AVA“I’m sorry, but I need to talk to you,” his voice came again…loud, firm, laced with that same frustrating mix of concern and command he always carried.Sebastian.He’d been outside my door for hours now.I’d told the guards to keep him out, made it clear I didn’t want to see him. But he was the Alpha.There was only so much disobedience they could manage before they were forced to let him through.I saw him drive in.And I locked my door.I didn’t care that I was Luna.I didn’t care that he could easily force his way inside if he truly wanted to.I was done.The argument from yesterday kept looping in my head like a curse. His words, the guilt, the confession. The moment Dove returned, everything fell apart. It wasn’t just the fact that she was alive…it was the way he reacted. Like she still owned a piece of him. Like I never mattered at all.I told myself I was just a replacement.And maybe that was always the truth.“Ava,” he called again, softer this time. “Can you let me in?”
SEBASTIANCaleb wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth like it was nothing. Like it wasn’t a reminder of the chaos he’d stirred.“I’m done here,” Ava snapped, voice cutting through the stillness like a whip. Then she turned and stormed out of the building.I chased after her without thinking. My legs moved on instinct, but my heart beat in panic."Ava..." I called.She spun around so fast I almost crashed into her."What?" she snapped, her eyes blazing."You knew she was alive, didn’t you?""I just figured it out. Pieced it together over time.""And you're getting ready to discharge me now?"That hit harder than any blow Caleb could’ve landed."What do you mean by that?" I asked, my throat tight.She stepped closer, jabbing a finger into my chest. “You said I was her replacement. Isn’t that what you told me the first day I entered this goddamn pack? When you forced me to marry you?”"I—""You what?""I didn’t mean it like that.""You didn’t fight for her," she threw back, louder n
AVAI already knew things wouldn’t sum up.Not in this palace.Not with these people.Not even with Caleb.And Jatina? She had loyalty stitched into her silence, but silence wasn’t the same as trust. As long as she kept hiding the truth, she wasn’t on my side either.The palace walls whispered more than they spoke. And I was drowning in a language made of half-truths and glances that meant too much.That’s when the letter came.Folded twice, tucked beneath my pillow like a secret lover’s confession.No name. Just shaky handwriting that read:“Meet me. The old stables. Midnight.”That was it.No explanation.Just like all the other times…times that always led to bruises and blood or some new discovery that cracked the world open wider. I’d lost count of how many letters had tried to lure me to my doom. But this one... this one made my pulse hitch. Because despite everything, I went.I told Jatina.I had to tell someone.“I’m meeting someone,” I said, pretending to adjust my scarf in t
SEBASTIAN How can I tell Ava the truth?How can I ever look her in the eyes and say?I lied to her.I shouldn’t be Alpha. I shouldn’t be Luna’s mate. Hell, I shouldn’t even be breathing after what I’ve done. The weight of it drags on my spine, invisible but crushing. I deserve worse. Much worse.I cut across the west garden, the one where Dove always sat to paint when the morning mist blanketed the roses. She said the stillness helped her see better. “The world speaks louder when you stop trying to talk over it,” she used to say, her voice soft, her eyes knowing too much.That was the last place she ever painted.The portrait still rests in the gallery half-finished. A smear of red across the canvas where her brush must have slipped or… no, I don’t let myself finish the thought. Not out loud.I stood there, at the edge of her favorite bench, hands in my coat pockets, head bowed. Her presence lingers in the way the leaves sway slower in this part of the garden, like they’re grievin
AVAI sat on the edge of the hospital bed, the sterile scent of antiseptics clinging to the air. My fingers trembled as I wrapped my arms around my knees, trying to steady my racing heart. The word "Luna" echoed in my mind, not as a title of honor, but as a curse.The doctor's words replayed in my head: "You suffered from a traumatizing experience". He suggested I speak to Sebastian to lessen the burden. But how could I? He was part of the reason I was here.I needed answers.My phone was missing, likely left behind in the kitchen during the chaos. I had to contact my father, to let him know I was alive, just in case...The door creaked open, and Sebastian stepped in, hands in his pockets, eyes filled with concern."Where are you going?" he asked, his voice soft."Home," I replied, avoiding his gaze."The doctor hasn't discharged you.""I don't care."He sighed, "Fine, let's go.""My home, not yours."He looked taken aback. "What?""I'll go to my mansion, the Queen's chamber.""It
SEBASTIANThe whispers returned, slithering through the shadows of my room. They weren't mere echoes of the past; they were vivid, tangible, as if the walls themselves murmured secrets. Each night, they grew louder, more insistent.I jolted awake, drenched in sweat, heart pounding like a war drum. The remnants of a nightmare clung to me: Dove's face contorted in rage, the shattering of glass, the sting of regret.The memory of that day..the day I touched her violently, the day everything changed..haunted me.Seeking solace, I stumbled into the kitchen, hoping a glass of water might wash away the lingering dread. But as I entered, my foot caught on something. I looked down and froze.Ava lay sprawled on the floor, her skin pale, breath shallow. Panic surged through me. I flicked on the lights, illuminating the scene in stark relief. Without hesitation, I called for the guards, barking orders to get the car ready. Cradling her in my arms, I raced to the Pack's hospital.The drive was