Page 42 of Ava: Part Three

“I can’t go past the forest,” Mr Patrick said as he walked over to his desk. “Unless someone destroys it, I’m stuck here probably for the rest of my life.”

She couldn’t imagine having to live surrounded by that dark magic for the rest of her life, though she supposed if the Head of the Council had his way, she would be.

“What is he?” she asked. “He’s not a vampire, but I felt some sort of compulsion in the assembly. He’s not a witch, but he’s put a spell on the Omegas. Ever since he arrived, there's been a dark aura over the school, like in the forest.”

“He,” Mr Patrick started as he leaned on his desk and looked at her, “is just like me. Only worse.”

“Okay, but if you don’t tell me what you are, that means nothing to me.”

Mr Patrick frowned and asked, “Have you not spoken to your mate? I think you need to.”

“We’ve been busy.”

And then her cheeks coloured because she remembered they all knew what she had been busy doing.

“I’m Fae, Ava,” Mr Patrick said.

She still didn’t know what that was.

“You won’t find any mention of us in the books in your library because Oskar Hansson eradicated most of us when he first formed the Council. Ask Ezekiel to explain.”

“The Council has been around for many generations,” she stated, which meant Mr Hansson was older than dirt. They had no chance.

“I’m also ‘older than dirt’. And I told you I have people who can help, people like me,” Mr Patrick said as he pulled something from his jacket pocket.

It was a little case; when she opened it, she saw a vial with a colourless liquid. What would it do? Make her stronger? Give her powers to help her fight? Make her disappear out of this awful place?

“Nothing of the sort. This will help you to focus. Bring more clarity so you can communicate with your wolf. Because after what he did in assembly, if you can’t even use your wolf’s strength to shield your thoughts and memories, all this will be over before we begin.”

She reeled back from Mr Patrick.

“Then why didn’t you tell me this before you told me your secrets?” she shrieked. “I felt what he can do. He’ll see everything; I can’t shield from him.”

“But you did shield, Ava. You did shield, or you would have been the same as all the Omegas that were sitting with you,” Mr Patrick said. “So he’s going to come at you stronger, test your limits.”

“You’re almost there, sweetheart. Your scent has changed,” Alpha Morgan said. “Just push a little harder to get past whatever is blocking you.”

Her scent was different? She felt a little hope flare up inside her.

“Just remember that the three Council members have a special bond. If the witch is with them, they can read your thoughts and share their strength, so you have to be more diligent when shielding. But you must always shield when you're near the Head of the Council, no exceptions.”

“What sort of bond? Can it be broken?”

Mr Patrick’s attention turned to the door, and then he stood up and walked towards it without answering.

“We have to go; I can’t do this spell for too long with them here. Take that potion as soon as you can, somewhere safe. Hopefully, you’ll be more shielded at our next meeting, and we can discuss specifics.”

He chanted something and touched the door, and then the next moment, he and her father were gone. She went to get her bag and put the case in the bottom before she rushed out of the room. She didn’t want anyone to see her coming out of Mr Patrick’s room and start to put two and two together.

Why would Mr Patrick tell her what he was now when he knew that secret could be snatched from her head? Now, she would have to constantly think of kittens because her mind wasn’t safe anywhere.

She turned down the hallway leading to the exit and stopped in her tracks when she saw who was coming into the building.

Zeke. Zeke and the huge wolf Council member. Seeing them side by side was a little jarring because it occurred to her that they were so similar. Their build, the dark aura around them. Though the councillor was a little bigger than Zeke, her mate would probably be the same if he also lived as long.

Did that mean the councillor’s wolf was like Zeke’s? Bigger than any other, capable of ending a life with just one snap of his jaw?

“Ah. Your little mate,” the councillor said as they approached her.

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