What, what do you mean by that?" Jax asked, he was very shocked by what Dustin just said.
"Exactly what you heard, I am denouncing the pack" Dustin said.
"but that means, you are going to be a rogue wolf" Jax said.
"You already denounced my daughter as a member of this pack, the only reason I stayed was because of her. Now that she is gone, I have no reason to stay. So please Alpha Jax denounce me."
"But where will you go? Do you plan to go to fireblood pack and ask for her freedom. I wouldn't advice you to do that. Alpha Ryder is known for being ruthless"
"Where I go is none of your business. Just make the denouncing declaration." Dustin said coldly.
Jax sighed, despite everything that had happened between him and Ava, he still liked Dustin and regarded him as a fatherly figure.
"Fine, since you say so. I Alpha Jax of creekwood pack declare that from today henceforth, Dustin shields is no longer a member of creekwood pack. He shall leave the pack before today ends and never come back unless the alpha permits it."
After Jax finished talking, he had the sensation that something was being cut away from him. The last time he had felt this way was when he had denounced Ava as a member of the pack.
Dustin felt like he was being removed from a warm embrace and thrown into the bitter cold. This was the feeling of being denounced.
Nevertheless Dustin kept his face blank and bowed to Jax before walking out.
When he got home, he packed up his important things and his clothes and entered his car and drove off.
............................................................
Instead of sending somebody to deliver the food to Ava, Jayden decided to go himself.
He took some food from the kitchen and a bottle of water and proceeded down to the prison.
Ava was sitting down quietly when she heard the door open, she looked up thinking it was Ryder, instead she saw someone else. She remembered seeing him with Ryder when she was brought down from the truck earlier.
"OH! It's you" she said in a neutral voice.
"were you expecting someone else?" Jayden asked.
"no, I wasn't" Ava answered.
Jayden dropped the tray on the floor close to where she sat.
"The alpha asked me to bring you food"
"That's surprisingly considerate of him" Ava said.
"No matter how cruel or ruthless our pack may be, we don't starve our prisoners" Jayden said with a light laugh.
"That is very comforting to hear" Ava said.
She picked up a spoon and took a spoonful. She looked up at Jayden.
"This isn't poisoned right?"
Jayden rolled his eyes and took the spoon from her hand and put it in his mouth. He chewed the food slowly and swallowed it.
"Are you satisfied now?" he asked Ava.
"What if you have the antidote?" Ava asked.
"Just eat the damn food okay? It isn't poisoned"
Ava started to eat the food. Jayden bent down and sat close to her on the ground.
"Ryder said you bullied his sister and tried to kill her, is that true?" Jayden asked.
"Yes it's true. I am a cruel and wicked soul. I bullied an innocent blameless soul" Ava replied.
"So she didn't do anything to you?"
"Why is any of this your business?" Ava asked.
"So I can know how to beg Ryder to be lenient on you" Jayden replied.
"Don't bother, he absolutely hates me and I don't see that changing anytime soon" Ava said matter of factly.
Jayden stood up, "anytime you are ready to talk, I am ready to listen."
"Don't raise your hopes up" Ava muttered under her breath.
Jayden looked at her crouched figure on the ground, he sighed and shook his head. He wanted to help Ava, he wanted her to tell him everything that had happened. Only if she talked, would he be able to help her.
Because if there was one thing that Jayden knew, it was the fact that Lily was absolutely not blameless or innocent at all. He sighed again and turned around and left the prison cell.
Jayden didn't go back to the pack house, he still had one more person to deliver food to.
He entered the forest which bordered the pack territory and kept walking inside until he got to a small house.
He knocked on the door, he knocked several times yet no one answered.
"I brought you some food, I am leaving it out here. If you want anything, just let me know" Jayden said. He dropped the food and went away.
Some few minutes after he left, the door opened. Someone stepped out and carried the food inside.
............................................................
Ryder laid on the bed and tried to sleep yet sleep was very far from him. Thoughts of Ava filled his head, he had no idea what to do about her. A part of him wanted her to suffer for causing Lily pain while another part of him wanted to get to know her better, wanted to protect and keep her safe.
He stood up from the bed and looked outside his window. It was already dark outside. He took a blanket from his bed and went outside the room.
He walked to the prison and entered inside. Ava was lying on the floor, she had curled herself up into a little ball.
Ryder moved closer to her and covered her up with the blanket.
"This doesn't change a thing. I still hate you" he whispered.
He turned around and left the room.
The next morning, Ryder sent for Jayden, after a few minutes, Jayden came before him.
"You sent for me?" he asked.
"Yes I did. I wanted to discuss something with you"
"What is it?"
"I don't know what to do with Ava, where should I assign her to work?" Ryder asked.
"Hmmm! Our male prisoners usually work in the goldmines, while the females either do the farm work or are assigned to the houses of high ranking wolves to serve as their slaves while others become concubines. Should she become a concubine?" Jayden asked.
"no fucking way." Ryder said with a growl.
"Why are you so angry? It was just a harmless suggestion." Jayden asked.Ryder himself didn't know why he was so angry, it was a normal thing. Female prisoners were usually sent as concubines to high ranking wolves. But, the thought of someone else touching her and making love to her made him so angry. It provoked a blinding anger in him."She won't be a concubine, make another suggestion." Ryder said."She can be a household servant" a woman said as she walked inside. She was Helena, she was Ryder's aunt."I am sorry for eavesdropping. I was just passing by when I heard you two discussing." she said."Do you think she should be an household servant, aunt Helena?" Jayden asked."I think so love, give her a room in the house and let her help me around the house" Helena replied."I dont think that is a good idea, she should be given a more harsh punishment that befits her crime" Ryder said.Helena resisted the urge to roll her eyes, this nephew of hers could be a bit pig headed. "Come o
Ava came out of the bathroom, she was thankful that the bathroom was inside the room, the thought of bumping into Ryder with just a towel was a bit uncomfortable for her.Helena had told her earlier that only Ryder, Jayden and her occupied the house along with any visiting werewolf or any of the pack members who had accommodation issues.Her work wasn't that much, preparing food for the family, doing laundry and cleaning the house. It was a far better option than being shackled in creekwood pack and seeing Jax and Lily being lovey dovey every day. She saw that Helena had left some clothes on the bed for her.She picked out a pair of jeans and a shirt and quickly put them on before putting the rest clothes in the wardrobe.She left the room and went down the stairs, she found Helena in the kitchen making breakfast, she was accompanied by Jayden. Ava lingered in the door way unsure of how to interrupt them. Helena looked up and saw her,"come here dear, don't act like a stranger" she
Vivian smiled at Ava. "you are nice, I like you" she told Ava.The acknowledgement of this little child meant the world to Ava."thank you Vivian, I think you are very nice as well"Ava stood up from her crouching position.Vivian held her hand, "come on, let's go to the forest. I know all the herbs and where they can be found""Then I will have to depend on you to show me everything" Ava told her.The three of them continued walking to the forest.They got to the forest and started picking some herbs. They had picked some herbs when Helena got a message from Ryder through the pack mind link."Helena. We have some visitors, I need your help with refreshments" he told her."okay, I am on my way" she told him.She looked at Ava and Vivian, they hadn't even picked up half of the herbs they needed."what's wrong Helena?" Vivian asked when she noticed Helena's worried face."nothing, it's just that Alpha Ryder needs me to come back to the pack house and do something for him immediately and
"I am okay Vivian" Ava assured her."are you sure? Your face looks swollen" Vivian said."I am okay Vivian. What about you? Are you okay?" Ava asked her."I am fine" Vivian answered.Vivian looked at Ryder, "thanks for coming to rescue us alpha Ryder"Ryder smiled at her. "you are welcome Vivian, next time do not engage with such people, go and call someone else for help so you don't get hurt, okay?""okay alpha Ryder" Vivian answered. Ryder smiled and ruffled her hair.Ryder looked at Ava, her face was swollen and her shirt had been torn during her struggle with the man earlier. He could see her fair skin which was exposed.He unbuttoned his shirt and handed it to her."cover yourself up" he told her trying his best not to ogle at her."Thanks" Ava muttered as she took the shirt from him and wore it. "did you think of fighting back at all? You were in the fucking guard force back in creekwood pack" Ryder asked angrily. "I am a prisoner, I don't have a right to fight back against me
For the past couple of weeks, Ryder had completely ignored Ava. It was as if to him, she did not exist.As Ava washed the dishes that morning after breakfast, she pondered what had brought about this character change. She didn't know why but she missed his scalding remarks and glares. Now that the only thing she got was his indifference, she felt uncomfortable.Or should she stir up trouble so that he would pay attention to her? She thought to herself.But what could she do that would be sufficient enough to get his attention. She thought long and hard until she got a brilliant idea or so she thought.She finished washing the dishes and arranged them. She dried her hands and went to implement her great plan.Some few minutes later, Ava was outside taking a walk. This was against the rules. Ryder had warned her strictly not to come out on her own.As Ava walked, she looked around. The few times she had come out, she hadn't been privileged to look around.Now she had all the time and le
Ryder carried Ava home. Helena, Vivian and Jayden who had joined them were shocked to see Ryder bring her home bruised."What happened to her?" Helena asked."a group of four girls claimed that she insulted them and they beat her up in retaliation" Ryder replied as he carried her to the room.Helena brought her bag of medical supplies to the room. Ryder gently lay her on the bed."Damn! They bruised her up badly" Jayden said."will she be okay?" Vivian asked worriedly as she stroked Ava's hair."she will be fine sweetie" Helena assured her.Ryder left them so he could change his shirt which was stained with blood."thank the goddess that Ryder found her on time" Helena said."Don't you guys think it's strange?" Jayden asked.Helena looked at him, "what is strange?""anytime Ava is in trouble, Ryder is always the first to sense it and save her" Jayden answered."what's strange about it? It is just a coincidence" Helena said."is it really a coincidence? The last time, he was hosting a
Ryder stood up and leaned closer to Ava on the bed."Do you think any of this is a joke?"Ava was a bit scared now, she had never seen Ryder this angry before."I don't think it's a joke" she managed to say."Do you have any idea how scared I was when I didn't see you or how worried I was when I felt your pain?"Ava kept quiet and didn't say a thing because she honestly didn't know what to say. Ryder was worried about her? Why was he worried about her? Didn't he hate her?"please don't get into trouble again, do you hear me?" Ryder pleaded in a whisper. She nodded in response. "I want to hear you say it""Yes, I hear you" she answered."Now lie down and get some rest" he told her as he helped her lie comfortably in the bed. "Ryder?" Ava called his attention. "Yes""those girls you took down their names, one of them, her name is Hannah didn't join them in beating me. She even tried to dissuade them. Don't punish her along with the rest""I have heard you. Now rest."Ava nodded and r
The atmosphere in the pack was full of excitement. The only thing anybody could talk about was 'the hunt''The hunt' was a yearly event held in the pack. All the pack members shifted to their original wolf form. They then hunted for wild animals which they ate raw.'The hunt' was usually held at night when there was a full moon. Hunting under the night sky with the moon shining down on them was a great thrill which the wolves enjoyed a lot."I love 'the hunt' so much" Vivian said happily.Ava looked at her curiously. "why? Are children allowed to join the hunt?" she asked."of course not, children aren't allowed to join the hunt" Vivian said."So why are you excited about the hunt?" Ava asked in confusion."the kids go to the forest and pretend they are adults and hunt, Ryder places toys and goodies on hidden areas for them to find." Helena explained."that is so nice of him" Ava said."Hmmm! It also keeps the kids busy during the hunt.".Helena replied."What did the kids do during th