Page 102 of Ava: Part Two

She was a monster.

She'd killed Claire.

She'd killed her friends. All those people...

"Breathe, Ava."

Zeke's voice. His hand on her back. And just like that she took her first full breath as she lowered her trembling body to the ground.

Zeke had always been able to do that. Because she was a wolf?

Her mind started to spiral again thinking of all the things that hadn't made sense before.

"In and out, Ava. Deep breaths," her father said gently.

She did as she was told, trying to push back all of the thoughts she didn't want to examine right now. Maybe not ever. Because she couldn't be a murderer.

"Let's go back in and talk about this in private," Zeke suggested.

But she shook her head and stood. What was there to say now?

"I want to go home," she whispered.

"Take her. I'll go back and find out more information," her dad said. "Keep my girl safe, Ezekiel. I'll be there shortly."

Her father pulled her into his arm, and she breathed in his familiar, soothing scent.

"We'll be okay. Go and lie down, I'll be right behind you," Alpha Roland said as he dropped a kiss on top of her head.

The moment he released her, Zeke took a hold of her hand. And that contact soothed her more, even as it broke her heart. Humans didn't do that. Humans didn't feel what their significant other was feeling.

They had only taken a step when they saw Emily in front of them. She had tears on her face, and her whole body shook.

"Please," Emily whispered. "I can't live like this anymore."

And that crushed her heart even more. Ava sucked in a breath and fought back her tears as the Omega fell to her knees and started sobbing.

Emily had been there.

Emily had seen it all.

And this was the reason she was so terrified of her.

She covered her mouth to try to stifle her cry as Emily continued to sob in front of them.

Monster. Emily knew she was a monster.

She stepped back, feeling exposed and vulnerable, and yet still holding on to a huge part of her that believed she would never do anything so heinous. She wasn't capable of that.

"Please, don't leave me like this," Emily sobbed. "I know I'm a coward, and I know I'm unworthy. I will take any punishment. But please... Just tell me what I need to do."

Every word that Emily spoke felt like a knife twisting in her heart. She couldn't listen anymore.

Her feet were moving before she even decided to run away from Emily, but once she started, she couldn't stop. She could feel Zeke behind her, and that made her sob louder.

She could have tried to blame it on the mating bond, but she had felt him even before that.

When she finally ran into the house she wasn't even breathing hard.

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