Page 70 of Ava: Part Two

“Am I a prisoner in your home?” she asked.

What?

“No. Why would you—”

“Then I can go anywhere I wish,” Ava added.

“Of course you can, but only with me. It’s not safe! You’re not safe—”

“Not safe from who?”

He watched the stubborn tilt of her chin and the sudden anger in her eyes as she remained in front of Jared’s bedroom door. How the hell had things gone so wrong since this morning?

“What lies has that bastard been feeding you?” he growled.

“Are you going to kill him when you become Alpha?” Ava asked.

“Yes.”

It was a truth universally known that Jared would die by his hands. There was no need to hide or lie about it.

But by the way Ava sucked in her breath and took a step back, he knew that wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

“Did he tell you why he’s going to die, Ava?” he growled. “Did he tell you why everyone knows he’s going to die, but no one is even going to try to stop me?”

“How can they stop you? You’re...”

“I’m what?”

Ava looked away and put her hand on the door handle behind her.

“This is Jared’s house. I think you should at least respect that and leave. I’ll speak to you later.”

“Are you being serious right now?” he growled.

What was this? And why did those words hurt so much? Shadow whimpered and retreated, leaving him to deal with the pain on his own. Was she actually choosing Jared over him?

“Yes,” Ava answered. “Go home.”

And then she walked back into the bedroom. Another man’s bedroom. Jared hadn’t even had the balls to come out and face him.

He was not having that! He ignored her suggestion and marched down the hallway until he shoved the door open. He was ready to end Jared for whatever he said to his mate to make her so cold towards him, to make her scared of him again.

But the moment he walked in, startling Ava in the process, he saw the asshole on the bed looking half dead. He stopped dead in his tracks to look at the wolf on the bed. He was pale and sweaty, and there was the stench of infection in the air, like all the rot he had inside had come to the surface.

Jared groaned and then opened his eyes, and for the first time since he had known him, he saw fear in them. There was none of the arrogance that usually tested his control. None of the misplaced confidence. He was a man who knew his time was up.

“I didn’t ask her to come,” Jared whispered.

What the hell was wrong with him? Those looked like the wounds from their very short, very unsatisfying match, but he should have healed by now.

“Leave him alone,” Ava said, standing between him and the bed. “You’ve done enough to him already.”

She was still scared but brave enough to defend the wolf. It was an admirable quality, but not when she was protecting Jared.

“Let’s go home, Ava. You need to rest,” he commanded.

“Jared has no one to take care of him. I’m going to stay a while.”

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