Page 113 of Fated
“I didn’t choosethis.” The words scraped Kai’s throat raw, ringing hollow in his ears even as they left his lips.
“No?”Orion’s presence surged forward, wild instinct crashing against human hesitation. “Then explain why you stand in ashes while mate slips away. Wolves don’t hesitate, Kai. Theyact.”
Kai’s fists clenched at his sides, the dull ache in his chest growing sharper as the bond with Lena twisted inside him. He didn’t need Orion to remind him of all the ways he failed—not just as an heir, but as a mate.
His control slipped, and he slammed his fist into a half-collapsed wall. Pain shot up his arm as debris rained down, the impact sending dust and ash swirling around him like accusations.
“What am I supposed to do?”The question directed as much at himself as at his wolf.
“Face her,”came Orion’s immediate response.“Stop hiding in pain.”
A piercing, restless energy vibrated beneath his skin. He needed to move. To do something—anything—to keep the surges of guilt and anger at bay. Kai shoved a broken plank of wood off to the side, the sharp splintering sound cutting through the night air. His fingers burned from the rough edges, the grit clinging to his hands as he forced himself to focus on the physical task.
The faint crunch of footsteps behind him pulled Kai out of his thoughts. He didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. The cloying, floral edge of her perfume had already given her away.
“So, this is where you’ve been hiding.” Ava’s voice sliced through the stillness, sharp as the silver that had wounded their pack.
Kai straightened, hands tightening into fists at his sides. “I’m not hiding.”
Ava laughed, a short, bitter sound that grated on Kai’s nerves. “No, of course not. You’re just out here, alone, in the dark, while everyone else is inside—whileI’minside—dealing with the aftermath of the night you walked out on.”
Kai faced her. Something darker than frustration twisted her features, arms crossed like a shield over her chest as she stepped closer. The tension radiating from her shoulders made the space between them feel electric, dangerous.
“I needed air,” he said, each word measured and flat.
“Air.” Ava repeated. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “How convenient. Because Kai, the ever-brooding future Alpha ofBloodstone, just couldn’t stomach a room full of wolves counting on him.”
The accusation hit hard, but Kai refused to let it show. He turned back to the pile of debris, crouching to pick up another broken plank. “What do you want, Ava?”
“What do I want?” Her eyebrows shot up, voice climbing with each word. “I want to know why the hell you think you can just disappear. Do you have any idea how humiliating it was, standing there alone while Darius practically crownedherin front of everyone? Did you even think about what that did to me? The damage you’ve caused?”
A muscle ticked in Kai’s jaw. The familiar pattern of the past week—her demands, his deflections, silences that stretched to breaking—threatened to repeat itself. Every day he’d swallowed the truth that sat like a stone in his throat: he wanted Lena.
“Damage?” The word came out sharper than intended. “What are you really talking about here, Ava?”
“I’ve known you since we were pups, Kai. Don’t insult us both by pretending you don’t understand.” She stepped closer, ice bleeding into her tone. “What do you think everyone thought when they saw you leave me there?I’msupposed to be the one by your side. I’m the one who’salwaysbeen by your side, and you made me look like a fool.”
“You introduced yourself to Alpha Caleb as my girlfriend,” Kai snapped, temper flaring. “You put me in an impossible position. Do you have any idea how much damageyou’vedone to Bloodstone’s standing with Crescent Fang and Moonshadow by lying about our relationship? Their trust in me isn’t a guarantee, Ava.”
Her lips curled into a bitter smile. “I was protecting you, Kai,” she said, tone syrupy and mocking. “I didn’t want Caleb and the others to think—” She paused, voice dropping to a whisper. “That you’re not taken care of because your ‘mate’ is moreinterested in politicking with the ‘favored alpha’ than standing with you.”
Kai recoiled as if struck. “Protecting me?” A snort caught in his throat. “Youembarrassedme, Ava.” His voice dropped to a low growl. “And yourself.”
“Why do you even care so much about what Caleb thinks? Is it because ofher?” Ava’s voice broke on the word, but she pressed on. “You’re so damn enchanted by your perfect fated mate that you can’t even see what she’s doing?”
Kai’s gaze darkened, shoulders squaring. “This isn’t about Lena.”
“Isn’t it?” Ava shot back. “She’s leaving tomorrow. Do you really think she gives a damn about you? About Bloodstone? Yeah, she’s helped this week, but when she leaves, it’ll be to Moonshadow.Herhome, not yours.”
“That’s enough,” Kai snarled.
She ignored him, her words spilling out in a torrent. “Do you even realize what you’re throwing away?” Her voice faltered for a moment before hardening again. “For a nobody female and an alliance with a forgotten pack?” Ava’s voice cracked with emotion, but he detected a hint of deliberate vulnerability beneath her words.
“You’re going to lose me, Kai.” She fixed him with a possessive, defiant stare. “And when she leaves you behind? You’ll have nothing.”
Her words wrapped around his guilt like a noose, tightening with each breath. He took a step closer, green eyes no longer defensive but burning with something new—the first spark of defiance.
“I’m not losing anything, Ava,” His voice was cold, though exhaustion dulled its edge. “You’re pushing, pulling,forcing...just like everyone else.” He gritted his teeth as he stepped back. “And it’s ruining whatever was left between us.”
