Ava's POV Rylan acknowledged a signal from one of his men and then they started to retreat slowly from the confrontation. Kaelen noticed this coordinated movement and then stretched out his hands.“ATTACK !” he roared out his command.Rylan and his men stayed coordinated and retrieved slowly. I had this feeling that Rylan was up to something. We were getting real close to the end of the territory.“Don't let them leave our territory, kill them all” Kaelen ordered as he continued his race to my direction. Rylan suddenly stopped, bringing out something from his pocket I didn't get a good view on, before forcefully smashing it on the forest floor making a loud bang .A thick fog erupted immediately significantly blocking one's sight ability. A gas mask was forcefully worn on my face. I could now see clearly and Rylan and his men all had it on. Kaelen and his warriors stopped, coughing and covering their nose from inhaling whatever was exposed to the air. In the air, I could smell a tra
Ava’s POVThe last I remembered was me being grabbed by an unknown person before going unconscious. I found myself sitting in a dark room. The only form of light that I could see was the one at the base of the door reflecting into the room from the side.I trembled in fear as I gained more consciousness and awareness. I tried to move but I was constrained on where I sat. My hands were tied behind in silver cuffs. Silver cuffs had a burning effect on a werewolf’s skin.I hissed, struggling with the painful feeling the silver cuffs were giving to me. Looking around frantically, scared of what might befall me.“Somebody help!” I screamed. Immediately, the door opened and a man walked in.“You can scream all you want, but no one will hear you or come for you,” he said to me. His vocal cord seemed worn, making his voice sound thin and fragile.“What do you possibly want from me?” I questioned with arrogance and anger.Another man walked in slowly. More light from outside reflecting into th
Ava POV After their return Kaelen asked Sora to go have fun with me somewhere around a recreational center. This was for two major reasons; one was to enable Sora refresh after so much stress as an entertainer and secondly to enable him think on the next step to take as far as pack matters is concerned.“I can’t believe how peaceful it is out here,” I said, looking around. The place felt like a secret hideaway, far from the noise of the city.“That’s exactly why I love it here.” Sora smiled as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “No unnecessary chatter, no rush. Just… peace.”I chuckled. “You? Liking peace? That’s new.”“Excuse you!” She scoffed, flipping her hair. “I am perfectly capable of enjoying silence. I just choose not to most of the time.”I laughed as we stepped out of the car, the gentle rustling of the palm tree above adding to the quiet charm of the place. A soft evening breeze brushed against my skin, making me hug myself slightly.“You know what would be perfect right now?” So
In the quiet hours of night, they lay wrapped in each other under the heavy fur blanket, bare skin warmed only by touch. The fireplace flickered shadows across their bodies, but for once, shadows brought no danger.“Are you happy?” Ava asked one night, tracing circles on his chest.Kaelen caught her hand and brought it to his lips. “More than I’ve ever known was possible.”She tilted her head, her voice softer. “Do you ever wish… we had more of this before everything else?”“No,” he said firmly. “If we had, I might’ve grown used to peace. Then I never would’ve fought so hard to find it again—with you.”Ava kissed his cheek, his neck, his lips. “You always know what to say.”“I only know because you give me the words.”---The lake became their place of solace. One afternoon, Kaelen lay stretched across a flat rock near the water while Ava stood waist-deep, tossing small stones to make ripples.“You know,” she said, watching the ripples fan out, “I used to be afraid of silence.”Kaelen
“You know you’re staring at me, right?” Ava murmured, lying on her side atop the soft fur blanket, her fingers brushing along Kaelen’s jawline. The cabin glowed with the late afternoon sun pouring through the high windows, golden and warm.Kaelen smirked, his hand resting gently on her waist. “How could I not stare? My wife looks like she belongs to the stars.”She laughed softly, a sound that filled the space with light. “Flattery, General? You’re losing your edge.”He leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Only around you. You disarm me better than a sword ever could.”Ava curled into him, her body molding against his. “Then let me keep doing that. For the rest of our lives.”“That,” Kaelen whispered into her hair, “is a command I will never disobey.”The forest outside their retreat swayed gently with the wind, a whisper of life beyond the walls, but inside the cabin, time had slowed. Kaelen and Ava had agreed—no more talk of runes, of ancient trees, or strangers in refle
“Hold still, Ava!” Kaelen’s voice was playful, yet firm, as he steadied her in the cool, shimmering water of the lake. The moonlight danced across the gentle ripples, casting a silvery glow on their skin. “You’re doing fine. Just trust the water.”Ava laughed softly, water dripping from her hair, cheeks flushed from exertion and excitement. “I’m not a fish, Kaelen. You can’t just expect me to float like one.”Kaelen smiled, his dark eyes twinkling. “Not a fish—better. You’re learning to swim with the heart of a wolf.” He tightened his hold slightly, guiding her strokes. “See? That’s it.”Their laughter echoed across the serene lake, mingling with the chorus of night creatures. It was a moment stolen from the chaos of their world—just Kaelen and Ava, two souls wrapped in the tender simplicity of a summer night.But beneath the surface, unseen and silent, something stirred.Later, Ava sat on the smooth stones near the water’s edge, her feet dipped into the cool lake. She watched her ref