Page 10 of Ava: Part Two

He hadn’t realised Shadow was that close to the surface. He looked down, avoiding their gazes as he tried not to think of anything.

“I think we’ve seen enough. But we will be in touch soon, Mr Michelson,” Andrei said.

He didn’t wait to be dismissed again, and when he walked out, he had to take a deep breath and clench his fists to stop himself from reacting.

Ava sat in the waiting area as if she had also been called into the meeting. The Council was going to rip her apart.

Chapter 7

Avasuckedinabreath when she saw Ezekiel walking out of the dean’s office. Why was he here? Had they got him already? Did they know what he’d had to do for her?

Ezekiel’s gaze landed on hers, changing from amber to red and then back again. He had a look on his face that she had never seen before. Was he scared? Wolves were taught to fear the Council from when they were pups; they were their Boogeyman. The all-seeing, all-knowing. She knew then that they knew everything, even her escape attempt through the forest.

Ezekiel looked at the dean, who was watching him intently, and then back at her.

“You may go now, Mr Michelson. They’re waiting to escort you out,” the dean said.

A muscle in his jaw ticked. Now, she wasn’t sure if it was fear she saw on his face earlier. She didn’t have wolf senses, but the second he walked out of the office, she had been so sure she felt that fear. Maybe she was just projecting her own fear onto him.

“Mr Michelson,” Dean Russell said firmly.

Ezekiel ignored the dean and walked purposefully towards her. She tensed, unsure of what he would do, and then he leaned over and whispered in her ear.

“Hide your thoughts.”

What? So she had been right about the Council having some sort of Seer like Mr Patrick. She couldn’t hide her thoughts from the teacher; how was she supposed to hide them from the Council? Her heart started pounding as she watched Ezekiel stride towards the door without looking back or giving her further instructions. Then she looked at the dean, who was scowling at her. Had he heard what Ezekiel had said?

She was so screwed.

“What are you waiting for, Miss Morgan? Knock and enter,” Dean Russell growled. “And do not disgrace my school.”

She took a breath and calmed her beating heart. Her father had taught her how to calm herself to get out of situations with the pack members, but she wondered if she could use the same method to keep the Council out of her head. This could be her only chance to leave this place, so she couldn’t mess it up. If they listened to her, she could put all of this behind her by the end of the day. Everything else she would have to deal with after that.

She stood and walked to the door, taking a final calming breath as she recalled her lessons with Alpha Roland. She would clear her mind and focus on only one thing. Maybe it wouldn’t work, but it was her only option.

Her heartbeat was calm when she entered the room and saw the beautiful people on the other side of the dean’s desk. So beautiful that she gasped as she stared at them. And just like that, she found her focus, and it was the easiest thing she had ever had to focus on. They were breathtaking. She knew she was already breaking the rules by staring at them so blatantly, but they must be used to that by now. She was around beautiful people all the time, but these were in a league of their own.

The paler one had his long brown hair tied back and his hazel eyes piercing her as if he could see into her soul. She could tell he was a vampire because all she wanted to do was to please him, do whatever he wanted her to do. And she would. All day. She gave him a bright smile, but he frowned and looked away. But it didn’t matter. She had others to feast her eyes on. The hulking one sitting next to him was just the same. So handsome with his curly black hair and blue eyes, and he was so huge and muscular that he could only be an Alpha wolf. He probably had every woman throwing their panties at him. She wanted to throw her panties at him. All of them. One by one.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! I don’t know why they always send you two. You turn all the women into idiots.”

She turned to the woman who had spoken and sucked in a breath. Now, that was true beauty. Her straight ash-blonde hair was styled in a trendy bob, and her eyes were a stunning violet. They were like jewels in her smooth, tanned, blemish-free face. Perhaps this one could join in the debauched threesome she had going in her mind.

The vampire snickered, confirming that he was indeed in her head as she brought her attention back to him. She’d heard vampires did amazing things to their lovers with their fangs. Would he bite her?

“Okay, I’ve had enough. Sit down, Miss Morgan,” the wolf said, which she did eagerly.

Maybe too eager. The three of them pushed themselves back in their chairs, putting more distance between them as they eyed her suspiciously. They were uncomfortable with her adoration.

The woman opened a file in front of her but didn’t say anything. Instead, she looked at the two men beside her. From where she sat, it looked like they were mind-linking each other, but that was impossible. She pushed any thoughts away to avoid thinking of anything else and focused on how beautiful these creatures were.

“You’ve had some reported clashes with Miss Hubert,” the wolf asked.

She was still looking him directly in the eyes. Something about him made him different from all the others, something besides those perfect white teeth. Goddess, he was beautiful.

The wolf sighed in exasperation.

“Yes, sir. She’s sent me to the infirmary. I reported her to the dean several times before, but he told me to stop coming to see him.”

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