Ava’s POVMy heart lept immediately I heard the scream. It had to be Alana!Yes! My plan was going smoothly! Sera hadn't failed me afterall. I was so happy I was nearly shaking with the excitement. It was all I could do not to burst into a full blown grin and begin dancing around in happiness.Alaric immediately turned around.“Did you hear that?”I contorted my face in confusion.“Hear what?” I asked innocently.I couldn't let Alaric go and check on her just yet, he had to see she and Jay together and I was pretty sure Jay was not yet in place.“I just heard a scream now babe, you didn't hear anything?”I shook my head slowly. “No babe, I didn't hear anything. Are you alright?”He looked at me askance.“What are you trying to say?” He eyed me suspiciously.I batted my eyelashes and looked away for a bit as though I was trying not to say what was on my mind.“Well…”“Well what?” he demanded.“Well you've drank so much in the past eighteen hours, you might be hallucinating as it is. I

Ava's POVIt was as though they'd lit my nose on fire. Those couldn't be bathing salts.“Wh–” sneeze. “–at. The –” sneeze. “– Hell is –” sneeze. “– that!” Sneeze.I coughed and coughed for some moments, my eyes watering, clouding Alaric's worried face from my view.After a few minutes I stopped wheezing.“How do you feel now?” Alaric asked as I took deep breaths to steady myself.I glared at the maid, dying to hurl insults at her and slap her till she cried. My lungs burned because of her!“Thank you so much.” Alaric said to her, then opened the bottle of water for me to drink.I took a few swigs and then said weakly,“Please tell them to leave, I'm feeling crowded.”In reality I was almost ready to lash out at the both of them, I decided that it was better they left than I exposed myself.Alaric nodded and waved them away and the guard and maid disappeared immediately.I hugged Alaric around his neck tightly.“Thank you Allie. I thought I was going to die.”“Die? What the hell do you

Alana's POV“Well, well, well. If it isn't the castle's latest moppet.” Ava giggled as she waltzed into the kitchen, over to the sink where I was washing some dishes.I sucked in a breath in shock as I'd obviously not been expecting anyone. Everyone had just finished eating lunch and it wasn't time to prepare dinner yet, so I was the only one in the kitchen.I'd decided to do the dishes when I came in here and saw that Mandy, the maid who was in charge of kitchen cleaning today, hadn't eaten all day. I mumbled a greeting to Ava as I felt my chest clench. I suddenly started to feel hot all over. What was she up to now?She snickered, sliding into a comfortable position beside me, her back against the counter.“So how's your injury?” she probed, her eyes glinting with mischief.I'd almost forgotten. The bandage was still wrapped around my head. Ava had sent a maid to offer her apologies yesterday after the incident. I wasn't too surprised she hadn't come herself, but I was still surpri

Alaric's POVI clenched my teeth hard and tried to ground myself as I walked briskly to my room. I forced myself to focus on my breathing, ignoring Ava who was once again shouting after me.I burst into my room and banged the door shut, but of course she was right on my heels.The door hinges rattled frighteningly as she banged the door open again, hitting the wall with a force that sent flecks of paint spraying from the wall.“Please get out of my room Ava, I am not in the right frame of mind for this.” I growled, staring her down. I was doing my very best to keep my voice even and be cordial. All I wanted was for her to leave the room so I could calm down again.Hearing Ava talk to Alana about her being in a relationship with Jay had put a dent in the resolve I'd built after my drive. All I needed was a few minutes of peace and quiet and I would be in my element again.But of course Ava could not understand that, it was almost like she was created to rile me.“How dare you Alaric! S

Alana's POV“Alaric I don't understand what you're saying.” I summoned the courage to mutter, pushing away the default instinct to get up and run out of there in fear.“What part of ‘get up and get out’ don't you understand?” Alaric barked, making me involuntarily jump back in fear.But I gritted my teeth and stayed put.“For your information you look like shit. And your room is in an utter and complete mess. Leaving you by yourself here would be a disaster.”“I like disasters.” He ground out. “Please leave.” he pointed in the general direction of the door, glaring at me even worse.I noticed however that his fingers were shaking. And so I forgot myself for a minute. I reached out and sandwiched his hand between my much smaller ones and asked,“Have you eaten lun–”But he didn't even let me land.He snatched his hand from mine with the speed and force of one that had just touched a naked wire.The action caused me to tip forward such that I almost fell on him. I gasped, but I managed