AVAThe silence in the library almost felt deafening because of how intense it was. It was that weird kind of silence where every sound felt like a scream. I could hear the girls breathing in panic around me, and even the tiniest movement from them felt really loud. One of them was still crying, so I pulled her close to me and held her tightly.“It’s okay. We’re safe for now. Just stay inside here and don’t make a sound.”My fingers were trembling, and with each passing second, my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.Evie was pacing in my head. She kept growling and begging for me to let her out. ‘Let me out, Ava. Let me protect them,’ she kept pleading.I couldn’t. Not yet. If I shifted, I’d be naked when I shifted back to my human form. That would just scare the kids even more. They would definitely see what I looked like while shifting too. They would hear and see my bones cracking as they rearranged themselves, and see the fur tearing out of my skin. What if t
AVAThe ride back to the pack house was silent. No one spoke, not even the triplets.I could still feel Blake’s hand in mine from earlier. I’d loved the way his thumb circled my skin softly. In my head, I kept replaying the perfect date we’d been having before the triplets and their girlfriends came to ruin it.The rage Roman had used to throw that chair, though? I kept replaying that in my mind too.As soon as we stepped inside, Alpha Thomas was already waiting for us.His jaw was clenched, and his arms were folded across his chest like he was trying not to explode right there in the foyer. “My office now. All of you.”We all followed him down the hall. The triplets were behind me, and their girlfriends were trailing behind them. I didn’t look at any of them. I didn’t trust myself not to snap if I did.Alpha Thomas slammed the door shut once we were all inside. He paced behind his desk for a full minute before he finally spoke.“You think this is a joke? You think the chaos you cause
ZOEBlake’s car was sleek, dark, and smooth as he drove it down the highway. The engine purred softly and even if I didn’t know shit about cars, I knew this one definitely cost an arm and a leg.My thoughts turned away from the car to the boy behind the wheel. He wore a black button-down shirt that hugged his shoulders and arms in all the right ways. His sleeves were rolled up just enough to show off his veins and strong arms. I didn’t miss the way heads turned when we pulled out of the driveway or how girls whispered as we stopped at a red light.And me? I was wearing a red dress. It was tighter and shorter than anything I’d ever dared to wear before. But since it wasn’t mine, one of the straps kept slipping down my shoulder, and every time I fixed it, Blake would look over with that amused, cocky smirk of his.“You okay?” he asked as we pulled up to the restaurant.“Perfect,” I said. Then I flipped my hair and stepped out of the car before he could turn around and open my door.May
ZOEKylie turned around and stormed off with her fists clenched by her sides. I didn’t expect Roman’s words to affect her that much, but they did. He didn’t even look hurt when he said it.The pack house was deadly silent after that, as if everyone was waiting for something big to happen.It didn’t take long.By nightfall, the whispers had only gotten worse. Kylie was seen slipping into the woods behind the training grounds. She was alone, without any guards or friends, just her and whatever plans were eating away at her brain. Megan was the one who brought it up. She leaned against my locker the next morning at school, chewing on a stick of gum. “Word is, Kylie’s out there looking for someone who can break mate bonds.”My chest tightened instantly. “What do you mean?”Megan shrugged. “Dark magic, spells, voodoo, that kind of stuff. That’s if it even exists. But I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s pissed, Ava. Like, really pissed.”It didn’t help that Hailey was adding fuel to the fir
AVAThe Council chamber was still freezing. And I was still standing in the center, surrounded by the triplets; Zade to my right, Roman to my left, and Axel just behind me. They felt like shields because of how tall and tense they all were, but it didn’t make me feel any safer. Not in a place like this.There were seven Elders sitting on high chairs arranged in a straight line along a table. Most had white or silver hair, and all of them were currently staring at me like I was a lab experiment.“Moving along with why you’ve all been summoned,” the most senior Elder continued. “Another part of the reason is because you’re part of an ancient prophecy.”My hands were clenched into fists at my sides.“The bond you all share is a triple bond,” another Elder added. “One Omega mated to three Alphas.”I heard Zade curse under his breath. Roman didn’t move. Axel’s fingers were twitching slightly.“Such a bond has not existed in our records for over three hundred years,” a third Elder said. “A
AVAThe air around the abandoned ruins of the old pack library was cold, but I could barely feel it. My body was on fire, and the ache inside me was worse than ever. Zade had been leaning in, so close that I could feel his breath as his lips brushed mine until Axel made him pull back.Just when I thought we we would finally do something that would cure this unbearable ache inside me, Alex had growled harshly, instantly cutting all the fun short. Axel’s tone brooked no arguments as he repeated his warning. “We can’t do this here. Not yet.”The tension in the air increased, almost choking me with how thick it was. I could barely breathe.Zade’s chest rose and fell heavily. “You felt it too.”“I did,” Axel snapped. “But this isn’t the time. We don’t even know what we’re dealing with yet.”Roman sat quietly by the dying fire, just staring into the flames. His hands were clenched tight, and his knuckles were already white. “Axel’s right. Let’s finish what we came here for. Then we’ll fig