Page 84 of Ava: Part Three

But seconds later, there was nothing.

No rage.

It was just quiet.

And Zeke was...

She looked up in horror at the two Council members who had imprisoned her.

What had they done to her mate?

Chapter 49

“Don’tshowthenatureof your bond. Stay away until he sends for you. That’s how you’ll protect Zeke.”

Those words rang loudly in her ears long after Iulia’s magic had released her, and they'd rushed out of the room. She’d fallen to her knees and was hyperventilating. She couldn’t breathe.

She used to think these were panic attacks, but now she could feel it, feel that thing trying to claw out of her. It was her wolf reacting to her emotions.

They had Zeke, and she still couldn’t feel him, but she was supposed to act as if they were not connected so completely. Her wolf was not having any of it.

She took her tie and blazer off to calm herself and negotiate with her wolf. Her wolf nature wouldn’t solve this problem, not yet. They had to stick to the plan.

She lay on her back and practised her breathing but felt like her chest was going to rip open. Could she trust what Andrei and Alpha Diego had told them? That their bond would get them killed?

But if she did and something terrible happened to Zeke...

Her heart pounded, and her lungs refused to work. Her vision blurred. Her clothes felt too tight. She was losing control of her body.

She desperately pleaded with her wolf. Mr Hansson didn’t want them dead; she didn’t think he wouldn’t kill Zeke. He had to be alive since she was alive. But if she went on a rampage...

Breathe. She needed to just breathe.

She was still on the floor when she saw the study room door open from the corner of her eyes. Someone walked in, but her vision was still blurry and filling with a red haze with each passing second. She wanted to tell the person to leave, that it wasn’t safe in the room with her, but she couldn’t speak.

The door closed, and the person came to stand over her.

Her senses sharpened the closer her wolf got. She could tell whoever had come in was a vampire, a strong one.

“You must be in so much pain."

The voice was gentle and belonged to a woman. It was obviously someone with no sense who couldn't understand what was about to happen.

Her bones started to break. She clenched her teeth together against the pain. Her claws scratched the floor. She fought against a howl as she kicked her shoes off and curled into a ball.

But instead of running, the woman tilted her head and tipped something down her throat. She swallowed by reflex, even as her mind screamed at her for being so stupid. The liquid burnt its way down her throat and made her panic worse. She should have spat it out. The last potion she'd taken had landed her in the Infirmary.

"Leave!" she growled.

But her eyes became heavy. The red haze disappeared. Her heartbeat started to return to normal as her clothes got less restrictive.

And she saw the woman leaning over her with her stern face not showing an ounce of concern. It was the librarian.

She felt like she had just blinked, but when she looked around, the librarian was gone, and her blazer was placed under her head as a makeshift pillow. She must have slept. That potion had made her sleep!

She jolted up and tried to feel her bond with Zeke. How was she even supposed to do that? As a mate, she was supposed to be able to sense where he was, even mentally connect with him. She was a wolf who didn't know how to be a wolf.

When she still didn't sense anything, she rushed to her feet and ran out of the room. The library seemed empty now. How long had she been out? What had they done to Zeke while she had been asleep?

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