Page 5 of Ava: Part Three

"I realise I'm asking a lot," Mr Patrick said. "I know what your bond means. You've become one in a way many wolves will never experience."

Did Mr Patrick know about true mate bonds? There were only a few books about this in the library that Mrs Donovan had given him to read, but his only interest at the time had been how to break the bond. He hadn't had the chance to go and find out more.

Mr Patrick's eyes widened, indicating he had been in his head, so he growled at the invasive fucker. No boundaries at all!

"For your future information, that's not an option anymore. The consequences are quite fatal," the teacher said.

"What's not an option?" Ava asked, pulling the dishes back to her.

"Nothing," he lied, this time taking the dishes and putting them on the counter when he really wanted to throw them in the trash.

"What I mean is that your bond has strengthened her. It has probably strengthened you, too."

Was that why she had been able to command Jared?

"No. She's done it before."

"If you two keep having private conversations, then I don't see why you need us here," Ava said. "I'll just sit here quietly and let you decide my life, shall I?"

Their life. It was their life she was deciding on. He was going to have to tell her that what they had was more than a simple mating. Would she have accepted him if she had known?

He turned back to the counter where he had put the food he had prepared for her and then placed it in front of her with some cutlery.

"Oh, am I not being fed then?" Alpha Morgan asked.

He hadn't thought of anyone else.

"My mate was hungry. Help yourself to that stuff."

Alpha Morgan shook his head and stood to make himself a plate before he returned to the table.

"I've been hiding here from the Council for decades. I could have continued to hide, but I like Ava," Mr Patrick said.

"Yet you're asking her to go into the forest that they own. You said that's why they came here the first time," he argued.

"They already know about her now. There's no time to be cautious. Your bond will protect her mind, but her wolf and I will protect her from the dangers in there."

"So why didn't it protect her last time? I had to save her! We're not doing it."

"Zeke's right," Ava said quietly.

"Ava—"

"I can't do that again. There's so much evil... I never want to step foot in that place again," Ava said. "We can meditate or whatever else, but I'm not going in there again."

"Or we can just leave tomorrow."

He intentionally kept his mind blank so his thoughts would stay private.

"You have the whole school at your disposal here. All you need to do is shift, Ava. If you leave, you will be alone."

Not if he found the people who could hide them first.

Mr Patrick shook his head and stood.

"They will come after you and your families. They will hunt you down, and they will catch you, no matter where or how you hide. You will be dead before you even realise what's happening. If that's what you want, then so be it. I thought you two were different. Sorry I wasted your time."

And then he left the room.

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