Page 44 of Ava: Part One

It brought him back to his senses, and he quickly let his friend go. He watched Derek wheeze as he bent over to get deeper breaths in and felt like the biggest dick to ever walk the planet. Exactly like his father.

He took a step back and then another, but he could never take back what he had just done.

“Fuck. I’m sorry,” he whispered.

He didn’t wait for their response as he turned and took the stairs two at a time until he had locked himself in his room.

‘You can’t stop me, Zeke. I will have anybody who stands in my way.’

He ignored Shadow and started pacing again. The sun was already rising, so he knew there would be no sleep again. How could he sleep when he could hear Shadow’s thoughts? No one was safe here—not until he had Ava, not until she gave herself to him and had Shadow’s mark.

Chapter 31

When Ava arrived at the kitchen for her duties, the supervisor seemed surprised to see her as she assigned the jobs. Whether it was because she was on time for the first time or because she had heard about her disastrous training session, she didn’t know.

As she pulled out all the equipment needed to keep the kitchen clean, her mind was still stuck on Ezekiel and his kiss. Why was she reacting like this to him? She had no control whatsoever.One touch, and he could have done whatever he wanted to her. She wouldn’t have stopped him. It was disturbing.

Her first kiss, and it had been with that arrogant Alpha. She would never get that first back.

She ignored the looks and whispers until she finished her assigned jobs. Then she changed into her uniform to go into the dining hall for breakfast. There was a hush as she walked out from the back, as if it wasn’t obvious that they were all talking about her. She rolled her eyes as she grabbed a tray and joined the queue.

“You!”

Claire. Why was she not surprised? She didn’t know why the girl had hurt her like that yesterday, but if she were to do it today, she would have a reason. Guilt flooded her body at the thought of kissing Claire’s boyfriend.

She pushed the guilt away. Ezekiel had kissed her. He had been the one to touch her. If Claire had an issue with that, she had to take it up with her boyfriend.

‘Yeah, but you liked it.’

She pushed out the voice in her head. It didn’t matter that his kiss had set her on fire. Ezekiel shouldn’t have done that, and he shouldn’t have threatened to have her in his bed if she didn’t get herself out of the academy, either. After the kiss last night, that was all she had been thinking of.

“I’m speaking to you, Omega!”

With a sigh, she turned around and looked down. Every cell in her body wanted to look the bitch in the eye and tell her to bother someone else, but she remembered Emily’s words. There was no need to rock the boat any further.

“You don’t even know your place. You speak when spoken to. But I supposed trash like you would never understand the principles valued in this place,” Claire spat out. “You will never belong here. You will never be one of us.”

And she had never been more thankful for that than she was at that moment. She never wanted to be like anyone here, thinking their strength made them better than anyone.

“I sent you to the infirmary. Why are you showing your face here? Did you not have enough yesterday?”

“I guess you didn’t punch me hard enough. Contrary to the coach's advice, you should learn to fight like a girl. Maybe you’ll have better luck the next time you fight weak little humans.”

Her mouth had chosen the wrong time to lose the filter. She didn’t want a repeat of that match, even if she felt better today, but there was only so much crap she could take.

There was complete silence in the room until somebody’s laughter echoed. She knew who it was without lifting her head to look.

“Grab your breakfast and come and sit with me, Little Red.”

She turned away from Claire to walk to the front of the line to grab something randomly before she looked around to see where Jared was. She saw Emily first, and the Omega shook her head. But was she breaking the rules? If an Alpha told her to do something, she had to do it, right?

She found Jared and quickly walked over to his table. He told the wolf beside him to move, and she slid into the vacated spot. That was when she risked a look at Claire.

The wolf was so angry that her eyes were glowing, and a snarl was stuck on her lips. Training would be painful again tonight if the coach mixed their classes again, she was sure.

“I never come to eat in this dreadful place, but I thought I’d see what all the fuss is about,” Jared laughed. “I’m not disappointed. Little Red has tiny little claws.”

Claire stormed out of the room, but the look she threw her before she walked out of the door promised vengeance.

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