Page 12 of Ava: Part Three

She watched the other students in silence. Others were already looking at the car and whispering, even though they couldn't see inside.

"Are you still thinking of handing yourself in?" Zeke asked finally.

"I can't fight them, Zeke," she whispered.

They had to face it. There was no other way.

"Do you know what that will do to me?" he asked quietly, still looking ahead.

She brought her hand up to his mark on her neck. Her dad had loved his wife completely, but he had accepted her death and moved on. Zeke would do the same.

Even if the Council didn't kill her, if they made her the soldier Mr Patrick had mentioned, Zeke would be fine.

"Yes. But we will be okay," she answered.

Lies. But what else did they have now?

Zeke shook his head and opened his door to get out. She picked up her school bag and was about to open her door when he opened it for her and offered his hand.

And once she was out, he linked her arm through his like Jared had done on the first day of school when she hadn't known what a big deal that was.

But she knew now. And still did it.

The students stepped out of their way as Zeke led her to the assembly hall. When Derek and Myles saw them, they opened the doors for them. The room was deathly quiet when they walked in as if they had already sensed Zeke coming. As if they could feel the darkness inside her.

When Zeke led her to the Alpha seats and Derek and Myles sat on either side of them, no one even whispered.

As the hall continued to fill, she let herself wonder what the dean possibly had to say. Couldn't he have sent a notice to their tablets? Especially if he was just going to tell them lies about the guards.

And that was when she felt something.

The darkness. The evil that always tried to claim her. It was coming for her again. Her eyes checked the room as her heart started to beat a little faster. Nothing. She couldn't see where it was.

Zeke tensed beside her, and the room erupted in gasps and whispers.

Her gaze was instantly drawn to the door.

Her blood drained from her face, and her limbs weakened when she saw the students walking through the door. One stood out more than most, and her cold blue gaze found hers immediately.

Claire.

Chapter 7

Zekepusheddownhisemotions as much as he could, but Ava could clearly sense some of them. She'd been looking at him since they'd woken up.

He hadn't expected Mr Patrick's plan to work at all. He'd thought it would be exactly like the last time when he'd felt her pain and run into the forest raging.

But instead...

He looked down at the woman sitting next to him and felt like going back home to hide away. Like what Shadow was doing. He hadn't heard anything from the beast since they'd had their heart broken.

But it wasn't Ava's fault. He had to keep reminding himself of that.

He sensed Ava's fear seconds before he smelled it. The stench of death and decay. The stench of evil darker than anything Shadow had hidden in his soul.

His beast unfurled and paid attention. Something wasn't right.

This thing was coming closer to the assembly hall. For Ava? For him?

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