Page 69 of Ava: Part Three

She felt numb when she walked into the kitchen. It was better than feeling like the selfish, traitorous disappointment of a daughter and mate that they all probably thought she was.

Chapter 41

Afterdinner,ZekefoundAva sitting with her feet in the pool, looking completely lost.

Her guilt had been weighing on him all day, and he knew it wasn’t just about the students she had been forced to kill. She was also thinking of the ones she had to choose as a sacrifice.

He pulled the legs of his sweats up and sat next to her. She didn’t even look at him.

What had they discussed at that house? He was still a little paranoid because he knew whatever the Council was trying to achieve was no good for them as mates.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said.

Lies, of course. He’d already seen that her training didn’t go so well. The coach had made her sit it out because everyone was too scared to spar with her. But they were out in the open, so they couldn’t discuss things like before.

“I’ll train with you tomorrow. We need to focus your mind so you get familiar with your wolf.”

They needed to shut themselves away in the basement and talk things through, but Ava still thought she wasn't strong enough to fight.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Because she expected to do as she was told like a good little lamb. Yes, he got that part.

He shook his head and looked out to the woods. As usual, no one was there because they wouldn’t dare trespass in Shadow’s woods. The sun was setting, and there had been a slight chill in the air since the Council arrived. Maybe Mr Hansson was really an air Fae. But what made an air Fae weaker would possibly make an earth Fae stronger, so there was no room for guesswork.

“Let’s swim,” he said, whipping his shirt off.

“Now?” Ava asked, but her eyes were glued to his chest.

At least that hadn’t changed.

“Well, we’re still technically on our honeymoon,” he said as he stood. “And now might be all we have.”

When he lowered his sweats, Ava looked away, and he saw her cheeks colour as if she wasn’t the same wolf who’d been insatiable during her heat.

“You’re a wolf. You’re going to have to get used to seeing people naked,” he grinned.

Or not. He didn’t want her exposing herself to anyone else, even though wolves didn't usually care about that.

He dove into the water and swam to the surface to look at his mate. Her mood wasn’t as dark as before, so maybe they both needed this. Things were too intense, not allowing them room to breathe.

“Come. Take your clothes off, Ava.”

Ava bit her lip as she looked at the house and then back at him. He'd already told Myles and Derek to go out and try to find more information so they had the house to themselves.

Ava stood and slowly, so slowly, peeled her shorts and T-shirt from her body. At that moment, he forgot all the shit that was going on and concentrated on his mate as she lowered herself into the water. He caught her gaze as he waded in the water in front of her. She looked unsure and a little scared.

“Are you still mad at me?” she whispered.

“Not at you,” he answered as he reached her and then caged her against the side of the pool.

“I can’t lose you or Dad,” she whispered.

He kissed her before she could say anymore. He hated that they weren’t free to express themselves and that they were not mentally connected. But he would still choose her every time despite everything.

He took his time kissing away her worries even though he had already lost his mind with his need for her the moment he’d touched her lips. Maybe Ava didn’t yet realise the depth he would go to just to keep her safe. If they weren’t linked so completely, he would already have gone after the Head of the Council himself.

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