by Ava Mason
“I’ll go talk to Avery. Maybe knock some sense into him if necessary.” He gave me one more peck, then left.
Easton was already brushing the broken frame glass into the trash can and Christian was pushing the sofa back where it belonged. Sighing, I turned away from them and went towards my room, steeling myself.
She didn’t look up when I opened the door but quickly wiped at her splotchy face. Her eyes were hollow and dark, bitter, and I couldn’t help but feel her anger radiating across the room at me.
I sat on the edge of my dresser, frowning at her. I don’t like people who hurt my guys. “You shouldn’t have hit him.”
She scowled. “He was being an asshole. What else was I supposed to do?”
“True. But does that make it right? He didn’t hit you back.”
“He wanted to.”
I crossed my arms, raising my eyebrow. “Apparently, he’s pretty pissed off at you. Do you deserve his anger?”
The room grew silent and she put her feet up on the bed, pressing her face into her knees. Finally she mumbled something.
“What? I can’t hear you.”
She looked up at me. “I said, he didn’t tell you what happened?”
I exhaled air through my teeth. “What, Avery? Talk?”
The side of her lips twisted back up but she forced them back into a firm line. I sighed again and stood up. She gave me a strange look as I moved towards her. My blanket was a soft blue, down feather and I wanted to wrap us up in it. Or strangle her with it. One of the two.
Instead, I sat next to her on the bed, rubbing my face.
“Look, forget about that for now. What the hell is going on with you?” I eyed her feet; she was wearing soft canvas shoes. “You’re not yourself.”
She huffed, looking away. “I don’t have to answer you.”
“Actually, you do.” I thought back to the arena, about the power I’d held over her. Her life literally in my hands. It felt so strange to have that power over someone, to know that this person wouldn’t be sitting here if I’d made a different choice. Did she even know that she had died? That for seconds, her life had been snuffed, like a candle blown out, with only the smoke of her shitstorm left to testify that she’d even been alive. Did she have anyone who would’ve mourned her?
She looked at me and her eyes were cold. “I’ve had a really shitty couple of months okay.” Her lips twisted up in a sneer and she waved her arm at me. “But you wouldn’t know about that, not the princess of the team.”
Her words hit me like a knife to the gut. Strangle her with the blanket, it is. Tears sprung to my eyes but I tried not to let her see them, so I growled, letting my anger show. “I know what a shitty day is like.”
She looked into my eyes and I knew the exact moment she remembered about my parents. Her pained eyes mirrored my own. I looked away, biting down on my resentment.
“Look, we need to talk. Christian told me about you and my dad.” I considered telling her about what else I knew about her past: her miscarriages and her own abusive father, but I decided against it. “I know you knew him.” I took in a deep breath, not believing what I was about to say. “I’m sorry he died.”
She inhaled a sharp breath and looked away, biting her lip.
I continued. “I know he’d like to be here for you if he could.”
Suddenly, she looked at me and I ignored the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. “Were you lying to me? In the arena. Was that a lie, just to piss me off?”
I frowned. “About what?”
“About my lineage. My name?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“How do you know?”
“The question is, did you know?”
She jerked her head back like I’d slapped her. “I had no idea. I’m not even sure if I believe you.”
I frowned. “Easton discovered it from his magical book after we fixed it.”
She was quiet; I could see that she was biting the inside of her cheeks then she squeezed her eyes tight. “So Hunter knows?”
I sprung up and paced the space next to the bed. “Look, Sophia, you need to accept this. Hunter doesn’t belong to you. He doesn’t want to be with you.”
“You don’t think I know that?” Her voice cracked and her eyes flew open.
Damn, she was so pitiful.
I faced her, needing to drive in the point. She needed to move on, for her sake. “I’m not sure you do.”
Her face contorted into a mixture of anger and shame. She sputtered. “You have no idea what I’m thinking. You have no idea who I am. You’ve known me for all of two-seconds. Just because you’re my Alpha now, doesn’t mean you can intrude in my life. Tell me who or what I am.”
I leaned over, my expression fierce as a wave of possession washed over me. “Hunter is mine. He chose me. You stay the fuck away from him. Is that clear?”
She scowled but nodded.
“Okay then.” I sat back down on the bed, trying to decide where to go from here and an awkward silence settled around us. I could ask her about Avery but I wanted to hear it from him. He needed to be the one to reveal what the hell was going on.
I also still needed to talk to her about her assignment but I felt like I should talk to her about what she was going through. She hadn’t lied, she was having a really crappy few months. She’d lost almost everything she’d held dear: Hunter, her reputation. I had a crazy feeling that she honestly hadn’t known about her lineage.
But she still had a lot to look forward to, a future. If she wanted it, she could easily have it. She just didn’t realize it. And I begrudgingly admitted that I should try to help her. It’s what a good Alpha would do; it’s what my dad would’ve done. Many times he’d turned bitter, lone wolves into devoted members of the pack.
“Look, Sophia.” I put my knee up on the bed, twisting to face her but she leaned away from me.
“I know you don’t like me much. But I just want you to know, you can talk to me any time you want. I’m here for you.” I took in a deep breath. “And you’re still smoking hot. If you’d open yourself up a little, quit being such a bitch to everyone you meet, you’ll find someone willing to put up with you.” I gave her a forced smile. “I promise.”
Her nostrils flared. “Of course. If I wanted it, which I don’t, I could get my own little team of men.”
She said this with such sarcasm, such disdain, it made me want to smack her face. She was looking down on me, when she’d done the exact same thing only years before. Except hers was based on a lie.
Power thrummed through my body. It rose up, a mighty dragon towering over her broken shell. It wanted to put her out again. Insubordinate, lying, scheming whore of a bitch. I took in a calming breath, trying to placate the power. I let out a strangled curse at her, forcing my will over my power. I was the master of my powers. Repeating Christian’s mantra, I shut it down, smothering it into a simmering flame.
Once I felt it was under control, I stood up, crossing my arms and faced her. I was done trying to help her feel better. “I have an assignment for you.”
“You can’t—”
“I can.” I grit my teeth. “All assignments for the guys are on hold, give them to another team. They’ve been assigned something else, top priority.”
“What? By whom?”
“None of your business.”
She gave me a death glare.
“Just know that it involves the security of the Queen. As does your new assignment.”
She opened her mouth, then shut it. “If it involves the security of the Queen, I’m at your disposal.”
Even though I didn’t trust her, Aria did. She held top secret clearance, so I could tell her the truth. “Your new assignment is to be put ahead of everything else. It’s eyes only. If you fail, the Queen may die.”
Her eyes focused on me; I had her attention now.
“For about two years, someone has been collecting items that weaken the Queen’s power. Whoever has them i
s either destroying them or suppressing their power and that is affecting the Queen’s magic.” I paused, reminding myself again that Aria trusted her before I spoke the next words. “Her magic is tied to the Kingdom’s artifacts.”
Understanding dawned on her face. “The book.”
I nodded. “That’s why fixing the book was so important. We’ve hidden it, for now. But there are many other artifacts, and a lot of them have gone missing. She thinks that once whoever is stealing them will have enough, they’re going to try to overthrow her. Or try to kill her.” I paused to let the seriousness of my words sink in.
Sophia was fixing her ponytail again but I knew her mind wasn’t on it. Her eyes were focused far away, thoughtful. She was trying to figure out who it was. Planning her next move.
“Sophia.” She looked up at me. “They think that it’s Andre.”
She took in a sharp breath. “No. He would never.”
“Your assignment is to determine if it’s him, and what he’s doing with the items. If he has any other plans. Can you do this?”
She didn’t answer right away and I knew she was warring with her feelings. He came off as a cold, heartless bastard, but he’d taken her in. Did she harbor any love for him?
I continued. “Tell me the truth. If you can’t, I understand. But this is too important for your pride to get in the way. Just be honest, and if you can’t, we’ll find someone else.”
She looked into my face and nodded, cutting me off. Her eyes were clear, her face set. “Yes. I’ll do it.”
Christian and Easton came to the door to see Sophia off, who rushed off without much of a goodbye. I closed the door and turned to them. Now I had to deal with Avery.
“Christian.”
“Yes?” As soon as he saw my determined face, he began to move back towards the living room. “I should probably finish the living room.” It was already exactly the way it was before.
“Stop.”
He halted, but still wouldn’t look at me. Dark stubble marked his angular jaw line and he rubbed it thoughtfully. He looked sexy as hell.
“Do you know what happened with Avery?”
He suddenly turned away to inspect the frames on the wall. They were back in place but he straightened one that didn’t need it.
“Christian!” He looked up at me and I punched his shoulder lightly, grinning. He was charming when he was avoiding me, even if he didn’t mean to be. “Tell me.”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Maybe my ass. Just tell me if you know.”
Abruptly, he turned, pulling me to him and traced his finger down my cheek. Heat jolted in between my thighs and I leaned into him.
“I might know something.” His green eyes pierced mine and I realized that they looked different. His hold on my hip was possessive, his look on me, dominating. He was staking a claim, his claim on me. He ran his fingers down my neck and traced my collarbone. “What would this information be worth?” He raised his eyebrows and it made me shiver.
“Depends on what you’re offering.”
My comment was meant to be light but it landed with a dull thud in my chest. He wanted me all to himself. That’s what he was offering and what I wasn’t willing to take. I suddenly felt awkward.
He swallowed hard. “I will say one thing. Just know that Avery is very good at his job.” He looked at me, expecting me to react.
Easton stepped in, saving me. “I wonder if Hunter’s getting anywhere with him. If anyone could do it, it’d be him.”
All three of us turned towards Avery’s room at the same time.
I really wanted to know what they were talking about. “You guys thinking what I’m thinking?”
Both of them made a scramble for Avery’s room at the same time. I thought for sure they’d break something else but they managed to jump over the couch and rush down the hall silently, despite their race to get there first. And now that my wolf powers were totally in check, I could run as fast and as silent as them.
I got there first, even though they had a head start. I smirked at them, they were half a second behind me. Oh yeah, wolf-Lizzy was a badass.
Christian grinned, coming in right behind me. He leaned against the wall and yanked me towards him. I fell into him and he turned me around so that my back was against his chest. Tucking me close, his fingers slipped under my shirt. Warm and spikey feelings raced through my body as he traced my stomach.
Christian was definitely staking his claim and it made my heart pound. I liked assertive Christian.
Easton stood next to me, leaning his head against the wall. He touched his foot against mine and I grabbed his hand, lacing my fingers through his.
Hunter was speaking. “Look, why don’t you just tell us what happened. It could help.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”
“But we’re your team, we’re allowed to know these things.”
“Not this one. You know how it is, sometimes things can’t be shared, even with the team.”
Hunter’s footsteps paced across the floor. “But Elizabeth is your Alpha now, you can at least tell her.”
Avery didn’t answer.
“I’m sure she can figure this out with you. She’s growing closer to the Queen, maybe the Queen could do somet—”
“I just can’t, okay?” Avery’s voice grew louder, growing more frustrated.
“Why not?” Now Hunter was getting pissed.
There was a pause and the room was so silent, I couldn’t even hear them breathe. Hunter’s voice came out low, a deep growl.
“Avery.”
Avery burst out, his voice desperate. “Because I screwed up, okay. I fucked up in ways that you can’t even imagine.”
Hunter didn’t answer right away. When he did, his voice held a trace of vulnerability. “I know what screwing up on a job can do to you. To your family. I’ll never forgive myself for what happened to my parents because of me.” A sadness washed over me. Hunter’s parents had been killed because of a screw up on one of his missions and he had to live with that for the rest of his life. “But hiding from it won’t help.”
“I’m not trying to hide from it. I’m trying to fix it.”
“By leaving? That’s not going to work. We need you on the team. Besides,” Hunter’s voice was firm, “I have a feeling that you need us. The only way to fix this is by doing it together.”
“That’s a lie.” I heard Avery get off his bed and his drawers slide open. “Just let me go, okay? Maybe I’ll come back. Once I fix this, maybe I’ll see you and… and Lizzy again. But I need to fix this first.”
Hunter growled. “Why don’t you just tell—”
Avery burst out, interrupting him. “Because I can’t look at her.”
I took in a silent gasp, my stomach rolled with his words. Christian’s fingers moved over my stomach in a soothing motion.
“What?”
“I can’t look Elizabeth in the eyes and live with what I did. I just can’t. It’s killing me just seeing her. Just being around her. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. All I can do is just feel so fucking much for her that I would rather die than be around her right now.”
My air was cut off as my heart squeezed in my chest. I wanted to burst in the room, to force Avery to talk to me. His words cut through me. What had he done? Why couldn’t he just tell me?
Hunter’s voice was low. “What the hell did you do?”
Avery’s answer was just as low, and now it was threatening. “Hunter, get out of my way.”
“No. If you can’t tell her, then you will tell me. And you will tell me right now.”
“Hunter, I have to fix this. And if you don’t get out of my way, then I’ll ma—”
“Stop!” Pulling out of Christian’s embrace, I burst through the door. I couldn’t take it anymore, and I couldn’t let them say something they couldn’t take back. “Just stop.”
Christian and Easton entered with me, each of them looking like they were r
eady to jump on Avery. I took in a deep breath and it wheezed through my chest. Shit, it hurt so bad, the emotions filling me from everyone was too much. I leaned over, trying to stop the pain, to breathe. I gritted my teeth. “Would everyone just calm the fuck down?”
Hunter began to move towards me but I held out my hand. This wasn’t about me. I took in a slow breath and stood up, putting my hands on my hips. “I need to speak to Avery. Alone.”
Pushing down on his temper, Easton turned around and walked out of the door. “Just holler if you need help tying him down, I probably have some rope in my room.” The sides of his lips twisted up in a mischievous grin. I had a feeling he did have rope in his room and that I was going to see it one day. I shivered, but turned to Christian. He gave Avery a meaningful look, then he caressed my cheek and walked out the door. I turned to Hunter, who didn’t budge.
I looked into Hunter’s eyes, pleading. “Please.”
He hesitated, looking rebellious for a moment, then nodded his head. He brushed his fingers over mine as he left the room, and then it was just me and Avery, alone.
3
Avery sat on his bed, not looking at me. I studied the pattern on his bedspread, noticing the way the different shade of blues and greys mixed together. Basically being distracted while I figured out how to start.
“You shouldn’t listen at doorways.”
I looked at him, his face was weary, his eyes clouded.
I sat next to him. “And you shouldn’t come home, acting like an ass to the people who love you.”
He jerked towards me, a scowl on his face. His beard made him look so damn sexy and rough and I wanted to run my fingers through it.
He didn’t respond to my words, he just stared at me with his tortured eyes and it was breaking me in two. I needed to touch him. To feel his thrumming heart under my hands, the way I’d felt it that day by the waterfall. To hear the soft timbre of his voice move over my skin like silk. To see his burnt sienna-colored eyes look at me like he wanted me again.
