away, so it’s not all bad. It’s just one night, and it’ll be over.“Do you believe it?” my conscience asked.My heart wants to believe this, but some part of my head wasn’t ready to cooperate, no matter how calm and content I felt at that moment after his words. I knew my jealousy stemmed from the fact that in the five years I’ve been close to Austin, he’s never shown this level of concern for anyone else. But deep down, I knew it was a foolish thing to consider.“It’s going to be alright when I wake up in the morning,” I reassured myself, patting my heart.Evan Wilson POV“How are you feeling, Amanda?”I sliced the apple with deliberate care, keeping my eyes on the cutting board. It had been a few days since I found her on that road. A rogue, broken and alone. I’d talked to my father—explained everything. He’d agreed to let her stay.Because she’s my mate.She hadn’t said what happened. No reason for the state I found her in. Just silence. Wounds. Shadows.She spent days in the hospital. Now she’s here. Safe.I wish I could say she feels safe. But she barely speaks unless I ask her something. Never demands anything. Just stays in the room I gave her, quiet and still. If I go to her—or send something—only then will she respond.Otherwise, it’s silence.Still, I’m grateful she’s here. “I am feeling fine, Alpha,” she said softly from behind me.Just like that, I folded.A few words and I’d leap through fire if she asked.“Don’t call me Alpha,” I muttered, setting the blade down too hard. “It’s Evan. How many times do I need to repeat that
Ava Wilson POVHis scent. His warmth. Rubbing against me in all the wrong ways. The way he asks questions I can’t answer.And no matter how many lies he’s already caught.“I don't need to know you, Ava. You are my mate. That means the Moon Goddess blessed me with you—and I can get to know you slowly.”Rough words. But they tingle more than they should.I can’t tell him the truth—that I was reborn. That Austin ruined everything last time.“Chester, you do know you’re a vampire, right?” I need to change the subject.He doesn't move back. Still standing too close. “Yes. That too, a king. What kind of question is this, Amore?”“I’m a werewolf. I know that doesn’t matter to you—that I haven’t gotten my wolf yet. But I’m the Alpha’s daughter. My father won’t accept me having a vampire mate. Even if my wolf does identify you.”No lie in that. Our pack’s relationship with vampires is strained at best.Even with the peace treaty at this school—even sitting here in the canteen, side by side—t
Chester POVAva stared at me, wide-eyed, as if she might faint any second. She really was something.Hadn’t she just been talking about me a moment ago? Being a vampire had its perks. Our hearing was sharper than any other being’s—and I was a vampire king. Mine was sharper than most.Mark grunted in surprise as I dragged a chair over and slid it beside Ava’s. She stiffened, her hands clenching the sides of her seat.“Embo’s outside,” I said, flicking a glance at Mark. Always tailing Embo like a shadow. I needed him gone—needed time alone with Ava. There were things we had to discuss. Things about that motherfucker Austin. Who he really was—and why he’d been so hell-bent that day.Mark hesitated, glancing between us.“How did you hear us?” asked the girl next to Ava. Amelia, if I remembered right.I leaned back lazily, smirking. “From my ears. You both can leave. I need to talk with my mate.”“She doesn't have a wolf,” Mark snapped. “You can’t just claim her.”His words barely register
Ava Wilson POVMy body shivered, no matter how hard I tried to stay calm. But how could I?Chester’s face haunted me all week—the way he kissed me, the way he made me come. I couldn’t shut it off.My mind kept replaying it again and again.Heat crept up the back of my neck. “Can you shut up? We’re in the middle of the hall, and this is what you’re talking about?” I kept my voice low.“You’re the Alpha’s daughter—why are you so scared?” He grinned, like it was some kind of joke.I shook my head and sighed. “Don’t you have classes?”“I do. Actually, we all have the same class—but it’s cancelled. Teacher’s on leave.”Amelia and I exchanged a look. We’d come all the way here, and the first class wasn’t even happening.“Why the sour mood? We can hang in the canteen—it’s not the end of the world. You usually hated classes anyway. Always skipped them,” Mark said.I didn’t know if he was right or not. Having no memories after being reborn wasn’t exactly easy. But at least I got another chance
Ava Wilson POV "It's been a week you've been resting. How about starting school today?" Mom brushed her hand through my hair, smiling gently. "I already talked to the administration about your memory loss. They’re fine with it. I think you should catch up with everything." I smiled. I was truly enjoying my life. Everything finally felt in place—days passing peacefully, my world steady and whole. Austin... my past... everything I'd lost before—I was making up for it, piece by piece. Having my parents beside me, not missing a single moment, made life so much better. Now, as Mom suggested school, I couldn't help but hesitate. Because it meant seeing Austin’s face again. "Amelia’s missing school because of you," Mom added, her voice light but teasing. "Tomorrow’s her birthday." How could I forget? Amelia would never complain. She always acted more like a maid than a sister, no matter how hard I tried to treat her like family. But it was her eighteenth birthday.
Ava Wilson POV I turned and met Mark’s eyes. He stood there with his arms crossed, suspicion carved into his expression. That look was becoming all too familiar, and I wasn’t sure if I was annoyed or just exhausted by it. Mark always had a way of getting under my skin. We hadn’t known each other long, but somehow, he’d mastered the art of testing my patience. “Why do you look so shocked?” His tone sounded casual, but the intensity in his gaze sent a knot twisting in my stomach. I folded my arms, exhaling slowly. “It’s not shock, Mark. It’s irritation. You’re just… inconvenient.” His lips twitched, forming a smirk that managed to look both amused and calculating. “Inconvenient? That’s one way to put it. Especially for someone mated to the vampire king.” His voice dropped, laden with meaning. I froze, keeping my expression carefully neutral, though his words scraped against my composure. *What does he know?* “Rumors don’t mean anything,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes. “Unl