Page 87 of Ava: Part Three

“You already showed us we have no choice,” she pointed out.

“Touche,” Mr Hansson laughed. “But you have to admit I had every right to check. No one can command the creatures in my forest, but somehow, you did that, and you also managed to create some soldiers for me. You’ve just found your wolf; imagine what you’ll be like when you’re Diego’s age. And you’ll use all that strength for the good of the Council.”

She felt something stir in her and realised it was Zeke. The bond felt a little muffled, as if it had to strengthen again, but she started to sense his confusion and then his anger. The closer she got to the building, the stronger those emotions became.

“We’re just in time,” Mr Hansson said.

And the Administration building doors smashed open to reveal a furious, red-eyed Zeke.

She couldn’t stop herself this time; she ran the rest of the way and jumped into his arms when he reached the bottom step, soothing herself as much as him. She could have lost him. She could have trusted the wrong people and lost him. This wasn’t something she could allow to happen again. She had to be better. She had to learn to trust herself.

“What a wonderful reunion,” Mr Hansson said as he came past them and walked up the stairs.

Andrei caught her eyes as he and the other councillors followed, and she suddenly felt like this wasn’t over.

“Shall we complete this family reunion?” Mr Hansson said.

The doors opened again, and two guards came out. They were dragging her father between them.

“No!” she screamed.

All the guards who had been at the front formed a wall that stopped her from going further. She felt her fury rise and growled in warning at all of them. Zeke was her mate, but her bond with her father was just as strong. She would tear all of them apart. She would—

“Ava!”

The sound of her father’s voice pulled her focus back to him. He was now standing on his own and looking right at her.

“I’m okay,” he said.

“Of course you’re okay,” Mr Hansson said. “My apologies for the way they mistreated you. I assure you, you will be perfectly safe in one of the guesthouses from now on. I just wanted you to hear the good news first.”

The good news?

She looked at the satisfied look on the Head of the Council’s face.

“Your daughter and her mate are the newest members of the Council. And tomorrow, they will bring me five people to join my guards.”

Chapter 51

Everythingwassofuckedup.

Zeke drove Ava home, but he could see by the shell-shocked look on her face that she didn’t even know what was going on. He was still confused. When he’d felt himself fading, he’d thought for sure he was dying, and they were all screwed.

And then he’d woken up to realise they were.

Ava had been ready to give up at the mere thought that her father would be used against her. And now he was.

That bastard had made his declaration, and then they’d all filed into the waiting car and had driven off to the guest houses. He’d had to hold Ava back from following. She looked so lost and broken. He could feel the sense of loss even though her father was still alive and well.

And he would stay that way as long as they played ball.

Shit.

Surely, they had enough information now? It was time to do this, whether they were ready or not.

The guards hadn’t stopped them from getting into his car, and the ones outside his house didn’t bat an eyelid when they parked up. Maybe the news had travelled now. They were members of the fucking Council.

Shadow growled in his head at the distasteful feeling those words caused.

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