《Don't Leave Me, Mate (by AlisTae)》


 Chapter 1

    1


    Ava''s POV


    "Ava, leave. Go with your mother. They will kill you both."


    My father yelled at me, his eyes filling with fear as he looked at the other side of the forest. 1


    "N-No," I mumbled and sobbed. I could see him lying on the ground.


    "Little girl, always take care of your mother," he said while struggling to sit up. There was blood all over his legs. "Ang, run away with Ava. Don''t waste time," he told my mother, who was kneeling in front of him and crying loudly.


    "How can I leave you in this condition, Hector?" She cried out in a distressed tone.


    We all heard crunching sounds. 1


    We were in the middle of a war, and every wolf was fighting each other.


    "Leave. I can''t shift to protect you two because of my wounds. At least save our little child." My father said it again to my mother.


    When my mother saw that a pack of wolves was approaching us, she got to her feet, picked me up in her arms, and then started running in the opposite direction while she was carrying me.


    While running, my mother whispered in my ears with a crying voice,


    "Don''t look back."


    My arms were wrapped around her neck in a tight hug. Curiosity was killing me so


    I dared to look at what was happening there.


    I saw two wolves jump on my dad to kill him. My eyes widened. I was so shocked that I closed my eyes and let out a


    scream.


    "DAD!"


    I opened my eyes and realized I was in my bedroom.


    "I was dreaming again," I muttered, pressing my hand to my forehead.


    I sat up and took deep breaths. My entire body was drenched in sweat.


    Actually, it was not a nightmare. It was a reflection of moments from my past that I would never be able to forget.


    My father was killed in a war when I was only five years old. He was a pack fighter, but they attacked his legs before he could shift, leaving him unable to save himself.


    My mother had to run away with me from that pack and seek shelter in another pack.


    This pack''s Alpha and Luna were kind enough to let us live in their pack.


    Since then, we have been lying in the Mystic Shadow Pack


    "AVA, YOU WILL BE LATE."


    I heard my mother''s voice, shouting from downstairs.


    "YES, MOM. I''M COMING," I replied loudly so she could hear me.


    I ran to the bathroom, took a shower, and then got ready to go to my university.


    I was in my freshman year. So I did not want to be in the professor''s bad books by bing ater.


    I took a quick look at myself for a moment in the mirror. Ang, loose-fitting white dress was what I was wearing at the time. I tucked my hair back into a low ponytail. My big sses fell on my nose, so I lifted it to my eyes.


    My eyesight was perfectly fine. But I preferred to wearrge sses because I wanted to hide my emotions and my face behind them. Though the sses were transparent, they helped me disguise my sentiments.


    Because I did not want to draw attention to myself, I never put on any makeup. For the same reason, I preferred to dress in simple, long, loose clothing.


    People referred to me as a "nerd" because of my high grades and appearance.


    Or maybe I was really a nerd. I decided to take it as apliment. This tag also caused me to deal with some bullying when I was in middle school.


    I went downstairs and hugged my mother. We had breakfast together. She was the only one in my life. I wanted to study hard and establish myself so that I could give her a happy life.


    "Ava"


    I looked at my mother. "Yes, Mom?"


    with


    "You will turn eighteen next week. You''ll find your mate soon. Before that, I want you not to mess up someone else. You already know how we got into this pack. You are an omega. We don''t have a male member in our family to protect you, my dear."


    I stared at my mother''s worried face. She was concerned about my safety because this pack was full of Alphas.


    "Don''t worry, Mom. You have my word that I will not mess up with anyone and cause any trouble for myself. I will keep my promise. I always avoid grabbing attention."


    ¡°My child, I long for the day when you finally find your mate. He will ept you, and I will be able to die peacefully.''


    I quickly got out of my chair and rushed over to give her a hug. "Mom, don''t say that, please."


    She never married again and dedicated her entire life to me. I could not bear to see her in pain.


    After reassuring my mother, I left my house. I went to the bus stop and got on


    one.


    It took me twenty minutes to get to my university.


    The letters were written in an italicized, bold font.


    ''Mystic Shadow University''


    I started walking in the direction of the department''s building. My eyes wandered around as I walked past the students. It was the best university in our pack. It was only possible for wealthy kids to enroll in this university.


    However, I was fortunate enough to receive a schrship and gain admission to this university.


    I could see girls looking at me with disgust.


    A girl walked past me, not forgetting to push my shoulder.


    "Bloody nerd."


    I heard her, lowered my head, and walked directly to my ss.


    My friend Abigail waved at me. I sat beside her. I only have three friends. Abigail was the closest one. We had the same schedule, so we could spend more time together.


    When the professor entered the ssroom, the lesson began. I tried to concentrate but was distracted by gossipy girls whispering behind our backs.


    "Have you seenn today?" A girl asked another.


    "No, what have I missed? Don''t tell me he took off his shirt to show off his hot abs and I missed it."


    "I''m going to die just thinking about it. But no. I heard his friends mention about Luke''s party."


    "Omg! I can''t miss it then.".


    I stared at the projector, but my thoughts were focused on their gossip.


    They were talking about the hottest boy at our university.


    He was none other thann Dawson.


    He was our head Alpha''s only son. But he was not like his father, who was very strict about rules and regtions. He was theplete opposite-a troublemaker.


    He was a bad boy that every boy feared, and a yboy that every girl desired to


    be with.


    "Ian Dawson never dates. He only believes in one-night stands," my best friend, Abigail, muttered from my left


    side.


    I turned my head toward her. She smirked at me and said,


    "You innocent girl, don''t listen to this gossip."


    "I was just-"


    "Babe, I know you really well. But let me tell you something. He is waiting for his


    mate. That''s why he doesn''t date. These are his own words," she whispered to


    me.


    I turned my attention away from her and tried to concentrate on the ss instead of responding to her.


    But I could not lie to my heart. I did not know why but whenever I saw that boy, I felt my heartbeat turn faster.


    After the ss, Abigail and I took a leisurely stroll to the locker room. During that time, I received a text message from my friend Luke.


    He was the only boy who was my friend. It was because he never bullied me.


    "Who texted you?" Abigail asked.


    "Luke. He is calling us to the basketball court."


    "You go first. I''ming in ten minutes. I have some work"


    "Okay."


    Texited the building and made my way to the basketball court, which was quite a


    distance away.


    When I arrived, there were many boys leaving the court. They had just finished


    their practice.


    "Hey, Nerdy." A boy teased me andughed.


    I lowered my head, trying to avoid him. I could hear some whistles, too. I felt that it


    was a bad decision toe here alone.


    Though there were many girls there, they only picked on me,


    I started to walk fast while looking at the ground..


    But suddenly, my head bumped into a hard chest.


    My gaze was drawn to the person''s ck shorts, which exposed his strong thighs.


    I shifted my gaze, which led me to the tank top, revealing his tattooed hands.


    He possessed the most wless physique.


    I slowly raised my head, and my eyes froze on his face.


    He had a pair of thick brows, dark hair that was wet, dark eyes that were


    mysterious, a piercing in his eyebrow, and a perfectly defined jawline.


    There was a scream of dangering from him.


    I should run away from him. Everyone imed he was the only hazard capable of


    killing anyone alive.


    However, my heart wanted something else. It started to beat faster, like a marathon. I stared at his face. He was without a doubt the most handsome boy I


    had ever seen.


    As soon as I noticed a frown forming between his brows, I felt myself returning to


    my senses.


    He looked fierce, which made me take a step back in fear.


    I could not help but stutter.


    "I-I am sorry,n."

 Chapter 2

    2


    He looked at me with a frown, but then he nodded his head


    "Whatever," he muttered in a deep voice as he walked past me.


    When he walked away from me, I closed my eyes, remembering his attractive cologne. I realized it was the first time we had spoken.


    "Hey, Nerdy. Why are you alone? Did you think any of us would count you as a beautiful lonely girl?" A boy paused and said to me.


    I did not argue with him; in fact, I never argued with anyone because I was afraid that if I did, they would bully me or lie about me to the dean, causing problems for my mother. Except for my three well-wishers, I tried to avoid interacting with others.


    "Robin, stop it ande on. We don''t have time for your nonsense,"n spoke up from a little distance from me.


    I turned my head toward him. He was looking at the boy who was standing beside me.


    That boy named Robin walked to him and said,


    "You should not have stopped me. I was making fun of that nerd."


    "Still no time for your nonsense,"n said as he walked ahead, running his fingers through his wet locks.


    "Why didn save this girl?" I heard whispers from the girls around me.


    I stared atn''s back until he went another way and disappeared from my sight.


    "AVA"


    I turned around and saw Luke waving at me, so I went over to him.


    He was a top student in his third year, the same year asn.


    "I was waiting for you," Luke said, holding a sports bag over his shoulder.


    Luke was the basketball captain ofn''s opposing team, ''Red mor''. Ian was the captain of the team ''ck Diamonds''.


    "I ran into someone and ended up beingte," I replied.


    "You mentioned that you needed my help with statistics."


    "Oh yeah."


    "Let''s go to the library."


    "Good idea. I''m telling Abigail to get there."


    "Okay."


    Together, we made our way to the library. That was how we met a few months ago.


    He was a top student, and I was trying to solve math problems. He assisted me and offered to help me study. Following that, he met my friends, and we


    all grew close. But he also had other friends.


    We went to the library and started our study.


    Later on, Abigail joined us. Besides her, there was Debra, my other friend.


    She was a very sweet girl. She was


    2


    fashionable and trendy.


    "I am throwing a good party tonight," Luke spoke out.


    "Where?" Debra asked.


    "In my guest house."


    "Okay, that''s good news."


    Luke turned to me and said,


    "You have toe tonight."


    I was stunned. "What? But you know I can''te to any parties."


    "Why not? I will talk to Aunt Ang."


    "No, no. She will not allow me. By the way, I don''t want to go there eithe-."


    Abigail interrupted our conversation and assured, "Luke, I will bring her there."


    Later they persuaded me to go to the party.


    In the evening,


    Abigail came to my house.


    My ck t-shirt and my baggy blue jeans were flexible enough to cover up my body type.


    "Please wear something nice, Babe. I mean, these are not bad, but you should wear some party dresses," Abigail said, starting to check my closet.


    She turned her head with disappointment. "Not a single dress to wear at parties," she said.


    "I told you all. Parties are not my thing. I should not go there."


    "Wait, no! I didn''t mean it. You are my best friend. I was just saying this because I wanted to give you a hot look. Forget about my words. You look good."


    I chuckled at her panic reaction. I pulled all of my hair toward the back of my head in a low ponytail.


    I pulled out two thick hair stands to cover my face. I reached for my sses and put them on.


    "Do you know how beautiful you are? Why are you hiding yourself like this?" Abigail asked.


    I turned around and smiled at her. "This is not called hiding myself. This is me."


    Abigail removed her long ck coat and offered it to me.


    "Wear it."


    "No, there is no need for it," I said, admiring her hot purple dress, which fit her body perfectly.


    She wrapped her coat around me. "This is just a coat. You have to wear it. You will get a cold."


    After putting on the coat, I looked at myself in the mirror.


    "What about you?" I asked her.


    "I don''t need it anyway." She winked.


    2


    4


    After leaving my house, we got into her car. She was rich enough to have


    her own car. Her father was a sessful businessman, so buying an


    expensive car for his daughter was nothing to him.


    However, Abigail never treated me arrogantly.


    As I leaned against the seat, I looked outside the window.


    After about an hour, we arrived at Luke''s guesthouse, I hotel arge number


    of cars parked outside.


    As soon as I entered the house, I was greeted by thick smoke and loud music from the moment.


    As Abigail and I made our way through the crowd of people I grasped her hand tightly.


    The entire house was transformed into a nightclub. Here and there, people were drinking beer in red cups; some


    of them were even holding bottles. Some boys and girls were talking and moving their legs to music.


    "Ava, Abigail."


    *


    Debra rushed over to us when she noticed us. She looked pretty and gorgeous, as always.


    She hugged Abigail, then me. "I am so d you havee. must say that Abigail works some real magic. How did she handle your mother?"


    "My mom wasn''t at home," I said.


    "Shit! You shouldn''t have said it. They might think I am a genius," Abigail uttered.


    Weughed together.


    "Let''s go to Luke. He must be at the poolside," Abigail said to me.


    We made our way to the poolside, with Abigail leading the way because she had been here three times before.


    "There he is!" Abigail said this when she found Luke when we arrived at the


    poolside.


    Luke was talking with a group of boys. Abigail walked up to him. I was trailing her behind. But something caught my eye, and my steps came to a


    halt.


    I noticed that some boys and girls were cheering for something.


    When I turned around, I saw a boy wearing a ck blindfold.


    It wasn Dawson!


    He was in ck jeans and a sleeveless ck jacket, revealing his tattoos.


    His jacket''s half-chain was unzipped. He was not wearing a t-shirt inside, which gave him an extremely hot appearance.


    The girls were giggling as he moved around, walking closer to them so he could catch them at any time.


    It looked like he was ying blind man''s buff with the girls. His friends were drinking while having fun with the game as if it were a dare for him to catch a specific girl.


    My eyes widened when I saw he wasing in my direction. I took a few steps back. However, he kepting toward me.


    I turned around when he was almost there. But before I could move to the


    other side, a hand grabbed my wrist and drew me to a firm chest.


    Everyone became silent around us.


    I was shocked by the closeness. His touch inade my whole body freeze.


    He chuckled and bit his lower lip as if he could hear my rap heartbeat.


    His lips caught my attention. He had a mole in the center of his lower lip. It


    struck me as the world''s most beautiful sight. 1


    He slowly lifted his hands and took off his blindfold.


    But the moment the ck cloth was removed from his eyes his smile faded.


    "You!"

 Chapter 3

    3


    A roar ofughter erupted from everyone. He red at the other people, signaling for them to be quiet, and they did obey hismand.


    "I-I did not mean to get in your way. But-"


    After his gaze had returned to me, I paused for a moment. Because of his dark eyes, I was unable to move or speak because I was so captivated by them.


    "What exactly are you doing here?" He questioned me with gritted teeth.


    His question astonished me. Before I could answer his question, another voice rang out.


    "I invited her. She is my friend."


    I turned around and noticed Luke. I felt rxed when he came to my rescue. Abigail was alongside him. He came up to me and held my hand.


    "Are you okay?" Luke asked me.


    Without uttering a single word, I simply nodded my head.


    "When did you start making friends with nerds?"n asked with a careless tone.


    I felt hurt by his question. I lowered my head, trying to conceal my emotions behind my sses.


    "Don''t speak about her like this,n. She had done nothing to you. Stop picking on her unnecessarily."


    "Excuse me? Did you say I was picking on her? Like, seriously? Don''t I have anything else to do in my life?"


    "Ian, leave it. Let''s drink," his best friend, Ronald Sce, said to him. 3


    "Yeah, it''s better if we continue the party. I have no intention of arguing either." Luke let out a sigh while gazing


    atn.


    He rolled his eyes and turned around to rejoin his friends.


    Luke turned to me, saying,


    "I am so sorry."


    I raised my head to look at him. "For what?"


    "You almost got lost at the party. I should have weed you from the outside."


    "No, it''s okay."


    "You came to my party and received a lot of attention, which you did not want. It''s my fault."


    I looked around at the other people who were still looking at me with judgmental eyes.


    I told Luke that he did not need to be concerned about me. He then introduced me and Abigail to some of his friends.


    His friends were decent, just like him. They were kind people. They did not judge me based on my looks or appearance.


    Abigail wanted to dance, while Luke was chatting with his friends. So I went to sit on a couch near them. Abigail tried to persuade me to go with her. But I had enough for the day. I had no desire to receive any further attention. Therefore, I did not agree to apany her. 1


    My eyes traveled all the way around the surface of the pool. My eyes fell onn once again. I had no idea why my eyes were always drawn to this bad boy.,


    What was the feeling all about?


    I was not the type of girl who could get involved with a bad boy. I was not like the other girls he had slept with. He always spent the night with girls who eagerly wanted to be yed by him. As if the girls would gain a reputation for warming his bed.


    I noticed he was looking at a girl while sipping on his drink. My focus shifted to the girl. My eyes nearly popped out when I saw her strip off her dress and reveal her white bikini, exposing her almost naked body to seducen.


    Everyone started to cheer for her. She winked atn and dove into the pool. A few minutester, some other girls joined her in the pool.


    For some unknown reason, my heart ached.

 Chapter 4

    4


    1 averted my gaze from Jan.


    The white bikini girl emerged from the swimming pool. She picked up a ck bathrobe and tied it. She approachedn, kissed his check, and said something into His ear. He nodded at her with an indifferent face, showing that she was not so important to him but only a girl for tonight. The girl exited the pool area and went indoors.


    I was shocked by these types of girls. How could Uiey sleep with him? Why did they do that? When they clearly knew that he would never make them, then why?


    All of these girls were from well-known families. In fact, their parents knew about this, but they never stopped them. They were waiting to entangle their daughters'' lives with the Alpha''s only son. What if he preferred one of them for his future Luna?


    I pushed all of my thoughts aside and got up from the couch. I should not be thinking too much. It would be better for me to stay as far away fromn as possible.


    "Where are you going?" Luke asked me. He was holding two sses in his hands.


    I assumed he hade to give me some time. He offered me one of the sses.


    "I need to use the washroom," I told him.


    "Oh. Then let me lead the way." He stated this while extending his hand forward.


    "Luke, where are you going?" One of his friends questioned him.


    I nced at his friends and then at Luke. "You can tell me the direction. I can go on my own."


    "No, I can''t trust others."


    "I promise, I''ll be fine."


    I insisted. I was not the type of kid who needed a guardian outside to keep me safe.


    He gave me the direction. I exited the poolside and entered the living room. I proceeded to walk in the direction. that Luke had instructed me to go.


    My eyes were drawn to the stairs as I made my way past the crowd. Luke suggested that I use the restroom, which was located on the upper floor.


    But I decided not to do so when I noticed a couple kissing on the stairs.


    I asked a girl about the washroom downstairs. She gave me a look but said it was in the right corner.


    As I stepped there, a tall boy bumped into me, causing the liquid to run through my hair. I soon realized that it was beer. I had beer all over my hair, and it waspletely soaked.


    "You should have watched out," the boy told me.


    I ignored him and proceeded to the right corner. I was startled when I noticed the entire corner was dark.


    "Did that girl give me the right direction?" I mumbled as I moved towards a door.


    I opened it, and luckily it was a washroom. I looked in the mirror and saw my wet, beer-soaked hair.


    I quickly washed my hair in a sink before using the washroom.


    7


    Before leaving the washroom, 1 took off my sses and put them in my bag. I washed my face because it felt stinky from the beer drops that had rolled down it.


    I walked out of the washroom, running my fingers through my hair. When I closed the washroom''s door, once again the wholeer turned dark.


    I took slow steps toward the direction I hade from. A bi off in the


    distance, I could see colorful smoke.


    I began to stride, but I gasped aloud when someone caught my hand in the darkness.


    I felt a pull and then found myself pressed against a wall.


    I could not see the person in the dark, but I could see the silhouette of a boy.


    "What took you so long toe out? Were you ying with yourself?". Hearing the deep voice, my eyes widened.


    It wasn!


    He got close to me and sniffed. "Why do you smell so different right now? What kind of fragrance did you wear? "I liked it," he said, moving his face closer to my neck.


    I was so shocked at that moment that I could not let out a single word.


    The tip of his nose came into contact with my neck, and he slowly rubbed it against my skin. My chest tightened up. My breath hitched.


    "Fuck! You smell so good."


    I could feel his body pressing up against mine and his hands encircling my waist.


    I could feel his warm breath against my cheek. I did not know what was happening. Why did he approach me and grab me like this?


    But before I could say anything, my eyes widened in the darkness as I felt a pair of warm lips brush against mine.


    He did not give me a chance to understand anything before smashing his lips against mine. 1


    5

 Chapter 5

    5


    I was so shocked that my entire body froze. His lips felt electrifying against my lips. I shut my eyes when I started to feel a different sensation.


    His hand lifted to my wet hair, tucking it behind my left ear before deepening the kiss.


    When I realized what was happening, I tried to push on his chest with my hands. But he grabbed my wrists with one hand and locked them behind my back.


    He broke the kiss and touched my lips with his fingertips.


    "Why do these lips feel like they are virgin lips? Why are you ying hard to get with me? Didn''t they tell you that I like rough?"


    I had no idea what he was talking about. Of course, it was my first kiss, which he stole away from me.


    Before I could stop him, he buried his face in my neck.


    "What''s with this smell? I''m warning you. Don''t y any tricks with me. It will be just one night."


    I was stunned by his words. I felt tears well up in my eyes.


    ''One night? Is he thinking that I am one of those girls? No, I don''t want to be one of them.''


    "Leave me...ahhh!"


    I was trying to mumble in a lower tone, but I ended up letting out a moan when he kissed and sucked my neck.


    "If you moan again, I will take you right here, right now," he said with a deep voice.


    I was startled. He was so close to me, and I had never been this close to any other boy before.


    Surprisingly, my heart began to beat rapidly again, as it did every time I saw


    him.


    He began to run his hands over my long coat, as if looking for something.


    "Where''s the rope?" He asked as he moved his face to mine. "W-Wha-"


    "IAN, WHERE ARE YOU?"


    Ronald''s voice echoed in the corner.


    "Such bad timing!"


    I stared at his silhouette with wide eyes and had no idea what to do.


    "We will continueter," he said to me before returning to the party.


    When he walked away, I looked behind him. I slowly touched my lips, and they trembled.


    "What just happened?"


    I heard the ringtone of my phone. I took out my phone from my bag and noticed it was Abigail''s call.


    "H-Hello?"


    "Hey! Where are you? We have been searching for you."


    "I am close to the washroom. Ummm..downstairs."


    "Wait, what are you doing there? Didn''t Luke tell you to use the washroom upstairs?"


    "I got lost." I lied to her.


    "Okay, wait there. I aming."


    "Okay."


    I was an idiot. I could have used my phone''s shlight when I got out of the restroom.


    I took out my sses and put them on before stepping out of the corner. I noticed Abigail and Lukeing my


    way.


    "We were so worried about you," Luke said to me.


    "I''m sorry, guys." I apologized to them.


    ''I recalled what had happened there. I gulped and lowered my head to hide


    my face with my hair.


    "Are you okay?" Abigail asked me when she tried to observe me."


    "Y-Yeah. I want to go back home."


    Luke sighed and nodded his head. "You came today. That''s enough for me. Let me drive you home."


    I shook my head. "No, it''s your party. How can you leave?"


    "Then I will drop you off at home, as I promised," Abigail said.


    "No, I can go back alone. I don''t want any of you to leave this party for me. I''ll be upset."


    "Then I will tell my driver to take you home. Is that okay with you?" Luke asked.


    I thought about it for a moment before giving him a nod.


    I was about to take off the coat Abigail had given me. But she said she would take it back from me tomorrow. So I agreed and decided to leave Luke''s guest house.


    While walking to the main door, my gaze kept wandering around the entire house. I scolded myself for searching for the person.


    I ran into Debra on the way. She was still with the new guy. She hugged me and told me to go home safely. I stepped out of the house and noticed Luke''s driver waiting for me outside the car. He held the back door open for


    1. me.


    I walked up to Luke''s car, but something caught my attention, and I paused.


    Something pierced my heart as I looked to the left. Ian was kissing that white bikini girl. She had changed into a sexy dress. They were leaning againstn''s car.


    I was staring at him. He did not take time to change girls. He was kissing me


    a while back and was now kissing another girl.


    Suddenly, his eyes fell on me. I expected him to react, but instead he


    ignored me and continued kissing the girl as if I were invisible.


    "Miss," Luke''s driver called me.


    I turned away fromn and quickly got into the car. As soon as the driver


    shut the door, tears streamed down my face.


    I peered through the car window atn. I was ashamed of myself.


    Why did I let him kiss me? Why did I feel that way? Why did my heart race whenever he was close to me?


    ''Why do I even feel this way for him when we don''t even know each other?'' I asked my heart, closed my eyes, and pressed my head back against the


    seat.


    The driver started the car. My mind kept reying everything over and over.


    It was not a lie that my heart desired him.


    I knew he was a bad boy, the most dangerous Alpha in my pack who would be the head Alpha very soon. He did not have an interest in love or affection. He only believed in matebond, so he was simply using other girls to satisfy his desire until he found his mate.


    I wondered who would be his mate. Would he treat her really well? No one had ever seen him behaving softly with any girl. Would he love that girl?


    What about me? Who was my mate? Did I cheat my mate by letting another boy kiss me? Wasn''t it wrong to feel like this for someone else?


    I opened my eyes and gazed at the sky. I could not help but think, ''Where are you, Mate?''

 Chapter 6

    6


    It''s been one week since I attended Luke''s party.


    That night, I cried for no reason. I asked myself why I started to feel something for a boy who did not even have any idea about my feelings.


    I could not forget his kiss and his closeness. Abigail hade to pick me up from my house the next day. She noticed a hickey on my neck and looked shocked. When I told her everything, she became very angry with fan.


    But I asked her for a promise. I told her not to talk to anyone about it, not even Luke or Debra. She at first did not agree with it since he wanted to teach a lesson ton, butter I insisted, and she had no choice but to agree. She even helped me cover the hickey with makeup.


    "Where are you lost, Ava?"


    I heard my mother, and I looked at her. We were eating breakfast together. "Nothing, Mom."


    "Are you sure? I have been observing you all week. You look a little lost to me. Is everything alright?"


    "Yeah, Mom. I am fine. Don''t worry."


    My mother gave me a smile and a nod. I stared at my mother for a long time. She appeared very happy today.


    It was because I was turning eighteen tomorrow. She was more excited than


    me.


    Everything was going to change tomorrow. I would find my mate.


    I was afraid of who it would be.


    Because whenever I closed my eyes, I saw someone I should not have thought of.


    Throughout the week, he ignored me as if I were invisible. It was true that I also wanted that. I wanted to be away from him. But what he did that night was something I could never forget. How could he forget that so easily?


    He did not evene to exin or apologize to me for what he did. (1)


    Overall, my mind waspletely messed up.


    After breakfast, my mother left for the hospital, and I went to my bedroom. I decided not to go to the university today. I wanted to stay at home alone. Even though I knew I had a few assignments toplete today, I did not want to go. I was upset for no reason.


    I spent the whole day watching dramas. My friends called to inquire why I did not attend any sses. I said that I was not feeling well, and that was why. I didn''t tell them about my birthday. My mother would never let me host a party like them or invite them to my house.


    My mother returned at night and made dinner for us. I helped her in the kitchen. We talked about some memories andughed. She brightened my mood without my knowing it.


    I just loved my mother. What a strong woman she was! Why could I not be just like her? I was not strong, not at least, emotionally.


    After ate dinner, I hugged my mother and said goodnight before retiring to my room.


    An hourter, just as I was ready to head to bed, there was a knock on the door..


    I opened the door and was stunned.


    "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"


    To my surprise, Abigail and Debra were holding a gorgeous chocte cake together. Luke was standing behind them with a bouquet of flowers. My gaze moved to the mother behind them all. She smiled at me and nodded.


    My eyes turned teary. This was the first time my mother had allowed my friends to surprise me like this. Now I understand why she always told me, ''When you''ll turn eighteen, you''ll get your mate. I''ll never stop you from doing anything from then on.''


    Abigail and Debra ced the cake on the bed, hugged me, and wished me a happy birthday. Luke gave me flower bouquet and hugged me. I cast a nce at my mother.


    She raised her eyebrows. I chuckled, shook my head, and mouthed,


    "Just a friend."


    She nodded her head in response.


    "Thank you." I told my friends and walked to my mother. I embraced her and sobbed.


    She patted me on the back. "Come on. Let''s cut the cake."


    the


    I blew out the candles, praying that all of my mother''s wishes woulde true. I promised myself that I would be loyal to my mate and would not think about anyone else.


    I cut the cake and fed everyone.


    My friends stayed until one at night. My mother preparedte-night snacks for them, and we all had a great time enjoying my little birthday celebrations.


    I went out to say goodbye to my friends as they were leaving the house.


    "You are so beautiful without sses and with open hair. You lookpletely different. Why don''t you go out like this?¡± Luke asked while looking at me.


    I was stunned. I realized I was wearing my long pajamas. I did not have my sses on, and my hair was down, too. "Actually, my eyesight is fine. I use it outside because I am allergic to dust."


    "What are you saying? Your mom is a doctor. Ask her to rmend some eye drops for you," Abigail said from behind Luke and winked at me.


    "Yeah, she''s right." Debra joined the conversation.


    "I''ll tell herter." I muttered to them.


    They all got into Luke''s car and left. Luke promised them to drop them off.


    I went inside my house and hugged my mother again. We gossiped for another hour. She said she was eager to see her future son-inw. She expected me to settle down with my mate within two to three years. Iughed as I saw her eyes light up with excitement while talking about it. Her words captivated my heart.


    "Your mate will love you and fight for you with the entire world, Ava." The next day,


    I walked upte in the morning to get ready for university. missed my sses yesterday, so I was afraid of missing my sses today.


    I left my house after giving my mother a kiss on the check said I would have


    my breakfast at my university.


    When I arrived at the university, I started feeling strange. I was feeling anxious.


    I had no idea why I was feeling so weird. I walked into the lobby. People were casting derisive nces at me. I could see a few students who were like me, busy with their studies while looking at their books.


    I got a text from Abigail saying that she was in the ss. So hurried to the locker room to retrieve my books.


    But before I could open my locker, my hands stopped in the middle. I caught


    a whiff of something addictive. It smelled like rain, as if it were raining outside.


    At that moment, I heard a loud growl.


    I turned around and gasped when I realized who was standing near me.


    His glowing red eyes met mine. My wolf began to jump inside with joy.


    My wolf started to chant the same word again and again.


    My lips quivered as I looked intoi hs eyes. My voice came out in a low whisper.


    n? M-Mate!"

 Chapter 7

    7


    I was confused at the beginning about the unknown feeling had for fan. But


    now I could understand that it was because he was my mate.


    We were bonded by fate. It was fated that I would fall for him.


    My wolf was delighted to have found her mate. I felt the heaviness in my heart that had been building up over the past few months vanish.


    It was always him.


    I was relieved that it was him. Because I was in love with him without even knowing that he was my mate.


    However, the mate he had been waiting for was actually me. It was as if I were dreaming.


    On the other hand,


    I took a deep breath before stepping toward him. He was a little distant from me. I nced around us. Other boys and girls were staring at us in surprise.


    I assumed they had only heardn''s loud growl and not my whisper.


    I came to a stop in front ofn and shifted my gaze to him.


    "In. You are my mat-."


    "SHUT UP!"


    I flinched at his loud and harsh tone. Everyone behind him gasped in terror.


    He grabbed my arm tightly and drew me close to him. He red at me and muttered in a low voice so that the others could not hear us.


    "What did you think? I am pleased to have found you as my mate?"


    "B-Butn, it''s our fate," I mumbled in reply.


    He scoffed at me. "Fate? You are right. Fate. I fuck this fate.".


    The way he spoke and behaved caused tears to scramble in the corners of my eyes.


    I blinked, and tears rolled down my cheeks.


    "Why are you crying? Are you trying to y the sympathy card in front of everyone? Don''t try to talk about this nonsense to anyone else; otherwise, they will only make fun of you."


    "W-Why are you saying this?"


    He let go of my arm and turned around to the crowd. He looked at everyone and asked,


    "Ladies and gentlemen, this girl over here wants to be with me. I mean, like, forever. What are your thoughts about it?"


    I lowered my head to hide my tears from others.


    Everyone was shocked when they heard him, but then they burst outughing.


    People started to talk about me loudly.


    "She is Ava Adler! What a shameless shit! How could an ugly girl like her want to be with Alphan?"


    "Oh, hell no. He said forever. Does that mean this little bitch wants to be our Luna?"


    "Take a look at yourself, nerd. You are a disgusting girl."


    "She doesn''t even have a ss, and she wishes to be with the future Alpha,


    the hottest boy in this pack? What an idiot!"


    I tightened my fists while staring at the floor.


    My mate had just made fun of me in front of the whole university.


    How was I supposed to feel right now? My whole body started to feel numb.


    I felt like I was going to copse on the ground. The humiliation was too much for me. All of my life, I wanted to run away from attention but ended up being a nerd. People used it against me, and now my own mate had made me the center of attention, or, I should say, the center of humiliation.n turned to me and asked,


    "Did you hear them? I hope you got your answer."


    I did not raise my head to look at him. When he noticed I was silent, he turned around and walked toward the crowd.


    People moved away to make way for him to go out. He left the locker area, leaving me alone to let them insult me


    more.


    I felt a hand grab my hand and pull me harshly. "You whore How dare you offend him? He had never done this before. You want to stay with him forever? He even turned down the most beautiful girls in our pack for his mate Only his mate can be his Luna, and you are a dirty bitch who does not even have the qualities to date a handsome guy, asking him to be with you forever?"


    It was our pack''s beta''s daughter, Nova, who had just spoken out.


    I did not respond to her. My whole world turned upside down.


    She frowned at me and raised her hand to p me. But someone grabbed her hand.


    I raised my chin and noticed Debra ring at Nova.


    "How dare you bully me, friend?" Debra yelled and hurled Nova''s hand away.


    "Ask your friend about what she did today. She is dreaming of bing the Luna of this pack," Nova said.


    Debra turned her head toward me. To keep my sobs under control, I bit my bottom lip.


    "What is she talking about, Ava?" Debra asked with confusion.


    I rushed to the crowd and pushed them away from me.


    I could hear Debra calling me from behind, but I was not in a condition to


    hear anything.


    All I wanted to know was the answer. Why did he do that to me?


    I wiped my tears and turned my head left and right, looking for the man who


    had mercilessly shattered my heart.


    "Where isn?" I asked a girl.


    She looked bewildered by a face that had turned red from crying


    "I saw him going to the rooftop. Why?" Another girl said.


    "N-Nothing," I replied and shook my head.


    I dashed to the stairs and climbed them to reach the roof.


    I noticed that the door to the rooftop was slightly open. I went inside, and I


    saw him.


    He was gripping the railing tightly while looking down.


    I closed the door behind me and asked him,


    "Why did you do that?"


    He turned around and red at me.


    "You dared toe to me?"


    "I want an answer,n. Why did you humiliate me like that? What have I


    done wrong to you? What was my fault?"


    His eyes turned gloomy. His face appeared to be more fierce. His furious expression startled me. He started to ''walk toward me. His move caught me off guard.


    I looked into his eyes. People always said that he was desperately waiting for his mate. He never dated because of her. He would give all of him to her.


    But why was I seeing only hatred in his eyes?


    He stopped in front of me and grabbed my chin.


    "A nerd like you can''t be my mate."


    His words sank deep into my heart. So what if I was a nerd who was not ssy like other girls? Was that really an issue to dislike your mate? How could he say that?


    "You are nothing like the girl I want. You deserve a nerdy boy as your mate, not a big bad wolf like me. I can not even think of you in that way," he said before releasing my chin.


    I took a step back. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair in


    rage.


    "How can my fate make fun of me? How can it choose you for me?" He asked while pointing his finger at me.


    I could not stop my tears anymore. They gushed out with his each statement.


    I recalled my mother''s words. She stated that my mate would love and protect me. But how could my mate act like this with me?


    "It is not just about your face or appearance; it is also about your rank. A


    weak omega who can''t even protect herself can''t stand with me."


    "I-I thought you saved me when they were trying to bully me," I said,


    recalling the day he stopped the boy outside the basketball court.


    "Yeah, I only showed sympathy that day. But by just that, did you think I was interested in you?" 1


    How could a girl hear such things from the man she loved?


    I remembered the night he kissed me in the dark, but I did not let out anything about it because he would only get another chance to insult me. He might have forgotten about it already.


    He believed I did not deserve him.


    7


    He may have imagined his mate to be the most beautiful girl in his pack,


    with a high rank to fight in the war and the potential to be his Luna.


    I failed to meet his expectations.


    I wanted to tell him that it was not my fault that I was an omega; it was not


    my fault that I was not as attractive as other girls; and it was not my fault that I fell for him.


    But before I could express myself, he did something that destroyed my lifepletely.


    "I, Alphan Dawson, reject you, Omega Ava Adler, as my mate."

 Chapter 8

    Tan''s POV


    I had been frustrated since early this morning. Something had happened to my wolf. He was reacting quite differently these days. It beganst week when I went to Luke''s party.


    That night, I kissed a girl who I thought was Lara. But I was wrong. It was not her, but someone else.


    During the whole party, Lara tried to seduce me. She even jumped into the pool in her white bikini. She approached me after exiting the pool and told me that she would be waiting for me near the washroom.


    So I went thereter and grabbed a girl''s hand. I mistook her for Lara. She had a different scent. I smelled her scent only as I got closer to her neck. It was so alluring that could not help but rub my nose against her neck. I had kissed her, despite her attempts to push me away. I could sense that her body desired me.


    Later, when I kissed Lara outside while leaning against my car, I did not feel the same. I learned that Lara went to the restroom, which was upstairs. She said she was waiting for me in a room nearby.


    That night, I regretted leaving the unknown girl in thater. Her lips felt like that was her first kiss. She was so fragile in my arms. I wanted to hold her in my arms again.


    After that night, whenever I got close to someone, I remembered that night.


    "Bro, I was calling you. Why didn''t you receive my calls?" My friend Cyrus asked as he approached me when I got out of my car.


    I sighed and shook my head. "I didn''t realize it."


    In truth, I was lost in thoughts while driving. My eyes were on the road, but my mind was on that unknown girl.


    "They are on the way. Shall we go to the cafe together?" Cyrus asked. He was not only my friend, but also the future Theta.


    I was about to agree with him when I felt a scent in my nostrils.


    "You go. I''ll join youter."


    "Okay."


    He left, and I started to search for the owner of the scent.


    It had the scent of something very sweet. It was sopelling that I was


    almost drawn to it. As if it were perfume sprayed throughout the university, I could smell it wherever I went.


    I headed to the locker room and found the owner of the scent.


    When I saw her back, my wolf growled loudly.


    ''Mate. Mate. Mate''


    My wolf began chanting continuously. Students, around me froze when they heard my growl.


    But my gaze was fixed on the girl, who was my mate. For whom I had waited so long.


    I had never given another girl a chance to win my heart because I believed that a mate bond was more important than an attraction. I only wanted my mate, who would be mine. I would be her lover, boyfriend, and everything. Only she would have the right over me. 1


    People called me a yboy because I spent nights with girls and did not let them get into my heart. It was all


    because I wanted to give my heart to my mate.


    However, Destiny made a joke of me because the moment the girl turned around, I was dumbfounded.


    How could a girl like her be my mate? She had an unpleasant appearance. I could not even see her face properly because of her double battery; I meant her sses. She could not speak most of the time and stuttered instead. If people were bullying her, how could she protect the entire pack?


    I told her that she did not deserve me. I could see tears, but they did not melt me at all.


    I asked those around us if she deserved to be with me, and they began to humiliate her.


    I learned from their statements that her name was Ava Adler.


    I turned to her and told her that she had gotten her answer. Then I left the crowd and stormed up to the rooftop.


    "My fate fucked me up really bad." I muttered in a furious tone.


    Others who were passing me looked stunned by my anger. I ignored them and went to the rooftop.


    But I guess that girl wanted to be humiliated even more. Otherwise, why did she approach me again?


    I walked to her and grabbed her chin to make her look at me.


    ''A nerd like you can''t be my mate."


    I did not stop after saying that. My rage grew more and more. So I said,


    "You are nothing like the girl I want. You deserve a nerdy boy as your mate, not a big, bad wolf like me. I can not even think of you in that way."


    I meant she did not even know how to dress up properly. He needed a boy who would spend their lives in the library and talk about books and all. Not me, who enjoyed partying and drinking.


    How could someone like her be my lifepanion? She was absolutely not my type.


    I scolded her and told her that she didn''t have any looks, appearance, or rank.


    She appeared stunned, as if I had said something wrong. But then she said, "I-I thought you saved me when they tried to bully me."


    She was talking about the day she ran into me, and I stopped Robin, one of my basketball teammates, from bullying her.


    "Yeah, I only showed sympathy that day. But by just that, did you think I was interested in you?" I asked her.


    I could not believe she thought I had any interest in her.


    I used to believe in Matebond. But I could not allow fate to y with me. I could not be with someone I did not like.


    I had been waiting for my fate, and I saw what it had in store for me. I just wasted my time on it.


    I looked at her crying face. I suspected she would try to persuade me to mark her or would tell others about her being my mate, which I did not want.


    I did not want to ruin my reputation in front of others. I was going to be their Alpha soon.


    So I made the decision to reject her. My wolf was not pleased with it. He began to refuse to listen to me and attempted to take control.


    But I did not let my wolf take over.


    "I, Alphan Dawson, reject you, Omega Ava Adler, as my mate."


    I rejected her.


    I did not allow her to talk and left the rooftop.


    When I went down, my friends rushed to me. It seemed like they were looking for me.


    "We heard about what happened in the locker room." My friend Paul, the soon-to-be delta said.


    All of my friends were staring at me with questioning gazes


    "Why did you bully that girl?" My future gamma, Stephen, asked me.


    ''Bully? She is fortunate that I didn''t reject her in front of others.'' I said it in my mind.


    I ignored them and walked fast to get out of the university. They picked up


    the pace to catch up to me. Everyone around us was looking at us.


    n


    Ronald, my best friend, grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. ""What?" I roared in anger.


    "What''s wrong with you? What happened? What did she do to offend you?"


    Meanwhile, Stephen, my future Gamma, red at others around us, and everyone started to do what they were doing in fear, moving their focus away from us.


    "She is my mate," I muttered.


    "What!"


    All of my friends were shocked to hear me.


    "My mistake. Ex-mate." I scoffed while adding ''Ex''.


    Their eyes grew wider. Ronald frowned at me. "Did you just mean that you


    rejected your own mate?"


    I rolled my eyes and nodded my head.


    "You are right. I rejected her."


    "Why did you do that?""


    I did not understand why all of them were reacting so dramatically. So I


    replied furiously,


    "Because I just hate her."

 Chapter 9

    Ava''s POV


    He did not even give me the opportunity to speak, and he rejected me.


    My eyes widened with shock. He left the rooftop, leaving me alone to ept his brutal decision.


    He mmed the door behind me so loudly that I flinched and came back to my


    senses.


    My knees started to shake. I copsed on my knees. I got hurt, but the pain in my heart was more than any physical pain.


    What did fate give me? A mate who disliked me. He did not even wish to see my face. He was disgusted just thinking about me as his mate.


    He did not even take time to think about our bond and rejected me without a second thought.


    "Why? Why did this happen to me? Why don''t I deserve to be happy in my life?" I cried out loud.


    My wolf started howling inside. She was whimpering in sorrow.


    I thought about going back home. I stood up slowly with the support of a wall.


    I wanted to free myself from the pain of being heartbroken


    However, there were more things waiting for me to feel.


    All of a sudden, I felt a sharp pain in my heart. I put my right palm on my heart.


    "Aaahhh!"


    I screamed when I felt pain throughout my body, as if my bones were breaking. My wolf started to groan in agony.


    The pain I was experiencing was something I had never imagined existed. My whole body was hurting like hell.


    When I looked at my hands, I noticed red veins. Anguish enveloped me inside, and I felt like dying. I sobbed as I rubbed my veins.


    My wolf howled loudly, then went silent.


    "What''s happening to you?" I asked my wolf. But she was not responding to me. Leould feel my entire body bing numb with each passing second.


    I tried to take deep breaths, but I failed to do so. I began to feel a sense of darkness around me.


    My knees trembled and fell to the ground once again. Suddenly, everything went ck around me, and I entered thend of darkness.


    When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling. But I did not try to find out where I was.


    I kept staring at the ceiling. Tears rolled down from the corners of my eyes.


    Everything that happened before I fainted came back to me one by one.


    +26 BONUS


    I waspletely devastated by the rejection. My wolf was not responding to me from the moment I woke up. I did not know if she was well or not.


    I felt like I was lying lifeless on a bed. The rejection made me feel like I was dying,


    What could be worse for a werewolf than being rejected by their own mate?


    If it was someone else, I could at least consider it. But it was the same person I had been in love with. I always tried to stop my heart from falling for him, but it just kept eating faster for him whenever he was around me.


    He did not even take time to consider what fate had decided for him.


    I should have understood that the bad boy Alpha, Tan Dawson, who was every girl''s dream boy, could not be my mate or my lover. I did not fit in with his preferences or lifestyle. He felt embarrassed when he discovered I was his mate.


    Should Iugh at myself?


    "Ava


    I heard a voice calling my name a few times, but I failed to react to it. My mind was still stuck in rejection.


    ."Ava, are you listening to me?" Another voice called me.


    I closed my eyes, allowing my tears to flow out.


    A hand whipped my tears and patted my shoulder.


    "Ava? Please say something."


    I opened my eyes and saw two girls looking down at me.


    Abigail and Debra looked worried. They sat on the edges of the two sides of the bed.


    I looked around and found myself in a hospital bed. I was in our university''s


    infirmary. My gaze moved to the


    window. It was dark outside.


    I sat on the bed, hissing as I felt pain throughout my body.


    "Don''t move too much," Abigail said, cing the pillow behind me so I could lean against it.


    I looked at them and asked,


    "How did I get here?"


    Debra held my hand. At the time, I realized I was on an IV drip.


    "We were looking for you, but you were not anywhere. We searched every corner, and Luke discovered you unconscious on the rooftop. He carried you to our infirmary and informed us."


    "The doctors here checked on you, but they could not find any serious issues with your health. They said it might be because you were feeling weak, so they gave you an IV."


    I heard Debra and Abigail, then gave them a nod. I understood why the doctors could not find any problems with my health. It was because I was not hurt physically anywhere.


    "You are fine, Ava," Abigail assured me.


    "What about mom? She must be worried for me. You all didn''t tell her about me, right?" I asked.


    Another spike out,


    "We contacted her. She doesn''t know about all of these. We said you were with


    us, celebrating your birthday."


    I turned my head to the person who had just spoken out.


    "Luke"


    "She said she was happy that you''re enjoying it."


    I lowered my head and cried. She was the only reason for me to stay alive. "What happened to you, Ava? Tell us." Luke said that and walked to the bed. "Thank you, Luke."


    "No, we deserve to know the truth. I heard from Debra about the morning, but I want to hear from you about the whole thing."


    I stared at the bed for a while before telling them everything. I told them hown had rejected me.


    Abigail stood up slowly, in shock. She knew I likedn, so she reacted more stunned. Luke and Debra looked furious.


    "Don''t tell anyone about it. I don''t want any more drama," I begged them.


    What will you do now?" Abigail asked me.


    I did not have any answers. I turned to look out the window at the dark sky.


    ''Rejection was my fate. But I will never forgive you in my heart,n.''


    10


    00

 Chapter 10

    10


    "I want to go home."


    I let out a lower tone. My throat was hurting like hell. It was like I screamed a lot today. It became harsh and painful.


    "Don''t you think we should tell everything to your mom?" Debra asked as


    she looked at me carefully.


    "No!" I replied immediately.


    I did not want to hurt my mother. She had been waiting for my mate more than me. She wanted me to settle into my life with a mate who would protect


    me.


    Little did my mother know that my mate would be the one who would humiliate me in front of everyone.


    If I told her about the rejection, she would break downpletely. I could not see tears in her eyes.


    "Why not? She will understand you," Luke said.


    "No, guys. Please, listen to me. She will be heartbroken after learning this. There is no bond between me andn now. So talking about it to my mom would unnecessarily bother her, which I don''t want."


    "She''s right. Aunt will be upset. It can affect her health too." Abigail supported me.


    My friends agreed with me about not telling my mother about the rejection.


    Abigail called the nurse and asked her if I could leave now. The nurse instructed us to wait until the IV drip was finished. We waited twenty minutes before the nurse came to remove the can from my vein.


    I thanked her and got down from the bed with the help of my friends.


    "If you can''t walk, I can carry you to the car," Luke said.


    I was surprised by his caring nature. He was really a gentle guy. People did not call him a nerd because he was not introverted by nature, though he liked to be busy with his studies. He was fashionable and enjoyed going to parties like other boys. So theybeled him as one of them.


    "I am perfectly fine, Luke. But thanks for your concern," I told him with a warm smile.


    The nurse looked confused. "She is alright. There is no wound in her body. She was weak, but after that IV, she should be fine. You all kids, don''t have to worry too much."


    We nodded at her. She did not know about my inner situation. So she could only give advice, and I took it wholeheartedly.


    I told myself that I was totally fine.


    I came out of the infirmary and looked around my surroundings.


    We were in the dormitory area. The infirmary was close by. So the boys and girls who were walking there nced


    at us.


    Not everyone on campus was aware of what happened in the locker room. However, news spread in the air, so they heard about me.


    "Don''t give a damn about others, Ava. Let''s go," Abigail held my hand and walked to her car.


    She turned to Luke and Debra, then said,


    10


    "I''m going to drop her off.


    "We can alsoe," Debra said. She was concerned about me and wanted toe with us.


    "Sure."


    "Then I followed your car with mine," Luke proposed.


    I shook my head to deny it. "Luke, you have done a lot for me. In fact, all of you don''t need to go with me. I can take a bus. It''s alreadyte in the evening. You all should go home now."


    "Are you crazy? We are all friends. We can''t leave any of us in the middle of the way," Abigail said.


    She opened the front door of her car and motioned her hand for me to get inside.


    I sat in the front seat. Debra sat in the back seat. Abigail entered the car and started it. We made it to our house.


    I saw the lights were on outside. I understood that my mother was at home.


    I came out of Abigail''s car and turned to my friends. Luke had already reached behind us and stepped out of the car.


    "The more I thank you all, it will be less. But I can only thank you." (1)


    They ignored my words, believing it was their responsibility.


    "Should wee in?" Abigail asked.


    "I would like to call you all inside. But I believe my mother would question


    you all a lot. It would be better if I dealt with her tonight."


    "Be careful then," Luke patted my head.


    I nodded to him and the other two worried faces.


    I turned around and headed for the door. The sounds of cars speeding out


    of my house reached my ears.


    I closed my eyes and tightened my fists. I crouched down for a while, not knocking on the door.


    I could still feel the pain. From the outside, there were no wounds, but from the inside, I could feel them. everywhere.


    It was the pain of someone stabbing my heart continuously with a sharp knife. How would I make it go away? Was there any remedy?


    I heard some soundsing from inside the door. I grabbed the doorknob


    and stood up. I rang the doorbell and waited for my mother to open it.


    The door was opened, and I was greeted by a warm hug.


    "My little baby, did you enjoy your birthday?" My mother''s sweet voice rang in my ear.


    I closed my eyes as you controlled my emotions.


    How would I tell her that my mate rejected me on my birthday? He belittled me and imed that I did not deserve him. My dreams and the hope of getting a happy life had been broken. He sessfully crushed my happy heart, which jolted up just by finding him as my mate.


    "Why are you silent?" She asked, and she broke the hug.


    I smiled at her. "Mom, I love you."


    10


    She cupped my face. "I love you too, my child."


    1 embraced her once again and felt like crying again. I prevented myself


    from doing that.


    She took me inside and asked,


    "How was your day? Did you find your mate?"


    "No," I mumbled.


    "No worries. Very soon, you''ll find him. He may be desperate to meet you as


    well."


    Her remarks only made me feel worse on the inside. I held her hand and


    said,


    "Mom, I need to get some rest."


    "What about dinner?"


    "Mom, I am not hungry. Please eat alone tonight."


    My mother frowned for a moment.


    "Ava, are you okay?" she asked, looking into my eyes.


    Kaverted her gaze and turned towards the stairs. "I''m fine, mom. Just a little


    bit sleepy."


    But my legs froze when I heard her next sentence.


    "We will have to go to the pack house. Our head Alpha wants to meet you."

 Chapter 11

    I turned to my mother with a confused look. What did she mean by saying


    we were going to the pack house? Why would we go there?


    "But why, Mom?"


    "What why, Ava? He is our head Alpha. He can call us anytime."


    "But, Mom. There must be a reason. I''ve never gone there before," I replied to my mother.


    Actually, I had no problem with going there. But that wasn''s house. How could I go there? I did not want to see him again.


    My mother held my hand and said,


    "Years ago, when I ran away from our old pack, I came here to take shelter. Luna Carolina was very sick at the time. When I went to ask for help from Alpha Martin, I noticed Luna and identified the symptoms of her illness. It was not an easy disease to treat, so I promised them that I would treat her. In return, he promised me to let me and you stay in their pack as their pack members. It took me four years to cure Luna Carolina. We did not stay in contact afterward. However, I ran into Luna Carolina today at the pack hospital. When I returned home, I received a call from Alpha Martin. He invited us to the pack house next week."


    I carefully listened to my mother. So our stay in this pack was a give-and- take deal. But, anyway, if Alpha and Luna had not helped my mother at the time, where would she have gone? She was young, only twenty-five at the time. For that, I was grateful to Alpha Martin and Luna Carolina. I should thank them as well.


    "Okay, Mom."


    The whole night, I thought aboutn and his rejection. No matter how much I tried to forget that moment, I could not just remove it from my mind.


    "I will always stay away from you," I muttered while staring at a nk wall while lying on my bed.


    I wanted tough at myself. How hrious my fate was! My mate rejected me, and I could not even share my pain with anyone.


    He was the future Alpha of this pack, so powerful that even I started to doubt if he was right about my rank.


    Did I not really deserve him? My rank was really something he neglected. My face made him feel disgusted. Was I ugly?


    Because of him, I started to lose self-confidence.


    "Congrattions,n Dawson. You broke mepletely. I hope you will get a high-ranking girl who will stand beside you and give youpetition neck to neck," I said, wiping the tears from my eyes.


    I did not know when I fell asleep that night.


    Because when I opened my eyes, I saw my mother patting my shoulder.


    "You''ll bete again. Come on. Wake up," she said, and she walked to the small couch close to my bed. My clothes that I would wear were lying there.


    I was so upset that I forgot to tie up everything.


    I went to do my morning routine and went downstairs. My mother was


    already sitting on the table, waiting for me to take my seat.


    "Morning, Mom."


    "Morning, dear. How are you feeling?"


    "I''m good, Mom. What happened to me?"


    "I''m your mom. You can''t hide anything from me. I saw how upset you were.


    Is everything okay?" She asked me the question again.


    For once, I wanted to run to hug her and tell her everything. But I prevented myself because there would be no use for it. It would only hurt her.


    "I am fine, Mom. I know you are with me. I want you to know that I am also with you."


    We had a little conversation, and I left my house to head to the bus stop.


    I noticed a few messages when I unlocked my phone. My friends were asking me about my health. I replied back that I was fine.


    I boarded a bus and went to the university.


    When I entered our university, I felt gazes on me. I almost forgot that before the rejection,n humiliated me in front of the students. All the students now knew about it.


    I avoided their gazes and walked to the locker room. I retrieved my books and proceeded to my ss.


    Abigail met me on the way. She hugged me and told me that I should have taken some rest at home.


    I said I did not want to take a rest anymore. All I had to do was study to shine in the future. My mother needed me.


    We headed to our ss together; however, before we could enter our ss, we heard girls talking about me.


    "Look at this shameless nerd. How can she even walk around like this? She dared to propose to our Alpha."


    "It''s good thatn showed her her real ce. By the way, he chose Nova over everyone. It''s surprising that Nova has be his girlfriend. Does it mean she is his mate?"


    My legs froze when I heard the girls passing me, talking loudly to make me hear all of their taunts and gossip.


    ''Nova is his mate?'' I thought and felt perplexed. (1)


    Did he lie to everyone, or did other people just assume that? What were they


    saying? Nova had be his girlfriend.


    I felt a tug on my arm. "Ava, don''t listen to these girls. They are talking bullshit."


    I turned my head to Abigail and asked,


    "What are they talking about? Nova andn?"


    Abigail looked away from me. "I don''t know the truth, but today when Nova entered the campus, the first thing she said was thatn epted her as his girlfriend."


    It broke my heart again. He had just rejected me yesterday. He did not even take time to make another girl his girlfriend and move on in his life.


    "Ava, please control yours-"


    Abigail was trying to console me, but another voice cut her off in the middle of her sentence.


    "AVA"


    We turned around and saw Debra rushing to us.


    11


    "What happened?" I asked Debra.


    She paused to take a deep breath and replied,


    "Ian and Luke are fighting outside."

 Chapter 12

    12


    Third POV


    Jan was out of the pack house the whole day after rejecting Ava. He was unhappy with his fate and kept grumping about the decision of the Moon Goddess.


    Instead of going back to the pack house, he went to the club His intention was to have sex with some hot girl to shove this rejection away from his mind. But he ended up loading himself with alcohol. His friends did not leave his side and tried to make him understand that what he did was wrong. He argued with them and asked them to leave him alone, He stuck with his decision.


    Nova, the current beta''s daughter, approached him in the club and tried to lure him. He was so drunk that he told her everything and then fucked up


    even more.


    When he woke up in the morning, he found himself in his father''s beta''s house. Nova told him thatst night she proposed to him, and he epted her, but they did not have sex.


    Because he knew who Nova was. Her father was a beta, and she was a beta in rank. She was beautiful and hot- maybe the most beautiful girl in the university she never dated anyone but only reserved herself for him.


    He thought for a moment and epted her proposal in his mind.


    He was now mateless


    anyway.


    Now he did not need to focus on the mate thing. Since he rejected his mate, he could make any girl his girlfriend.


    He went back to the pack house early in the morning.


    When his mother, Carolina, noticed him, she stopped him.


    "Where were you the whole night?"


    He stopped and turned to his mother. "Mom, good morning."


    Carolina was forty years old but fit and powerful. Moving toward him, she swept a lock of hair off his forehead.


    "That''s not my answer,n."


    "Mom, I was at a party and fell asleep in my friend''s house,'' he lied, averting his gaze from her.


    "You know your dad. He doesn''t like you staying outside."


    "I''m not a girl that he needs to protect from hungry men."


    "But you''re a bad boy from whom we have to protect other girls," she muttered while ring at him.


    He frowned at her. "Now, what have I done wrong?"


    "The girl named Lara came herest night," his father, Alpha Martin, said as he descended the stairs.


    "Why?" he asked.


    "To tell me how you used her and all," his father replied.


    12


    "Really? That''s a trap. She''s a bitch! When did I use her? She herself came to me to spend ni-"


    SLAP!


    "How many times do I have to tell you that you will soon be the Alpha of this pack? When are you going to listen to me? You are the only son I have. If you continue like this, how will I give you my pack to handle? I thought I would hand my pack to my son next year. But what exactly is he doing? Sleeping around with girls?"


    "Martin, calm down," Carolina told her husband, gesturing for him to let her handle the situation.


    She touched her son''s cheek to check, but he moved his face from her hand.


    n, your dad is not your enemy. He is concerned about your well-being. How will you feel if you keep working hard to protect your pack members but a few of theme to you and use your son of using girls?"


    His father interrupted him again. "So what if girls seduce you? You will be the head Alpha. Will you turn this pack house into a brothel?"


    "Dad, please. I have never taken a girl into your house."


    "Look at you. What have you done to yourself? Wear some casual clothes, hide these tattoos like a normal man, join me in my office, meet with other Alphas, and-"


    This time, he cut off his father and smirked at him.


    "You don''t have to worry about it, Alpha Martin. I will handle everything. When your pack members witness me on the battlefield, they will undoubtedly obey me. Before then, I don''t need to prove myself to anyone." After saying that,n went to his bedroom, leaving his parents stunned. He took a shower in an annoying mood. He got ready and left his room. When he walked past his parents in the living room, his father spoke out, "You will turn twenty-two in a few months. You still haven''t found your mate."


    "I''m mateless," he said while heading to the main door.


    Both of his parents were shocked to hear that. Martin cleared his throat and muttered,


    "Then you should choose a girl as your future Luna, or we will handle this matter."


    "I''ve made up my mind. Very soon, I''ll take her to meet you both."n left his parents speechless and walked out of the pack house. Martin shook his head, and Carolina rubbed his arm to ease his stress.


    Martin sat on the couch with a disappointed look and stared at his wife. "No one can tempt him. Who will make this boy a better man?" On the other hand,


    12


    23


    the car key from his driver and said,


    "I''ll drive the car."


    "As you wish, young master."


    When he reached the university, he heard what was today''s hot topic.


    He rolled his eyes when girls began to talk about him and Nova. He could not believe how desperate she was! She spread the news to the whole university.


    His friends joined him at the entrance and asked him the same question.


    "Are you even serious?" Ronald asked angrily.


    "Bro, I''m already so done with everything. Now you don''t start with giving


    me lectures,"n said with an annoyed look


    "Is Nova telling the truth? Is she your girlfriend now?" Stephen asked.


    "Yeah, she is."


    "What about Ava?" Cyrus asked.


    Someone interrupted him by grabbing his arm, turning him around, and punching his face.


    "Of course Luke Katrz wille to beg for his friend,"n muttered before punching Luke in return.


    Within a few a few seconds, both of them began to fight.


    "How could you do that to her? You did not even consider how she would


    feel when you made another girl your girlfriend!" Luke uttered those words


    furiously.


    "Why do you care, huh? Don''t tell me you like that nerd. Because no one would dare to do what you are doing right now,¡±n said, mming his head against Luke''s, causing Luke''s head to bleed.


    Luke fell to the ground as blood gushed out of his head.


    "Y-You will regret everything," Luke said, holding his bloodied head.


    midair by a scream.


    "STOP."

 Chapter 13

    13


    Ava rushed outside the university, leaving Abigail and Debra behind. She


    got a glimpse of two boys fighting each other.


    She began to push the crowd and try to peek at them.


    She was startled when she sawn hit Luke with his head, and Luke fell to


    the ground.


    Her body froze when she saw Luke lying on the ground, and blood wasing out of his head.


    A shback to the past came to her mind.


    Her father was lying on the ground like that; he was trying to save himself,


    but those wolves ran to attack him and killed him.


    "Hit him."


    n"


    n."


    She heard other people''s voices.


    She came back to her senses and noticedn raise his hand to punch Luke again.


    So Ava screamed out loud,


    "STOP."


    To her surprise,n stopped and turned his head in her direction. He slowly stood up and red at her.


    But she pushed him and crouched down to Luke, which shocked everyone in the crowd.


    She patted Luke''s cheek and mumbled,


    "No, no, no. You can''t die. I can''t let you die. Please open your eyes."


    Even though her eyes were on Luke, her thoughts kept going back to when she was five years old and she was staring at her father, who was lying in a pool of blood on the ground.


    Luke opened his eyes and coughed blood. He looked at her and gave her a slight smile.


    "I''m okay. Rx, Ava."


    Abigail and Debra both ran to Luke. They said they had already called the doctors and that they were on their way.


    "You will be fine. Nothing will happen to you," Ava said to Luke, but it was like she was convincing herself by saying that.


    She was crying, and everyone witnessed it.


    Meanwhile,


    Her reaction caught him off guard. He had been in so many fights before. But he had never seen a girl behave this way for him as she did for Luke.


    n, you almost killed the boy," Ronald said as he came to stand next to him.


    Though his friends wanted to stop him, Luke was the one who started the fight, so they did note inn''s way. But they did not expectn to be so angry.


    All of his friends followed his gaze.


    "The way he came to fight for her. It looks like he really likes her," Stephen muttered.


    "Did you notice how she reacted? It is obvious that she also likes him," Ronald said, lighting a cigarette. Then he started to walk to his car, which was parked close to that area.


    His other friends joined him in smoking while he was trying to understand his mood.


    Ronald lit another cigarette for himself since his best friend''s mood was really bad right now.


    Ava was about to go with them, but she turned her head toward him.n was about to move his gaze away since he thought he had no interest in this girl.


    But for some unknown reason, he could not move his eyes. She looked at him through herrge sses. He scoffed at her when she turned around and left with her friends to be with Luke.


    "I think you have some misunderstandings. She doesn''t want to be with you forever." If you had not rejected her, she would have done it on her own," Cyrus said.


    "But now she''s with another guy. Maybe you couldn''t read it properly, you know." Ronald mocked him and then chuckled while puffing out the smoke.n''s eyes turned darker. ''How can she move on overnight? thought she would not face me in one year. It looks like she has some guts,'' he thought. Suddenly,n frowned at himself. ''I don''t care if that nerd shows concern for anyone."


    "Ian, I heard you had a fight with Luke," Nova said, approaching their table with a worried expression.


    He responded by nodding his head at her. She sat next to him and cupped


    his face. She touched the corner of his lips, which had already healed, but the blood tint was still there.


    "What are you doing here, Nova? Don''t you have any sses?"n asked


    her.


    His friends were observing both of them as they listened to their conversation.


    "I have sses, baby. But I was very worried for you, you know. That''s why I rushed out of the ss before it was over." Nova replied with a smile.


    $


    13


    "Hmm."


    That was alln''s response.


    A cafe employee brought five cans of iced c and set them on the table. "Ian, I thought you would introduce me to your friends," Nova munnured, ying with the ribbons on her dress.


    "She is Nova Wilson, my girlfriend,¡±n said to his friends simply.


    His friends raised their eyebrows at his introduction.


    "For real?" Paul asked.


    Nova''s lips parted in surprise. She turned her head toward Tan. "Why are


    they reacting as if you are not serious?"


    "I''m damn serious, baby. Don''t mind their weird looks. They are not used to


    it."


    Nova''s cheeks flushed hard. Ian had never talked to a girl like that. She was


    the only one, and she would always be the only one in his life. She nced at the whole cafe.


    ''All the students were looking at them. It was proven that Nova was not


    lying at all. Pretty soon, she would be their Luna.


    not help but think,


    ''Is she really my girlfriend? Do I really want this?''

 Chapter 14

    14


    The whole week passed, and Ava still could not move on from the rejection.


    It was because of her broken heart and her wolf.


    First,n made Nova his girlfriend. Then they roamed around the whole university together, hand in hand, and she tried her best to avoid them. Students did not forget about her and started to pick on her, saying that she should watch who deservedn.


    Second, her wolf became so weak that she was unable to shift. She tried to shift several times, but her wolf howled inside in pain each time. It became difficult for her toe out.


    Ava did not know what to do or who to tell her problems to She talked about her wolf with Abigail. She said she would take her to the pack hospital. However, Ava was concerned that her mother would find out about it.


    It was the weekend.


    So she did not want to go anywhere. Her life had turned into hell. She became the center of attention, something she did not want. People started to bully her without any reason, especially girls. The boys did not try anything because Luke had scolded them.


    That day, after the fight, Luke was injured badly. The doctors had advised him to rest for a few days.


    Ava felt sorry for him. It was all because of her. She learned that he was fighting withn for her. She apologized to Luke, saying that he had to bear this. But she also thanked him for being her friend.


    Ava could only hope that Luke recovered quickly because there would be a basketball match next month. She would never forgive herself if he failed to perform well due to the wound. Doctors said he would be fine soon. So that was a relief.


    Even though it was the weekend and Ava wanted to stay at home all day, she had to go outside today.


    It was finally time to visit the pack house and meet Alpha and Luna.


    Ava''s mother, Ang, bought a dress for her to wear tonight.


    Ava was looking at the dress while observing it. The dress was long and lemon grass-colored, with ck sleeves. It also had a ribbon around the waist to help the dress fit the body.


    She made up her mind to wear it since her mother had bought it for her.


    She looked at herself in the mirror. She recalled what her mother had told her at lunch.


    She wanted her to be decent. She did not want her to wear the sses. When Ava asked why she could not wear it, Ang replied that Alpha and Luna were not the ones she should hide herself from.


    Ava pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. She thought for a moment not to wear the ss. But she then wore it.


    If she changed her appearance slightly, that boy would assume she did so to attract his attention. She did not need to look perfect.


    She did not touch her makeup. She used a nude colored lip tint to give a natural look to her lips. She then walked out of her room wearing ck sneakers.


    She noticed her mother was already ready. She smiled at her beautiful mother.


    "Mom, why are you so beautiful?" Ava said that and hugged her mother. Her mother was dressed in a simple white gown. She put on light makeup and looked stunning. She was in her


    14


    Ava called a cab to go to the pack house. When they arrived there, Ava looked at the house carefully.


    She tried to recognize the house. But she had no memory of this house, despite the fact that her mother had taken her there several times as a child.


    "They are very kind people. Don''t say anything that will offend them or their son, who is our future Alpha. Because of their gratitude, we are still alive, living like normal pack members here." Her mother reminded her when they were heading inside.


    "Got it, Mom," she assured her.


    She entered the pack house and looked around at the stunning decorations. It was a massive house with numerous maids and servants. There were guards here and there.


    Since the Alpha and his family lived there, it was the most secure and well- guarded home in the entire pack.


    "Ang"


    She heard a female voice calling her mom, so she turned to the owner of it.


    She noticed a gorgeousdy wasing downstairs. Beside her was a handsome middle-aged man. Anyone could ''say he was a powerful man by just giving him a nce. Ava understood that they were Alpha Martin and Luna Carolina.


    She immediately bowed to them when she saw her mother doing that.


    "All hail to our Alpha and Luna," Ava said while bowing.


    Alpha Martin chuckled as he and Luna Carolina walked to them.


    "I must say, Ang. You brought up your daughter really well," Alpha Martin remarked.


    Luna Carolina ced her hand on Ava''s head and ordered,


    "Raise."


    Ava stood straight and looked at them. Both of their faces had warm smiles.


    "Let''s have seats." Alpha Martin said this and walked to the couches. They all went to join him.


    "I can''t believe that little brave girl has grown so big. I still remember how she used to talk," Luna Carolina said. Ava''s mother nodded her head. "Yeah. But she has changed a lot now. She speaks less now."


    "Don''t be shy, little girl. We are like your family," Alpha Martin said as he tried to make herfortable around them.


    "Yeah. You both are really family. Your mother has done so many things for me. I can''t even repay her," Luna Carolina said. She recalled how Ang worked so hard day and night, just to nourish her good health.


    "That''s nothing, Luna. You both let me and my daughter stay here as your pack members. That''s enough for us." Ava''s mother, Arg, ensured her.


    Luna Carolina smiled at Ang, but then her gaze fell to the door. "You are back!" She said that and stood up.


    Ava became curious as to who she was speaking with, but her eyes froze when she turned to look at the person, who was dressed in a ck full- sleeve shirt and ck jeans had no brow or ear piercings, and looked like a


    14


    gentleman.


    She then heard Luna Carolina''s pleased tone,


    "Here is my son,n."

 Chapter 15

    15


    "Meet your mom''s life savior, Ang Adle, and her sweet daughter, Ava Adler," Carolina introduced them to him.


    Upon hearing the name "Ava Adler,"n was taken aback,


    He nced at Ang, and then his eyes shifted to the girl whose head was down.


    ''What is she doing here?'' he thought.


    Ang pulled herself to her feet and extended her hand to him. "Doctor Ang"


    "Ian Dawson,¡±n said as he shook hands with her and introduced himself.


    "Ava, stand up," Ang said to Ava in a hushed tone.


    Ava got to her feet without looking up. Ang smiled awkwardly. "She is a little shy. Just recently, she turned eighteen. I''m hoping that she will find her mate soon."


    Ava held her mother''s hand and muttered, "Mom."


    Luna Carolina chuckled at Ava''s action.


    Alpha Martin smiled at Ava and remarked,


    "She is a lovely girl. Otherwise, today''s kids have no shame. They can talk


    to their parents as openly as if privacy does not exist."


    n, join us."


    "No, Mom. I have some work."


    "Where is Stephen?"


    "He is on his way with Gamma Harper."


    "Then sit down with us. You can work after they leave. Your friend will be here, but you will be absent; it does not look good."


    However, Ava was seated in the opposite position. He could see her quite clearly. She also sat down with her mother.


    He checked her over. She looked different today. It was not like she put on makeup. He realized that it was because of her hair. It was always the case that two thick strands of hair covered her facial features. But today she did a high ponytail. Even though she was wearingrge sses, he was able to make out her face.


    After the fight that he had with Luke, she did note into contact with him in the past week. He was off base in his assumption that she would approach him and beg him to give her a change, but he was wrong. It seemed as though she did not care in the least. Her reaction to the rejection waspletely unfazed.


    Meanwhile,


    Ava felt nervous for no apparent reason. She was mad at herself. She should not havee to this house in the first ce. She could have made an excuse about being sick.


    15


    4


    In front of her was her ex-hate, who did not let go of any chance of doing her insult after finding out about their matebond. The way he humiliated her, it was uneptable. He did not just break the bond; he also broke her self-


    respect.


    Because of him, her wolf had be so weak that she could not even shift.


    She could feel his gaze on her. But she tried her best to ignore the devil''s scheming eyes,


    After a while, Gamma Harper arrived with his son, Stephen who wasn''s closest friend.


    Luna Carolina introduced me to Gamma Harper and Stephen.


    Gamma Harper was a middle-aged man. Just like his rank, he appeared to be very strong. In a short time, his son would be the gamma of this pack.


    "You two are good friends. So there is no need for me to introduce the two of you," Luma Carolina said to Ang and Harper.


    Ava shifted her attention to her mother, who did not look at her. Ava did not ask for anything and kept listening to


    their conversations.


    The dining table was set up by maids, and they informed everyone that it was time for dinner.


    Everyone sat down together for dinner. Gamma Harper gave Ava a friendly smile and asked,


    "You like to study a lot, right?"


    She was surprised to learn how much he knew about her. But then she assumed that he also thought that she was a nerd. Or perhaps his son told him about it.


    "Yeah."


    "What about mythology?"


    "I like to read old books."


    "I have some old, ancient books. Actually, I have a small library in my home.


    You are wee to visit at any time."


    Her eyes brightened when she heard it. "Really?"


    But a voice cut short her excitement.


    "What is there to be so excited about? It''s just a library. A house of lifeless books,"n remarked while chewing food. 1


    Ava paused eating and turned to him. Not only she but also everyone, turned their attention to him.


    "What? Did I say something wrong?"n asked Stephen.


    Stephen was about to shake his head and say, ''No,'' but his gaze fell on his father. So he changed her reply and said,


    "No, they are not lifeless, buddy," Stephen defended whileughing lightly.


    "Exactly. Books are not lifeless. It came to life, brimming with emotion, as its readers read it.'' Ava said to Stephen.


    "Please, forgive my naive child." (1)


    Alpha Martin looked at Ang and then atn. "Say something."


    15


    "It''s okay, Dr. Ang. As you said, she''s naive,"n replied with a fake grin.


    Ava tightened her fists around the fork and spoon.


    Later, no one spoke, and everyone ate quietly. After dinner Ava tugged on her mother''s arm.


    "Mom, we should leave now. It''s alreadyte."


    "That is impolite behavior. You can''t just eat and leave. We will leave after some time."


    Ava nodded at her mother and was about to sit down on the couch when Luna Carolina said,


    "You two boys, take this sweet girl on a tour of our pack house. Till then, let me and your Alpha speak with her mother about something.


    Ava was perplexed about what they would say to her mother. More than anything, she wanted to avoidn. She did not want to go with him.


    She expectedn to reject his mother''s order.


    But she was proven wrong whenn responded to Carolina.


    "Sure."

 Chapter 16

    Ava''s POV


    I was shocked thatn agreed to show me around. But it was not something I wanted.


    I nced at my mother, who nodded her head as a signal to go with him and Stephen. I heaved a sigh.


    "Okay."


    My eyes focused onn. I frowned as my wolf howled while looking at him..


    ''Why do you still feel for him? He''s no one''to us.'' I told my wolf, trying to calm her down.


    "By the way, Ava, I heard you just turned eighteen," Stephen asked while walking in front of me, besiden.


    "Last week," I replied in a lower tone.


    All thanks to my introverted nature, I was not used to chatting with others.


    I noticedn had halted his steps for a moment but then he continued to walk again.


    "What is your hobby? Reading books? You must have arge collection of books, right? My dad also enjoys reading books," Stephen said.


    Before I could answer him,n spoke out,


    "When did you start to get interested in these things, Steph"


    His voice was full of mockery.


    I paid no attention to him and nced around the hallway that we had just entered. It was a veryrge gallery. Or I could describe it as a hall with many artworks on disy for people to see.


    I saw many pictures of wolves, including oil paintings of their canines, eyes, and other features.


    The decorations impressed me as well.


    The sound of a ringtone reached our ears.n reached into his pocket and took out his phone. Stephen peeked at his phone and smirked at him.


    I turned my head away from him. He was talking to his girlfriend, Nova. His soft tone really broke my heart. I wanted to leave right now.


    "Yes, baby. Why not? I can go anywhere with you."


    Stephen looked at me. I believed he understood my uneasiness. He pattedn''s shoulder and said,


    "Bro, you can talk. I''m showing her around."


    He rolled his eyes and replied in an annoyed tone, "I didn''t have any interest


    in showing her around either. It''s


    16


    just because of my parents that I had to agree with it."


    I felt really awkward at that moment. It was like I was an uninvited guest in


    his house. How could he insult me all the time like that?


    What did I do wrong to him? In fact, he rejected me, and I did not say anything to anyone about it.


    He walked past me while talking on his phone.


    "No one is at my home, baby. It''s just some unimportant guest."


    I tightened my fists on my dress. My ss slipped down my nose. I pushed


    it up.


    How many more times was he going to break my heart?


    "Don''t mind him. He is just a childish boy," Stephen said that and started to walk again.


    I gazed at his back and thought for a moment. Should I trust this guy? Because he also belonged to that power


    gang.


    What ifn left this hall because the two of them were nning a prank on me? I started to have trust issues.


    "Where are you lost? Come here. I will show you the back door."


    I went after him. He brought me to the back side of the pack house.


    I noticed many men walking back and forth, as if they were guarding the area. Some of them nced at Stephen and nodded their heads at him.


    Since Stephen was their future Gamma, they all knew him really well. He may havee to the pack house almost daily to have training as the soon-to-be gamma.


    A gamma was themander of the pack fighters. With a single gesture, he could turn the entire battle upside down. But Gammas were always loyal to their Alphas. They could sacrifice their lives for them, just like the pack''s beta.


    Stephen turned to me when I was looking outside the pack house. The forest area was perfectly visible to me. The pack house was close to the woods.


    "You must be very upset over whatn did to you."


    The question caught me off guard. "I don''t want to talk about it."


    "Oh, okay. Then tell me something about your life. How is your life at home? Does your mother spend a lot of time- in the hospital? Do you think she should give her time to you? Or do you want to get a better life?"


    I was perplexed by his inquiry. I had no idea why he was asking these types of questions to me. We had just met today.


    "Don''t mind me. I heard about your father and wondered if you were okay with your life."


    My eyes turned wide when I heard him. I blinked a few times. No one had ever asked about my father because I never told them about him. How did he know? Then I realized Alpha and Luna might have something to say because they knew everything about us. 1


    "I think I should leave now. My mom is waiting for me."


    I turned around to return to the living room.


    I did not want anyone''s sympathy. I was okay with my life, and my mother


    was trying her best for me.


    16


    "I apologize if my question hurt you in any way." I heard Stephen''s voice behind me. He strode over to walk next


    to me.


    "It''s okay," I mumbled.


    I assumed my mother was pleased to see Alpha and Luna after such a long time. Thinking about it made me happy, even though seeingn today broke my heart all over again.


    When I entered the living room, my steps canie to a halt when I noticed my mother shaking her head. She appeared to be outraged.


    "My daughter has just turned eighteen. I believe she will find her mate soon. How can you all even think about it? It''s not possible!"

 Chapter 17

    17


    I went to my mother and asked,


    "What happened, Mom?"


    She was shocked as she looked at me. But then she grasped my hand.


    "Bow to your Alpha and Luna. We are leaving now," she said with a hurried tone.


    I bowed to Alpha Martin and Luna Carolina in puzzlement nced at Gamma Harper, who was also there.


    "If you want this, then okay. We won''t force you," Alpha Martin said this to my mother.


    Luna Carolina looked upset. She turned to me and said,


    "Come here again."


    I nodded my head. My mother bowed to Alpha and Luna before quickly dragging me outside the pack house.


    "Mom, what''s wrong?"


    "Nothing. You don''t have to know."


    I was about to call for a cab when a guard came out to inform us that Alpha had instructed his driver to send us


    home.


    It was already night, so my mother decided to ept his offer to go back home with Alpha''s car.


    The driver opened the back car door for us. My mother got inside the car. But when I was about to get inside, my eyes met the pack house for thest time.


    However, when I looked up, my eyes froze.


    Nevertheless, the main fact was that he was looking at me.


    I felt my breath hitch. He did not break eye contact with me while puffing on smoke.


    "Ava"


    When I heard my mother''s voice, I immediately averted my gaze from him.


    I hurriedly got into the car. When the driver closed the door, I closed my eyes as well.


    My heart was beating so loudly that my mother could also hear it. I tried to calm myself.


    ''No, no. I can''t think about him. He rejected me. He never failed an opportunity to hurt my feelings. There is nothing between us. He broke our mate bond the day he learned about it. The way he moved on, I will have to do the same. I can''t be like this forever.'' I reminded myself.


    As I arrived at our home, I noticed that my mother appeared to be bing anxious.


    I held her hand and asked, "What are you hiding from me, Mom?"


    She stroked my hair and replied,


    "You don''t have to know about it, Ava."


    "But, Mom. I heard you were talking about me."


    She averted her gaze from me. I cupped her cheeks. I had never seen my mother avoid my gaze before.


    "Mom"


    "Ava, can you please don''t ask me about it? It''s just something they proposed, and I disagreed. That''s it."


    "What did they propose?" I asked with wide eyes.


    "Nothing."


    "Mom, please tell me."


    She turned around and said,


    "T-They asked me to go to another pack and treat some of their rtives. I refused."


    After listening to it, I did not know what to say. For some reason, I felt that there was something more that she'' was not telling me. 1


    I walked to her and hugged her.


    "That''s it? It''s about treatment. Do you want to go?"


    She turned around and hugged me. "No, Ava. They have the best doctors.


    They don''t need me at all. I want to be with you forever."


    I smiled and embraced her back. "I know. You are the best mom in this world."


    The next day,


    I made it to university on time. I attended my sses and felt that my days were turning back to normal day by day,


    "We are going to visit Doctor Levi today. He is epsilon in rank. He can treat wolves," Abigail reminded me.


    "Okay," I replied.


    Debra sent a text.


    "Luke resumed basketball practice today. It''s a practice match. Let''s root for


    him. Are you all in?"


    I looked at Abigail; she also got the same text from Debra.


    "We are rooting for him," I said to Abigail.


    "Are you sure?" She asked me while looking at me carefully


    I understood why she was asking me that. Both teams would be on the


    court.


    "I''m sure. He got hurt because of me. I should at least cheer for him." "Okay, let''s go then."


    We both headed to the basketball court. I saw girls looking at me as if I hadmitted some sin,


    I spotted Debra sitting on a staircase near the field. Many students came to watch the practice match and took


    seats in the audience area.


    Abigail and I went to Debra, She looked at us and patted ne to her. "Sit down. Chips?"


    We sat down and grabbed a packet of chips from her hand.


    I noticed Luke pushing the ball into the basket. I pped as saw that he looked totally fine.


    My gaze shifted to another team wearing ck jerseys. My gaze wat drawn to one boy who grabbed the ball and was surrounded by the opposite team, but he continued on without fear and eventually jumped to shove the buff into the basket.


    "IAN. IAN, IAN."


    The girls began to cheer for him. I averted my gaze from him.


    During the match, I heard someone calling out to me.


    "Hey! Ava."


    Stephen was also practicing under the ck Diamond tearn


    I looked at him. From there, he gave me a wave.


    Everyone noticed it and turned to me in surprise, and I felt awkward.


    Tan and Luke''s eyes also fell on me. Both of them realized that I was there.


    One of their eyes was filled with delight, while the other appeared annoyed, as if my presence bothered him.


    I gave Stephen a nod and lifted my sses from my nose to my eyes.


    "Oh, hello? What was that? Do you guys know each other?" Debra asked


    me about Stephen. Abigail''s eyes were asking the same question.


    "I met him in the pack house. I went therest night."


    "YOU WENT WHERE?" Both of them asked at the same time.


    I thought about telling them aboutst night. So I started.


    "Last night, I-"


    However, I was abruptly interrupted when a ball flew at my face and hit my sses. Fortunately, my sses did not break. But it startled me. I got a little hurt on my forehead too.


    I was about to see who threw it at me, but before that, I heard a familiar voice, which I did not want to hear.


    "Hey, you nerd. Pass the ball."


    It wasn''s voice. I looked at him, and he smirked at me. Everyone in the audience, except my friends, began tough at me as if it were a funny act.


    I could not control myself anymore. How much more would this boy insult


    me?


    I looked at the ball, which had rolled a little away from me. went over to the ball and picked it up.


    I looked atn and spoke loudly,


    "I thought you were the captain of a team. But you seem to have forgotten


    that this is not a football game but a basketball match."


    18

 Chapter 18

    18


    Third POV


    Loud gasps could be heard around Ava. She ignored them and threw the ball inn''s direction. His eyes were fixed on her as he caught the ball. His eyes turned dark in anger.


    "How dare you talk to my boyfriend like that?" Nova''s angry voice echoed throughout the area.


    Ava turned around and saw Novaing towards her with her friends. Abigail and Debra got to their feet and stood behind Ava to support her.


    "What do you think of yourself? Do you even know what he can do to your sudden overconfidence? He can break you in a second and throw you away from this pack," Nova warned Ava.


    At that time, the referee blew a whistle and told the yers to get back to the match as time was running out.


    He looked at the girls and made an announcement. "If any of you try to distract the game again, I''ll throw all of you."


    "Let''s sit, Ava."


    Abigail grabbed Ava''s hand and sat in their earlier ce. Debra joined them.


    Nova red at Ava for a moment, then stomped her leg to the ground. "The referee should not have stopped me. I would have taught her a lesson today."


    Her friends persuaded her to sit down in a ce so that the match could continue.


    In the meantime, on the court,


    Luke approachedn and uttered,


    "I''m telling you again. Stop messing with her."


    Ronald patted Luke''s shoulder and gave him advice. "You better focus on your team more than what our captain should do or not."


    "You all get back to your positions," The coach shouted from his ce. The game resumed again.


    However,n''s mind was not focused on the game. He felt insulted by how Ava talked to him in front of others. It was very disrespectful to him.


    He kept ncing at Ava, who was cheering for Luke. He frowned and turned his attention to Luke.


    Luke was giving his best. Every time he tossed the ball into the basket, he looked at Ava, who smiled at him back.


    n, you are not concentrating. We are losing the game," Cyrus alerted him.


    Butn did not know what had happened to him. Suddenly, he began to experience feelings of rage. The things that were going on around him were not to his liking.


    "Time''s up! Red mor won the practice match." After blowing the final whistle, the referee announced the results.


    Ava jumped with Abigail and Debra when Red mor won. She was happy and enjoyed watching the match.


    Nova looked at her and said loudly,


    4


    "Look at the nerd. She looks so happy, as if it''s the final match. She doesn''t


    even know the difference between a practice and a real match."


    Ava avoided Nova''s remarks. Luke came to Ava and others.


    "Thank you all foring here to support me


    "That''s nothing, bro" Abigail said and chuckled.


    "When did you be so emotional?" Debra asked.


    "You did really great. I hope you won the final as well." Avasaid to him.


    "Thanks, Ava,"


    Abigail nced at them andughed.


    "Okay, okay, Now go take a shower, you stinky boy,"


    Then They all burst outughing Luke told them he would meet them after he took a shower. Abigail told him to hurry because she had some work, so she would take Ava with her.


    Ava and Abigail nned to go visit a doctor, but they did not want anyone to know about it. So Abigail lied to Luke and said that she had some work outside,


    When Ava was talking with her friends, she was unaware that a dark gaze was fixed on her.


    "Why are you not saying something, baby?" Nova askedn, wiping his sweet from his neck with a white towel. She was deliberately touching his neck. She rubbed her fingertips against his hot Adam apple.


    Jan snatched the towel from her hand and asked in a low voice,


    "How many times do I have to tell you not to touch me?"


    "But we are girlfriend-boyfriend. How can I avoid touching you?"


    Jan looked at her with his cold eyes. "If you wish to be my Luna, then keep


    your distance until I ask you to get close to me."


    His warning was like aw. She lowered her head and nodded at him.


    Jan scoffed at her as he noticed the desire in her eyes to be the Luna of this pack.


    ''As usual, everyone is after the position,'' he thought, and he walked out of the court.


    On the other hand,


    Ava was chatting with her friends in the cafe. Luke came to join them, as he said earlier. He looked fresh and delighted.


    "I can''t believe we won today''s match," he said while sipping his coffee that he had ordered after sitting at the


    table.


    "You are a good captain. So your team has to be the winner, Ava said, cheering him on once more.


    "My friends were also saying that I did well today. They appreciated me really well," Luke replied. But he thought about something and asked Ava, "What about that math I solved two days ago? Did you take a look at it?"


    18


    Ava was not able to study these days. Her wolf was sick, and she became depressed about the rejection.


    She remembered that the math notebook was not in her bag She stood up and said to her friends,


    "Guys, I''ming in a few minutes. My notebook is inside the locker." They nodded their heads, and Ava left the cafe. She walked to the locker room to retrieve her notebook.


    But at that moment, a hand grabbed her wrist.


    She was stunned by the touch. She raised her head and saw that it wasn.


    Without allowing her to utter a single word, he entered another hallway and began to drag her along with him.


    "W-Where are you taking me?"


    He did not reply to her and brought her to the faculty, where all the rooms


    were locked. But he did not enter any of those rooms.


    In fact, he drew her into a storeroom and opened the door.


    "What are yo-"


    Ava tried to ask, but he pulled her to him. The pull caused her phone to fall


    to the ground.


    He opened the door, and a dark room came into Ava''s sight. Her eyes


    widened. She was afraid of the darkness.


    He then closed the door from the outside and said,


    "You were brave enough to show your audacity outside. Now I want to see


    how long you can survive here."

 Chapter 19

    19


    "Open the door"


    Aya banged on the door for five sales, are most


    "Please open the door I did''s do anything to you. Why Guy Ma?" The vet hudly hinging that even ifn did not open the do, oras os contic holly her.


    However, no one came to help her. She tried to own the area sing window decal inte sunlight into the room.


    She lifted her hands and tried to find a swivard, Bout dates find mything


    Outside the roon,


    Lan was leaning against the opposite wall, staring at


    "Week Omega," he muttered under his breath


    He was listening to her screams, but he didn''t open the day


    It was her punishment.


    She needed to know who she tried to mess up with


    A ringtone yed in the hallway,n lowered his head and fotices Aud''s phote on the floor. He gathed it and noticed the caller''s name.


    ABIGAIL


    He did not receive the call. Messages popped up on the screen after fire ringtone was turned off


    He came up with an idea to unlock the phone. He was shocked that this girl did not even lock her phone with any passwords. All he had to do was sweep the screen.


    He read thest message from Abigail.


    "We are all waiting for you in the cafe. Where are you? Why are you not answering my calls?"


    A smirk reached the left corner ofn''s lips as something carne to his mind.


    He went to the message option and replied to Abigail.


    "Mom called, so I am going home. See you tomorrow."


    Abigail replied to that message immediately.


    "We had nned to go to the hospital. What about that?


    Jan raised an eyebrow while reading the message. "Hospital?" he murmured.


    But then he nodded his head. "How can I forget? Her mother is a doctor."


    He did not respond and locked the phone, assuming Abigail was talking about going to visit Ava''s mother in the hospital.


    He nced at the door. The shouting and screaming stopped a few minutes ago and did not resume.


    n, you have forgotten to bring the key," Ronald said as he came there with Paulo.


    19


    +25 BONES


    to the storeroom. He was the one who helped him open the locked storeroom.


    "I don''t need it,"n replied.


    Ronald''s eyes went to the lock on the door. "Yeah, right."


    "What are you doing here, by the way?" Paulo asked.


    "Punishing that nerd,¡±n replied with a proud smirk.


    His friend''s brows shot up. "You what?" Ronald asked.


    "Why do you always ask me questions that I''ve already answered? Are you deaf?"n asked.


    "Why is she not reacting? Is she okay?" Paulo askedn.


    "Why do you care?"


    "Of course I care. You are my friend. Do you have any idea what''s


    happening to you? You never gave a damn about any girl before. But now you yourself go to this girl to pick on her. Have you forgotten that you rejected her?"


    "You should see if she''s okay," Ronald said.


    "Why would I?"


    "You are her future head Alpha. She is your pack member. At least as an Alpha, go and see her." Ronald tried to convincen with a gentle tone.


    He went inside to check on Ava. But the moment he stepped into the room, he heard the door m behind him.


    He turned around and yelled,


    "What the hell!"


    Ronaldughed from outside the door. "Because of you, we lost today''s practice match, Alphan. Now it''s your punishment to stay with your rejected mate."


    "Damn!"


    He ran his fingers through his hair in the dark, trying to find Ava.


    "Nerd? Where are you?"


    He called her. But he got no response.


    He thought about using his phone''s shlight, but then he realized that his phone was in the changing room. He was nning to punish Ava while plugging his phone into the charging port. He used their mind links to contact his friends at that time, after he took a shower. So he did not have to use his phone beforeing here.


    Suddenly, he heard a sound of sobbing..


    19


    His keen cars detected the sound, and he moved in that direction.


    The storeroom was neither too small nor toorge. It was a medium-sized room where so many papers of past students'' were piled up on the floor.


    When his legs came into contact with a body, he found Ava


    Ava flinched at his touch. She began to sob aloud in fear.


    He walked to the window while passing the papers in the darkness. However, shifting in the dark and running were entirely different things. At the time, they could see around them because their wolf possessed the


    ability.


    As a glimpse of the sunlight entered the room, the room lightened up.


    He unknowingly stepped toward her and crouched down. He sat on his knee and patted her head slowly.


    "Are you okay?" he asked.


    Meanwhile, Ava was so scared that she had no idea who hade inside.


    She believed that someone hade to her rescue.


    She moved her head from her knees and directly hugged him without


    opening her eyes or looking at his face.


    His thoughts drifted back to the girl he kissed in the dark. He slowly


    wrapped his arm around her waist and thought,


    ''Why does it feel so familiar to me?''

 Chapter 20

    20


    20


    In order to reach her neck,n deliberately lowered his head. He could smell her. She somehow smelled really good, which he did not expect.


    But she did not smell the way that unknown girl did. It was not her scent. That was something different and alluring.


    He was so angry the day he found Ava as his mate that he could not even remember how she smelled that day.


    But he could not forget that unknown girl.


    ''How could I even think like that?'' He said this to himself and backed away from the hug.


    Ava came back to her senses when she opened her eyes and saw who was in front of her.


    "Y-You!"


    Ava nced at the whole room. She was surprised that a window was there. But it was a little far because she could not find it.


    She began to feel rxed after watching the light in the room. She exhaled deeply.


    "Such a weak omega you are!"


    She heardn. She got to her feet right away and looked at him, who was still crouching down and now looking up


    at her.


    She turned to the door and rushed to it. She grabbed the doorknob and tried


    to twist it. But, to her surprise, it was


    locked.


    She turned her head toward him. "W-Why are you doing t-this?"


    He examined her nervous look and smirked at her.


    "It''s your punishment. Didn''t you dare talk back to me in front of others? Now where has your daring mood gone?"


    His eyes darkened as he walked toward her. She gulped and turned back to face the door. She started banging it out of fear.


    She screamed for help while saying,


    "PLEASE SOMEONE HELP."


    "No one wille to help you here. Even if they doe, after seeing me here, they will back off."


    Ava lost her cool. She turned around to yell at him, but gasped when she found him closer to her.


    She looked into his eyes while clenching her jaw. His handsome face with that wicked grin looked sinful to her.


    "What? Nerdy is getting mad?"


    20


    "Let me leave this room," she murmured.


    "I have no interest in you either. But how dare you speak to me like that in front of others? Just because your mom helped my mom in the past and my parents invited you for dinner, that doesn''t mean you will start to get your wings. Because I know how to cut other people''s wings really well."


    Ava stared at him. He was talking to her with such a rude tone, as if she were his enemy.


    She did talk back to him, but wasn''t it his fault? Why did he throw the ball at her in the first ce?


    "L-Listen, 1-"


    "Stop stuttering, nerd."


    He scolded her in a cold voice, and she flinched.


    She lowered her head and mumbled,


    "I-I just want to tell you that I''ll nevere your way again. Let me go."


    He was stunned that he did not feel disgusted by the closeness.


    In fact, he found her interesting.


    His eyes fell on her sses, then her wet cheeks. He wondered how she would look without the sses, which almost covered half of her face.


    ''No, no. What am I thinking? What''s wrong with you,n? He asked himself, taking a step back.


    Ava lifted her head to look at him. She felt calm as she watched him take a step back.


    "Please open the door. My friends are waiting for me."


    "Friends? I think they have already left the campus. I sent them a text about you. So don''t be concerned about it, nerd."n said to her.


    Ava was shocked to hear him. She realized that her phone was not with her. She recalled that whenn was pulling her, her phone fell to the floor.


    "What did I do to offend you? Why are you treating me like this?" She asked, feeling emotional.


    "Don''t you know why? Because I just hate you. Because of you, I missed out on the opportunity to find the perfect mate for me. Moon Goddess did so wrong to me by choosing you as my mate. If it were someone else, I would never have rejected my mate."


    Ava did not believe that this guy was putting all the me on her head.


    "So your rejection was also my fault? Then what do you want from me? What should I do? Do you want me to die? Because you have already made my wo-? Ava paused when she realized what she was going to say.


    Ava looked away from him. "N-Nothing."


    "I don''t care about you. But never dare to show your audacity to me again. Otherwise, it will be the end of you," he warned her while pointing his finger at her.


    20


    She bit her lower lip as she tried to control her tears. She did not know why this boy always made her cry. Why could he just not let her live peacefully?


    Her eyes were on the floor. She could not stop her tears as they fell on her cheeks.


    All of a sudden, her wolf started to react. Her eyes widened as she felt stabbing pain in her heart.


    "Aahhh!"


    She put her hand on her heart and clenched her white dress


    Gazing at her,n''s eyes narrowed. He thought she was acting in front of


    him.


    "Stop pretending, nerd."


    Ava screamed once again as she fell on her knees while holding her chest.


    "IT''S HURTING!"


    His eyebrows shot upward as he hurried over to her and knelt down.


    ""Hey! What happened to you?"


    Ava grabbed his shoulder, tightening her grip on his ck shirt.


    She looked at him with wide eyes as she replied,


    "M-My wolf-"


    Before she could say anything more, she fainted in his arms. 1

 Chapter 21

    21


    Whenn saw Ava in that state, he became agitated.


    "What happened to your wolf?"n asked as he patted her cheek. But she did not respond. She was unconscious.


    He looked at the door and groaned.


    "Fuck!"


    He was locked up with an unconscious girl, and he had no phone with him.


    He put her head on the floor and got to his feet.


    "I have to do something," he said and dashed over to the door.


    He had no idea what had gotten over him. His heart began to beat at a rapid speed. His wolf began to growl inside, as if he were concerned for this girl.


    He moved everything from his mind aside and pushed the door with his shoulder.


    He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they turned red. He nced at Ava. His aggression turned into insanity. He growled loudly.


    He attempted to break the door for thest time, and he sessfully did it.


    He bent down, carried Ava in his arms, and hurried out of the storeroom. He headed outside to the infirmary of the university, which was close to the dormitory area.


    When he passed a hallway, every boy and girl around him were looking at him. Their eyes fell on Ava, and they appeared to be shocked.


    On the way, he met his friends. They looked stunned when they noticed him. They rushed to him.


    "What happened to her?"


    It was Stephen who asked the question. Ian ignored the question and scowled at Ronald.


    Ronald was equally shocked, since he had never thought something so serious would have happened. He only wanted to tease his best friend.


    All of them went to the dormitory.


    Seeing thatn Dawson hade, all the doctors came to him. They saw Ava in his arms and asked,


    "What happened to this girl?"


    Blood wasing out of Ava''s nose.


    "I don''t fucking know. Just check on her. Something happened to her wolf,"n yelled at them in a furious tone.


    His Alpha voice shook everyone around him. He was the soon-to-be Alpha for a reason.


    He exuded amanding presence that could sway people of all ages and force them to submit.


    After moving Ava to a cabin bed, the doctors began doing an examination on her. Meanwhile,n was waiting


    outside the cabin.


    n, rx. She will be fine," Ronald said, putting his hand on his shoulder.


    "You should not have locked the door," fan roared.


    Ronald apologized to him. Others said it was just fun; they had no idea it could take ce.


    The doctors came out of the cabin and looked at fan.


    "Mr. Dawson, she is unwell. She is physically okay, but her wolf..." The doctor paused.


    "What?" He asked with irritation.


    "Her wolf seems to be very weak."


    Another doctor spoke out, "She was admitted herest week. I clearly recall that it was her birthday. Her friend carried her here, and she passed out like she did today. That time we didn''t inspect her wolf since she didn''t tell us anything about it."


    He knew omegas were weak. But he did not know they were so weak that they could faint anywhere in any situation.


    Anyway, he gave them a nod. The doctors took their leave after telling him that he could go to Ava.


    Whenn entered the small cabin, his legs froze as his eyes paused on her face.


    Her eyes were closed. She had a beautiful face, which he had never noticed before. She was wearing no sses or tying her hair to hide her face.


    Herrge sses were ced on the bed, close to the pillow. Her long hair was spread over the pillow. He assumed that it was done by the doctors. For the first time, he could see her clearly.


    "What''s with your overprotective behavior toward her?"


    He heard Stephen''s voice.


    He turned around and saw that his friends were folding their arms while staring at him. There were so many questions in their eyes.


    "Didn''t you say you hated her? What''s with this reaction after rejecting her?" Stephen asked again.


    ''What the hell is wrong with me?'' he asked himself and turned to nce at Ava once again.


    He moved his gaze away from her and looked at his friends.


    "I don''t know," he muttered and walked to the door to leave the cabin.


    But Ronald grabbed his hand and stopped him.


    n, are you aware that you are behaving strangely day by day? You are not being yourself."


    21


    "I still hate her. As you said before, she is my pack member So as her future Alpha, I tried to help her."


    Ronald''s grip loosened in his hand. He knew his best friend really well. He could see the sudden changes in him.


    "Don''t you feel that you should have reconsidered your decision before rejecting her?"


    Jan''s expression hardened as he heard Ronald''s words. He turned his head toward him and gritted his teeth.


    "What did you say?"


    "What if youe to regret your decisionter, l¨¢n?"


    Why would he regret it? He could never imagine sharing his life with a nerdy


    omega like her.


    He answered in a confident tone, "Never.",


    He turned to face his other friends and said,


    "I am leaving. Don''t tell her that I carried her here."

 Chapter 22

    Ava opened her eyes. She frowned when she found herself lying on a bed. She sat up immediately.


    "Rx."


    She turned her head and saw a cold face. It was none other than Ronald Sce,n Dawson''s best friend.


    Ava realized that she was in the infirmary again. She took a shaky breath and remembered what happened when she passed out in pain.


    "How did Ie here?" she asked in a low tone.


    "Do you always talk like this?" Ronald asked as he stood up from the stool and took a step toward the bed.


    "Like, what?" she asked.


    "Like stuttering or speaking in a low tone."


    Ava felt embarrassed. Ronald was right. Shecked confidence in herself. Her mother had always told her to remain calm and talk less to others. As a result, she felt ufortable whenever she spoke with anyone other than her friends and mother.


    She rubbed her forehead with her hand and realized that her sses were off. She started to search for it.


    Ronald bent down, and she moved back right away. He picked up her sses near the pillow and handed them to her.


    She immediately took it and said, "Thank you."


    She put on the sses and grabbed the hair band that was ced beside her.


    "You don''t look like you have a vision problem. Why do you always wear sses?" Ronald asked as he observed her.


    "Allergy." She just let out a word and got out of the bed.


    "Or maybe you are hiding your beautiful face from others?" she heard him say from behind.


    She did not reply to him, so he started to chuckle.


    When she walked to the door, he asked,


    "Where are you going? You are sick. The doctor said you and your wolf are both weak."


    Ava''s eyes widened because she remembered that she almost toldn about her wolf. She turned around and asked,


    "Who brought me here?"


    "Stephen," Ronald replied.


    "Stephen?" Ava mumbled as her stupid heart expected someone else.


    "Yeah. He found you in the storeroom, unconscious. So he carried you here."


    Ava felt a pang in her heart. She could not believe thatn hated her so much that he did not even care if she died there.


    She gave him a nod and turned to leave.


    She turned to face him again you?"


    "I know whatn did really hurt you. All I can say is that has a food. He had been wating for his mate for pas yet he


    "I don''t want to hear about him. Thank you for being hate when I was woonedious


    Ava walked out of the room, leaving the infirmary,


    Jan''s demeanor came to her mind like a shback, the could not forget how


    he behaved with her in the storeron


    Ava tried to push through everything and headed to the mat gate of her university.


    Out of the gate, she saw Stephen. He also noticed her and walked to her. "Hey, how are you now?"


    "I heard you helped me get to the infirmary. Thanks a lot, Stephen. I''m really grateful to you."


    Stephen looked stunned by her words, but he nodded his head. "That''s nothing, How are you feeling right now?"


    "Just fine."


    "That''s good. I''ve got something for you."


    Stephen pulled out a phone from his pocket and gave it to her.


    It was her phone. She took it and said, "Thanks a lot."


    "It''s the least I could do. Take care of yourself."


    After thanking Stephen, she left the main gate and began walking to the bus stop.


    She thought about her wolf. She could not believe how much pain she was in before passing out. Why was she going through this?


    "What happened to you? Why can''t you respond to me?" she asked her wolf, who caged herself inside after bearing so much pain.


    She came to the bus stop and sat down on a bench to wait for a bus. Many cars passed by from there, and she ignored the road to concentrate on her phone. She unlocked it and saw a bunch of messages.


    She read the message, which she had not sent, butn did.


    "Mom Called, so I am going home. See you tomorrow."


    She remembered whatn had said to her in the storeroom. He said he sent


    a text to her friend.


    5


    Ava regretted going to watch the basketball match today. Nothing would have happened if she had not gone there.


    ''He made fun of me by calling me a weak girl; now, after today, he has the opportunity to call me vulnerable.''


    A screeching sound reached her ears. She looked up and noticed a car pull up beside her. Luke got out of the car.


    "Ava? What are you doing here?" He asked and walked over to her.


    Ava rose up. She had no idea what else she could use as an excuse. She was fed up with everything. She did not want to tell him the truth. Luke would surely go ton and fight with him for that.


    23. 23.


    22


    22


    "Abigail said you left for your home at that time. Then why are you still here?" Luke asked with a surprised look, thinking, Why did she lie to them?


    Ava thought for a moment, then said,


    "I was feeling sick, so I was in the infirmary."


    "Why didn''t you tell us? What happened to you?" Luke inquired, grabbing


    her shoulders lightly.


    "I''m fine, Luke. Just feeling a little weak."


    Luke was about to say something, but his gaze fell on someone, and he asked her,


    "Did that scoundrel do something again?"


    Ava followed his gaze.


    A ck car was parked on the side of the road across from the bus stop.


    ''He was here? From when?'' she thought.


    She had been at the bus stop for over ten minutes and had not noticed him. Perhaps because she was too preupied with her thoughts to notice anything.


    She noticed a busing on her way.


    "I have to go," she said.


    Luke grabbed her hand and requested, "You are sick. Let me drop you off."


    She could not say no to Luke and got in the front seat. Luke got into the car and started it.


    When the car started moving, she looked out the window.


    Her gaze met a pair of dark eyes.n was staring at her from afar. He blew


    smoke out of his mouth while looking at her.


    She turned away from him and silently uttered,


    ''I hate you,n Dawson.''

 Chapter 23

    23


    Luke''s car stopped in front of Ava''s house. Ava turned her head toward him.


    "Thanks, Luke,"


    "You don''t have to thank me. In fact, I should have been with you when you were feeling nauseous."


    Ava felt blessed to have a friend like Luke. He was a really caring boy. He always tried to help her in every situation.


    "Come inside," she asked, though she was not feeling well.


    "It''s okay. You need rest. S¨¦e you tomorrow."


    Ava got out of the car. She waved at Luke when he drove off


    She turned around and walked to her house. She thought her mother was not at home. So she took out her house keys and opened the door.


    She was about to go upstairs to her room but paused when she heard her mother''s voiceing from her room.


    She walked to her mother''s room and stopped at the closed door. "Don''t try to convince me."


    Ava heard her mother talking about something. She might be talking on her phone, so she could not listen to what the other person was saying.


    She did not understand who was convincing her and about what.


    "She is my life. All I want is for her to give her responsibility to her mate and die. I''m tired of my life. When she leaves me, I will have no reason to live."


    Ava stepped back as she heard her mother talking about her mate and her life.


    She did not interrupt her mother. She proceeded to her bedroom.


    She went to take a shower.


    In the bathroom, under the shower, she cried. Her mother was tired of working hard. She had to live alone for her entire life. She wished her father had lived and they could have spent their whole lives together.


    When she closed her eyes and felt the water droplet on her body, her mind reflected the night when fan kissed her. She remembered hugging him today, and he returned the hug in the storeroom.


    But then the rejection and his cruel words came to her mind. He treated her so coldly that she began to fear him.


    "Because of you, I''m dying every day," she said while cing her hand on her heart.


    After the shower, she went to her mother. Her mother asked her when she had returned. She did not say that she eavesdropped on her conversation.


    Her mother stated that she was off duty today. Ava thought about spending the rest of the day with her mother.


    Something popped into her head. She grabbed her phone and dialed Abigail.


    "Do you want to go right now?" Abigail asked on the phone.


    "Yeah. Mom is at home today. So if I go there now, I will not get caught at


    the pack hospital."


    Scuse to go with me."


    "Okay, I''ming. Make an


    "Alright,"


    After the conversation, she got ready and went downstairs?


    "Mom," she approached her as she noticed her mother watching TV.


    Her mother, Ang, turned her head toward her with a smile.


    "My child, are you going somewhere?" her mother asked while ncing outside. It was getting dark outside.


    "Mom, Abigail nned to go to an ice cream parlor, Can I go?"


    Her mother examined her dress and replied, "Why are you king me when you''re already dressed up?"


    She gulped. Her mother was really strict.


    "Mom, please?"


    Rising to her feet, Ang looked at her. Ava assumed she would deny. But her mother smiled at her.


    "Of course, you can go. But stay away from boys, especially Alphas."


    Ava grinned at her and hugged her. "Thanks, Mom. I''ll be back soon."


    Ava hurriedly left her house and waited for Abigail.


    Abigail showed up after a while. Ava got in the car, and both of them headed to their destination, the pack hospital.


    Abigail parked the car, and they went inside. Abigail went to the receptionist. They found out there was no appointment for their names.


    "How can it be possible? He told me toe today," Abigail said as she called the doctor.


    "Dr. Levi. Why is the receptionist saying that there is no appointment?" Abigail asked with a disappointed tone.


    Ava was looking at her. Abigail looked unhappy, but then her face lightened up.


    "Thank you so much," Abigail said on the phone, then gave it to the receptionist after saying, "Talk to him."


    Abigail grinned at Ava. "I told him to keep it confidential. That''s why he canceled the appointment. But he will check you up."


    The receptionist returned Abigail''s phone and showed them the cabin''s location.


    Ava started to feel nervous. It was about her wolf.


    They entered the cabin, and Ava''s eyes fell on the middle-aged man, who


    did not look familiar at all. It made her feel rxed. She believed that he was not one of her mother''s friends.


    "Dr. Levi," Abigail greeted him.


    Doctor Levi greeted her back, then looked at Ava.


    "Take a seat here


    Ava did what she was told. She walked to the chair, where he motioned with


    his hand. He sat close to her chair and started to check on her.


    "Don''t feel anxious. It will only hasten your heartbeat. You need to calm down first and answer me a few questions."


    23


    Ava nodded at him. "Okay, doctor."


    "Can you shift?"


    Ava tightened her fists when he asked that to her. She lowered her head and shook it.


    "N-No."


    The doctor looked stunned by her answer. He got to his feet and went to a cupboard. He took out some potions before returning to his seat.


    "There is no tonic that can make your wolf stronger. Let me check to see if she is still inside you."


    Ava shook her head in response.


    "She is with me. I could feel her today. But whenever she responded to me, all I could feel was pain."


    Doctor Levi ced the tonics on the desk and turned to face her. "Are you hiding something from me? Because if you do, I can''t help you.'' Ava cast a nce behind the doctor, and Abigail nodded.


    Abigail was not unfamiliar with Doctor Levi; rather, he was her uncle, the brother of her mother. So she trusted him and his rank. She believed that Levi could help Ava.


    Ava sighed and replied, "My mate rejected me."


    "Your mate, what?" Doctor Levi stood up in shock.


    Ava felt embarrassed. Abigail spiked out,


    "Uncle Levi, please help her. You are an Epsilon in our pack. You are the only one who can help her."


    Levi appeared to be stressed. "The rejection could have ended her life." 1 Ava listened to him while looking at herp.


    She heard him asking her, "Who is your mate? I mean, I would like to know the rank. A mate bond is something that is made for wolves. We are all wolves in disguise. Our wolves can''t live without our mates. Because of this bond, they can''tmit to another wolf for the rest of their lives. How can anyone reject such a pure bond?"


    Ava closed her eyes and replied, "He is an Alpha."


    The room fell silent.


    Levi ced his hand on Ava''s head. He closed his eyes, and when he


    opened them, they were golden.


    Ava was astonished. Before she could react, she started to feel pain in her


    body.


    She shut her eyes as she began to feel her wolf howling inside.


    "Uncle, I think sh-"


    Abigail tried to stop Levi when she saw Ava whimpering. But Levi stopped


    her by moving his hand from Ava''s head.


    Ava felt relieved because the pain had subsided after Levi removed his hand. She looked at Levi with hope. She assumed he had done something


    to get her wolf to return to her soon.


    But he responded with a shaken hand.


    "I''m sorry, dear. I can''t help you. In fact, no one can help you right now. That


    your wolf is still with you is a blessing Await hering back. Perhaps she wille out eventually. It looks like your mate was a really powerful wolf; that''s why your wolf could not bear his rejection."


    Ava was startled by the answer. She started to fear for her wolf.


    ''I don''t want to lose you,'' she said to her wolf.


    Little did she know, there was someone who could really help her. He was


    none other than the person she loved and hated the most.


    24

 Chapter 24

    24


    Another week had passed, and Ava was still unable to shift. The entire week was spent trying to shift while whimpering in pain. She discovered that her body started to hurt every night as if someone were beating her.


    She was an innocent girl who never wanted bad for anyone. However, what was happening to her was something that she had never expected.


    One thing that had changed these days wasn''s behavior.


    Ava noticed that he kept staring at her whenever he was around her. In fact, he seemed to always be around her.


    She spent the entire week convincing herself that she needed to get her backbone againstn Dawson. She could not be a crybaby and still have feelings for the man who had rejected her mercilessly and did not care about her life.


    In the early morning,


    Ava was getting ready to go to university. She turned her back to the mirror and choked on her own breath.


    Her bare back was full of scratch marks. It was a mark of ws as if someone had wed her.


    She felt pain all night long and woke up to see these marks every morning. It appeared as though her own wolf had scratched her in an attempt to break free of her body.


    She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wiped them and looked at her face in the mirror.


    "You can''t be weak. "You must survive for your mother," she told herself as she dressed in an off-white sweater and baggy ck jeans.


    She left her bedroom and went to the living room.


    Ava''s steps were halted by her mother''s voice,ing from the kitchen. She noticed her mother was chopping onions. She was preparing breakfast while speaking on the phone. Her phone was on the loudspeaker.


    "Aunt, he is really unwell. Please reconsider your decision, the other person inside the phone said.


    Ang was about to respond, but her gaze shifted toward Aya. She immediately turned off the loud speaker and held the phone close to her ear.


    Nheless, Ava recognized the voice. She was confused as to why the person called her mother. What decision was he talking about, and why was he trying to persuade her?


    "I will talk to youter," Ang said, hanging up the phone.


    She turned to Ava and smiled. "You got up early today."


    Ava walked up and hugged her. "Good morning, mom."


    "Good morning, my baby. Let''s have breakfast together."


    Ava looked at her mother with a suspicious look but nodded her head. She helped her mother set the table and sat alongside her.


    "Who were you talking with, Mom?" Ava asked while eating.


    Her mother remained silent for a moment. Ava lifted her head to look at her.


    "Mom?"


    "Oh, yeah. I was talking with a patient''s family."


    Ava stared at her mother for a while without saying, anything She gave her a nod and finished her breakfast quidity.


    Ava left her home to go to university. When she arrived, she noticed that everyone was using their phones while talking about something


    Ava unlocked her phone and checked the group profile of their university. She noticed that many photos were going viral.


    A couple was having fun in a club. The girl was sitting on the boy''sp. The boy was drinking while talking, with his friends. But his hand was wrapped around the girl''s waist, indicating that she was his girlfriend.


    "Ava"


    Hearing her name, she looked away from the screen of her phone. She turned to face Debra, who had approached


    her.


    Debra peered at her phone. Ava immediately locked her phone and put it in her bag,


    Debra held her hand. "Ava, how long will you feel like this by looking atn and Nova''s pictures? Just forget about that arrogant boy and move on with your life. He is good for nothing, I am scared of what he will do to our pack in the future when his father hands all the responsibility to him."


    Ava let out a shaky breath. She was trying to move on. But that boy was everywhere. Everyone liked to talk about him. Everyone had an interest in discussing his lifestyle. Everyone was after him. After all, he was the future Alpha of the pack.


    "I''ve moved on, Debra," Ava mumbled as both of them walked to their ss. They had the same schedule today.


    Ava was having difficulty leaning against anything due to her wounded back. It would take the whole day to heal because, after another night''s pain, the wound would be back.


    It was like a punishment for her. She had no idea why she was the only one receiving such punishment.


    It was time for a break.


    Ava went to use the restroom. When she came out, she noticed some boys exiting the men''s washroom, which was opposite thedies'' washroom.


    She walked past them and headed for the cafe.


    "Hey, nerd. Why are you leaving? Come on, let us talk."


    A voice called to her from behind.


    She turned and saw three boys walking toward her.


    "What?" she asked while looking at them.


    "I bet you have never had fun with a boy. Come join us. No one will get to know about it." Another boy said,.


    Ava was started by their nasty smirks. She did not respond to them and began to walk quickly.


    "Oh,e on. What is with this hard-to-get attitude?" A boy asked, grabbing her wrist.


    Ava''s body jerked in fear when the boy touched her.


    "Leave my hand. I willin to our dean. She warned the boy, who was trying to get free from his grip. They were in an empty hallway because it was break time, and everyone had gone to lunch.


    24


    The boy scoffed when he heard Ava. The other two boys beside himn started tough.


    When the boy started dragging Ava in a different direction, he started to get scared.


    "Where are you dragging me? Leave my hand."


    Despite her plea, they kept dragging her somewhere.


    ''Please, Moon Goddess, save me,'' she pleaded in her heart, struggling to


    break free from the tight grip.


    At that moment, a tattooed hand grabbed the boy''s hand.


    The boy stopped and looked around to see who had the audacity to take his


    hand. But the moment he turned, his eyes widened.


    "In?" He let out a shaky tone.


    "Leave her hand before I break yours."

 Chapter 25

    25


    Ava was shocked when her eyes shifted ton. The way he was ring at that boy who was grabbing her hand, it could make anyone scared. He looked fiercer as if he would kill the boy at any time.


    The boy immediately released Ava''s hand. Butn did not leave his hand, which shook him to the core.


    Ava was watching everything with wide eyes. She remained standing there without moving. When she heard the sound of a broken bone, she gasped. She immediately graspedn''s hand.


    "What are you doing? Leave him," she said, trying to remove his hand from the boy''s wrist. That boy looked like he was dying.


    The boy ran away with his broken hand, weeping in pain.


    Ava gulped when she sawn looking angry.


    "You should have thanked me. But rather than thanking me for saving you, you were saving him? Then why did you pretend like he was harassing you? Or you also wanted to y with those boys?"n asked while ring at her, showing her that he did not like what she did.


    "IAN"


    Ava yelled at him.


    She could not prevent herself whenn used her like that.


    Her yell caused him to raise a brow. "So the little nerd has a voice too?" he asked.


    His ferocious expression brightened.


    Ava looked away from him and said, "Just because I always stay quiet, that doesn''t mean you can say anything to me."


    "Oh, really? What if I continue to say? What will you do to me?"n asked and stepped toward her.


    She took a few steps back. Her back pressed against a wall. He stood in front of her and looked into her eyes.


    She never forgot the damage he caused her. Even if she tried, she would not be able to forget that.


    "As I said, I will nevere across your way. So it''s better if you-"


    "You what?"n asked, lowering his head to meet her eye level.


    His cologne brushed against her nostrils. She tried to hold her breath. Because his cologne would almost certainly make her heart skip a beat. So she should try to control her shameless heart.


    "It''s better for you to stay away from me," she said with a cold voice.


    Her voice stunned him. It was true that Ava was also surprised by her confidence. However, it was not the time to give herself a pat on the shoulder for that.


    "I think that storeroom punishment was not enough for you, huh?"n questioned.


    His cool expression turned hard. Though Ava could feel his cold aura, she tried her best to remain calm in front of


    him.


    ''I can''t look like a pushover,'' she reminded herself.


    She tried to move away, but he grabbed her hand and pushed her against the wall again.


    Ava felt a pain in her back. It was because of her wounds. She hissed in pain while touching her back.


    He thought he had hurt her hand. He did not grab it that tightly, though.


    But then he noticed her hand on her back. He assumed that she was pretending.


    "I can''t believe how weak you are! You can''t even handle a single push? What are you? Made of sses that can break anytime?"


    Ava closed her eyes tightly as she tried to endure the pain. She muttered angrily,


    "It''s always you who give me pain."


    He ignored herments and stated, "When that boy was dragging you, you did not even try to break free."


    Ava raised her head to look at him and replied, "I did."


    "How? By weeping for it? Howe you do not know any moves or self- defense? What did your father do for all these years? His daughter is already a weak omega, and he did not even teach her self-defense."


    His words tore into her heart. She stared at him for a moment before saying,


    "Stay away from me. Maybe you are Alphan, the future Alpha for the pack members, but for me, you are the boy who rejected my matebond."


    Without waiting for his answer, Ava turned to the right side. She strode away from him, heading for the cafe.


    She did not want to see his reaction or listen to what he would retort.


    Her father died when she was a small child. Today,n hurt her again by talking about her father. He called her weak, and he med her for what those boys were trying to do with her.


    As if her very existence were his problem.


    She did not know what he wanted from her now.


    While walking, she wiped her tears that were rolling down her cheeks unknowingly.


    She was missing her father. Her memories of the past returned to her. She could still remember how her father tried to save her and her mother. He was unable to shift, and he was killed.


    ''What if one day I end up like my dad? I also can''t shift now'' she asked herself.


    Ava entered the cafe and tried to find her friend. Her gaze fell on them, and she walked towards them. She sat down beside Abigail and Debra. She told them everything, except forn mocking her father.


    "Wait. You meann Dawson saved you?" Debra asked.


    "Yeah."


    "But wasn''t he the one who had left you unconscious? He was such a cruel boyst week, but now suddenly he has be a gentleman." Abigail said it with a doubtful look.


    25


    They had heard from Ava about whatn had done to her after the match. Luke was unaware of this, as they did not want another fight.


    Luke was busy with his other friends today, so only three of them were avable to talk.


    "Maybe he realized his actions were wrong," Debra said.


    Ava shook her head. "I don''t want his sympathy. And he didn''t save me because he wanted to. Maybe he saved me so he could mock me again. You can''t believe it; he med me for everything."


    Ava had her lunch with them while talking with them. They all went back to their sses after that.


    After all the sses, when it was time to leave, Ava remembered something.


    She looked at her friends and said goodbye to them. Abigail and Debra both offered to drop her off. But Ava denied them, saying that she would go home safely.


    When Ava saw that her friends had left, she started to look for a specific person.


    Her gaze was drawn to the power gang members, who were smoking and conversing. Some of them were lounging in the trunks of their cars while the others were sitting on their dashing bikes.


    ''The Power Gang''


    After inhaling deeply, Ava moved in their direction.


    She saw one of them say something ton. He turned his head to look at


    her.


    Ava came to a stop in front of them. Her eyes were avoiding their leader.


    "Oh! Now you have got some brains? You came here to thank me, right? No need. I am not interested,"n spoke out, gazing at her.


    Ava looked at him and replied, "I am not interested in you either."


    All ofn''s friends'' eyes widened as they let out, ''Oooooh''


    She noticedn''s eyes were getting darker.


    Beforen could respond to her, Ava turned to Stephen and said,


    "I came here for you, Stephen. Can we talk?"


    26


    26

 Chapter 26

    "Me?" Stephen asked as he looked at Ava.


    "Yeah." Ava nodded her head.


    Stephen nced atn, whose eyes were fixed on Ava.


    "Steph, don''t you know? You should not make a beauty wall," Ronald spoke out.


    Ava heard it and her cheeks turned red. She lowered her head while waiting for Stephen.


    "Beauty? My foot!"n muttered, which was quite audible,


    Ava''s face became upset after hearing him. He was insulting her once again.


    Stephen got down from the car trunk and said,"


    "Yes. We can talk."


    Ava looked at him and shook her head. "In private."


    Now every one of them turned ton to look at him. His eyes narrowed, but he remained silent.


    Stephen swallowed his breath at his friend''s enraged expression. However, he was curious as to what Ava wanted to discuss with him.


    "Sure," he replied, motioning his hand in the opposite direction.


    Then both Ava and Stephen walked to the other side and stood aside to talk with each other.


    On the other hand,


    "I told you. She has moved on." Ronald uttered his words as he observed the angry expression on the face of his best friend.


    "Yeah, I can see that too. She has moved on really damn well."n muttered while ring at them.


    "Why are you mad? I can''t find any reason." Cyrus spoke as he leaned back on his bike.


    "How can I not be mad? That nerdy omega kept talking back to me. Should I punish her again?"


    Ronald rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. You will punish her, and then you will be the one to run the whole university once you see that she has be unwell."


    "What did you say?"


    "What? Did I say anything wrong? You upside down the whole university for herst week. You warned every single soul who saw you running to the clinic carrying her not to say anything about," Ronald retorted back.


    Paul could not help butugh. Ian red at Ronald.


    Ronald did not lie. Ian indeed warned others. It was because he did not want that girl to know about it.


    His eyes drew back to the two people again who were having a conversation.


    26


    ''What are they talking about? How does she know Stephenn thought while gazing at them.


    He recalled the day when Ava came to the pack house. That day, Stephen met Ava. He remembered that he was the one who left her with Stephen that night.


    ''Did theye close after I left? What gave her the audacity toe here and ask him to have a private talk? No one can do that to a stranger,''n thought.


    So many questions ran through his mind, which he tried to push.


    He had no idea why he was even thinking about all of this. His mind waspletely screwed up. His gaze had been following her unintentionally for the entire week. He could not stop himself from keeping an eye on her every day.


    He snapped out of his reverie when he noticed Stephen holding Ava''s hand. He looked at them with a frown. For some unknown reason, he was not liking it.


    His heart was pounding as if he wanted to rush to them and yank her hand from Stephen''s grasp.


    His wolf started to growl inside, as if he did not like it as well.


    ''What the fuck is wrong with me? This nerd is driving me crazy. I need a distraction. It''s been a long time since I have had some fun at night. All I need now is a distraction from this girl. I will be fine after that,'' he assured himself.


    "BABY"


    Nova''s loud voice caught his attention. He turned around to see her running towards him.


    "Your so-called girlfriend is on her way. We should leave now. See you tomorrow," Ronald said that and got on his bike.


    Nova approached and hugged him. When she noticed he looked lost, she seized the opportunity to ce her head


    on his chest. 1


    "Where have you been? You are my boyfriend, but you don''t give me time."


    When he noticed Stephen wrapping his left hand around Ava''s waist and she holding his right arm, his face darkened.


    "Where are you looking?" Nova inquired, turning to face the direction he was looking. She raised her eyebrows as she looked at Ava. "She''s always like that."


    "Like, how?"n asked while gritting his teeth.


    "She is not innocent. She is a pretentious girl. I always saw her with different boys. I think she acts like a nerd to grab boys'' attention."


    He looked away from Ava and grabbed Nova''s waist, then pulled her to him. He yearned for a distraction. So he kissed Nova,


    Nova''s eyes widened. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.


    Suddenly, Ava''s face shed across his mind. He pushed Nova away to end the kiss.


    ''Fuck!''


    He could not believe what he had just thought. Why did he think about Ava just now while kissing his girlfriend?


    n, what''s wrong?" Nova asked.


    He looked at her and replied, "Nothing. What are you still doing on campus?


    Go back home."


    At that time, another voice interrupted them.


    "Ian, I am leaving, Ava and I need to talk."


    Stephen unlocked his car and opened the front door for Ava


    "Talk? So, what have you two been doing all this time?"


    "We need some more time. Maybe we will have to make time for each other starting now."


    "Let them spend some time with each other, baby. They look really close."


    Stephen walked over to the driver''s seat and opened the door.


    "So, what will you two talk about?"n questioned him from behind.


    Stephen turned to him and replied,


    "It''s personal, bro."

 Chapter 27

    Ava focused on the road ahead of her. She was going to a restaurant with Stephen because they had decided to go somewhere where they could talk alone.


    PLASHBACK


    Ava and Stephen walked in the opposite direction, whereb was sitting


    "Is there something serious?" Stephen questioned her as they stood in a corner,


    Ava looked at him and asked,


    "Did you call my mom today?"


    She noticed that Stephen''s brows shot up. However, he quickly changed his expression and shook his head.


    "No. Why did you think that?"


    "Stephen, please. Don''t lie to me. I''m already confused. Don''t make me more tense. I am very worried about my mom. I have been observing her. I think she is hiding something from me. Today, when I heard you trying to persuade her about something, you mentioned reconsideration."


    Seeing how stressed out Ava was, Stephen held her hand.


    "Calm down, girl. Don''t think too much."


    "Please be honest with me,"


    Stephen averted his gaze from her. "She told us not to tell you."


    "Us? So, does anyone else know about something I don''t?" Ava asked with a stunned look.


    Stephen simply nodded at him. "I wanted to tell you that night, but you didn''t give me a chance to talk about it."


    Ava recalled that when she went to the pack house, Stephen was trying to be friendly, but she did not talk to him much.


    Ava remained silent as she waited for Stephen to reveal the truth that they were hiding from her. But she remembered something and asked,


    "You were mentioning that someone is seriously ill. Whom were you talking about?"


    Suddenly, Ava''s eyes drew to Nova, who rushed ton and hugged him. She turned away from them and tried to concentrate on Stephen.


    "I was talking about my dad."


    "Your dad? What happened to him?"


    "He is not well. Your mother knows about it."


    Ava thought about it and said,


    "She once said that some rtive of Alpha was sick, and Alpha asked her to go out of this pack."


    Stephen gave her a sad smile and shook his head.


    Ava felt her mother had lied to her. "Why did she lie?"


    "No, she didn''t lie to you. She just didn''t tell you the whole truth."


    +25 80W


    "That is the truth, Stephen?"


    Ava looked at him with hope in his eyes. Stephen sighed and replied,


    "This is about our parents."


    *Our parents?"


    "Yeah. Your mom and my dad are mates.


    When Ava heard that, she felt her head spin around. She took a step back.


    Stephen put his arm around her waist to support her. She grasped his arm and asked,


    "What are you saying?"


    She closed her eyes, trying to calm her shocked mind. However, when she opened her eyes, her eyes fell onn, who was kissing Nova.


    Ava felt like breaking down. She could not get too many things together. Stephen looked around and said,


    "We can''t talk about our parents like this just anywhere. I think we should go to a ce where we can talk in private."


    Ava nodded, and they made their way to Stephen''s car. After that,n asked many questions, which infuriated Ava.


    She was upset because he had kissed Nova a while ago but was now questioning them. He had no right to know anything about her personal life.


    She said angrily that it was none of his business where they were going. She was grateful to Stephen, who said it was personal and did not tell him anything


    END OF FLASHBACK


    Stephen pulled the car close to a restaurant. They got out of the car.


    Ava pushed her sses up to her eyes before entering the restaurant. They took a private cabin.


    "Now tell me what you want to know," Stephen asked.


    "How can your father be my mother''s mate? She was my dad''s..." She paused.


    "I understand what you are trying to say. You think your father was your mother''s mate, right?"


    "He was not?" Ava asked.


    "No, Ava. They were not mates. Your mother got married to your father because her parents wanted that. She had not found her mate at the time. That''s why she agreed to marry your father. They started to live happily after that. You were born into a happy family, but something destroyed your family and took your father away from you two''s lives."


    Ava lowered her head as she recalled past memories that had often haunted her at night in her dreams.


    "When your mother came to this pack for help, it was my father, the gamma of this pack found his mate. He helped you and your mother contact Alpha Martin. After that, your mother treated Luna, and they epted you and your mother as members of this pack."


    27


    "What about your mother?"


    Stephen turned silent for a few seconds, then replied, "She died when she gave me birth."


    "Oh, I am so sorry," Ava spoke in a low tone.


    "It''s okay. I have never seen her, so I have no memories of her. I know you


    feel the same way. You also don''t have-


    11


    "No. I have my father''s memories."


    "Oh. I don''t know much about your father. I only heard that he had died before your mother came here. How did he die?"


    Ava told him everything since he revealed a secret that had been hidden from her for years.


    "Honestly, the situation when our parents met was not right. My father was unable to erase my mother''s memories while your mother was traumatized by the loss of her beloved husband. But yearster, they start to fall in love. It was their fate. They were mates. They were meant to be together. But your mother decided to devote her life to you.


    My father is sick right now. He needs a mate who can heal her. He loves your mother, so he said that if he were to ''mark someone, it would be only his mate. That night, Alpha and Luna proposed to your mother about it." Ava recalled how angry her mother was. She had seen pain too. "What did Alpha propose to her?"


    "A marriage between my father and your mother. Your mother said you are already eighteen. It is your time to find your mate and marry him, not hers. She asked what people would say if she got married now. She feared that this marriage would ruin your life because we might not treat you well. She imed she had only you in her life. She believed you would never agree to this marriage. But trust me, my father is a good person. He will make you and your mother part of his family."


    Ava thought for a moment. Could she ever picture her mother with another man? She had a few memories of her father. All she could remember clearly was that night.


    She could not forget what her father had said to her.


    ''Little girl, always take care of your mother.''


    Ava closed her eyes and stood up from her chair.


    "I can''t let her destroy her life for me. I agree with it. I will persuade her to


    get married."

 Chapter 28

    It appeared as though Stephen was taken aback. A gleaming smile appeared on his face as he stood up


    His greatest concern was that Ava would either be enraged or decline the marriage proposal. But the fact that she readily agreed with it left him speechless. It showed how good a daughter she was.


    "Are you sure that you can convince her?" he asked, looking at her carefully.


    Ava gave him a nod and replied,


    "I can''t promise, but I will do my best. Just like how my mon loves me, I love her the most. If she has a mate, she should be with him. She is fortunate that her mate did not reject her when she refused to be with him. He has been waiting for a very long time."


    Stephen felt sorry for Ava. Whatn did with her was really wrong


    He thought back to the time whenn had rejected her and told them that he hated her. All of these things about his father were unknown to him on that day.


    However, when his father became ill, Alpha called him personally and revealed the truth that his father had been concealing from him for all of these years prior to his illness.


    His reaction was also the same. The only thing he desired was for his father to be content and still alive.


    "I believe that you should have an open conversation with your mother. She believes that you will have a problem with everything that is going on. I request you to break his misconception that your life will be ruined by it."


    "I will do that," she replied.


    After she had finished speaking with her mother, Stephen told her to inform him.


    "Alright, little sister. See you soon." Stephen said.


    "Little sister?"


    "Yeah. Our parents are going to marry. So we will be siblings, you know."


    Ava chuckled as she realized Stephen had thought so far.


    "Sure, big brother. Bye."


    After talking with him, Ava left the restaurant. Stephen offered to drop her off at her house, but she declined, stating that she would prefer to go alone.


    She called a cab and went to her house. Her mother was not at home, so she waited for her in the living room.


    While lying on the couch, Ava was using her phone.


    Her thoughts kept returning to the time when she sawn kiss Nova.


    Why did all of this have to ur right in front of her?


    "That man has no shame," she muttered.


    The sound of the door being unlocked reached her ears. When she opened her eyes, she saw her mothering inside. She hurried over to give her a hug.


    "Why does my baby look so tired?" her mother asked.


    28


    "Mom, I love you."


    "I love you too, my baby,"


    She pulled away from the hug and let her mother go to her room to take a shower.


    She waited in the living room. Her mother came out and went to the kitchen.


    Ava helped her prepare dinner. Ava did not raise the matter at the dining table while having dinner.


    After dinner, she assisted her mother in cleaning up the dishes, and they sat on the living room couch.


    "Mom"


    Ava rested her head on her mother''s shoulder.


    "Hmm?" her mother responded while patting her cheek with her hand.


    Ava held her hand and looked at it. Her mother had been working hard for her. She abandoned her happiness and spent half of her life with her.


    She kissed her mother''s palm. "Mom, you always talk about mates. You said that when I find my mate, he will protect me and make me happy in my life. What about you, Mom?"


    Her mother''s hand froze. She turned to her and asked,


    "What are you saying, Ava?"


    Ava examined her worried expression. She cupped her cheeks and said,


    "Mom, what about your mate? Have you ever considered the possibility that he wants to protect you and provide you with a happy life?"


    Her mother rose to her feet. "What nonsense! What are you saying?"


    Ava also got up. "Mom, I know that you have a mate. Dad was not your mate, right?"


    Her mother''s eyes widened as she reflected on how she had learned about


    it.


    "Mom, please don''t waste the rest of your life. You once told me that having mates is a blessing. Why don''t you ept yours?"


    Ang could not believe what she was hearing. Her daughter was aware of everything. She did not question her; instead, she was convincing her to get married.


    She shook her head. "Ava, you know nothing about this world. It is your time to marry or settle down, not mine."


    "Mom, that is the wrong thought. There is no set time frame for doing anything in your life. It is up to you to decide what makes you happy."


    Ava noticed her mother''s eyes getting wet. She hugged her mother.


    "Mom, I agree with the marriage that Alpha and Luna have proposed to you. Please ept it. If he chooses someone else, you wille to regret it. It''s not easy to endure the rejection of your mate," Ava said with an upset face. Her mother broke the hug and cupped her face. "Why are you saying this?" Ava shook her head. "Mom, I know you like Uncle Harper as well. It''s not in your hands. It''s your bond that binds you with him in your heart."


    20


    Her mother appeared stunted. "How can you say all of this so surely?"


    It was impossible for Ava to exin to her mother how her mate had rejected her, leaving her in a state of brokenness. She feared that if her mother did not decide to ept her mate, she would be forced to suffer the same fate as she had.


    There was no way Ava would tell her mother about the rejection. So she took her question lightly.


    She let out a chuckle as she thought about her situation. She looked away from her and lied.


    "Just read somewhere."

 Chapter 29

    29


    The next day,


    Ava woke up early to go to the university. The fact that she had been sessful in persuading her motherst night made her very happy. At first, she was talking about what others would say. But then Ava had to tell her that by marrying Harper, she could get a father''s name.


    Though Ava loved her father a lot, she would have to ept Harper as her new father if she wanted happiness in her mother''s life.


    Ava took a quick shower and got ready hurriedly. She left her house without eating breakfast, telling her mother that she needed to do some work outside.


    "I have to talk about it with Stephen. He is also concerned about his father," she thought to herself.


    When Ava arrived at her university, her friends noticed her. Luke gave her a puzzled look.


    "What am I hearing? Did you go somewhere with Stephen yesterday? Is he ckmailing you for something?"


    Ava was stunned to hear that. "What are you saying, Luke?"


    "One of my friends saw you going with him."


    Debra was staring at her. Abigail was not there. Ava shook her head and understood that they were misunderstanding the situation.


    "I need to talk to you all. Where is Abigail? Let''s find her and sit together."


    They nodded and proceeded to the cafeteria together.


    Luke called Abigail. She reported that she was currently en route to the university.


    They waited for her. Luke and Debra were looking at Ava while examining her face.


    "Rx, guys. Everything is okay," Ava assured them.


    Following some time, Abigail came and joined them. After taking a seat at their table, she inquired,


    "Spill the beans."


    Ava looked at three of them and took a deep breath.


    "You all are friends, so I think I really need to share this with you."


    She told them everything, including how her father died and how her mother brought her to this pack. She shared with them the story of her mother''s mate and the reasons why she had been unable to ept him for so long.


    After she had finished exining everything, she took a quick look at their faces. She thought they would judge her or her mother.


    But Abigail and Debra got to their feet and gave her a hug.


    "We didn''t know you had to see so many things at such a young age."


    Ava smiled at them sadly. She indeed had to see her father''s death at that young age.


    It was a trauma for her. It was the worst nightmare she had ever experienced, and she saw it in her dreams quite frequently.


    29


    "So your mother is going to marry Stephen''s father?" Lukeasked her.


    She gave him a slight nod. "All I can say is that I hope so. I tried my best to convince her. I know the also wants to be with her mate. But she overthinks about what people would say."


    "Hey! Why so much overthinking? My aunt has just gotten married at the age of 45. She said love has no bounds or age," Abigail said, sitting on her chair. Debra also went to sit on hers.


    Ava looked at them and said,


    "Thanks, guys."


    "For what?" Debra asked.


    "You didn''t judge my mother. You all are supporting me."


    "Why won''t we? We are best friends for a reason," Debra let out.


    After talking with her friends, Ava went to attend her sses. It was difficult


    for her to concentrate on her studies because she was thinking about something else.


    ''I should move into a dorm after they get married,'' she thought.


    She did not want to ruin anyone''s private life.


    When she attended herst ss, the professor told her that she was not doing well in that subject because she had not submitted her assignment.


    She apologized to him and informed him that she would submit the assignment this week.


    "No, you have to finish it today, then you can leave," the professor dered.


    Later, she had to finish the assignment, which took her an hour. She told her friends to leave after their sses since she would have toplete her task.


    When she was done submitting her assignment, she let out a sigh of relief. She made her way to the entrance hall while looking around


    Unexpectedly, she saw Stephen. From a distance, she smiled broadly and waved at him with her hand.


    She could not help but smile at him because she would be breaking the good news to him today.


    Stephen noticed her and waved at her back. He excused his friend and approached her.


    "Hey!"


    "Hi, Stephen."


    "You look happy today."


    "Guess what?"


    "What? Did you convince her and get her to agree?" Stephen asked her with hope.


    Ava nodded her head with a smile. Stephen''s eyes widened. He could not believe it and hugged her with joy.


    "I can''t believe it! I really have been trying. But you did what I could not do."


    Ava chuckled at hearing him. He patted his back and replied,


    29


    "We should make ns for them to meet together."


    Stephen released the hug and gave her a nod.


    "Dad doesn''t know about it. I think we should n. How about setting up a


    date for them?"


    "Not bad."


    Stephen thought for a second before telling her,


    "I am throwing a party tonight. Would you like toe?"


    Ava was taken aback. "Party?"


    "Yeah. This is my party. So you don''t have to worry about anything. We can


    n everything there."


    Ava''s gaze unintentionally shifted behind Stephen. She noticed that his friends were looking at her.


    Her eyes stopped on one person, who was digging a re at her. (1)


    "Is he going?" she mumbled.


    Stephen turned around to see who she was looking at. He noticedn staring at them.


    Stephen shrugged his shoulders.


    "Of course he is. But I can assure you that he will stay away from you."


    Ava exhaled and paused for a moment. It was not about her, but her mother.


    So she gave him her words.


    "Okay, I will be there tonight."


    Alis Tae Author


    Update schedule:


    5 days a week (Per day - 2 or more chapters).


    139

 Chapter 30

    30


    n, why are you looking at them like this? They will feel easy," Ronald said to far.


    For quite some time, Tan had been fixating his gaze on Ava and Stephen.


    It bothered him that Ava was getting closer and closer to Stephen. He was mad at Stephen because,st night,


    when he asked him about what Ava was saying to him, he replied that it was nothing much.


    It was obvious that something was going on between them and he did not want to tell him about it.


    "Don''t you think he is talking too much with that nerd?"b asked his friends.


    "Everyone is aware of Stephen''s personality. He never engages in unnecessary conversations with others. There must be a reason," Cryan assumed.


    "But what might be the reason?" Paul asked.


    "There is nothing, guys. He is a man. He can fall for anyone you know," Ronald said, ncing atn.


    "What? Did I say anything wrong? Don''t you all agree with me?" Ronald asked others.


    "I know him. He can''t fall for that nerdy omega. In fact, no one can fall for a weak girl like her." Ronald nodded his head. "Who knows what he really wants? But I feel like you are telling it to yourself."n gave him an indifferent expression, indicating that he did not care.


    "Why am I getting the impression that you are jealous of Steph because he is talking to your ex-mate?" "Excuse me? Is there anything about her that piques my interest or makes me jealous?"n asked with a scoff. However, his eyes turned darker when he saw Stephen hugging Ava. His jaw clenched as he stared at them.


    He saw Ava hand her phone to Stephen, as if they were exchanging phone numbers.


    Ronald raised his eyebrows and looked around at his other friends, who were also looking at him.


    "Cherry on top, he got the girl''s number."


    "Now this looks serious. We have to ask him," Paulo said.


    inside. He wanted to go to Ava and scolded her for giving her contact number to anyone else.


    ''How cheap she is! She is giving around her number to other boys!''n thought.


    After some time had passed, Ava left, and Stephen eventually came back to join them.


    "What were you talking about? It took too long," Paulo asked him.


    Stephen had a big smile on his face, which maden frown.


    "You look like you have won a lottery."


    "Bro, I have got more than that. I can''t exin to you all how happy I am right now."


    30


    Ronald patted his shoulder and said,


    "Then tell us."


    Ewetw


    Stephen was about to speak, but he nced atn and recalled what Ava had told her.


    She asked him to keep it a secret from everyone until their parents married.


    "I am so sorry, guys. I can''t tell you anything right now. But I will let you know about it soon. I promise."


    "Don''t forget about tonight''s party."


    "Noting,"n replied without hesitation.


    "Why?"


    "Not in the mood today."


    "You never say no to a party. In fact, I invited Nova for you.


    Hearing that,n red at him. "Why did you invite her? You all know I don''t like her at all."


    Stephen shook his head and replied,


    "But you made her your girlfriend. How can I not invite her?"


    He had no desire to attend any party tonight. The sight of Stephen with Ava


    and Stephen''s wordsing out of herpletely ruined his mood.


    He turned around and started to walk. But he paused when he overheard his friend''s conversation.


    "Ava is alsoing." 1


    "Why did you call that nerd at your party?"


    Stephen took a deep breath and tried to exin it to him.


    "I have a request for you,n. You are not Ava''s mate now. So she said she wanted to stay away from you. I promised her that you would stay away from her at the party. Please keep that in mind."


    "What did you just say? You promised her? Have you two gotten so close that you have started to make promises to her?"


    Stephen stared atn''s engaged face. He knew thatn was misunderstanding him. But he did not borate on that. Ava agreed with this condition, so he would have to make sure thatn would not get close to her.


    "Look, buddy. You have already rejected her. There is nothing to argue over. You clearly mentioned that you have no interest in her. Or do you have


    any?"


    30


    "Are you crazy? How can I get any interest in that girl?"


    Before Stephen could say anything, Ronald spoke up.


    "Then there is nothing to talk about. Ian does not care whether you invite


    her or anyone else. He ising tonight to join us."


    "I am noting,"n muttered and left. 1


    Stephen looked at his back. ''I wish I could tell you the truth But why are you reacting like this,n?'' he thought. Ronald gave Stephen a careful look. He understood that nothing was like what they were assuming. But he wantedn to think like that so he could understand how he truly felt. "Don''t worry, Steph. I can bet on it.n wille to the party for sure."

 Chapter 31

    Oh Really 31


    31


    Ava went back to her home. Her mother was not at home because she had already gone to the hospital


    Ava remained in her room throughout the entire day, thinking about her future.


    The only thing she could do was hope Harper would make her mother happy and give her what she deserved


    In the evening,


    Ava waszing around on the couch and watching television She could hear her phone ringing,


    Her phone, which was sitting on the table close to the kitchen, caught her attention briefly. She forgot to take her phone from there after having lunch.


    The phone rang, but she was toozy to go and answer it.


    "Come on, Ava. You have to do it."


    After getting to her feet, she proceeded to walk to the table. She looked at her phone screen and saw that it was a group call. 1


    She received the call and immediately connected with the other three people in the group.


    "Hello, guys," Ava said.


    "Stephen called us to invite us to his party."


    It was Abigail who spoke out. Her voice was desperate.


    "Oh, thank God he did. Otherwise, I would have called you all toe with me," Ava replied to her.


    "He informed us that you were the first person he invited. Is there any specific reason?" Luke asked. "Yeah, we were talking about our parents. So he asked me toe."


    "Oh."


    "Wait a minute, guys. Let me ask her a question first. What is the theme of the party?" Debra asked.


    Ava was confused. "Theme? I don''t know. He didn''t tell me about it."


    "I asked him when he contacted me. The theme is revolution," Abigail said.


    "Wow. Sounds nice. But I was talking about dressing themes, by the way," Debra let out.


    They all chuckled at her remarks.


    "Wear what you like, Deb. You look good at everything." Ava said to Debra.


    "You girls can talk. I am hanging up. See you all at the party," Luke said to them.


    In their group, he was the only boy, which sometimes made him feel awkward. However, they allowed him to have space for his personal time. He had other friends, so he could chill out with them.


    "Then should Ie to pick you u-" Abigail was interrupted when Ava received another call on her phone.


    "Stephen is calling me," Ava told them.


    "Receive the call. He is going to be your brother," Debra said andughed.


    31


    Ava ended the call and received Stephen''s call.


    "Hello?"


    "Where are you?"


    Ava was dumbfounded. "Well, at my home. Why?"


    "What why? Did you forget about my party?"


    "No. I was talking about it with my friends. They said you invited them too."


    "Yeah."


    "That''s great. My friend Abigail was saying that she would pick me up. So when will the party begin?"


    At that time, she heard a knock on the main door. She turned to the door.


    "I am at your doorstep. There is no need to go with Abigail, am here to pick you up."


    Ava opened the door hurriedly. "How did you find out where I live?" she asked with a surprised look


    "Come on. Do you think I don''t know where my soon-to-be mother is staying?"


    "You have a point," Ava said and nodded her head.


    "You are going with me. Let''s go.


    "}


    Ava shook her head and said, "Let me ask my mom first."


    "I have talked to her. She said she hoped you had a good time with your friends. So let''s go.''


    At first, Ava was unable to believe him; however, she became aware of the fact that Stephen frequentlymunicated with her mother over the phone.


    "Let me change my clothes. I am not ready yet."


    Stephen frowned at her. "Ready? What will you do? Wear a loose dress and make an effort to hide your face by wearing big sses?"


    Ava eventually came to the realization that she was not wearing her sses at that time.


    Her eyes widened. She was feeling awkward that someone was seeing her without her sses on. It had be a habit for her to walk around while wearing her sses.


    "You are going to go somewhere with me. From there, we will go to the party directly."


    Ava could not help but obey him and left her house in sneakers and the navy blue dress that she was wearing at home.


    They got inside Stephen''s car. Stephen started the car after setting up an address on the map.


    They arrived at the location after driving for a half an hour. Ava got out of the car. When Ava looked around, she saw that Stephen had taken her to a shopping mall.


    "Why are we here?" Ava asked.


    "Do you want to go to my party in that dress?"


    Ava gazed down at her dress. It was indeed not a dress to wear to any party.


    +25 BORRIS


    Despite Ava''s countless refusals, Stephen bought many dresses for her. He instructed the staff girl to bring Ava the most exquisitely designed shoes she could find.


    Ava was looking at Stephen while pressing her hand on her forehead.


    She was talking with her mother on her phone.


    "Mom, stop him."


    "Didn''t you try to convince mest night? Now you have to listen to me. Your children have grown so much. You started nning behind our backs. Now you must listen to me."


    "Listen to what? Wear them and change my appearance. Mom, I can''t just transform myself."


    "It''s all my fault. I always told you to hide yourself. It''s because I was scared


    of your safety. But not anymore. I don''t want to hide my beautiful daughter anymore.''


    11


    Ava let out a sigh, shaking her head. "Mom, please."


    "Do you want me to rethink what I promised youst night?"


    "No way."


    "Then listen to Stephen. Don''t worry about the money he is spending. He is using my card for you."


    Ava parted her lips. Her mother was really wasting so much money on her.


    Stephen came to her and said,


    "Let''s go, little sister. It is time to get a makeover."

 Chapter 32

    32


    Ava looked at herself in the mirror. Both her mother and Stephen were sessful in convincing her to get a makeover.


    Stephen brought her to a young woman who was his cousin. It seemed like she knew about Ava, so she did her best to give her a new look.


    When she was done, she told Ava to look at herself, and Ava was shocked.


    She had her hair dyed a dark brown color and cut it in longyers. It was giving her an elegant look


    Because she did not wear sses, her face was clearly visible. The young woman applied smokey makeup, giving her a hot look.


    She was dressed in a ck knee-length dress that hugged her body and showed off her curves. Her ck high heels gave her a little more height than usual.


    Overall, she appeared to have changedpletely.


    Ava was really stunned by looking at herself.


    "What a beautiful girl!" the young womanplimented her.


    Ava flushed and looked at her. "Thanks."


    When she went out of the room to meet Stephen, he was equally stunned. He knew Ava was beautiful, but he was not expecting this much beauty.


    However, he made up his mind that she would be his sister. So he had no ulterior motives for her.


    "You look absolutely stunning. That''s how you should walk around. Now I understand why your mom always tried to hide you from others'' eyes," Stephen said to Ava.


    Ava had no words to say. She was nervous about what people would say about her sudden change.


    Stephen grasped what she was thinking.


    "Didn''t you say your mother thinks about other people a lot? I think you got


    this from your mother. Stop overthinking, Ava."


    Ava nodded her head and followed him behind.


    They got into his car, and he started it to take them to their destination.


    Ava nced at Stephen and noticed that he had also changed his clothes. He was wearing jeans and a denim jacket.


    Since he was a member of the Power Gang, his appearance was not different from theirs.


    Throughout the whole ride, Ava was feeling anxious. She did not know how others would react to her.


    She was a person who did not like attention; now she would give them a topic to talk about her.


    "Rx," Stephen reminded her.


    They arrived at a house. Stephen got out of the car and opened the door for her.


    She stepped out of the car and looked around. The whole house was almost shaking under the music and beat.


    "Let''s go?" Stephen said to her:.


    They entered the house. Ava was greeted by smoke and the smell of alcohol.


    The boys turned their heads toward her when she went inside. They kept staring at her.


    Ava felt awkward under their gazes. Meanwhile, girls were looking at Stephen and giving her res. She realized they were misunderstanding her.


    "Don''t think too much. You are beautiful. People enjoy seeing beautiful girls and handsome boys. It''s natural," Stephen told her.


    Ava sighed when she heard him. She tried her best to ignore others'' gazes,


    "AVA!"


    She heard a scream, which made her turn around.


    Abigail was looking at her with a pair of shocked eyes. Luke and Debra had the same reactions


    She cast a nce at Stephen. He chuckled and nodded at her as if telling her to meet her friends.


    Ava walked to her friends, while Stephen went to other guests. It was his party, so everyone was looking for him.


    "Come here, baby. You look like the hottest girl on the," Abigail said, pulling her into a hug,


    Avaughed at her words and hugged her back. When they moved away from the hug, Debra went to hug Ava.


    "I am so d to see you like this. Who should we thank for this


    appearance? Stephen?" Debra asked.


    "He and my mom," Ava muttered.


    Someone cleared his throat. Ava turned her head and saw Luke.


    He scratched the back of his neck and said,


    "You look gorgeous."


    "Thank you, Luke," Ava said with a warm smile.


    She was happy that her friends were cheering her on. If Stephen had not invited them here, she would have passed out from other people''s stares.


    She believed that the majority of the people here did not recognize her, which was fortunate for her. This appearance was just for today. She will return to her old self tomorrow.


    "Let''s have drinks," Abigail suggested.


    Though Ava did not want to have drinks, she wanted to sit somewhere. Luke excused himself when one of his friends came to talk to him.


    Abigail and Debra held both of her arms. Debra whispered to her,


    "Let us teach you how to enjoy parties. Last time, you left early."


    Debra''s words reminded Ava of what had happened at thest party. She remembered the encounter withn. Thinking about that kiss and touch made her mind foggy.


    Ava shook her head and took a deep breath.


    "Why don''t you want to enjoy it?" Abigail asked, as she thought Ava was shaking her head in response to their


    remarks.


    32


    475 SONUS


    "No, no. I was thinking of something else."


    They stopped at the bar and ordered three sses of beer.


    "You two know that I don''t drink." Ava said to them.


    Abigail rolled her eyes. "Did you forget what your mom told mest time? She said she wanted you to live your life fully. So start with this;e on, baby."


    Debraughed when she saw how Abigail was persuading Ava with her words.


    "One ss won''t hurt you," Debra assured her.


    Ava nced at the ss and grabbed it. She was about to sip on it when she heard other girls screaming about something.


    She turned her head to look around therge living room, which had turned into a club now.


    It was the main door that caught her attention. Four boys had just walked in.


    All the girls'' eyes were there.


    Ava''s gaze was drawn to one of them.


    That wasn Dawson. The boy every girl desired to be with.


    He arrived at the party looking like a rock star. He was wearing ck jeans,


    a white undershirt, and a ck jacket His eyebrow


    His eyebrow piercing and tattooed hands gave him a popstar look.


    Who would say that he was going to be the head Alpha of this pack? 1


    Ava was ready to avert her gaze from him. But her eyes froze when his eyes caught her gaze.

 Chapter 33

    33


    Tan was not feeling up to attending Stephen''s party. He did not know why he was angry with Stephen.


    However, he reconsidered attending the party after Ronald called and informed him that everyone wanted him to join them.


    "Didn''t you all hear me? I don''t want to go,"n said to Ronald while lying on his bed.


    "Bro, what''s wrong with you? You have never declined an invitation to attend a party. And it''s our Stephen''s party. Now, what makes you avoid parties?"


    "I am not in the mood."


    "I know why."


    "Don''t talk about that nerd again," he warned him.


    "Wait a minute. When did I talk about Ava? I think you have gone crazy about her."


    "Don''t try to change your words. You were about to speak about her."


    "No. Have you forgotten that you have a girlfriend?"


    Hearing Ronald,n frowned. He indeed forgot about Nova. In fact, she had been sending messages to him the whole day to go with her to the party, but he ignored all of her messages.


    "Ian, we all know you don''t like that Nova girl. Why don''t you break up with her?"n raised an eyebrow. "Breakup?"


    The word sounded so funny to him because he did not even feel that he was in any rtionship with her.


    "You are not even serious. And we all know she is after your Luna''s position. So why are you roaming around with the ''I am booked'' tag? Just break up ande back to your old life."


    That mate thing messed with his mind so badly that he forgot all of his desires and lost his way of life.


    "You are right. I amn Dawson. I do not require any confirmation to sleep with any girl. I should break up with that Nova girl. But what will I do to my annoying dad? He kept nudging me to fix a girl as their Luna."


    Ronald remained quiet for some time. Then he spoke out,


    "Your Luna could have been with you if you had not rejected her."


    "Shut up, Ron. You know how much I hate that girl. She doesn''t deserve to be with me anyway."


    "As you say, Alpha, Are youing or not?"


    Of course, I aming."


    Immediately after hanging up the phone,n went to take a shower. When he was ready to leave the pack house, his father called out to him from behind.


    Rolling his eyes, he turned his attention to him.


    "Yes, Dad?"


    Sarcasm was evident in his tone of voice.


    "You promised that you would introduce us to the girl that you have selected."


    "The girl is gone."


    "I know you are dating my beta''s daughter."


    "Who told you that?" he asked with a profound voice.


    His father was almost taken aback by the fierceness of his eyes. His father could


    see that his son''s aura was not the aura of an ordinary Alpha. He was more powerful than people thought.


    "Everyone at your university is aware of this."


    "Oh, so you sent a spy after me?"


    "It is not wrong to know what my son is doing outside."


    Heughed and nodded his head in agreement. "You are right; it''s not wrong. Then what do you want me to do, dad?"


    "Don''t try to y with her. She is my beta''s daughter. She is a beta female, and I also think she is good for you. So don''t dare to mistreat her. Finally, you chose the right girl, and I hope you will not let me down this time."


    but before that, his father had already warned him not to do that.


    He did not reply to him and left the pack house in a furious mood.


    He got in his car and started the engine.


    "I can''t break up, but that girl can," he muttered. A smirk appeared on the corner


    of his lips.


    Ma


    When he arrived at the house where Stephen had hosted the party, he saw his other friends waiting outside.


    "Where is Steph?" he asked Cyrus.


    "He is inside. Let''s go." Cyrus replied.


    to scream after seeing them.1


    However, his eyes caught a pair of soft eyes that were looking at him.


    His jaw nearly dropped when he saw the girl. If he had not seen her without sses in the hospital bed that day, he would not have believed that it was Ava.


    His heart began to beat erratically for no apparent reason. She broke eye contact and looked away from him.


    His gaze shifted to her dress. She was wearing an alluring dress, and she was looking hot.


    She had a perfect body that she had hidden from others by wearing baggy clothes.


    Her face was clearly visible, and tonight she did not wear any sses or tie her


    hair.


    33


    She looked different-apletely different girl.


    Where are you lost?" he heard Ronald''s voice.


    He forced himself to look away from Ava and turned his head to Ronald.


    Ronald smirked at him while ncing at Ava.


    "She is sizzling hot. What happened to her? Did she change herself for Stephen?"


    talking with Stephen. He was directing her and her friends towards the couches. It looked like her friends were also on good terms with him.


    ncing atn''s clenching fists, Ronald chuckled and whispered to him,


    "Are you jealous, Alphan?"

 Chapter 34

    34


    "You can sit here. No one will bother you. If anyone dares, just send me a text," Stephen said to Ava.


    Ava gave him a nod. Abigail and Debra were looking at them while sitting beside her on a couch. They saw Stephen going to his friends. They turned to face Ava.


    "He is being so nice to you. I have never seen him speak to anyone in such a sweet manner," Abigail said. "Maybe he thinks of her as his family since very soon they are going to be a family," Debra said.


    Ava was only listening to them. She took sips from her drink. It was her first time drinking. So she was feeling wired.


    She noticed a couple making out in a corner. Her eyes shifted to other sides, and she was surprised that many couples were doing the same.


    "They should get a room," Ava muttered.


    Abigail and Debraughed when they heard her.


    "Stephen won''t allow them to enter any of the private rooms."


    "Oh."


    Ava bent down to a small table near the couch and ced her half filled ss. Her gaze fell on a boy who was looking at him.


    Ava was uneasy under his gaze. He approached her with a smirk. It caused her to immediately look away from him.


    "Hi, sweetheart. Let''s have a dance."


    Ava was startled by his approach.


    "Do you like this guy?" Abigail asked Ava.


    Ava was shocked. With a proud grin, the boy tucked his hands in his pockets.


    "No way," I whispered.


    Debra sneered at the boy. "Bro, our girl doesn''t like you. So go away from here."


    The boy was taken aback by Debra''s rude words.


    He red at Ava, and she felt that she had made a new enemy here.


    "You know what? Let''s have dancing girls. We were about to teach her how to enjoy parties. Sitting here won''t help her," Abigail dered and stood up. 1


    100


    Ava shook her head. But her friends grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor, which was in the center of the living room.


    Abigail waved at Luke to join them. Luke walked to them to join them on the dance floor.


    Debra went up to the DJ and requested that he y a beat-heavy song.


    Everything was new to Ava. She felt shy about dancing. Luke held her hand and pulled her to him.


    "Hey! Don''t feel awkward. No one will see you. Even if they do, does it matter? Just focus on yourself."


    34


    Ava nced at her friends, who nodded and began to dance She tried to move her legs to imitate their steps.


    After a while, she started enjoying it. It seemed like the half-ss of beer was influencing her brain.


    She started to jump with the beats. She wanted to forget all of the pain and problems in her life tonight.


    On the other hand,


    He did not know why he was looking at this girl.


    He wasn Dawson. Every single girl was after him. Even though they knew Nova


    care. It did not prevent them from getting closer to him.


    However, his eyes were only looking for Ava. It made him furious at himself.


    as his girlfriend, they did not


    The most annoying fact was his wolf. He was interested in Ava. Despite his rejection, his wolf could not ignore Ava''s presence.


    "Ian, I am d you came to the party," Stephen told him.


    Stephen had been ignoring him since the moment he approached him to talk. He


    was pissed off at him. Why was he growing closer to Ava?


    "Tell us the truth. Who changed the girl in a few hours?" Ronald asked Stephen.


    "I told her that she needed a makeover."


    Whenn heard him, he scoffed. "Makeover? This makeover can''t change her nerdy character."


    Stephen frowned at him. "Why would I change her character? She is a pure soul. I think she should never change herself."


    Stephen never spoke about any other girl in that way.


    ''Is what Nova said about Ava correct? Is she truly a girl who craves the attention


    of men?''n thought while watching Ava dance with Luke.


    She no longer resembled the nerd she had been in the morning.


    "Have fun at the party, everyone. I''ming back in a few minutes." Stephen excused himself and walked toward


    Ava.


    He patted Luke''s shoulder and said in his ears,


    Can I dance with her?"


    Luke felt awkward leaving Ava with him, but then he remembered what she had told him about her mother tod So Luke nodded and allowed Stephen to dance with her.


    Ava looked at Stephen with a smile.


    "Are you enjoying it?" he asked in a loud voice, as the music was extremely loud.


    "Yes," Ava replied while moving his legs.


    "Let''s have a talk."


    34


    "Sure."


    Ava nced at her friends, who gave her the signal to go with Stephen,


    Ava and Stephen then proceeded to the bar, Stephen ordered two drinks. When the bartender set down two drinks on the bar counter, he handed one to her.


    "So? What''s your n?" Stephen asked.


    Ava huffed, sweating from her long dance session, she ced her right hand on


    her hip and took deep breaths topose herself.


    She noticed Stephen had offered her a ss of beer, so she drank it to soothe her throat.


    "First tell me about Alpha and Luna''s proposal," Ava replied.


    "Alpha and Luna want them to marry as soon as possible. Because what is the


    point of dying?"


    "Does your dad know about my mom''s decision?"


    "I haven''t told him anything yet. Maybe your mom did."


    "That''s great."


    "How about nning their wedding next week?"


    "Next week? Isn''t it too early?"


    "No, Ava. My dad is sick. I want his health to get back to normal as soon as possible. I will speak with Alpha Martin about it. It will be a private wedding. Only our family will be invited there. But after the wedding, Alpha Martin will announce that you and your mom have joined the Gamma''s family."


    Ava paid close attention as he spoke. She found Stephen to be a really sensible guy. He really cared for his father.


    While thinking about it, her gaze was drawn to someone who was staring at her. She saw a girl approach him and tried to sit on hisp, but he pushed her.


    His eyes remained on her.


    She immediately looked away from him and asked Stephen,


    "Why isn staring at me? After everything he did, is there still anything left?"

 Chapter 35

    35


    Stephen looked inn''s direction. He was indeed staring at Ava. He did not know what was wrong withn. Over the past few days, he had started to behave


    strangely.


    What stunned him weren''s dark eyes. They were calm. He was silent as well.


    Was it silent before the storm?


    After diverting his attention away fromn, he responded to Ava by saying,


    "Don''t worry. I told him to stay away from you."


    Ava sighed with relief. She did not want to seen. Talking with him was like asking for her own humiliation.


    "Let us have a conversation about it with our parents directly and see what oue theye up with," Ava told Stephen to change the topic.


    "Sure What about the day after tomorrow? Let''s have a family dinner," Stephen said with excitement.


    "Family dinner?" Ava mumbled while looking at the floor.


    The experience of having a family waspletely foreign to her. She only had her mother, whom she called her family. She was unable to have the opportunity to spend the rest of her life with her father. Neither did she have any siblings. So she did not know what a family dinner would feel like.


    There were times when she questioned whether or not she could actually give her father''s ce to Harper. Because after all, how could someone give their father''s ce in their heart to someone else?


    She felt a hand on hers as it rested on the counter. She came out of her thoughts and looked at her hand.


    Stephen patted her hand. "I knew we were strangers until a few days ago. But trust me. My dad is a responsible man. He always sees you as his daughter because you are his mate''s daughter. I will never treat you badly and will always protect you as my own sister. You will live in a house of gammas. We will try to give you and your mom the best lives."


    Ava looked at Stephen. His words really touched her heart. Though he was not her biological brother, she felt a connection with him. It was as if he were her real brother.


    As she experienced feelings of emotion, she bit the bottom of her lip. Stephen lowered his head to look at her face carefully. When he saw her teary eyes, his eyes widened. He hugged her and said,


    "Hey! Lil sis. Don''t cry. Did I say something wrong?"


    Ava shook her head and hugged him back.


    "Thanks, Stephen."


    Stephen rubbed her hair like a big brother should do tofort a little sister.


    "I will always be there for you. Don''t worry. Your life will not be the same as before. Your mom will not have to worry about your protection anymore."


    Ava broke the hug and wiped her eyes.


    "I''m going to the washroom."


    "Yeah. You can go upstairs and use any room''s washroom. No one will be there. I don''t allow anyone to use private rooms," he said, showing her the way to the stairs.


    35


    Ava thanked him and walked to the staircase. She noticed that a few boys were trying to get closer to her. Stephen approached them from behind and gave them a shake of his head.


    "She is here with me. Fuck off."


    They immediately changed their route from there. It looked like Stephen really had a great impression on boys. Why would he not? He was the soon-to-be Gamma of this pack.


    "Thanks, Stephen."


    "No worries. Call me if you get lost."


    "Okay. Can you tell my friends I am going upstairs?"


    "Sure."


    She climbed the stairs and walked for a short distance before arriving at a room. As soon as she opened the door, she realized that it was a bedroom. She closed the door, but did not lock it.


    She went into the bathroom, which was attached to the bedroom.


    When she was done using the washroom, she nced in the mirror to look at herself.


    Due to the fact that she had shed tears earlier, her mascara was slightly smeared around her eyes.


    She opened her bag and pulled out a tissue. She dabbed the corners of her eyes. After she was done, she was about to leave the washroom when she got a call. She took out her phone from her bag and noticed her mother calling her.


    She took the call and beganbing her hair with her fingers, which had be tangled after dancing.


    "Yes, Mom."


    "I''m at home, and you are not back yet. Where are you?"


    "Mom, I am still at the party. Should Ie back now?"


    "No. If you are having fun, you can stay for a while longer. But I wanted to ask..."


    Ava frowned at her pause. "What Mom?"


    "Have you found your mate there?"


    Ava exhaled when she heard her. Her mother always wanted her to find her mate. She did not want her daughter''s life to be like hers, where she had to marry someone else because she had met her mate toote.


    "No, Mom," Ava replied.


    She heard the sound of the door closing. She turned her head to the bathroom door.


    ''Who came? Maybe Abigail and Debra.'' she thought.


    Since she had told Stephen to inform her friends, she presumed that they had alreadye to the room.


    "Mom, I will be back soon. But you should eat your dinner now. Don''t wait for me. You should take care of your health."


    "Okay, my baby. Enjoy there."


    35


    After hanging up the phone, Ava took onest look at herself before opening the bathroom door.


    When she went out of the bathroom, she closed the door behind her.


    She turned her head, thinking her friends were there, but her body froze when she sawn.


    "Y-You!"


    She stuttered as she uttered it.


    He flicked the ash from his cigarette to the floor and turned his head to look at her.


    "Why? Were you expecting another man?"

 Chapter 36

    Ava gulped as she looked inton''s furious eyes.


    "What are you doing here?" she asked him.


    She did not want to see him. And here he was! Why did hee to the room where she was? Could he not use another room?


    "Same question to you. What are you doing here?" He asked and got to his feet.


    At the sight of himing closer, Ava blinked her eyes. She turned to the door and thought to leave the room immediately.


    So she rushed to the door, but before she could even touch the doorknob, a hand grabbed her wrist and pressed her against the door.


    The fact that she attempted to leave the room was the straw that broke the camel''s back forn


    "Where are you running, nerdy?" His voice came out with mockery.


    Ava was startled by his sudden action. Her thoughts went back to how he had treated her in the storage room.


    Would he lock her here too?


    "L-Leave me."


    "Why are you stuttering, nerdy? You didn''t stutter yesterday when you were going with Steph."


    Ava recalled that she had a chilly tone of voice when she spoke ton before going to the restaurant where she and Stephen went to discuss the situation with their parents.


    She made an effort to regain herposure and bring herself back to a state of calm.


    ''No, I can''t look weak in front of him,'' Ava told herself and took a deep breath.


    The smoke caused Ava to cough. She began to cough and tried to push him at the same time.


    Butn did not move an inch. His eyes were observing her reaction.


    The delicate appearance of her face caught his attention as he focused his gaze on it.


    At that moment, he suddenly pondered the reasons why he had never before looked at her for once.


    Was it because of her new appearance?


    But then why was he thinking about her before the party? It was not because of her appearance; rather, it was something else that he was unable to determine.


    Ava pushed his chest hard and took a look at the wall next to the door. It was the first time anyone had smoked in front of her. She could not stand the smoke and coughed violently.


    Her attention was drawn to the water jar and the ss that was ced next to it on the nightstand.


    She made her way to the bed and retrieved the jar from there. Despite the fact that she was coughing, she poured herself a ss of water and drank it down.


    36


    "Done pretending?" he asked her.


    After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, she turned her attention to him.


    "I was not pretending," she replied.


    Her eyes became teary from coughing. The water helped her feel more at ease, and she was able to get some relief from


    cough.


    Thoughn used her of pretending, he dropped the cigarette on the floor and smashed it with his boot.


    Ava approached the doorn was leaning against and said,


    "Listen,n. I don''t know what you want from me, but I don''t want to talk to you. I am not interested. Please let me just go."


    He felt a fire in his heart that was stoked by her words. "What did you say? You are not interested? Do you think I am interested in a girl like you?" A muttering came from him as he clenched his teeth.


    As he moved closer to her, she reversed her way and took a few steps backward.


    "What did you think? I am not aware of your ns?"


    Ava frowned at him while taking a step back. "What n?"


    "The n you made to get my attention."


    She was stunned by his remarks. When did she try to get his attention?


    "What did you think? Your ugly makeover can make you look pretty? Nothing can


    alter who you are. You were ugly and will always be ugly."


    Ava''s steps came to a halt. She looked directly into his eyes, which were filled with anger.


    What was the reason that this man always hurt her? He was calling her ugly. The snide remarks he made cut deep into her heart.


    There was no matter how hard she tried to keep her heart in check in front of him, she was unable to do so, "Stop acting like an innocent girl. What did you do to Stephen? Why is he behaving this way toward you?" Ava could not take any more humiliation. So she replied in a cold tone,


    "Stop making usations against me for no reason. It makes no difference to me what you think about me.''


    He was taken aback by her cold tone. He clenched his jaw to control his anger.


    What was she thinking when she told him that she did not care?


    "Or, because you could not get the Alpha, you are trying to get close to his Gamma?" he remarked.


    Her eyes widened: How could he say that to her?


    Beyond that point, she was unable to control herself. She pped him.


    36


    This time, his eyes widened. He was too angry to control himself.


    He turned his head toward her. He growled at her as his eyes turned red, and he red at her.


    When she saw his red eyes, she let out a gasp. The sound of his growl shook her boy to the very core.


    Her wolf was reacting to him! She felt a sense of submission toward him.


    Before she could understand what was happening to her, he shoved her to the bed.


    "Who gave you the audacity to p me?"

 Chapter 37

    37


    Ava was frightened by his actions. While bending down to her,n ced his knee on the bed.


    He grabbed her throat, causing her to tremble inside.


    "W-What are you doing?" she asked.


    As he looked at her terrified face, he scoffed. He moved his gaze away from her face and toward her body. "Do you think I will do something to you? "He paused and motioned his hand to her body before continuing, "This body can not seduce me."


    In the blink of her eyes, all the fear from her washed away. Her heart was filled with anguish as a result of his words.


    Tears streamed out of her eyes. She could feel her body bing numb. She could only feel his grip on her neck, which was not that firm.


    But his words were enough to stab her heart.


    Fate was ying a very tough game with her. It made a yboy her mate, who did not think for a day and rejected her. Then, when she tried to move on, he came to her and talked about how ugly she and her body were.


    "It''s not my fault. It''s not my fault," she mumbled repeatedly.


    He frowned at her, tightening his grip on her neck.


    She closed her eyes. Tears kept rolling from her closed eyes.


    "Stop crying. It won''t work on me," he said angrily.


    In truth, he did not like her tears. He was just angry with her because he was getting close to another man.


    "It''s not your fault,n. I am to me for the fact that I was your mate. You are an Alpha who thought his mate would be someone high-ranking wolf who could stand next to him." Ava paused as she tried to talk; instead, her neck was gripped by him.


    Despite the fact that her eyes were closed, she continued.


    "You believed that someone who was extremely gorgeous and stunningly beautiful was your mate. I sincerely apologize for not being able to be that girl. I sincerely apologize for sabotaging your opportunity to find the ideal mate for you. Because of me, you had to reject your mate."


    She slowly opened her eyes. She had no idea that her eyes had turned a deep blue like the ocean.


    "I am tired of your humiliations. Can you please set me free? Because whenever I try to get a backbone against you, you break me the next moment. I am tired of telling you that I do not want your attention. I just want to n on with my life. Can you please remove me from your life and behave like a stranger with me? I would love to do the same."


    Ava could not help but pour her heart out to him. She knew that if he wanted, he would never let her live peacefully. So she was left with no choice but to submit to him and demonstrate that he had won.


    She thought he would insult her more.


    But to her surprise,n let go of her neck and moved away from her.


    37


    He turned around to the window and said,


    "Leave,"


    His cold voice brought the room''s temperature down. She jumped out of bed and headed to the door.


    She sobbed as she opened the door. She walked out of the room without looking back at him.


    She was about to rush to the stairs when she noticed Stephen approaching.


    He looked at her and asked,


    "What happened to you?"


    4


    Ava lowered her head and replied, "N-Nothing. I am leaving now."


    Stephen was caught off guard by her hoarse voice. He was shocked when he noticed fingerprints on her neck.


    "Who did this to your neck?" he asked with an enraged tone


    Ava nced at the room by turning her head, but then shook her head. She


    moved her hair to cover her neck and mumbled,


    "N-No one. Bye, Stephen."


    "Wait, let me take you home."


    Ava raised her hand to stop him. "Abigail will drop me. Don''t worry."


    Saying that Ava left the floor.


    Stephen was furious after witnessing Ava''s condition. He made his way to the room where Ava was looking a minute ago. He noticed that the door was already open.


    He stepped into the room and paused when he sawn.


    It made him mad. He had toldn to stay away from Ava; then why did he do that to her?


    "What did you do with her?" Stephen yelled atn. (1)


    "I am not obliged to answer anything."


    Stephen stopped in front of him. "You are. She came here with me. I promised her that you would stay away from her. Why did you go to her again?"


    "IAN!"


    Stephen yelled at him, grabbing his cor.


    At that time, their other friends entered the room. As soon as they saw Ava leaving


    the party, they went upstairs to look for the two boys.


    "What are you two doing? Get away from each other!" Ronald yelled at them.


    Paul and Cyrus tried to pull them away from each other.


    37


    are taking your future Alpha for granted."


    "I don''t care what rubbish you are thinking about me. But you rejected Ava, so you don''t have any connection with her now. It would be better if you stayed away from her."


    "Or what?"n inquired, then moved closer to him.


    Ronald came his way and stopped him.


    "Why are you two fighting over a girl? And what has happened to you,n? What


    did you do to her that made Steph so angry? Why are you even reacting like


    this?"


    "Stay away from her."

 Chapter 38

    38


    "Ava, are you okay?" Abigail asked as she rubbed Ava''s shoulder.


    Since the moment Ava descended from the upper floor, she had been crying. Her friends were confused about her behavior.


    Luke asked if anyone had said anything to her, and Ava simply shook her head in response.


    Ava did not want to stay at the party anymore. She asked Abigail to send her home.


    "Let''s go. I will tell my driver to drop you home first then will go to my house," Abigail said.


    "I aming with you," Debra told Abigail.


    Luke looked at Ava and said, "Then I am driving behind your cars."


    Ava wiped away her tears and took a deep breath. She looked at Luke and Debra, then said,


    "I am not feeling well. I will go get some sleep. So you do not have to worry about me."


    She tried not to tell them anything, and she assured them that she was fine.


    She got in Abigail''s car and leaned her back against the seat then closed her eyes.


    Abigail sat next to her and told her driver about going to Ava''s house. (1)


    "What happened to you? If you won''t tell me, how can I understand?" Abigail said, holding Ava''s hand. Ava bit her bottom lip to stop the tears from flowing again.


    "Is it him again?" Abigail let out a low tone.


    She knew her best friend would never cry for anything else. The reason behind her cry was alwaysn.


    As soon as Abigail mentioned aboutn, Ava opened her eyes and turned her attention to Abigail. She hugged her and burst out crying. 1


    "I don''t know what he wants. He always insults me. I even told him that I would note his way. Then why does he just not let me live peacefully? Why is he doing this to me?"


    Abigail got mad atn. Her hands were clenched.


    "Do you think we shouldin about him to Alpha and Luna? How can he treat you like that? You are no longer his mate. After rejecting you, what does he want from you? Does he want you to roam around him so that he can do whatever he wants?"


    Though it was not easy to just go to head Alpha or Luna and talk to them about their son''s wrongdoing, Abigail could at least try because of Ava. Sh


    could not see her like this.


    ¡°I don''t know, Abigail. I don''t want to make anyints about him to anyone. I just don''t want to see him again."


    Abigail tried to calm her best friend. She was also confused byn''s behavior. If he did not like Ava and rejecte her, then why did he start to bother Ava?


    When Ava reached her home, she said goodbye to Abigail. She did not forget to thank her.


    She slowly walked to the door of her house. Before opening the main door with the keys, she covered her neck with her hair. 1


    38


    Upon entering her home, she observed that her mother was engaged in a conversation on her mobile phone. Her motherforted the person she was speaking with by saying, "You will be fine very soon."


    It did not take long for Ava to realize who she was speaking with. Her sweet and caring tone gave her the impression that she was talking with Harper.


    Ava could feel the caring tone of her mother. By what Stephen said, Harper equally cared for her mother. When Ava closed the door, her mother noticed her,


    "I will call youter," her mother said, hanging up the call after hearing what the other person had said. She locked her phone and walked to Ava with a smile. "Oh my my! You look so gorgeous!"


    Ava realized she had almost forgotten about her makeover. Jan''s bitter words and actions made her forget everything.


    Her mother hugged her, and they remained like that for some time.


    "You don''t have to be afraid of anyone now. No one will dare look at you with bad intentions. You are going to be the daughter of a Gamma," her mother said.


    She spoke proudly as if Gamma Harper had told her all of this to reassure her about her daughter.


    Ava broke the hug and looked at her mother with a small smile.


    "Mom, I don''t need any protection," Ava told her.


    But inside her mind, she thought,


    ''Even if they want to protect me, they can''t. Because the future Alpha is the one who is after my life.''


    Her mother ced her hand on her head. "Yes, my baby. You are strong. You are capable of defending yourself."


    "Mom, I want to go and sleep."


    Her mother nced at the table. Ava followed her gaze.


    "Mom, you haven''t eaten anything?"


    "I had the idea that I would eat after you had returned."


    "I told you, Mom. I''m so sorry. Please have your dinner. I am stuffed already."


    She wanted to sit with her mother at the table. However, she was afraid that her mother would see the marks ofn''s fingerprints on her neck.


    "No problem, my baby. Goodnight. You look tired anyway," she said, kissing Ava''s forehead.


    Ava went to her bedroom. As soon as she closed the door, she threw her bag and high heels, then she slid against the door.


    As she started to feel pain, she reached out and touched her chest. While her


    eyes remained fixed on the ground, she quietly shed a tear.


    Her mind kept returning to the moment whenn grabbed her neck and humiliated


    her.


    He made fun of her. He proved to her that she was a ridiculous person who once


    fell for him. He verified the fact that her wolf wasughable. It kept howling for him whenever he got close to her.


    38


    Ava stayed like that the whole night. As the sun rose, a ray of sunlight appeared


    through the window andnded on her face.


    She closed her eyes and muttered under her breath.


    "You left nothing inside me,n."

 Chapter 39

    39


    Ava felt really sick. Thest two days were like hell for her.


    The scratches on her back were causing her pain. She did not know where to go and asked for help. In fact, the Epsilon Wolf had told him that no one could help her.


    She could only wait to get her wolf toe back to her fully


    She was missing her wolf. She was missing shifting in her wolf form in the forest. She was missing her old life.


    She did not go to the university in thest two days. Her friends asked her about her health. She told them that she was a little sick, and that was why she could


    not go.


    Though she told everything to Debra the next day of the party, she took their promise not to talk about it to anyone, especially Luke.


    Ava knew that Luke cared for her, and likest time, he might go ton to fight for her once more. She did not want that incident to repeat again.


    Today Ava got a call from Stephen; he asked her and her mother to have dinner with him and his father. It was the n they made at the party that night. Ava agreed to go for her mother, even though she felt a little under the weather.


    Stephen, on the other hand, kept saying sorry for whatever fan had done or said to her. Ava told him that it was not his fault. But Stephen told her that it was his responsibility to take care of her. Ava thought Stephen was a kind -hearted man.


    In the evening,


    Ava was dressed in one of the dresses Stephen had bought her. He sent all the dresses and shoes by butler to her house yesterday.


    Ava looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes shifted to her body.


    In the maroon dress, she looked really beautiful. But in her eyes, she became self-conscious.


    ''With this body, you can''t seduce me.''


    Ava looked away from the mirror. She looked down at the sses on the dressing table.


    She grabbed it and put it on. Her mother had forced her to change her clothes, otherwise, she would have worn something loose, as she always did.


    She did not want someone to feel that she was trying to get their attention again. Ava went downstairs and saw her mother in a beautiful, long red dress.


    For the first time, she saw her mother putting on morous makeup. Her beauty blossomed with the way she styled her hair.


    It was like her life turned colorful.


    Ava''s eyes turned teary.


    "Mom."


    39


    Her mother looked at her. Ava ran to hug her.


    "You are looking so beautiful, Mom."


    She was happy that her mother was getting rid of her widowhood. She had been living alone all of her life. Ava could not even imagine how she was passing her days.


    The woman who used to talk about death now would get a new life. She was going to marry her fated mate. No matter what age they would be, they would be together until death made them apart.


    When they pulled away from the hug, her mother looked at her.


    "Why did you wear sses?"


    "Mom, please. I don''t want to attract any attention."


    ¡°Thank God, you have a beautiful haircut. Even if you did a high ponytail, it looked stylish," her mother remarked and chuckled.


    Ava could not help butugh. Her mother meant that no matter how much she


    tried, her look still looked modern and pretty.


    They left their house and found a car waiting for them outside.


    Gamma Harper had already sent a car to pick them up.


    It took them half an hour to reach the restaurant where Gamma Harper and Stephen were waiting for them.


    When Ava saw the grand restaurant, she was stunned. That type of restaurant only allowed VIPs.


    Then she realized that her mother was going to marry the Gamma of the pack. Who could be more important than the Alpha and the officials of the pack?


    Harper and Stephen noticed them and stood up. They walked to them. Harper pulled the chair for her mother, which touched Ava''s heart.


    She was delighted to see her mother getting such lovely treatment from a man. Stephen raised his brows and asked,


    "Where are you lost?"1


    "Oh. Nowhere," Ava replied, taking a seat next to Stephen. 1


    "How are you, dear?" Harper asked Ava.


    She replied with a polite smile and asked about his health.


    Harper showed his gratitude fo her. "Thank you, my child,"


    "For what?"


    "You helped me persuade your mom. Otherwise, she is a really strict woman. She would have never epted my proposal."


    Her mother nced at Harper, while Stephenughed at hearing his father.


    All of them talked about themselves for a long time.


    Ava felt like Stephen got his caring nature from his father. As a gamma of the pack, Harper was really protective of his pack. However, he was protective of his family too. He promised Ava that he would take care of her and her


    39


    mother.


    For the first time, Ava understood what a family dinner meant. A table with the entire family, conversing and enjoying the time they had together.


    She looked at her mother, who appeared to be very happy with Harper, and at Stephen, who was enjoying his father''s and her mother''s conversation.


    He nced at her and whispered,


    "What happened?"


    Ava shook her head and replied to him in a lower tone.


    "Today I understand how others feel about their families. In getting a caring father


    who loves my mother, and a protective brother."


    Stephen lifted his hand and stroked her hair. "From now on everything will work out well for us."


    Ava nadded her head at him with a smile. Just as she turned her head, her smile faded.


    Because her gaze fell on a boy standing a short distance away from their table.


    He was staring at her with the same hatred in his eyes as he had on the night of the party.


    She looked away from him when Gamma Harper noticed her gaze. So he turned


    his head to look at the person. However, he was surprised to see him.


    n?"

 Chapter 40

    40


    Tan was fixating his gaze on Ava. He hade to the restaurant with Ronald. He called him here to talk to him.


    On the other hand, he had no idea that he would actually run into his other friend here, along with his ex-mate.


    He was about to pass this area when his eyes drew on Stephen. He was stroking Ava''s hair. They were sitting together as if they were on a date. Ava was beaming at him with a smile.


    He got mad at Stephen once again. After warning him that night, he did not talk to him again. They did not meet each other in these two days either.


    The fact that Stephen would go against his warning and meet Ava once more was something that he did not expect to happen.


    His eyes locked with Ava''s. It seemed as though she was stunned. Within his eyes, he desired to convey to her the level of rage that he felt toward her.


    n?


    He heard Gamma Harper''s voice. His focus shifted to the two other people sitting across from Stephen and Ava.


    He was surprised to see Gamma Harper and Ang, Ava''s mother, there.


    Gamma Harper got to his feet. Ian looked at him and nodded his head.


    "Hello, Gamma Harper."


    n, you are here-"


    He interrupted him and replied, "I came here with Ronald."


    At that time, Ronald approached them. "Oh, hi, Gamma Harper."


    "Ronald, how are you?"


    "Fine."


    Ang stood up, and greetedn. Gamma Harper introduced her to Ronald, saying that he was the soon-to-be beta of the pack.


    However, she did not look like she always did. She looked different again, just like she did at the party.


    Was it because of her brown hair that she nicely pulled it into a high ponytail? Or her face, which was visible even if she wore the sses?


    His eyes shifted around her neck. He remembered how he grabbed her neckst time.


    That night, he went straight home after leaving the party. He was so mad at himself for hurting her.


    He was confused about why he was feeling like that. Her words really affected him that night.


    She begged him to keep his distance from her.


    Was he that desperate to get close to her?


    Ava was doing her best to avoid his gaze.


    On the other hand, Stephen moved his hand from her head, but he ignoredn''s presence, which enragedn.


    Jan was perplexed as to why Ava''s mother and Stephen''s father joined them. He remembered his mother telling him that Ang and Harpef were close friends.


    "Steph, you are really bad. You didn''t call your friends to join the table," Ronald said with sarcasm.


    Stephen looked at Ronald and raised his brows as if Ronald knew about it. Just beforen could turn to Ronald to ask about it, Stephen spoke out,


    "Sorry guys. It''s a family dinner, so I didn''t invite you guys


    "It''s okay, I was just kidding. You have fun. "We were leaving anyway," Ronald said, pullingn along.


    "Spill the bean," he said to Ronald.


    Ronald''s brows shot up. "What beans?"


    "I know Stephen. I saw his look toward you. You were aware that they were


    Tan puffed on the smoke while staring at Ronald.


    Ronald gulped when he saw his expression. He averted his gaze and replied,


    "Even if I know, why do you care?"


    "That was not my question."


    "Ian, let them live their own lives. If they want to get closer, you should note their way."


    "You have a girlfriend now. Give your time to her," Ronald said with a mocking tone.


    "Weren''t you the one who told me to break up with her?"n asked.


    "Yeah, but since your father said no breakup, then what can I say? If you can''t break up, then try to make up for the things you have messed up."


    After some time had passed, Ronald left.


    In a bad mood, he started his car and drove back to the pack house.


    While driving, his mind was rushing back to Ava. She hadpletely captured his attention since the day he rejected her. His wolf was also fond of her. It was as if the rejection had gone in vain.


    He pulled over in front of the pack house. He threw his car keys to a guard to park his car in the parking lot, and he


    40


    entered the pack house.


    He noticed his mother looked excited while talking with someone on the phone. "Ang, I will talk to your Alpha about the date, Soon, we will arrange everything. You just don''t need to worry about it."


    Ava''s mother was his mother''s doctor; maybe she was a good friend too. Their conversation brought back memories of what he had seen at the restaurant..


    He ignored everything and made his way up the stairs to his bedroom.


    However, his steps halted when his mother''s voice reached his ears once again.


    "I am d Stephen and Ava agreed to the marriage."

 Chapter 41

    41


    41


    A look of grievance appeared onn''s face as he turned around. He observed his mother giving him a sideways nce while she was speaking.


    "Okay, take care. You can count on me to apany you tomorrow," Carolina said to Ang and hung up the call.


    The conversation thatn''s mother was having puzzled him. In the belief that he was misinterpreting something, he approached her.


    "When did youe?" Carolina inquired with a grin on her face.


    He frowned at her. "When you were talking on the phone. By the way, why do you look so happy today?"


    A look of surprise appeared on her face. "Why are you speaking like this? Are you not happy?"


    The question that she asked caughtn off guard. "Do I need to be happy? What''s the matter, Mom? I overheard you discussing marriage with Ava''s mother."


    His mother nodded her head and ced her hand on his shoulder. "I am thrilled that Ava and Stephen are mature enough to ept the proposal."


    "Proposal?"n asked while narrowing his eyes in concentration.


    "Hasn''t Stephen told you about the marriage yet? I was the one who gave Ang the proposal that night when she came here with Ava. But Ang denied my proposal because she thought Ava would not be ready for it." (1


    Did his mother give Ava''s mother a marriage proposal for Ava and Stephen?


    "My son, you have no idea how mature the two kids are. They both agreed," his mother said as she held his hand.


    "What happened?"


    "Mom, why did you do that? How can you give someone a marriage proposal like that? Isn''t it influencing people to marry at this age?" 1


    His mother raised her brows in surprise.


    "How can you say that? Age doesn''t matter in love."


    "Love?"n muttered in a lower tone.


    Carolina lowered her gaze and inhaled deeply before closing her eyes. One more time, she took hold of her son''s hand and uttered,


    "Listen to what I have to say,n. I am not only your mother but also the Luna of this pack. As your Luna, let me guide you about something. Age doesn''t matter in love. You can love anyone you want, and you can be with that person at any age. There is absolutely no reason to feel embarrassed about anything. If the Alpha and Luna are not going to support his pack members, who will? You will be their Alpha, so you should improve your mentality well." 2


    Upon hearing his mother,n''s eyes became more gloomy. "Please, Mom, stop giving me a lecture. They can''t be together."


    "What? Why? They are fated mates. Why can''t they be together?"


    41


    "Yes, they are mates. But they were keeping it from everyone. Now that we are all aware of it, how can we change their fate? They look so good together. It was always meant for them to be together."


    "Mates?"n scoffed at her.


    He began chuckling, which grew into a darkugh.


    The sight of his son''s eyes turning red caused Carolina to take a deep breath. Though she was still the Luna, she somehow felt nervous around her son''s aura. "I can''t ept it,"n murmured.


    "What can''t you ept?" The voice of Alpha Martin reverberated throughout the living room.


    After turning around,n and Carolina noticed that Alpha Martin wasing closer to them.


    "This marriage, I can''t ept it,"n said with a nk face 1


    "What nonsense! You can''te between my gamma''s happiness. He deserves to be happy in his life."


    "As the future Alpha of this pack, I will not allow this to happen."


    Alpha Martin red at his son. "Are you serious? Don''t you have anything else to do? I don''t understand why you would bother with something that has nothing to do with you. Stop making trouble. After giving it some thought, I settled on a date. Their wedding will be next week."


    "What did you just say?"


    Carolina nodded her head and replied to him instead of Martin, "Your dad is right. We are arranging a private wedding. Tonight, they had a family dinner together and made all of their decisions. And more importantly, Ava and Stephen both contacted me, saying that they wanted the wedding as soon as possible." 1n gritted his teeth and muttered, "How dare she?"


    "IAN"


    His father yelled at him, but he did not give a damn about it He turned around and left the pack house. He grabbed the car keys from the guard he handed over a few minutes ago and started the car in anger.


    He saw that his friends were calling him. While he was driving, he received the phone call.


    n, your mom has just called us to talk about you. Where are you? Your parents are worried. Did you have an argument with them?" Cyrus asked.


    "I''m going to Stephen''s house,"n said, cutting the call.


    During the whole ride, his mind was going crazy. He did not know why, but his blood was boiling in anger.


    "How dare you lie to everyone, Ava Adler? You said that he is your mate? What a shameless woman you are!" he muttered while driving his car. 1


    As soon as he arrived at Stephen''s residence, he immediately came to a stop and stepped out of the car in a hurry. After making his way to the front door, he went inside the house. The maids bowed ton because they knew him.


    41


    All of the power gangs ust ally hung out in Stephen''s house since it was empty most of the time.


    "STEPHEN"


    He shouted from downstairs. 2


    Aftering out of his room, Stephen lowered his head to look at him from the upper floor area.


    n?" Stephen said as he looked stunned.


    "How dare you think about marrying her?"


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 42

    Stephen was shocked byn''s question. As he reached out and touched the corner of his lips, he felt blood there.


    In response ton''s question, he turned his head toward him and asked, "What do you mean,n?"


    The focus of Stephen''s attention shifted ton''s eyes. They turned red. He did not know what had happened ton so suddenly. He was fine when he saw him in the restaurant


    "Who gave you the audacity to think about that girl? Didn''t tell you to stay away?" "Have you lost your mind?" Stephen asked him.


    Stephen''s words did nothing but infuriaten. He pulled Stephen by his cor and warned him


    "Cancel this marriage."


    All of their friends showed up at the house at that time, only to discover that they were fighting with each other.


    Every single one of them hurried over to them and made an effort to separate them from one another.


    "What happened to you both? Why are you fighting again?" Paul asked them.


    n, what exactly is the matter with you?"


    "Ask him. How can he ever consider marrying that girl?"


    When he asked that question, everyone was taken aback. Stephen cast a nce in Ronald''s direction.


    Ronald scoffed atn. "Why do you care if he marries that girl?"


    "It is I who will warn you about her from now on. Stay away from Ava."


    "You want to be with that shameless girl?"


    This time, Stephen punched him before he could charge at him. 1


    "Don''t talk about her like that again. She is under my protection, and she will always be. I will not let anyone go, no matter who tries to harm her."


    The punch was somethingn could not take in his mind. He growled at Stephen so loudly that everyone''s kn quivered to submit to his wolf.


    Stephen''s fists tightened as he tried to control his anger. "I will be your Gamma, but I can''t support you in hurting an innocent girl."


    "Innocent girl, you said?"


    42


    Cyrus stoppedn from approaching Stephen again. However,n did not close his mouth.


    Anger was goofing up inside him. There was something that was turning him against Stephen, despite the fact that Stephen was his friend.


    He red at Stephen and said sarcastically,


    "Yeah, she is innocent. That''s why she lied to everyone about her mate. She is after my gamma now."


    n, you are such a crazy man!" Stephen said to him.


    Ronald was listening to everything. Taking a look atn, he inquired,


    "Why should it concern you if she pursues anyone? Don''t forget that she is not


    your mate anymore. You yourself rejected her."


    "ept that you care," Ronald muttered while shaking his head.


    "No, I don''t."n retorted back.


    Ronald gave him a nod and turned to Stephen, who was observingn.


    "You got his answer. He believes he does not care. Then you can do whatever you want to do with her."


    ¡°So what if I rejected her? Until I give her permission, she can''t marry anyone.''


    00


    2


    Stephen red at him and replied,


    "She will."


    "She can''t."


    "Why?"


    "Because I said that."


    "Who are you to her?"


    "His future Alpha."


    "That does not matter anymore."


    "Yes, it does."


    "She doesn''t care."


    "She does."


    "Why do you care about her?"


    "I don''t kno-"


    without even realizing it, he had just admitted that he cared about Ava.


    He took a step back from Stephen. 1


    42


    His friends started tough while looking at him.


    He thought they were making fun of him.


    "Do whatever you want. I don''t care," fan said, turning around to the staircase to


    leave.


    He was about to step onto the stairs when Stephen stopped him from behind.


    n"


    He did not turn to him but only stopped to listen to him.


    "You are misunderstanding everything


    Hearing him,n turned around and frowned at him.


    "What do you mean?"


    "That night, when Ava and her mother visited your house, your mother made a


    marriage proposal. But it was not about me and Ava."


    Stephen took a deep breath and replied,


    "It''s about Ava''s mother and my dad."


    The frown that had been in betweenn''s brows vanished in a second.


    Ronaldughed atn and said,


    "We knew about it, but we didn''t tell you. I knew you cared about her, so I thought, Why not make you realize it?"


    "It''s not funny."


    Stephen shook his head. "But what you did to my sister was really wrong."


    "Sister?"


    "Yeah. She is going to be my sister. From now on, be careful with her. She will be


    a gamma''s daughter and a gamma''s sister. So don''t mess up with her again."


    Though he pretended to be unaffected, he was actually very relieved. He was feeling heavy all the time.


    n, you hurt her again at the party. I did not expect that from you," Stephen remindedn about the night. Right at that moment,n realized what he had


    done.


    He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and muttered,


    "Fuck! I said so many things to her when it was not even her fault."


    43

 Chapter 43

    Ava''s POV


    It had been two days since we had dinner with Stephen and his father. I really liked Uncle Harper. He was a kind and gentle man. In particr, he was kind and considerate toward my mother. It was the first time that I witnessed my mother appearing to be content with another person. I was very d for her.


    I got up a little bitter than usual today. Last night, any mother went shopping with Luna Carolina. So when she got back to her house, she showed me all of the dresses, including the one she said she would wear to her wedding. After that, we engaged in a conversation for a span of time. I failed to keep track of time and ended up sleeping in the morning.


    It was my mother''s suggestion that I should remain at home today if I was feeling sleepy. I refused and decided to go to my university.


    When it came to my studies, I could not make any concessions. Perhaps that was the reason why people perceived me as a nerd.


    Was I really a bookworm? These books were not even novels; rather, they were books for study. Even though I did not find them interesting like novels, I knew that in order to have a bright future, I needed to acquire some knowledge.


    I opened the closet door in order to retrieve a dress for myself. I made sure to check out all of the new dresses. When I started looking for a dress, I found one that was either less attractive or baggy.


    I came across a long cotton dress in a blue color. I hurriedly got ready.


    I took a quick look at myself for a moment in the mirror. My eyes were drawn to my dark brown hair. I would not lie, this color really suited me. That shade of hair made my face appear lighter than it actually was.


    I then put on my sses and made a loose bun with my hair. I looked for a pair of sneakers and put them on.


    My thoughts turned to the wedding of my mother as I made my way down the stairs. I noticed that my mother was not at home. I understood that my mother went out for work.


    I noticed she made breakfast for me before leaving.


    "Mom, you work so hard for me. I pray that your mate will love you always." I mumbled while having my


    breakfast.


    Considering that I was already running behind schedule, why do not I start with breakfast?


    Alpha and Luna finally decided on the date for my mother''s wedding. It was decided that the wedding would take ce in the pack house thising weekend.


    Alpha desired to host the wedding of his gammas at his residence. On the other hand, they liked my mother a lot. Because my mother had saved Luna Carolina''s life, they felt that they owed her. So they wanted to give her a good life.


    After having breakfast alone, I left my home. I took a stroll to the bus stop while taking in my surroundings.


    It was a bright and sunny day. Today, the sun appeared to be in a good mood, as evidenced by its full glimme


    When I arrived at the university, I chose to ignore the looks of those around me. Ever since people saw me at Stephen''s party, they started to talk about me more.


    Some boys even came to say sorry to me, saying that they did not know I could be this hot. They asked me to hang out with them. I felt really embarrassed by all of these.


    7


    I decided not to go to any parties again. Suddenly, memories flooded into my mind, thinking about parties.


    I had attended two parties, and at both parties, one person left his bitter memories for me.


    No matter how much I tried to forgetn''s words that he had told me that night in the room, I could not just shove them out of my mind. They kept reying in my head.


    It took me a few minutes to reach my ss, which was on my schedule. But when


    I saw the professor looking angry at everyone, I took a step back.


    I saw Abigail waving at me. Upon seeing me arrive at the university today, she appeared to be surprised. She assumed I would note because I had spent so much time with my motherst night.


    As I moved from the window to the door, Abigail signaled that I should look at my phone. I noticed a message from Abigail.


    "Don''te. He will scold you. You havee reallyte."


    "Okay Then I''m going to the library." I sent the text.


    "Sure. Why did youe today? I thought you were asleep."


    "I thought, why miss the sses?"


    "Okay, the professor is looking at me. See you soon."


    I chuckled at my screen. I shook my head and headed to the library.


    When I reached the library, I saw students busy doing their projects or assignments. But it was not a seminar, but a library. As a result, they were left to do their work quietly.


    I entered the library and walked to thest table, which was empty. I ced my bag on the table and turned to myself.


    The library was huge. A two-story library was full of different kinds of books. The book shelves were really tall, almost reaching the ceiling.


    My eyes caught a book. I walked to the bookshelf and reached out my hand to take out the book.


    At that time, another hand reached for the book, and our hands brushed together.


    I felt a shiver around my spine at the touch. I turned my head and gulped.


    n?'' I thought and took a step back.


    He took out the book from the bookshelf and looked at me. I immediately looked


    away from him and tried to leave his side.


    But he stopped me from behind by speaking out.


    "I am sorry." (1


    Today''s Bonus Offer


    GET IT NOW.

 Chapter 44

    I waspletely taken aback by his apology. There was no way for me to know whether it was a genuine apology or a deliberate attempt to make me feel even more humiliated.


    I turned to him and asked,


    "For what?"


    When he was about to say something, he briefly parted his lips, but then, as if something were preventing him from doing so, he pursed them together tightly. My eyes scrutinized him.


    He wore ck jeans and a half-sleeved white t-shirt. His muscles were bulging in the arm area. His tattoos were something that drew anyone''s attention. The white t-shirt really made the tattoos look easy to observe.


    My eyes shifted back to his face. His thick brows and sharp jawline kept moving as if he were trying to find words.


    "I had a conversation with Stephen," he said, avoiding eye contact with me.


    "About what?" I asked in confusion.


    I was not delighted to talk to him. I had not forgotten what he told me that night and how he behaved with me.


    He looked at me and replied,


    ¡°Look, I misunderstood everything, the whole situation. I thought you and Stephen..."


    He paused and then mumbled, "wedding.."


    "It''s okay."


    That was the only thing I said to him, and I turned away from him.


    He was shocked by my reply. He might have thought that I would argue with him.


    In truth, there was no point in arguing with this man. I had learned what he thought about me. His words were enough to show me my ce in his eyes.


    At first, he rejected me because I was a nerd, and he was embarrassed about me being his mate. I tried


    Later, when to dress up, he thought I was trying to get his attention, so he disgraced me.


    It looked like he had problems with every single thing. Perhaps someday he would have problems with my breathing too.


    ''If I have a little bit of self-respect, I will avoid him from now on,'' I told myself and started to walk away him.


    from


    "Don''t you have anything to say?"


    I heardn''s loud voice from behind. But I did not stop my steps.


    Everyone in the library turned their heads toward him. They appeared to be frightened, seeing him at the library. It looked like he did not usuallye to the library.


    Why would he?


    4235003


    Bad boys never study hard. So they do not need toe to this kind of ce. "Hey!"


    He came over to stand in front of me. I raised my head to look at him.


    "Yes?" I asked, pretending that I did not hear him earlier.


    "Don''t you have anything to say?" (1)


    "About what?"


    "That night..." he paused for a moment and looked away from me, then continued,


    "I should not have said those silly things to you."


    "Silly things?" I asked.


    He turned his head to face me again and said,


    "They were senseless things. I was not in the right mind, okay? I was mad for some reason. But since I got to know that you and Stephen:.. Well, you are getting me, right?"


    I shook my head. "No, I''m not getting anything,n. I don''t want to know anything either."


    After saying that, I wanted to walk past him. But he had something else on his mind.


    When I felt his hand grab around my wrist, I gasped.


    Everyone, including the librarian, was looking at us.


    "Do what you all were doing. Don''t make me mad."


    His voice was clear. It echoed throughout the whole library.


    Everyone turned their heads back to their books. The librarian was a middle-ageddy. I felt bad for her. She felt so scared byn''s words that she bowed her head and went to walk around on the other side. He had instilled a sense of fear in everyone''s minds. It was all because of his uing Alpha position.


    "What is wrong with you?" I asked him with a whisper that only he could hear clearly.


    I tried to pull my hand away, but he started to drag me somewhere.


    "Leave my hand." 1


    He took me to a corner and pressed me against a bookshelf, then stepped closer


    to me.


    My eyes widened when I saw how close he was standing.


    "W-What are you doing?"


    He lowered his head to my level and said,


    "I don''t like others'' disturbances when I talk with someone. So I brought you


    here."


    I nced around and saw there was no one in the corner. I gulped when I felt his breath on my face.


    "S-Stop bothering me. I thought we were clear that night," I mumbled and lowered my head.


    44


    This closeness was not good for me. I closed my eyes when felt my wolf begin to


    react.


    What would I do? I wanted my wolf toe back to me soon. But she only reacted when she was close ton.


    Why?


    "I didn''t want to bother you either. I came here to say sorry. But it doesn''t look like


    you take my apology seriously."


    I was getting angry at my situation. His words did not help me with it.


    I lifted my gaze and frowned at him. I ced my hand on his chest, which stunned


    him.


    He lowered his head to look at my hand.


    Before he could understand anything, I pushed him, which caused him to step


    back


    "You said sorry; you are done. It''s up to me to take it or leave it.¡±


    "I told you that it''s all a misunderstanding. I thought you and Steph-"


    "Even if something had happened between me and Stephen and your thoughts


    were right, then what was wrong with it? Why can''t I move on?"


    I gathered up all of my courage and looked directly into his eyes, then said,


    "I don''t care what you think about me,n Dawson."

 Chapter 45

    45


    Tan narrowed his eyes while looking at me. It was clear from the look on his face that he did not like the way I had just spoken to him.


    I should not stay here any longer. I attempted to leave by turning my body to the left, but a hand stopped me from doing so.


    I stopped, but did not turn my body toward him. I felt his breath in my left ear. I clenched my dress to control my disloyal heart, which was beating for this man.


    Everything he had done to me came back to mind.


    "I see what you are thinking," he whispered in my ear.


    I felt a chill run down my spine as I listened to his whisper. I tried my best not to react in any way.


    After taking a few deep breaths, I quickly regained myposure. Once more, he uttered a hushed whisper.


    "Do not think yourself superior just because I felt guilty for an incident and said sorry."


    Upon hearing him, I was unable to suppress the urge to sneer at him. Here was the realn Dawson, the arrogant Alpha boy. His ego was bigger than the boundaries of his pack.


    He came here to apologize, but when he saw that I did not care, it was a blow to his ego. So now he wanted to insult me again because of it.


    My anger began to build up inside of me. I wanted to confront him and tell him to fuck off.


    But the moment I turned to him, my nose brushed against his. I gulped and pressed my back against the bookshelf once again to keep a distance between our bodies.


    "Listen,n, I-"


    "This pair of sses looks good on you. You should wear it every day. You do not have to alter who you are in order to appear to others the way you did during the party that night."


    His remarks took me by surprise and caught me off guard. My gaze mended on his face. My attention was drawn to the mole that was located beneath his bottom lip while he was speaking to me.


    I immediately averted my gaze from his face and took a deep breath, only to realize that his cologne filled my nostrils.


    "Let me go," I said with a tightening of my voice, attempting to maintain a cold demeanor.


    He chuckled while staring at me. His tattooed hand lifted up, and I shut my eyes. I thought he would grab my neck like that night. It was not new to him to hurt me.


    I could hear him heaving a sigh as he slowly ced his hand on my head. It was


    as if, when he saw my terrified expression, he waspletely taken aback.


    I opened my eyes and looked at him.


    He smirked at me and patted my head.


    "I want you to stop being afraid of me. Because if I wanted to kill you, I would have done so the very first time you offended me. There is no one who can stop Ian Dawson from doing what he wants to do."


    45


    I was confused by his words. After removing his hand from my head, he moved back from me.


    He turned his gaze away from me. He tucked his hands into his pants'' pockets and turned to the other side to leave. While he was leaving the corner, I kept my gaze fixed on his back.


    As soon as he left the library, I let out a sigh of relief.


    I remained in the corner for a while, trying to understand the meaning of his words.


    Did he give me his word that he would not hurt me again? Or did he just warn me that if he wanted to hurt someone, there would be no one who could stop him?


    Neither the reason he came to me nor the reason he was talking to me made any sense to me. I wondered if he also had the intention to bully me, just like others.


    "I thought that night gave him closure. I showed my submission to him so that he would nevere my way again. But why did it turn the other way? Why did he even care to apologize?" I asked myself.


    I thought about leaving the library since I had no more interest in staying here for long.


    I was ready to step forward when something caught my mind. I looked around the corner and realized thatn had brought me to the historical section. The bookshelf that he had pressed me against was a shelf that was stuffed with ancient books.


    When I was looking at the titles of the books, I took my time and examined them carefully. My attention was drawn to a few books that appeared to be quite old and did not have titles printed on them. I reached out my hand to an old book that had a brown leather cover. From what I could tell, the book had been there for a very long time. Because of this, the cover was covered in dust.


    While I was walking to my table, where I had left my bag, I used my hand to brush the dust off the book.


    The people around me nced at me because of what had happened a while ago. I chose to ignore their stares and sat down in the chair, facing the wall next to the table.


    The moment I set the book down on the table, I felt an unexpected surge of interest well up inside of me.


    I opened the book and noticed that all of the pages were brown. This book seemed to have been written centuries


    ago.


    I gulped when I saw what was written on the first page of the book. I shivered


    when I read it in a low voice.


    "The Myth of Alpha''s Rejection."


    >

 Chapter 46

    46


    I gently stroked the old brown page, and I could feel the thick paper beneath my


    fingers. It seemed like it was an


    antique book.


    As I turned the page, I took a heavy breath.


    Every single piece of paper was written by hand. An ink that was very dark ck was used to write the letters. Calligraphy was something that blew


    my mind.


    I started to read what was inside the book.


    "Alpha''s rejection is like venom for his mate. Whether they are doomed to a world of curses or perish."


    After taking a few deep breaths, I continued reading. I got to know how other people handled rejection in our ancient times.


    After being rejected by their mates, many people were forced to endure suffering.


    On the other hand, the rejection of an Alpha was not the same thing. They held the highest rank in the werewolf world, making them the most powerful. So they came with the ability to give their power to their mates.


    However, by rejecting their mates, they were rejecting their fates. So the consequences were there too.


    I stopped reading and frowned at it.


    . "Why is it that only the person who was rejected will have to experience the consequences? Why can''t the man who rejected me be the one who should get punished?¡± I mumbled and shook my head.


    My desire to read the book hadpletely vanished by that point. I did not want to read something that could only show the power of Alpha and the downfall of his rejected mate.


    I was about to close the book when my eyes fell on a page. As soon as I opened


    the page, I noticed that the uppermost edge of the page had been folded.


    I took a look at the page to determine what was supposed to be so important that


    it had to be folded.


    My eyes widened when I saw a sketch drawn in red ink on the page.


    It was like a tree''s branches.


    In fact, it was not the sketch itself that took me by surprise; rather, it was the structure of the branch¨¦s,


    It looked very much like what I had seen on my back!


    Every night in my dream, I felt pain, and when I awoke, I noticed these marks like branches in my back.


    I tried to reach my back with my hand. In thest few days, my wolf was reacting, so I did not feel much pain or have any nightmares. However, there were a few wounds that remained on my back.


    I was afraid that they would be back soon


    With my full attention, I concentrated on the book once again and tried toprehend the cause of those wounds.


    "When a powerful Alpha rejects his mate and the mate turns out to be an Omega, she can''t endure it. Her wolf grows too weak to shift. She will be unable to fight in any war."


    To restrain my tears, I clenched my fists tightly.


    It seemed as though the book was describing the very same things that were happening to me.


    46


    I kept reading and found many problems and pains. But I could not find any solution to it.


    "Will I keep feeling the pain forever?" I questioned myself.


    It reminded me of Abigail''s uncle. He was an epsilon wolf. He had told me that no one could help me.


    I was busy reading the book when I heard my phone begin to ring.


    Each and every person turned their attention to m


    when they heard a ringtoneing from my direction.


    I immediately opened the chain of my bag and took out my phone.


    I noticed that Debra was calling me. I received the call and asked,


    "Debra?"


    "Bae, where are you?"


    "I''m in the library."


    "Come on over to the cafe. We are waiting for you."


    "Is it something serious?" I asked while ncing at the book.


    "Come on. Stop being nerdy. You are turning into a bookworm day by day. Your mom''s wedding is this week, and you are making yourself busy studying? Are you for real?"


    `I sighed and replied, "Okay, okay. I''ming."


    She hung up the call. I noticed that I got a message from Abigail. She was also asking me toe to the cafe.


    I checked the time and realized that I had been in the library for so long.


    Because I was so engrossed in reading this book, I waspletely oblivious to the passage of time.


    I got to my feet and grabbed the book. Keeping it pressed against my chest, I started walking in the direction of the librarian.


    "Can I borrow this book?" I asked her, and I ced the book on the table in front of her.


    She looked shocked. "Why did you touch the book?" the librarian asked, snatching the book from my side.


    "Why can''t I?"


    She raised her head to look at me. She stood up from her chair and dered, "Touching the bookshelves in thest corner is forbidden. Don''t you know that?" That came as aplete surprise to me. It was the first time I had ever heard of any rules pertaining to these books.


    Perhaps I had not touched any of those books before and was only interested in my subjects, so I was unaware of this rule.


    I looked at the book that the librarian was holding in her hands very tightly.


    "Is there any way for me to read this book?"


    She shook her head in response.


    I felt annoyed. ¡°Then why are all these books here in the library if we are not allowed to read them?"


    46


    In a quiet voice, she answered,


    "Sorry, girl. You can''t read this book. Only the head Alpha can use them if he


    wants. Instead of using them, our purpose is to secure them."


    I still tried to convince her. However, she did not approve of any of the attempts.


    I could not help but think,


    "What if there is a cure for my pain?"


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 47

    47


    After leaving the library, I made my way to the cafeteria in order to meet up with my friends.


    While heading there, I saw boys ncing at me. I tried my best to avoid their gazes. Why did they not just focus on their own business?


    I entered the cafe and noticed my friends sitting at a table. I smiled at them while striding toward them.


    "Hey!"


    "Ava, where were you?" Luke asked while sipping on his coffee.


    I sat down on a chair next to Abigail. She moved a cup of coffee toward me,


    indicating that it was for me.


    "I was in the library," I replied to Luke.


    "How is everything going at home?" Abigail asked me.


    "Very good. Mom bought a wedding dress for herst night.


    "Wow! Show us the picture of the wedding dress," Debra said with excitement in her voice.


    I unlocked my phone and showed them the picture of my mother''s bridal gown. They said it was a really beautiful dress.


    "Will we not get the invitation?" Luke asked as he rested his chin on his palm.


    "Of course we will. I can''t wait to see Aunt in that dress," Debra said.


    "Let her think about it first," Abigail said to them.


    It would be a private wedding. But my friends were my close people. I would love to invite them.


    In fact, I had talked to my mother about them, and she agreed to call them at the wedding.


    "You are all invited," I told them with a warm smile.


    "Yes! Now all I have to do is go shopping!" Debra let out a sigh while thinking


    about where to go to buy the perfect dress for her.


    Luke and Abigailughed when they saw Debra''s reaction.


    "Have you thought about where you are going to stay? With them or-"


    I interrupted Luke and responded, "In the dorm."


    "Why?" Abigail asked with a surprised look.


    ¡°I think I should not intervene in their privacy," I replied.


    "Does your mom know about it?"


    ¡°No. I will tell her after the wedding.¡± I exined and lowered my head. All of my friends became silent.


    "Don''t you think that was the reason why your mom hid everything from you?" I heard a voice from behind.


    I turned my head and saw Stephen standing behind me.


    I realized he had overheard my conversation.


    47


    I averted my gaze from him. He nced at my friends and asked,


    "Can I sit with you all?"


    Luke did not answer. Debra smiled at him while Abigail nced at me to know my


    answer.


    "Sure," Debra replied to him.


    Stephen sat on a chair on my left side, which was empty. He turned his head to me and asked,


    "You haven''t answered me, Ava. Don''t you think that is why she did not want you to know the truth?"


    I looked at him and saw a disappointed expression on his face. He did not expect that I would say that.


    I felt bad about hurting him in some way. He was so nice to me from the beginning.


    "Stephen, I was just..."


    "No, Ava. Listen to me. Your mom loves you a lot. After the wedding, she will be with both my family and you. If I can ept her as my mother, then why can''t you ept my father?" He said in a lower tone.


    "No, it''s not like that. I have epted him. But I think I should not go and stay in someone else''s home. It will be awkward for you too."


    He held my hand and tried to exin his thoughts to me.


    "Lil sis, stop overthinking. I will never feel difort around you. Because of you, my dad created a small library at my home. How could you think that we would feel ufortable with you living there?"


    I was stunned to hear that Uncle Harper had established that library for me. When


    he talked about the library in the pack house, I thought he was fond of books. But was it actually because of me?


    "Are you going to upset us and hurt your mom even more? She will only regret marrying my dad if you do this."


    I sighed and ced my hand on his. "I will join you all in living together. Don''t say anything to Mom, okay?"


    He gave me a broad smile and nodded at me. As if his work was done, he got to his feet. He exchanged a nce with Luke before leaving the table.


    I returned my attention to my friends, who were in awe. Luke remained calm, but Abigail and Debra looked impressed by how Stephen came and persuaded me to stay with them.


    After talking with each other for some time, we all decided to head to our sses. While passing through the hallway, I noticed Stephen talking with his friends. He noticed me and waved his hand at me to go there.


    I told my friends that they could go ahead. Then I walked up to Stephen. When I


    got closer to him, I sawn leaning against a wall, talking to others.


    I ignored him and asked Stephen,


    "You called me."


    "Since we are going to be siblings, let me introduce you to my friends."


    As Stephen began to introduce his friends to me, I cast nces in their direction.


    One by one, I said hello to Ronald, Cyrus, and Paul.


    "And he isn. You know him, so I don''t need to say much about him. I heard that he apologized to you for his


    47


    rude behavior. So I think we are all clear now," Stephen said, trying to dismiss all the conflict between me and fan.


    Just as I was about to say that I did not have any problems with anyone,n''s mocking, voice came to irritate me.


    "Why is your soon-to-be sister so silent? She wasn''t this quiet in the library, though."


    I gave him a look. He smirked at me as if I hadmitted some sin with him that


    he was covering up for me.


    I groaned in my head.


    ''This guy is getting on my nerves!''

 Chapter 48

    48


    Third POV


    "First tell us what you were doing in the library," Ronald said ton.


    "Yeah, I have never seen you go to the library before," Paul said as he agreed with Ronald.


    "Are you starting to get interested in books?" Cyrus said with a chuckle.


    Ava, on the other hand, felt awkward in the conversation with the boys. She did not know them much. She thought about leaving. But before she could say anything to Stephen she heard a female voice.


    n?"


    When Ava turned around, she saw Nova approaching them from the opposite direction. She noticed that Nova''s gaze was drawn to her. A frown appeared on Nova''s face. Afterwards, she looked over ton.


    "You are here! I was looking for you on the whole campus," she said as she approachedn and embraced him. Ava averted her gaze from them.


    Meanwhile,n rolled his eyes when Nova hugged him.


    "Why were you looking for me?" he asked Nova.


    Ava was stunned by his cold tone. His voice was not this icy when he was talking with others for a little while. ''He is just an asshole! He doesn''t even talk to his girlfriend properly. Ava thought.


    Nova broke the hug and lowered her head.


    I have heard that Gamma Harper is going to get married thising weekend. I


    am very happy for him. I can''t wait toe to the pack house to attend the wedding."


    Before anyone else, Ava questioned her with a confused look, "Are you also invited to the wedding?"


    Nova turned to look at her when she heard her.


    With a questioning expression on her face, she looked at Ava and wondered, ''What is she doing withn and his friends?''


    But she could not help but let out a chuckle when her gazended on Stephen, who was standing right next to Ava. "Of course, I am invited. I am this pack''s beta''s daughter. Each and every official, along with his family, is invited to attend the wedding."


    At that moment, Ava had the realization that she had almostpletely forgotten about Nova''s identity.


    When Nova noticed that Ava was remaining silent.


    she responded by saying, "But you said also. That means you are also invited. I am not sure how you got the invitation to such a private wedding. Well, let me guess."


    She tapped her finger on her chin to act as if she were thinking, then she raised her brows.


    "Oh yes! How can I forget about you and Stephen? You two are seeing each other, aren''t you? He might have invited you there."


    Ava''s eyes were widened by Nova''s remarks. She thought thatn and this girl were both the same. Both of their


    48


    mentalities were sopatible with one another. That was why they were together.


    "No, they are not."


    "Oh, please,n. I know it is difficult to believe Stephen can choose her. But I heard that she was with Stephen all- the time at his party. In fact, they even danced together."


    Stephen was ready to defend it, but Ava grabbed his arm and said,


    "I''m leaving now. I have to go to my ss."


    Stephen gave her a nod. "Take care. I will talk to youter."


    Ava nced atn and others for thest time, then left from their side while heading to her ss.


    As she moved forward,n''s eyes followed her wherever she went. Including Nova, everyone noticed that. Nova frowned at Ava''s back while thinking,


    ''How did this nerd capturen''s eyes? I do not understand why even Stephen is hanging out with this ugly duck.''


    She locked her arm withn''s and asked with a soft tone,


    "Ian, why don''t you receive my calls whenever I call you? When I asked you to apany me to Stephen''s party, you said that you did not wish to go. But you actually went to Stephen''s party. You lied to me."


    "I don''t need to lie to you. I just changed my mindter. If you think you can''t be with me like this, you can leave. I won''t stop you."


    Nova appeared to be taken aback byn''s words. She immediately shook her head in response.


    "Please don''t mind me. I am a foolish girl. I should not have asked you that. You can go anywhere you want. I will never question it again."


    "Go to your ss. Leave me and my friends alone," Ian said to her.


    "Okay. Bye," she mumbled, and she walked to the other side.


    The entire time, everyone had been keeping a close eye onn. Cyrus felt annoyed and asked,


    "Bro, you clearly don''t like her. Why don''t you break up with her?"


    "Didn''t you see how I just tried to do that?"


    "Just tell her that you can''t be with her. You are not with her anyway," Paul said.


    Man shook his head "You all know my dad. He and his rules and regtions. He does not want his beta to be heartbroken by his daughter''s breakup. By the way, she is not that bad. My parents like her. So let them remain in their bubble."


    Ronald crossed his arms over his chest. "If everything is going well, then why are you after Ava?"


    48


    "Good. That means it makes no difference to you if she goes with someone else.


    You don''t care, right?" Stephen asked


    "Of course not. Why would I care if she goes with anyone else?"


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 49

    49


    Ava spent the whole week nning everything for her mother''s wedding.


    She made a promise to her friends that she would purchase her dress with them together, so today she went shopping with them. In fact, they would also buy dresses for themselves.


    "I can''t believe tomorrow is my mom''s wedding. It''s like a dream," Ava said to her friends.


    She had just gotten into the car after Luke arrived with his car to pick her up from her house. Abigail and Debra were in the car as well.


    "I want to scream with joy. We will have fun tomorrow," Abigail screamed in a happy tone.


    Ava chuckled at her and turned her head toward the backseat since Abigail and Debra were both sitting in the backseat, and she was sitting in the passenger seat beside Luke, who was driving the car.


    "Hope we will," she muttered.


    "Babe, please stop acting like a nerd and try to buy a sexy dress for you," Debra said, wiggling her brows with a smirk.


    Abigail hit her head lightly and said,


    ¡°It''s her mother''s wedding, not a bachelor party.¡±


    -Lukeughed out loud when he heard the girls'' conversations. He was the only boy there.


    "By the way, Stephen should have given a bachelor party for his father,¡± Luke smirked while saying that.


    Ava parted her lips upon hearing that. Abigail and Debra nodded their heads in unison as if they agreed with it. "You need women, huh?" Abigail asked and winked at him, which he saw through the rear mirror.


    He shook his head in response. He nced at Ava and said, "No, I didn''t mean it."


    Ava giggled and replied, "It''s okay. I can understand. But no, Stephen is not throwing a bachelor party. However, I think he will do somethingter."


    All of them were talking cheerfully while heading to the shopping mall.


    When they arrived at the mall, Ava told them to select their dresses first. Abigail chose a sky-colored mermaid dress for her, and Debra selected a brown floral gown for her.


    All the three girls forced Luke to buy a suit.


    "I just came here to help you, not to buy something for myself," Luke said, rubbing his neck.


    "You have to buy one. It''s from me," Ava said to him.


    Abigail and Debra immediately turned their heads toward Ava...


    "What? Well, your dresses are also from my side," Ava said with a warm grin.


    "Wait, No! We didn''t mean it when we asked you toe with us for shopping," Abigail said to Ava.


    Debra nodded her head, indicating that Abigail was right.


    Luke took out his bank card from his pocket and said, "I''m paying for you all, guys."


    Ava held his hand and stopped him.


    49


    "Please don''t. I know you all are rich, but Mom gave me money for shopping, and


    I want to share it with all of you.


    Debra shook her head, "No, Ava. It''s yours. You can use itter."


    "Come on, guys. If you want me to look good at the wedding, then let me pay for


    you," Ava said to them while resting her hands on her waist.


    They did not argue with her and agreed with herst,


    Luke told Ava to choose a suit for him. Abigail and Debra nced at each other after looking at the other two.


    "What do you think? Does he like her?" Abigail asked Debra


    "What? Really?"


    "Fool, I am asking you."


    "Stupid, how do I know?"


    "That''s why I asked for your thoughts."


    "Wait, Bebe, don''t argue with me. Let me check it with my keen eyes," Debra said, trying to concentrate on the way Luke looked at Ava.


    Abigail could not help butugh when she saw Debra hiding behind a mannequin and peeking over at Ava and -Luke, who were having a conversation about a suit.


    "Now I understand why you have to change boyfriends every month," she whispered with augh.


    Debra turned to her and replied,


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Not so funny. Should I speak about the man of your dreams? I have


    the eye to watch people''s inner feelings. Should I tell his name?"


    Abigail immediately pressed her hand over her mouth.


    "Don''t."


    Debra winked at her and removed her hand from her mouth!


    "So do not underestimate the power of my third eye, through which I can see other people''s emotions." Debra giggled, ncing at Ava and Luke.


    "Well, I think...Luke likes her," Debra muttered.


    Abigail turned to them and saw Lukeing out of the changing room wearing a


    suit.


    With a grin on her face, Abigail instructed Debra to go to them. Ava spun around to face them and inquired,


    "Where were you


    two?"


    "We were just looking around the shop," Debra replied.


    "How is it?" Luke asked Ava, then nced at Abigail and Debra.


    Three of them gave him a thumbs-up. He said he was confused between the blue


    and ck color. But then he said he would pick er.


    After that, they started to check on the dresses avable for selection.


    49


    Ava took a look at the different fancy dresses. She usually did not wear this kind


    of clothing, but it was her mother''s wedding. She would have to be in her best clothes so that her mother understood that she was happy for


    her.


    As they looked at the blue dress that was disyed on a mannequin, three of her friends all spoke at the same time.


    "This one."


    Ava was surprised to hear them together. She nced at the dress and was amazed by the design.


    "Hello, Miss. You can try the dress first. We only have one piece since it''s a designer dress," the saledy said to


    Ava.


    Ava looked at her friends, who nodded their heads, saying that she should try it..


    Ava went to the changing room to wear the dress and came out with a nervous face.


    When she looked at her friends, their jaws dropped.


    Debra mumbled,


    "Oh my goodness!"


    This caused Ava to clear her throat and raise her eyebrows in their direction.


    "Buy this one. It looks good on you," Luke said to her calmly.


    Abigail came to hug her and whispered in her ear,


    "You look so perfect that anyone will fall in love with you tomorrow."

 Chapter 50

    50


    50


    The wedding day had finallye.


    Everyone was busy.


    Ava was getting ready as a few makeup artists came to her house to prepare her and her mother. Luna Carolina sent the women for them.


    "Such a gorgeous girl you are!"


    The womenplimented Ava as they set her hair after doing her makeup.


    Ava looked in the mirror and stared at herself. They really did a great job of preparing her for her mother''s wedding.


    She liked her makeup and the way they styled her hair. To make her hair appear more beautiful, they let it down and added stone ornaments to it.


    She put on her blue heels, which she had bought yesterday, after selecting her beautiful blue gown.


    "Thank you so much."


    Ava thanked the women and went out of her room. She went downstairs and nced at her mother''s room, was still locked from inside.


    which


    -She sat on the couch, waiting for her mother. She could not wait to see her in a bridal gown. However, she did not want to disturb her and waited calmly outside.


    Her phone began to ring. She pulled out her phone and saw a message from Stephen.


    "Are you ready?"


    Ava chuckled when she saw how desperate Stephen was for the wedding.


    "Yes, bro," she replied in a message.


    "How about Mom?"


    Ava stared at the text. This was the first time he called her mother ''Mom''.


    2233


    For a moment, she felt emotional. Just like her, Stephen had missed his one parent''s love in his life. She missed


    her father, on the other hand, Stephen could not even recall his mother''s face.


    "Your mom is getting ready," Ava said.


    As if it touched his heart, he called her.


    "Thanks."


    Stephen said this the moment Ava received the call.


    "For what?" Ava asked.


    ¤À


    "For everything, Ava. If you didn''t support me, Maybe we couldn''t have seen this day."


    Ava could feel his voicee out a little shaky.


    "Hey! Are you crying?"


    "What? No way. Just a little bit emotional. By the way, Dad prepared the best room for you.''


    11


    50


    Hearing him, her gaze wandered around her house. She would have to say goodbye to this house. There were so many memories in this house.


    She sighed and thought that she would make new rtions in their new house. "Okay. Let''s see," Ava said with a cheerful voice.


    "When are you bothing? We arrived at the pack house. We are in the hall now."


    "Mom ising out of her room. We will reach there soon Ava said to him when she noticed a woman opening her mother''s room door.


    After hanging up, Ava went into her mother''s room.


    She was stunned when she saw her beautiful mother.


    "Mom!"


    Ava rushed to her and hugged her. "You look so beautiful, Mom."


    Ang hugged her daughter tightly and asked,


    "My baby, you look so pretty. Are you happy with this wedding?"


    Ava pulled away from the hug and nodded her head.


    "Yes, Mom. I am happy with this wedding. I wish you all happiness."


    Ang looked at her beautiful daughter and pulled her into her embrace again.


    Someone cleared the throat and asked,


    "Beautifuldies, can we go now?"


    They turned around and were surprised to see Luna Carolina standing at the door.


    Ang walked to her. They hugged each other.


    "You are here!"


    "How can I note to take my friend? It''s her wedding," she replied to her.


    Ava smiled at her. Luna Carolina nced at her and was shocked by her look.


    "Your beauty is breathtaking!"


    Ava flushed and lowered her head.


    "She was always this beautiful. I was the one who always told her to hide herself from others. I was scared. We didn''t have any men in our house. I thought that was the only way to protect her," Ang said to Carolina.


    Carolina approached Ava and ced her hand over her head


    "She was beautiful like that too. I saw her that day when you brought her into the pack house."


    "Thanks, Luna," Ava mumbled.


    Luna Carolina told them that she came with her car to take them to the pack house.


    Then the three of them headed to the pack house. Throughout the whole ride, Ava held her mother''s hand with a smile.


    50


    When they arrived at the pack house, Ava noticed the whole pack house was decorated like a bride.


    It seemed like Alpha Martin spent a lot of money on his Gamma''s wedding.


    The guards rushed to open the car door for them.


    Ava got out of the car while admiring the decorations. Her mother looked so happy when Luna Carolina held her hand and told her to follow her.


    Ava quietly followed behind them.


    She took a quick look at her phone screen. She saw messages from her friends, telling her that they had arrived at the hall.


    Luna Carolina brought them to a hall and stopped in front of the door.


    The guards announced the news about the arrival of the bride and opened therge door.


    The moment the door opened, everyone inside the hall turned their heads toward the door.


    Luna Carolina told Ava to hold Ang''s other hand, and then they entered the hall.


    It came as aplete surprise to Ava when she saw how stunning the hall was. Every corner of the hall was decorated with white roses. There was a red carpet in the middle of the hall, which led the people to the big stage. Besides the red carpet, there were arrangements for guests


    -She stopped in the middle when she saw Alpha Martining toward her mother and Luna Carolina with a bouquet of white roses.


    Ava stepped aside and let Alpha Martin hold her mother''s hand. He would give


    her hand to Gamma Harper as a guardian. Gamma Harper was standing in the middle of the stage.


    Alpha Martin smiled at me and walked to the stage with my mother and Luna Carolina.


    Ava turned to the left side and noticed her friends waving at her. They were close


    to the stage.


    She walked to them with a bright grin on her face. As she stood next to them, her gaze drew in the opposite direction, to the other side of the carpet.


    Her eyes caught a handsome man in a ck suit who was staring at her.

 Chapter 51

    51


    Tan kept looking at Ava. He could not take his eyes off her. In the blue dress, she looked like a princess.


    When she entered the hall, everyone''s eyes were on her mother, who was the bride. But his eyes were fixed on her. Surprisingly, she was more beautiful than he thought. That gorgeous makeup gave her a stunning look to bloom her


    magnificence and show her beauty to others.


    When she caught his gaze, he did not look away from her. As if he did not care what she or others would think, he stared at her.


    Ava averted her gaze from him and started to talk with his friends.


    A hand appeared in his sight, waving, and he had to take his gaze away from Ava. He turned to the person.


    It was Ronald. He winked atn and asked,


    "Lost in someone''s beauty?"


    His friends thought he would deny or roll his eyes in response. But to their surprise, he looked away from Ronald without any reply and shifted his attention to the stage.


    Ronald nced at Cyrus and Paul, who looked stunned byn''s silence.


    Stephen, on the other hand, stood close to the stairs of the stage. When he saw the priest start to talk, he turned in Ava''s direction and went to talk to her. "You look so pretty, my sister. Come here," Stephen pulled Ava into a hug.


    Ava chuckled and hugged him in return. "You look handsome as always."


    Theyughed together. Stephen nced at his friends, who greeted him from the opposite side.


    The atmosphere was good and cheerful.


    Their parents were looking at them with a smile on their faces from the stage.


    "Do you, Harper Taylor, ept Ang Adler as your wife?" the priest asked Gamma Harper.


    Everyone turned silent, as it was the main moment of the night. The bride and groom were taking vows. Stephen turned his head to his friends and waved at them, indicating that they shoulde to his side. They made their way toward him. Ava nced atn, who stood next to Stephen.


    "Stephen,e here. I have something to talk about," Ronald said.


    Stephen moved to Ronald''s side, causingn to move beside Ava. Now they were standing next to each other.


    Ang and Debra nced atn, who nced at Ava.


    "Are you okay?" Ang whispered to Ava becausen was next to her.


    "Yeah, it''s okay," Ava replied in a lower tone.


    Gamma Harper''s voice emerged as he said to the priest,


    "Yes, I do."


    51


    Ava refocused on the stage with a smile. She could see her mother feeling


    nervous.


    Her mother nced at her. Ava motioned her hand to her, indicating to take a deep breath and rx.


    Meanwhile,


    A small smile formed in the corner of his lips as they curled slightly.


    "Do you, Ang Adler, ept Harper Taylor as your husband?"


    Ang took a few deep breaths as her daughter signaled, and then she responded,


    "Yes, I do."


    The priest handed them the rings to exchange.


    While they were exchanging rings, he announced that they were now husband and wife.


    Everyone in the hall started to p their hands. They began to cheer for the newlywed couple.


    Ava bit her bottom lips as tears of joy shuffled her eyes. She felt someone pat her shoulder.


    When she turned around, she saw Luke.


    "Hey!"


    "Hi," Ava replied, sobbing.


    She was overwhelmed with the contentment of her emotions.


    Luke tilted his head to look into her eyes.


    "Why are you crying?" he asked, pulling her into a hug.


    Sincen was standing right next to Ava, he was watching everything. His jaw clenched when he saw Luke hugging Ava.


    "Is she your sister''s boyfriend?" Cyrus asked Stephen about Luke.


    "I don''t know. It''s her private matter. We are not that close yet to sharing each


    other''s private matters," Stephen replied, looking at Ava and Luke.


    Ronald cast a nce atn, who looked angry. He


    mirked and said,


    ¡°Steph, Luke is not that bad. He has a reputation on our campus, you know."


    He had no idea why he was getting so mad. He wanted to move and snatch Ava from Luke.


    A hand grabbed his arm, and he averted his gaze from Ava and Luke.


    n, I was looking for you in the hall," Nova said with a smile. 1


    She had been looking atn for quite some time. She saw hown was looking at Ava the whole time. She wanted to reach him, but other people gathered close to the stage at the time of the vows, so she could not go to him.


    51


    She turned to Ava, who looked different today.


    ''I can''t believe it. How can this ugly duck look so good? I thought she was ugly. Where are her sses? Why did she let her hair down? Why is she even showing her face? She doesn''t deserve to have this beauty,'' Nova thought as her mind filled with jealousy.


    "Why is that nerd crying?" she mumbled, looking at Ava. She could see her friends smiling as they rubbed her shoulders.


    "Ava"


    Everyone turned and saw the bride and grooming this way.


    "Mom."


    Ava went to Ang and hugged her. Harper was standing beside Ang. He


    smiled and ced his hand on Ava''s head.


    Nova could not believe her ears.


    ''She is Gamma Harper''s wife''s daughter! That means she has be the Gamma''s daughter!''


    Stephen walked to them and hugged his father. Ava broke the hug from her mother and let Stephen hug Ang.


    Harper hugged Ava. When they broke the hug, Ava said,


    ."Congrattions, Uncle."


    "Dad," Harper said, asking her to address him from now on


    Ava''s eyes widened as she


    tried to control her emotions.


    She nodded her head and mumbled,


    "D-Dad."

 Chapter 52

    After talking with her parents, Ava went back to her friends


    "Happy?" Luke asked Ava.


    She nodded at him. She nced at her mother. She looked really happy with Gamma Harper.


    ''Dad, I fulfilled my promise today,'' Ava said in her mind.


    Her father''s face came to her mind. Tears formed in her eyes as his death was reflected in her eyes.


    "I''ming in a few minutes," she said to her friends. They gave her a nod.


    Ava walked for a while as she tried to find an open space to get some fresh air. She asked a waiter about it who was serving drinks at the party.


    She went to where the waiter directed her.


    When she reached the balcony, she took a deep breath.


    From the balcony, she could see the view of the forest and the sky.


    The moon was providing a little moonlight on the dark balcony.


    She looked at the forest and stared at it for a while. She sobbed when she remembered the night when she had to leave her father.


    She could not forget how her father was lying on the ground, helpless.


    He might have wanted to move his legs a lot to save his life, but fate was not on his side.


    Ava thought for a second. What if her father was alive today? How would her and her mother''s lives be?


    Was it her mother''s fate toe here and meet her mate?


    Suddenly, Ava saw a hand giving her a tissue. The gent''s watch on his hand led her to believe it was Luke.


    She epted the tissue and said,


    "Thanks, Luke."


    She wiped her tears and bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from sobbing.


    "My father..." she muttered, then paused as she nced at the forest again, then continued.


    "He could not save himself in the war. T-They... t-they k-killed him. I-I saw it with my eyes. H-He wanted to live. W-We were a happy family. B-But... h-he had to die."


    She broke down in tears again. The tissue could not help her because it was soaked with her tears.


    Ava felt the person grab her arm, turn her, and pull her into his chest.


    In the darkness, she still thought it was Luke. She hugged him back and cried into his chest.


    She felt his fingers gently caressing her hair, as if he wereforting her.


    "M-My father took my promise to always take care of my mother. I fulfilled his promise today. I-"


    "Ssshh. You did great. You are a good daughter. You proved it today."


    52


    Ava''s body was frozen when she heard the man''s voice.


    It was not Luke''s voice.


    She came back to her senses as she took a deep breath.


    The man''s cologne touched her nostrils, causing her eyes to widen."


    She looked up slowly, then froze again.


    Ian Dawson was looking at her.


    His face was illuminated by the moonlight as the moon came out of the cloud.


    She immediately distanced herself from him..


    "Y-You!"


    She looked away from him and wiped her tears.


    His gaze followed her down the hall until he saw hering here. He also followed her and saw her breaking down alone.


    He did not like it when she called him Luke. But when she started to talk about her father, he felt guilty. He remembered how he talked about her father to her when he saw she could not defend herself. Even though he apologized to herter, he began to regret his aggressive words.


    "Why are you here?" Ava murmured and turned away from him.


    He walked to the railing and stood beside her.


    He took out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and pulled out one.


    When he lit the cigarette, Ava nced at him.


    "You should be happy that your mother got a second chance in her life,"n said, breathing in smoke while looking at the moon.


    Ava looked at his face. By looking at his side profile, she felt that he was a Greek god. She remembered how she felt for him in the past. She averted her gaze from him and looked at the moon.


    "You are right. Very few people get a second chance in her life," she replied, with a bitter smile.


    Her smile was painful, which pierced his heart. He did not want to see that painful smile on that beautiful face.


    He immediately moved his eyes away from her and asked himself,


    Why am I thinking like this? What''s happening to me?''


    n?"


    When he heard another voice from behind, he turned around and saw Nova walking towards him.


    "What are you doing here,n?" Nova asked, then turned to Ava, who was still looking at the moon.


    52


    "Oh, Ava! You are here. I could not congratte you at that time. Congrattions on your mother''s wedding! It''s such luck toe from out of nowhere and marry an official wolf."


    "Thank you for the congrattions. But, for your information, my mother did not appear out of nowhere, she is that official wolf''s fated mate, which is why she was able to marry him."


    Nova did not expect that nerd to reply to her like that.


    "Look, Ava. You are now one of the royals like us since you belong to an official''s family. So I hope you do not mind if my words offend you."


    Ava shook her head. "It''s okay, Nova. I didn''t mind. Not everyone understands the value of the mate bond. Some people epted it as their fate, and some people rejected it to save their status and reputations in their high-ss society."


    She did not give a nce at him and left the balcony.


    Today''s Bonus Offer


    0

 Chapter 53

    Tan, did you just see?" Nova asked as she turned her attention ton after Ava had left.


    "Didn''t you see how she was talking? She used to be a shy and ugly girl. After bing the Gamma''s daughter, she... she has be pre-"


    "Pretty?"


    Hearingn, Nova''s eyes widened. She frowned and shook her head.


    "What? No! She has be pretentious."


    Under the moonlight,n''s face was clearly visible. He looked at Nova, but his eyes were fierce.


    "In.."


    "Stop bothering her. She is not ugly but only pretends to be one."


    Nova gasped at his words. Ian indirectly meant that Ava was beautiful in his eyes.


    "Why are you saying this? Do you remember how you insulted her at the whole university? She is an ugly nerd and will always be."


    "Stop making me remember the things that I want to forget. Tell me something. How did my father learn that you are my girlfriend?"


    Her eyes grew wider. She shook her head. "I swear I did not tell him."


    "Oh, really? Then your father must be the one."


    "My father has no other intentions. He always keeps his eyes on me. He must be getting to know us, and inform your father."


    n, what''s wrong with you? Why are you treating me like this?" Nova asked, tearing up.


    "You know I don''t like you, then why don''t you just break up and tell your dad? Why did he even inform my dad of this useless thing? Now my father wants me to keep it going."


    A gleam came into Nova''s eyes. She reached for his hand.


    "Isn''t it a good thing? He likes me for you. I think your mom likes me too. We have a bright future together."


    Nova began to cry. "But you epted my proposal that night yourself."


    There was fuel zing insiden when he heard that. He grabbed her jaw and red at her.


    "I am not a fool. I was drunk, but not unconscious. I said or promised nothing to you that night."


    She appeared to be shocked. She did not believe thatn had actually known the truth. She just wanted to trap him. "P-Please,n. Please don''t break up with me. I beg you. I love you."


    "But I don''t. It would be better if you told your dad so that he could take some sense to my parents. I haven''t slept with you, so no one will get hurt by this."


    Nova shook her head and held his hand, which was grabbing her jaw.


    "Please don''t break up with me. I will do whatever you say. will not stop you from going anywhere. You are free to go to any girl you want. Just don''t break up with me. Don''t make any other girl your girlfriend."


    "Let''s see how long you can pretend like this,"n said, making his way to leave the balcony.


    Nova stared at his back and thought,


    n, you will never be able to escape my grasp. Only I can be your Luna.''


    Meanwhile,


    Ava wasughing with her mother and her friends. Everyone was heading to dinner together.


    There was avish table prepared for the grand dinner. It was like a feast.


    Everyone took a seat there. Ava sat with her mother, while Stephen sat with his father.


    Everyone was waiting forn to join the table since he was the soon-to-be Alpha of the pack.


    Whenn arrived to join the table, Nova came by, following him. Everyone assumed they were together all the time because they were a couple.


    Nova''s father chuckled after looking at them.


    "Alpha, have you noticed how our children are getting together?"


    like she cared about the conversation going on there.


    gaze.


    "I can easily wipe out too,"n said as he started to eat.


    Everyone stared at him with a stunned look.


    No one had started to eat, but it was like he did not care for manners.


    He lifted his head when he realized the table was silent. He noticed his father was looking at him with a pair of


    angry eyes.


    "Oh, my apology, Alpha Martin. Please start first."


    After making the statement, he rolled his eyes.


    Alpha Martin tightened his fists as he got mad at his son. Luna Carolina held his fist and smiled at everyone.


    "Let''s start, everyone. We should not make the bride and groom wait long."


    53


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Alpha Martin not say anything.n''s friends kept casting nces at him and his father. They were afraid that his father would scold him in front of others.


    Ava ignored the atmosphere and tried to cheer her mother on with her new father. She stood up and began serving them food. Harper looked really delighted by her sweet gesture.


    "How sweet of her!" Luna Carolina spoke while looking at Ava.


    When Ava sat down, Luke, who was sitting next to her, said


    "Can you serve me too, please?"


    He just wanted to tease her. But to his surprise, Ava smiled at him and grabbed


    his te to put food on it.


    It did not go unnoticed by anyone.


    In the royal family, women only serve food like this to their family or someone close to them.


    Luna Carolina pointed her head toward Luke and said to Ava,


    "You two seem to be very close."

 Chapter 54

    54


    Abigail and Debra were both observing everyone. So when Carolina asked the


    question to Ava, Debra replied to her.


    "Yes, yes. They are really close."


    Ronald chuckled and said,


    "Yeah. They even changed the dress code."


    Abigail took the opportunity and exined,


    "As we can see, they are matching today. In fact, Ava herself gave this suit to Luke as a present for this wedding."


    Ava was surprised as they were thinking about it so far. Though both of their dresses'' color was the same, she did not mean to match with Luke. It was just a coincidence.


    So Ava tried to say something.


    "No, it''s not-"


    Luke cut her off and said to Luna Carolina,


    "She is a soft-hearted girl. That''s why she gave me


    a present."


    Alpha Martinughed when he heard Luke!


    "I like you, young man. What is the name of your father?"


    Luke cleared his throat and replied,


    "Alpha Limon."


    Alpha Martin and his officials, including Harper, raised their brows. "Oh, you are Limon''s son?"


    "Do you know my dad?" Luke asked Alpha Martin with curiosity.


    "Of course, we know. He was our childhood friend."


    Ava sat down calmly as the topic diverted to somewhere. She nced at her mother, who looked at her with a grin.


    "Is he your mate?" she whispered to Ava.


    "No, mom," Ava replied, shaking her head.


    "Come on. He is a charming boy. Do yo-"


    "Mom!" Ava whispered with augh to stop her mother. She was aware that her mother would begin to pair her up.


    On the other hand,


    He had no idea why, but everything around him was only making him mad.


    After dinner, everyone headed to the entrance to leave.


    54


    Luna Carolina told Ang and Harper to leave first since she had arranged something for them.


    "You areing with me," Stephen said to Ava.


    "Yeah. But my luggage-''


    "Lil sis, I have arranged everything. My butler went to your old house and brought your luggage. Now it''s inside


    my car''s trunk."


    Ava smiled at him. He was a really caring person. Her friends took their leaves and left the pack house area.


    Ava turned to Alpha Martin and Luna Carolina.


    "Thanks, Alpha and Luna. Because of you both, my mom got her happiness back."


    Alpha Martin ced his hand on her head. Ava closed her eyes. His hand was heavy, making her feel that it was utilized a lot in wars.


    "Wee to the royal family. Your mother came into our lives as a miracle years ago. I hope you find all of the happiness you deserve."


    He removed his hand from her head. Ava looked at him and smiled at him.


    Luna Carolina hugged her. "See you again. Enjoy your new life and try to get along with your new family."


    As Ava turned her head, she noticedn standing a distance from his parents. He was looking at her.


    She averted her gaze from him and turned to Stephen.


    "Let''s go, brother," she said to Stephen.


    Stephen offered his arm to her, and she locked her arm with his with a smile on


    her face. They got in Stephen''s car and left for their home.


    When Stephen stopped the car in front of a vi, Ava was amazed.


    She got out of the car. Stephen gestured his hand toward the house.


    Ava entered the house. Her jaw dropped as she saw how beautifully designated


    all the things inside the house


    were.


    Stephen rushed to the staircase and waved at her.


    "Let me show you your library."


    Ava was thrilled to see how curious Stephen was. She nced at the library, which she could see from downstairs. All the books were set up there on the bookshelves.


    Stephen led her upstairs and showed her the library. He patted the small couch where she could spend the day reading books.


    Then he escorted her to her new bedroom.


    "This is your bedroom. How is it?"


    Ava looked around and found the bedroom veryfortable. The whole room was painted white. The furniture was furnished in white too. However, the blinds were brightly colored to give them an elegant look. The window close to the bed was giving her a sight of outside the house.


    "Beautiful," Ava said to Stephen.


    54


    Stephen walked up to her and held her hands.


    "I know we are not blood-rted. But I can assure you that will never let you recall it in


    your


    life."


    She hugged Stephen.


    "Thanks, brother."


    He patted her head. "You have your father and brother behind you now. If anyone-"


    She broke the hug and interrupted him.


    "Yeah, yeah, I know, my big brother. You will kill them or punish them. You power gang can do anything, I know."


    Heughed at her words. "And what do you know more about our Power Gang?" "That you all are dangerous, just like the tattoos of yours," she said, pointing her finger at the tattoos that were hidden under his sleeves.


    "Okay, and?"


    "And you all can do anything since you are the future of our pack. That''s why no one can oppose any of you and is afraid of you."


    He hit her head lightly. She rubbed her head and asked,


    "Did I say anything wrong?"


    "Yeah, lil sis. They are afraid of us not because we are the future or we have high positions, but because we have the power to hold those positions and no one has the audacity to snatch them from us.


    Ava was stunned by his heavy words. She understood what he meant. All of them would get those positions for a


    reason.


    "Promise me one thing, Ava."


    "What?"


    "You won''t hide yourself from now on. You will live just like others."


    "You mean no more sses or a hiding face?"


    Stephen nodded his head with a serious face.


    "But I am not used to-"


    "As your brother, I want this promise from you."


    Ava lowered her head and mumbled,


    "People will think I want to gain their attention, which I don''t. I am okay with


    myself."


    Stephen shook his head. "Let people say whether they want to. You have to be careless about them and live your Hife fully."


    Ava thought for a moment. She got a new father, a new brother, a new home, and a new life.


    Should she let her guard down?


    After a brief moment, she promised Stephen.


    54


    "Okay, I will no longer hide myself from anyone."


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 55

    55


    When Ava opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar room.


    She sat up and rubbed her eyes.


    She looked around and realized that it was her new bedroom. She had shifted to her new homest night.


    While yawning, she walked to the window. She stood there for a while and enjoyed the sunlight falling over her face.


    Just as she stretched her arms, she whimpered in pain.


    She rubbed her upper back with the back of her hand and strode to the dressing table. She turned her back to the mirror and rolled up her top to see her back.


    She shut her eyes when she found the scars like tree branches. She felt pain in her back again.


    She bit her bottom lip and let out a shaky breath.


    "When will I get rid of this?"


    No matter how much she wanted to forget about the rejection, the pain and these scars, they would never let her do so.


    She tried to ignore her pain and went to the bathroom to take a shower.


    She looked around the bathroom, and a small smile reached her lips.


    She stepped into the bathtub after taking off her clothes.


    As the warm water touched her body, she felt relieved on her back. She was thankful to Gamma Harper, who thought so many things for her.


    The way he set up everything for her, it was like she was his own daughter.


    Ava leaned her head back against the edge of the bathtub as she closed her eyes. She lightly rubbed the scars on her back with the shower gel.


    seen the sketches of her scars. Was it possible for her to get the


    Her mind went back to the book, where she had se book again?


    Was there any solution stated there for her?


    After taking a long shower, she wrapped her body in a white towel and walked out of the bathroom.


    She gazed at the closet and walked to it.


    When she opened the door of the closet, she gasped.


    There were so many designer and branded clothes, shoes, and bags arranged inside.


    "Isn''t it too much? How can I take so many things from him? I know my mom got married to him, but still."


    She felt that Gamma Harper spent too much money on her. She nced at the luggage, which was standing close to her bed. Last night, she forgot to put her clothes inside the closet and only took out one night dress to wear to sleep.


    She grabbed one to wear today from the closet and took the time to arrange all of her clothes from the luggage


    into the closet.


    55


    After drying her hair, she left her room and went downstairs.


    "Mom? You are back!"


    Ava noticed her mother setting up the dining table for breakfast. She rushed to her and hugged her. "Harper wants to have breakfast together with you and Stephen, so we returned early in the morning." Ava smiled at her mother when she saw the blush on her cheeks while talking about her new husband. Ava could not describe her happiness toward her


    Seeing her mothere out of a widow''s life was something, she had always wished for but had never dared to express.


    "I love you, Mom."


    Ava hugged her again.


    "I love you too, my baby," her mother replied.


    "I love you three."


    They felt a pair of arms wrap around their shoulders. It was Stephen. He chuckled


    while hugging them. Ang rubbed his cheek affectionately.


    "I love you four."


    Three of them turned around and saw Harper walking toward them.


    They allughed together when he hugged them.


    They all looked like a happy family.


    Ava felt blessed to have a new life.


    She sat beside Stephen, and her mother sat beside Harper, who was sitting on the head chair at the table.


    "I think both of you should stay home today. Let''s spend some time together. From tomorrow on, we will go back to our ces. You two will go to the university, while me and your mom go back to work," Harper said.


    "Sure," Stephen said, chewing his food.


    "And Ava? Are you okay with it, my dear?" Harper asked her.


    Ava nced at him and replied, "Yes, Dad."


    Harper was amazed by her reply. Ang bit her bottom lip to control her tears of happiness. She blinked away her tears and smiled at Ava.


    The four of them spent the whole day together.


    Ava realized Harper and Stephen were very friendly. They yed games, gossiped about their past times, talked about their futures and so on.


    Ava was pleased with her new family. The fear of putting them in an ufortable state vanished from her heart. She realized that the sooner she epted them as her own, the sooner she could live a happy life.


    The next day,


    Ava woke up early to go to the university. She started to look for her sses, but then she realized that she had


    -55


    promised Stephen. She would not hide herself anymore.


    She tried to look confident and chose something to wear. She picked ck jeans and a white T-shirt that would fit her body well. She hurriedly put on the clothes and found a ck boot to wear.


    She curled her hair a little from the bottom and let her hair down. She put on light makeup and grabbed her phone to leave.


    When she went downstairs, everyone on the table looked at her in amazement.


    "What? Should I change my clothes?" she asked, feeling uneasy by their shocking gazes.


    "What the hell, sis! You look damn hot!" Stephen said as he stood up from his chair.


    Ava was stunned by hispliment. So should she wear that or not?


    Ang went to hug her. "You look gorgeous."


    "Just like a princess," Harper added.


    Ava sighed with relief. She was afraid that she was not looking good.


    She nced at Stephen, who was still looking at her in wonder.


    Her eyes shifted to his clothes. He had gotten back to himself. All of his tattoos


    were visible through his clothing.


    He gave her a wave and said,


    "Let''s go together."


    "What about breakfast?" Harper asked.


    "I will have it with my friends. Don''t worry about Ava, and I will take her with me," Stephen said to them.


    Ava looked at Ang and Harper. They nodded at her. She smiled at them and left the house with Stephen.


    Ava was taken aback when she spotted a sports car outside the house.


    Stephen opened the door for her. "Please enter, little sister.


    "You have a sports car! I have never seen you drive this car before."


    "All of my friends own one. But we don''t show off, you know," he replied, winking


    at her.

 Chapter 56

    56


    She rolled her eyes and got in the car. He sat in the driver''s seat.


    Before starting the car, he handed her a box.


    "What is it?" she asked.


    "It''s for you. Open it."


    When she opened the box, she saw sunsses.


    "I thought you would wear your big nerdy sses again, so bought them for you.''


    Ava put on the sunsses and turned to him. "How am I looking?"


    "Bossdy. What about joining my gang?",


    Ava coughed a little. "Sorry, bro. I don''t like your leader," she replied sarcastically.


    Stephen gave her a nod and started the car.


    "I''m sorry, Ava, for whatn did."


    Stephen could only say sorry to his sister. However, he knew that his apology would not make her feel good. He believed everyone should move on in their lives.


    When he stopped the car, everyone began to nce at it, especially girls. The only reason he drove this car here was because he wanted to make his sister feel special.


    He put on his sunsses and got out of the car.


    He went to open the door for Ava.


    Ava started to feel nervous. Stephen grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the


    car.


    He pushed the door closed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.


    "You look good. Don''t lose your confidence."


    Ava nodded her head and exhaled.


    As they started to walk, everyone stared at them with their jaws dropped. "Isn''t it Ava, the nerd?"


    "Yes!"


    "She is our gamma''s daughter now."


    Ava heard whispers around her. A few boys''s voices caught her attention.


    "Damn! Just look at her!"


    "Now I understand why she was hiding herself."


    "Stephen will hear you. Can''t you see how protective he is about his new sister?"


    Ava tried to ignore their voices. Stephen whispered in her ear.


    "Why are you afraid of gaining attention? Just enjoy it."


    56


    He led her to the cafe. As they stepped inside the cafe, her steps halted. She noticed all of his friends sitting at a table.


    "Why did you stop? Won''t you have breakfast?" Stephen asked her.


    Ava sawn turning his head in the


    direction. The moment he looked at her, she looked away from him. "I don''t want to sit at the same table with your friend," she replied, taking off her sunsses.


    "AVA!"


    They heard Debra''s voice. Ava turned around and immediately found herself in Debra''s embrace.


    "Oh my god!"


    Debra muttered in her ear.


    After breaking the hug, she looked at Ava from head to toe. She shook her head and said,


    "They are right!"


    "Who is right?" Stephen asked her as he


    Was still standing beside Ava.


    Debra realized that he was also there. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to notice you. But your sister looks hot as fuck!" Debra replied, winking at him.


    Ava''s eyes widened. Stephen''s reaction was not different. He had never seen such a brave girl talk so openly in front of him. He assumed it was because he had be too friendly with them.


    He cleared his throat and said to Ava,


    "Have breakfast with your friend. I am going to mine."


    Ava was surprised by his sudden change of behavior.


    "Did I say something wrong?" Debra asked while looking at Stephen''s back.


    Avaughed and grabbed her hand, then headed to an empty table close to them, paying no attention to the people around her who were staring at her.


    Meanwhile,


    However, his heart no longer wanted to do it. He kept staring at her. The way that pair of jeans hugged her waist, showing her perfect hips, and the upper top, which revealed her perfect shape of breasts. Something clutched him inside.


    He frowned at his own thoughts.


    ''What the fuck is wrong with me?'' he asked himself in his head. He had never thought of her like that before. It was like his gaze wanted to scan every part of her body.


    "I thought you would wee me today," Stephen let out while sitting in his chair.


    "We wanted it, but someone decided to ignore your sister, so we came to sit in the cafe," Ronald eximed to Stephen.


    Stephen looked atn and said,


    56


    "Bro, I have talked to her. You both should move on with your own lives. You are my friend, and she is my sister. Both of you are my close people. I don''t want to lose any of you. Ava and I have recently be brother and sister, but I have epted her as my own sister."


    All of her friends came to the cafe to join her. He did not like it when he saw Luke hugging her.


    He tightened his fists. He wanted to move his attention away from them as the wedding night reminded him how close both of them were.


    His jaw clenched. He red at them. When they carelessly nced around but saw him ring at them, they could not identify the reason and lowered their heads.


    "Don''t you think her nerdy look was better than this?" he muttered to Stephen while ncing at Ava once more. "No way. She is damn beautiful. She shoulde out fully. She can''t hide herself forever."


    It reminded him of how he hugged Ava at her mother''s wedding night. He felt something strange that he had never felt before when hugging any girl.


    He shut his eyes and threw the cigarette in anger.


    "Calm down, bro. What''s


    wrong?" Paul asked him.


    He shook his head in response.


    Stephen chuckled at his mood and said,


    "He just needs a girl. Don''t worry, guys. I have arranged everything. I am throwing


    a party for all of the students tomorrow to celebrate my father''s wedding."

 Chapter 57

    57


    Ava did not like the attention she was getting from other people. She kept avoiding other people''s gazes all the time she was at the university.


    Although her friends said she was looking good, she was a shy girl and could not just change her attitude over the night.


    When she returned to her new home, she found the house empty. She realized her parents had note back yet.


    She spent her day watching dramas and eating alone. Stephen did note back home with her since he said he would be with his friends tillte at night.


    While scrolling through the timeline of her social media profile, she noticed a message request popping up from an unknown profile.


    "Are youing to the party tomorrow night?"


    As she read the message, she realized the person was talking about Stephen''s party, which he had informed her about earlier this morning.


    However, the person who sent her message was anonymous to her. Since it was a message request, either she would have to ept it or ignore it.


    Ava stared at the message for a while. She checked the profile to see if she knew the person. But the profile was locked. She looked at the profile picture. It was a picture of scenery. An orange-ming moon above the gloomy woond.


    She felt that the picture was very attractive.


    No one had ever sent her a message like that before. People used to ignore her because they thought she was ugly or always spent her time on books.


    Another message popped up, which made her gasp.


    "Why are you staring at the phone? Reply to me. I''m waiting.''


    00


    Ava''s eyes widened as she looked around to see if someone was watching her. But she was all alone in her room. In fact, in the whole house, she was alone.


    Some maids could be in the living room. Perhaps they were ying some prank on her.


    She went downstairs to check. She noticed all the maids were working. At that time, she received another message, which made her believe that no one from her house was doing this.


    She went to her bedroom and closed the door, then sat on her bed.


    She looked at the new message.


    "Why sote?"


    Ava epted the message request and began to type.


    "Who are you?"


    She waited for a reply, as she could see the person had seen it.


    "A boy."


    She frowned and asked, "Who?"


    +26 BONUS


    "Someone you don''t know"


    Ava scratched her head as she felt confused. Who could get her profile and send her a message?


    She started to think about who it could be. A few boys'' faces came to mind who approached her today to speak with her, but she declined.


    "Are you David?"


    "Who is David?".


    "Or Celine?"


    "Now who is he?"


    "Then who are you?"


    "I didn''t know you knew so many boys."


    Ava felt offended by the reply. She got mad and replied,


    "Of course, I can get to know others. If you don''t want to tell me who you are, then


    I am going to block you."


    The sender was quiet for a while, as he did not send any messages.


    Just when Ava thought it was the end of the conversation, she got a reply from the unknown boy.


    "A boy who wants to talk to you."


    Ava chuckled as she typed,


    "A secret admirer?"


    "That sounds good to me. How about calling me a stalker? With the message, there was an emoji of a wink attached.


    Ava''s eyes widened. She did not know who the crazy boy was. Why was he calling himself a stalker?


    But she took a deep breath and wrote,


    "You don''t know my brother. He is the gamma of the pack. He will kill you."


    "Oh, I got scared."


    Avaughed as she thought the boy was afraid of Stephen. But her smile faded when she saw his reply.


    "I know how to defend, so don''t worry about me."


    "Who said I was worrying for you?"


    "You were not?"


    "Why would I?"


    "Because I am your new friend."


    "Excuse me? When did I ept your friendship?"


    Just a few moments ago."


    Ava started to think about his words. Then she scoffed when she understood his meaning.


    57


    "Did you mean epting the message request? Is it called epting friendship?"


    "I took that as a yes. Now tell me, will youe?"


    "What?"


    "You have such a terrible memory. What was my first question?"


    She scrolled up the messages until she saw his first message.


    "I won''t tell you even if Ie," Ava replied.


    "Yes or no."


    "Why would I tell you?"


    "Because I don''t want toe if you


    won''t attend."


    Now Ava started to feel strange. She could not discuss her outing with a stranger.


    "Don''t text me again."


    "Why?"


    "I don''t talk to strangers."


    "But you have been texting me for a while."


    Ava immediately blocked the number, as she was afraid of the stranger.


    "I should not have replied to this boy in the first ce," she said to herself.


    Her parents and Stephen returned homete at night. She did not tell them anything. It was not that important that she should discuss it with her family.


    The next day, when she went to her university, she talked about it with Abigail and Debra.


    "What are you saying? Why did you block him?" Debra asked, shaking her head with disappointment.


    "She did the right thing. What if it''s someone bad? It could be the ounting department''s Rocky or maybe Jasper from the management department," Abigail said, making ugly faces.


    Ava let out a sigh as she looked at both of her friends.


    ¡°Guys, can you both just rx? I have already blocked him. So there is nothing to argue," she said to them and headed to her ss.


    "Okay, okay."


    "We were just thinking about the facts,"


    Abigail and Debra said, looking at Ava''s back.


    Ava turned her head toward them and chuckled while walking ahead. Her friends


    were really melodramatic.


    As she was about to turn her head forward, she bumped into a hard chest.


    A cold voice made her raise her head to look at the person.


    "You changed your appearance, not your eyes. So watch your steps while


    walking.


    39

 Chapter 58

    58


    The person was none other thann Dawson. He was looking at her indifferently.


    Ava frowned at him and stepped aside. "I''m sorry."


    He was okay with her at her mother''s wedding. Then what did she do to offend him? She recalled the time he hugged her. She felt a shiver around her spine just thinking about it. She realized she had taunted him by talking with Nova.


    Was that why he was behaving cold with her again?


    Ava shrugged her shoulders and walked past him.


    ''I don''t care,'' she thought, and she went to her ss.


    It was noon when she and her friends decided to go to the party together tonight.


    "I can''t believe your brother. He didn''t even invite his father or your mom to the celebration party. It should be his father''s party, not his," Debra said.


    "He said it''s a party for us. So he didn''t invite Dad. I know even if he had invited Dad or Mom, they would not havee. In fact, they said Stephen did that for his own satisfaction. It''s just like another party he threw," Ava replied.


    "What can we expect from the power gang?" Abigail mumbled, ncing at Stephen''s friends.


    Ava turned her head in their direction. Her eyes fell onn, who was smoking while sitting in the trunk of his car. Her brother was also sitting with him. All of the boys wereughing about something.


    Sometimes it felt terrible that they were the future of the pack. They were just a bunch of bad boys who did not have any rules or regtions. In fact, they liked to breakws. 1


    Stephen gazed at Ava as he raised his brow as if asking her what had happened.


    She shook her head as she thought her brother was an exception. He had a good side.


    Ava walked to Abigail''s car. Debra entered the backseat, while Abigail sat in the driver''s seat. Ava upied the passenger seat.


    Abigail started the car as they decided to visit Ava''s new home.


    "I can''t believe that I am going to visit Gamma''s house," Debra eximed with excitement.


    It was rumored that among all the officials, Gamma Harper was the richest man. So visiting his house was something like going to a pce.


    Ava giggled at Debra''s excitement. She nced at Abigail, whose eyes were focused on the road.


    "What are you thinking?" Ava asked her.


    "Nothing much.


    Ava''s phone rang at that time. She checked her phone and saw Luke''s message. "Are youing tonight?"


    Today Luke did note to the university, so they could not talk about the party with him.


    58


    "What if it''s Luke who sent you a text from another profile" Abigail said it with a doubtful nce.


    "Maybe. It''s possible." Debra let out immediately.


    Ava replied to Luke,


    "Yes, I''ming."


    Then she turned to her friends and said,


    "I don''t know. But if it''s Luke and he was joking with me, will unblock him."


    After a while, they arrived at Ava''s new house. The moment Abigail and Debra stepped inside, they were in awe.


    "It''s so beautiful!"


    "I''m impressed."


    Theyplimented the house as they looked around.


    "And I''m surprised to see you both. What a pleasant surprise, my dear."


    Ava''s mother''s voice reached their ears. They turned around and met Ang.


    Ang gave Abigail and Debra a heartwarming hug. She was happy that Ava had some good friends.


    Ava smiled at her mother. She was happy that she came back earlier today.


    Three of them talked to Ang as they discussed how everything was going in the hospital.


    "As you all know, we don''t have witches in our pack. So we don''t have a cure to heal most of the patients who have unknown diseases. But Alpha Martin said in the future he would ask them to send a few witches here from the coven of another pack."


    Hearing Ang, Ava and her friends were stunned. Were they going to live with them at the same ce? How would they live together?


    When it was evening, Ava''s friends instructed their drivers to take their clothes to her house.


    But Ava stopped them and told them to try a few of her clothes since she had many new ones.


    Abigail and Debra thought about it, but when they saw how nicely the designer dresses were arranged in Ava''s closet, they agreed and tried some of them.


    They decided on Ava''s dress first. They said,


    "It''s your parents'' celebration party, so it''s our responsibility to get you ready first."


    They picked out a violet, knee length sleeveless dress for her.


    Ava put on the dress, and they helped her get ready.


    When they were done with her makeup, they got ready themselves.


    Ava looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Her friends really did nice makeup.


    She decided to let her hair down. She wore a pair of ck heels and waited for her friends to finish their makeup. When they were done, three of them left the house, making their way to the address where the party was goil. It took them forty minutes to reach the ce. Ava realized that it was a vi. It was one of the vis of Gamma


    Harper, which his only so used as his party ce.


    "Coine on, girls. Let''s blow boys'' minds with our looks," Debra stated and entered the party along with others. As Ava moved through the crowd and passed the boys, she felt uneasy. They were almost touching her body by leaning towards her. She tried her best to ignore them and follow her friends.


    Abigail stopped Debra and Ava as she saw Stephen.


    "Do you want to meet your brother, the party host, first?"


    Ava turned her head in that direction to look at her brother


    Stephen waved at her. Ava smiled at him, but then her smil faded when her eyes shifted behind Stephen.


    He smirked at the girl. But when the girl said something in his ear, his head turned in Ava''s direction and his gaze locked with hers.

 Chapter 59

    59


    Tan looked at Ava when the girl told him that Stephen''s sister hade to the


    party.


    He waspletely blown away by Ava''s stunning look. It was difficult for him to tear his eyes away from her because she had such an alluring appearance.


    He saw Ava avert her eyes from him.


    n," the girl called him when she noticed he was staring at Ava.


    "Hmm?"


    "Will you spend your night with me?" the girl asked seductively. She rubbed her hands against his abs over his half -sleeved ck t-shirt.


    "Let''s see how much you can seduce me," he winked at her. A blush appeared on her face, and she started kissing his neck.


    In spite of the fact that the girl was making an effort,n''s eyes were fixed on Ava.


    As he observed her engaging in conversation with other people, she appeared to be in a lighthearted mood, as if she did not care about the fact that he was with another girl


    His brows arched when he noticed a boy approaching her. He reached out and she shook hands with him, and then! she started talking to him as if they were already acquainted with one another.


    n?"


    The girl whispered in his ear, but he was not interested in what she had to say, nor did her sweet and seductive voice entice him. In fact, it annoyed him. He wrapped his hand around her waist and moved her away from him.


    The girl was startled by his sudden action.


    "I am so sorry. Did I offend you?"


    "Leave," he muttered as he stood up from the couch. He was sitting in the lounge area all this time. But all of a sudden, his mood had spoiled suddenly. He was in need of a drink.


    "Butn, I felt that we would have a conversation."


    "Go and find someone else. I havepletely lost my mood" Saying that,n headed to the bar.


    Soon after he ced his order for a drink for himself, his attention was drawn back to Ava.


    Ava and the boy were bothughing together. The boy kept saying something, leaning into her ear as if he were a joker and telling her new jokes.


    The bartender ced a drink in front ofn and said,


    "Sir, your drink."


    **26 BONUS


    "I could feel a smell,¡±n heard a volce say as someone came to join him in the bar


    "Maybe you found your mate," he replied without turning his head to the person.


    He did not need to turn to understand who the person was was his best friend, Ronald Sce.


    "No, dude. It''s a smell of burning," Ronald said, sniffing in the air. He moved his head towardsn and took a whiff from his shirt.


    "Got it! It''sing from you," Ronald let out and chuckled


    "Fuck off."


    "Come on. You know we have a connection, as we are going to have an Alpha-


    Beta rtionship very soon. I can feel when you need me."


    "But I could feel it."


    Ronaldughed and shook his head. He followedn''s gaze and saw him looking in Ava''s direction.


    "Why is your gaze following her? Are you not here to distract your mind so you can regain your sanity?"


    "I''m not following anyone."


    "Oh shit!"


    Ronald said with a dissatisfied tone.


    "What?"n asked.


    "Look who''s here."


    "What is she doing here?"n inquired while looking at Nova, who had just entered the house to attend the party.


    Ronald turned his gaze toward Stephen, and his mind linked to him.


    "Didn''t you say Nova was not invited? Then how did shee here?" Ronald asked Stephen.


    Stephen turned around and found Nova approaching him.


    "But I didn''t invite her. I don''t know how she got here," Stephen replied in the mind link.


    He nced atn, who was ring at him. Stephen looked away fromn right away. He was the one who assuredn that he would not call Nova there. How would he now exin this ton?


    Meanwhile,


    Ava was busy talking with Luke''s friend, She recognized him when he approached her. She had met him at Luke''s party.


    She did her best to avoidn. She had absolutely no desire to look at him at all.


    "What can we expect from a yboy?" Abigail said this to Ava when she went to sit next to her after ending my


    59


    conversation with Luke''s riend.


    "What are you both talking about?" she asked Abigail and Debra.


    "We are talking aboutn Dawson. He has a girlfriend, but he is still roaming


    around with another girl. I bet he will sleep with her tonight," Debra said.


    Ava looked atn and noticed him looking somewhere. At the time, she followed


    his gaze and saw Nova conversing with Stephen.


    "She almost caught him red-handed," Abigail muttered.


    "No, I think she told him she wasing. So he let go of the previous girl and


    went to have a drink to show his girlfriend how loyal he is." Debra made a point in the conversation. 1


    Ava did not pay any attention to what they were saying and instead said,


    "Whatever, I don''t care."


    60

 Chapter 60

    Ava told them to ignoren and enjoy the party. She tried to have conversations with new people as her mother told her to be social. She just wanted to give it a try.


    Ava and her friends were waiting for Luke. As soon as Ava called him, he


    Informed her that he was unable to make it there because of something that had urred.


    "It''s okay, Luke," Ava said.


    "No, I am so sorry, Ava. It was your mother''s wedding celebration party, and I could note."


    "Don''t be concerned, Luke. It''s just a simple party, like others. Mom is not here anyway. And we can meet tomorrow too."


    She tried tofort him so that he would not feel bad. She knew there might be somethinging up, and that was why Luke could note. Otherwise, he never missed parties.


    After talking with Luke, she turned to Abigail and Debra.


    "So he is noting?" Abigail asked.


    "No."


    "Then why did he desperately message you about it?" Debra asked, folding her


    arms.


    "Maybe he has work to do," Ava replied, as she also believed that the stranger who was texting her yesterday was Luke.


    Half an hourter, Nova approached Ava with her friends. She looked at her dress with her sharp eyes, and then she turned her attention back to her face in the dress.


    "Hello, Ava. How are you?" She asked Ava with a grin on her face.


    Ava felt something was fishy, but she gave her a smile in return and told her that she was good.


    "Let''s y a game. What do you say? We should enjoy the party fully."


    Nova requested that Ava and her friends join her in a game. She almost urged them to go with her to y something.


    "No. We are okay here."


    "Oh, please. Don''t tell me you are afraid of dares."


    In the beginning, Ava was not interested in joining; however, after Nova told her that she considered her to be a coward, she decided to join it despite her initial reluctance.


    When she looked over at her friends, they gave her a slight nod of their heads. "Okay, let''s y," Ava said to Nova.


    Nova grinned at them and nodded her head. She led them to theunch area. Ava observed arge number of young boys and girls lounging on the couches. She recognized that they all


    belonged to wealthy families and had a good reputation at their university for their parents. She gave a slight shake of her head, thinking that the only things that people valued were power and money.


    Agirl came with a bowl.


    +25 BONU


    "Let me exin first. The music will y and stop, but between the durations, we have to pass the ball to the next person. In the moment that the music stops, the person who is holding that bowl will be required to select a chit and then y the dare that Is written on the chit.


    Stephen and his other friends came to join them as well. Iar rejected their invitation to join thern and went in a different direction.


    As everyone became more excited, they began to pass the bowl around. The music stopped, and the person who was holding the bowl put his hand into it and took out a chi


    "Dance for one minute like crazy," the boy said after reading the chit.


    He had no other option but to ept the dare. When he was doing that, the game started once again.


    When it was Ava''s turn, she thought she would have to drink something or dance, but she was shocked when she saw what was written inside the chit.


    "You have to lock yourself inside a dark room for five minutes!"


    She gulped as she looked at the others. Stephen raised his brow to know if she


    was okay with it. She could not shake her head in front of others.


    She saw Nova smirking at her as if she knew about her fear,


    "I think I was the one who should do the dare. The bowl was almost in the middle of us." Abigail spoke out to save


    Ava.


    Debra nodded her head to agree with her. They were her friends, and they knew about her problems.


    "Why are you all so worried for her? She is not a kid. Come on. It''s just a few minutes! It''s not that she had never shifted in the dark and run in the forest. Who


    is afraid of darkness nowadays? No one," Nova said while looking at


    Ava''s friends.


    Ava took a deep breath and got to her feet.


    "Wait a minute, Ava. Are you sure? You can skip it if you want," Stephen said,


    trying to understand the look on her face.


    Ava shook her head and replied,


    "I am in."


    Everyone cheered for her. One of the boys walked her to a dark room that was a little far from them and then opened the door for her.


    She nced inside and saw the darkness inside. Her heart began to beat faster in fear. However, she could not bear the thought of Nova tabeling her a loser, so she had to take action.


    "Your phone," the boy said.


    Ava handed it to him and stepped inside the room.


    When the boy shut the door from outside, she gasped.


    In the dark room, she was feeling like she would die.


    She started to take deep breaths. At that moment, she heard the sound of


    footsteps emanating from the opposite side of the room.


    She could not see anything and asked,


    "W-Who is here?"


    No one answered her question, which made her feel scared inside.


    "Who?" she asked again, stepping forward.


    Her body bumped into a hard chest, and she almost fell down. But a hand


    wrapped around her waist and kept her from falling.


    The strong arm gave her shivers.


    It came as aplete surprise to her when the person held lighter in front of her


    face and lit it, revealing his face to her.


    n?"

 Chapter 61

    61


    Ava was shocked to seen in the room. His face was illuminated by the me, exposing his handsome face. Even from a modest distance, he appeared to be very good-looking. She almost lost herself looking at him.


    However, what he had done to her could not leave her mind. He was her ex- mate, the boy who insulted her in the whole university.


    "What are you doing here?" she asked after clearing her throat.


    Butn did not reply to her. His eyes were on her and his hand was wrapping around her waist like a stone, which she could not move.


    4


    She looked into his eyes and saw something unfamiliar.


    Her gaze shifted to the me of the lighter, which was the only thing separating their faces. th was the only thing separating their faces.


    She gulped when his hand moved a little, causing the me to move with the sync.


    She returned her gaze to him. He was still staring at her.


    What did he want?


    She pushed his arm from her waist and said,


    "Move."


    The moment he moved back, the me of the lighter blew away.


    Once again, the room returned to its darkness. She took a deep breath when everything turned ck in front of her eyes.


    "W-Why did you-"


    "Why did youe into this room if you are so afraid of the dark?"


    His calm tone suddenly rxed her inside. She took steps back until her back touched a wall.


    She did not want to reply to this boy, thinking that he was making fun of her fear. She folded her arms and closed her eyes. She rested her head against the wall without giving him any reply.


    ''Keep calm, Ava. Five minutes will pass soon,'' she told herself.


    After a few seconds, she felt someone getting closer to her. She immediately opened her eyes, only to meet the darkness again.


    However, she felt a warm breath on her cheek. She lifted her hand and felt the hard chest, which was almost pressing against her body.


    "You haven''t replied to me yet, Nerd." She heardn''s whispering tone.


    She was stunned that he had found her in the dark. She realized that it was a small room.


    "Didn''t I tell you to move away?" she said, pressing her hands on his hand.


    At that time, he lit the lighter again.


    As she tried to push him away, her hands paused. She looked into his eyes, which appeared to be strange.


    61


    She had never seen him look at her like that.


    Her lips parted when she felt him stroking her bare arm with his other hand.


    His eyes focused on her reaction. As if he were enjoying it, he moved his hand, which was holding the lighter, and tilted his head toward her ear.


    "I can see that you can''t resist my touch. Then why are you even trying it?"


    She blinked her eyes, at his seductive tone.


    She tried to push him, but he stopped her by speaking again


    "Are you afraid of me more than the darkness?"


    When he moved his head to look at her face, she replied,


    "What do you want,n?"


    His hand moved from her arm to her face. She was surprised by his actions. "What are you-"


    "Ssh!"


    He moved his hand, pressing his finger against her lips. Her heartbeat began to race when he leaned his face close to her.


    "Why do you question so much?" he muttered as his nose brushed against hers.


    Ava felt a thump in her throat. The closeness was making her weak.


    On the other hand, her wolf began to react inside, just like before. She was worried about why her wolf always moved only whenn was closer to her.


    Could she not ept the rejection? Was that because her wolf was still unable to get over it?


    Her mind froze when she noticedn looking at her lips.


    Before she could react, the me of the lighter turned off.


    She immediately clutched his shirt tightly.


    "It''s okay. I am here with you. Just rx."


    His voice almost soothed her.


    She felt him move his head, which caused her to shut her eyes tightly.


    He did not light the lighter again and put it into his pocket.


    - After getting closer to her, he pressed his body against hers.


    Ava let out a gasp But the next moment, she moaned,


    "Ahh!"


    It was because she felt a pair of soft lips touch her neck. When they brushed against her skin, she felt a sensation that was electrifying.


    "In..."


    She had no idea how he always came closer to her. After everything that had urred between them, they ought to continue to behave as if they were strangers.


    But this boy had other intentions.


    He did not reply to her as he began to kiss her neck, making her lose her mind. His strong arms slowly wrapped around her waist, pressing her against him even more.


    It was as if her moan made him crazy, and he wanted to get close to her as much as he could.


    Ava did not know how to push him when he was making her feel like this.


    With a slow and deliberate motion, his tongue rubbed against her skin, as if she were sweet, and he desired to taste it. t


    She could not help but moan again. She had never been this close to anyone except him. He was the one who took her first kiss away from her and touched her like that. So after getting closer to him again, she felt the familiar feelings.


    But suddenly, the truth struck her, bringing her back to reality.


    How could she let hime close to her? He was just using her for a while like the night he kissed her at the club.


    Almost immediately, Ava pushedn with all of her strength.


    "Don''t you dare touch me again. You are a dirty guy. I am not one of your puppets,n Dawson."

 Chapter 62

    Tan was taken aback by Ava''s outburst. Though, because of the darkness, he could not see her face, he could imagine how she was looking mad at him.


    The reason he came here was to get some peace of mind before she entered the room. But he realized that someone had destroyed the switch box and broken many things inside the room.


    When he was about to leave the room, he heard footstepsing from outside. When the door opened, he saw Ava and another boy.


    He was clueless as to why she hade to the room.


    For one moment, he assumed she was with the boy. But when the boy asked her to hand over her phone, and then he locked her in the room froin outside, he got what happened.


    It could be a silly dare.


    He could feel that Ava was scared by her loud heartbeats.


    When she realized his presence and got more scared, he lit his lighter to ease her fear.


    However, the moment he saw her face, he was lost. He was mad at himself for staring at her for so long. Though she asked him questions, he could not reply to her.


    When he pressed his body against hers, he felt himself jolted inside, which he had not felt with any other girl before.


    There was an excitement that began to run inside, which he could not identify.


    He barely came to the party to divert his attention away from this girl, but she once again distracted him from other people.


    He could not stop himself from kissing her neck.


    When he rolled his tongue on her neck, he had an urge to lick her whole body without leaving any part untouched.


    He felt himself hard, and it was difficult for him to control himself.


    However, she pushed him harshly and said,


    "Don''t you dare touch me again. You are a dirty guy. I am not one of your puppets,n Dawson."


    He was stunned by her statements.


    Did he want her to be his puppet? But she was the one who was ying with his mind. He had never felt so desperate for any girl before.


    All this time, he had no such thought for her. But what she had just said was not true. Her harsh toneward him really enraged him.


    "Did you just call me dirty?"n asked with gritting teeth.


    "The boy who can''t be loyal to his girlfriend and roams around with other girls is a dirty man. How could you even think that I would be one of the girls who is a y toy for your desire?" Ava said it loudly.


    Han furrowed his brows, which she could not see. He tightened his fists in anger at her words.


    She did not stop and spoke again,


    22


    62


    62


    "We are no longer mates. Iam now your pack''s gamma''s daughter and your friend''s sister. I don''t know if I can expect this from you but don''t do something that can ruin many good rtionships. It would be better if you focused on your own life and allowed me to do mine."


    Almost instantly, the light that wasing from the outside entered the room that waspletely dark, allowing it to shine slightly.


    The boy who had left Ava in the room appeared. His eyes widened when he noticedn was also there.


    n?" he muttered.


    He noticed the sweat on her neck. There was no power in the room, so it was extremely hot. Maybe that was the reason she was sweating. There were a few strands of hair that were on her face, and she appeared alluring in that


    state.


    His anger began to subside as he continued to stare at her.


    Ava averted her gaze from the boy and looked at him.


    "I think we are clear. I have moved on. I am no longer the Ava you can humiliate


    or think to use anytime you want. I have my voice, and if you try to bother me again, I will fight back."


    Everything was fine with him until she mumbled in a low voice.


    "A person like you may be good in bed, which is why girls always wander around you. But you can never be a faithful lover. No woman will love you for who you are. Continue like this until you see how your life will be chaotic. You don''t deserve a faithful woman, either." 2


    After saying that, she turned and made her way to the door. She walked past the boy who was standing at the door and left the room.


    "What are you looking at?" he yelled at him.


    "N-Nothing, In."


    "Go back and don''t dare to tell anyone that I was here with her. I will kill you if you open your mouth."


    The boy gulped and quickly nodded his head. "O-Okay."


    The fear rose inside the boy''s heart as he offended the leader of the Power Gang. He rushed out of the room, huffing as if he had saved his life,


    Meanwhile,


    Yan punched the wall in anger. He could not take such humiliations. Not a single person had ever dared to talk to him like that. Given his connection to his parents, he only granted them that right.


    However, the way Ava spoke to him was extremely disrespectful. He was bing increasingly frustrated with


    62


    himself for even looking a that girl, despite the fact that h


    "Fuck! Why did I even go so close to her? I should have I

 Chapter 63

    63


    TAD BONUS


    After some time had passed,n exited the room. Nova and her friends were so preupied with the game that they did not notice him because the room was far in distance and they were so focused on the game. But he did not go unnoticed by his friends.


    Stephen frowned when he nced at him. He was about to follow him, but the music stopped when the bowl was in his grasp.


    But he did not care about the game. He had noticed Ava walking in a different direction after leaving the room. No one went inside the room after her and the boy they had sent. So, how hadn suddenly appeared in the room?


    He got up from the couch and said,


    "I''m done here.


    "But it''s your turn."


    He heard a voice and turned his head to the person who had just spoken. It was Debra, Ava''s friend.


    "Where is Ava?" he asked.


    "She went to the washroom. She texted us a minute ago," she replied.


    He nodded his head, forgetting her question.


    Nova looked at him with doubtful eyes and asked, "Where are you going? Don''t worry about Ava. She is a mature girl, you know."


    Stephen did not like Nova. First, she arrived at his party without an invitation, and when he asked her about it when she entered the house, she exined that she hade with one of her friends.


    Stephan knew Nova did not like Ava, and that was why she was pushing Ava to do the dare. He had tried to stop Ava, but she had chosen to do so, and he did not want to be the brother who stopped his sister from doing anything.


    "Think about yourself first. Where was your boyfriend? Why are you alone here? Didn''t you tell me that you came here for him? It doesn''t look like it. You are more focused on my sister than your own boyfriend."


    The boys and girls, including Ava''s friends, were stunned by Stephen''s cold tone.


    "Stephen, you know you can''t talk to me like that. Your sister has already left the game. Are you afraid that she lost her sanity because she was scared of darkness? Does she suffer from ustrophobia? Is that the case? Has something happened to her? What makes you so protective of her?" Nova said, rising to her feet.


    Both of Ava''s friends stood up as well, ready to defend Ava in her absence.


    However, before they could say anything to Nova, Stephen walked to her and muttered in


    "Don''t mess up with my sister again."


    He turned to look at the others on the couches and warned them,


    anger.


    "If any of you try to bother her again, I will shred your body and feed it to the rogues. She is my family now. And you know Gammas don''t like it when anyone hurts any of their family members. If they can protect their pack, they can protect their families as well."


    Everyone was scared by his anger. Gammas had a high body temperature. They were fighters, and they were only loyal to their Alphas. Other than their head Alpha, they could hurt anyone who tried to offend them.


    Ava''s friends were in awe. The way Stephen defended Ava and protected her even though she was not here, they were impressed.


    When Stephen returned his gaze to Nova and red at her, she began to cry.


    Her eyes shifted ton, who was standing in a corner with Ronald. He paid no attention to whatever was happening there.


    She rushed to him and huggedn from behind.


    "Baby, please save me from your friend. He is bullying me


    "What happened?" he asked her.


    He was clearly not looking okay. His brows arched as if he were furious.


    "S-Stephen, he was insulting me in front of others."


    Stephen rolled his eyes and replied,


    "Tell your girlfriend to know her limits and stay away from my sister. I don''t like her, and I believe my sister doesn''t like her either," Stephen stated.


    Stephen concluded that Nova used the chits to plot against Ava and send her to the dark room. He was aware of Ava''s past, which included losing her father. So he knew why she had problems with the dark. He did not want her to get hurt by anyone.


    "Steph, you should have stopped your sister in the first ce. If she is so afraid of the dark, why did she agree to do the dare? Perhaps she is too much of herself after bing your sister."


    His eyes focused on Ava while he said that. He could see Ava furrowing at him. His eyes suddenly moved to her neck, and he looked away from her. He left no hickeys in her neck, but the sensation of touching her lingered in his mind.


    He shut his eyes when he felt the urge to hold her in his arms again.


    n, you need to discipline your girlfriend before talking about my sister," Stephen said with a little angry tone.


    "I love you,n. You are the best boyfriend. I knew you would never disappoint me," Nova said and huggedn, trying to maken ignore Stephen''s words.


    n? Let''s leave. Don''t fight with Stephen for me. We are all royals. I know you love me, but he is your future gamma," Nova said as if she were not the one who hadined ton about Stephen a while ago.


    Ava was the focus ofn''s attention.


    Ava sat on a couch and said,


    63


    "Come on, guys. Let''s continue the game. I am totally fine. Nothing matters to me anyway."


    Tan tightened his fists at her ignorant behavior.


    n?"


    He heard Nova''s voice, and he realized that she was still hugging hhn.


    He grabbed her hand and walked out of the house.


    "What happened,n?" she asked with a worried fook.


    "Nova, you know that I don''t love you. I don''t see a future in this rtionship. So


    I''m breaking up with you. We are over."

 Chapter 64

    64


    Nova''s eyes widened in shock. Her lips began to tremble. n, what are you


    saying?"


    He was not interested in leading the pack in the future. But as the only heir, he was responsible for the pack.


    His great-grandfather won the Mystic Shadow Pack several decades ago. Following that, his family continued to run the pack, fulfilling all of their responsibilities and carefully protecting the pack members. They never disappointed any of the members and always made the best decisions for them.


    His father, Alpha Martin, was one of the most powerful Alphas in their pack''s history. It was the reason why people had higher hopes forn.


    Becausen would have to maintain the pack like him, Alpha Martin behaved strictly with him. He always tried to discipline him. However, his son turned into a troublemaker whom no one could tempt.


    "Listen, Nova. Don''t force me to do something that I don''t want. I amn Dawson. You can''t ckmail me. You may think you trapped me that night. But it was my decision to make you my girlfriend. My parents wanted a girl, and I thought you matched their preferences. But I don''t want to listen to them anymore. I will live as I want. No one can order me around."


    Nova took a step back when she heardn. She could see rage in his eyes.


    She could not help but wonder what had caused him to be so angry.


    She grabbed his hand and rubbed the back of it gently.


    "Ian, are you mad that Iined about Stephen? I am sorry. I will never argue with any of your friends. Please forgive me."


    She frowned at him and leaned close to him. She ced her hand on his chest, moving it down to rub his abs. She was attempting to seduce him, assuming that he wanted to have sex with a girl to relieve his stress, so why not seize the opportunity?


    "It doesn''t suit a beta''s daughter. Stop fooling around and maintain your father''s reputation."


    He turned around to head to his car.


    Nova rushed behind him and held his hand once again.


    "Please,n. Don''t break up with me. If you do, I will kill myself." 1


    grip. She felt a shiver in her spine from his re.


    He grabbed her jaw, causing her to hiss with pain.


    "Did you just try to ckmail me again? Have you forgotten who I am?"


    She began to tear up as she patted his hand in fear of breaking her jaw.


    64


    "I am the most beautiful girl on campus, even in the whole pack. People call me this pack''s princess. Why are you breaking up with me? What I don''t have?"


    He released her jaw and said, "Your beauty has never piqued my interest. And you are talking about beauty?"


    He sneered after saying that. But then his eyes turned darker, and he muttered in a cold tone,


    "Girls that are more beautiful than you used to warm my bel. That doesn''t mean I will make them Beauty does notst forever, you know."


    my girlfriend.


    She parted her lips as a gasp came out of her mouth. She was adamant about not letting him leave her.


    "Your parents know that I am your girlfriend. They will never ept this breakup."


    He raised a brow and asked, "Do you think anyone can stop me from getting what I want?"


    She retreated a few steps in her steps. Ian took notice of her expression of disbelief. He unlocked his car and walked to the door. He opened the door and gazed at her.


    He smirked at her and said,


    "Don''t try to spread false rumors on campus about me. I don''t know when I will lose my mind. Have a good night. You are free from now on. Find a good boy and settle with him."


    After saying that, he got in his car and drove away.


    Nova stared at the car until it left the area. She stomped her feet on the ground in anger.


    "How can you just leave me? I have been trying to get you for a long time. What made you break up with me,n? I will find out about it and get what I want back. I promise you that."


    Meanwhile,


    His tattooed hand was rotating the whirling wheel. His fingers were clenching it firmly.


    He was not thinking about the conversation with Nova.


    Instead of thinking about his breakup, his mind was full of Ava.


    The way she talked to him and said those things, he felt strange in his heart. Her


    words stabbed him in the heart, and he had no idea why.


    He despised it because no girl had ever spoken to him in that way.


    When he pulled over the car in the pack house, he went inside.


    As soon as he entered, his steps halted.


    He noticed his father was sitting on the big couch with his mother.


    He ignored them and decided to go to his room. But his father''s voice stopped


    him.


    "Why did you break up with her?"


    He turned around and walked towards his parents. They stood up, looking at him.


    n, you mentioned being with her back then."


    64


    "Mom, I can''t be with her. I don''t like her anymore. Just don''t force me."


    Alpha Martin got enraged by his statement. He moved towardsn and grabbed his cor.


    "Listen to me, Brat. You can''t always follow your desires."


    He reached for his hand and removed it from his cor.


    "Alpha Martin, just because I am your son does not give you the authority to control my private life. I will date whoever I want and break up as well."

 Chapter 65

    Alpha Martin stared at his hand, whichn had just removed from his cor.


    n, what''s wrong with you? Is this how you will speak and act with your father?" Carolina said, scolding him. "If my dad doesn''t know how to be a dad, forget about my manners then. I am not anyone''s ve."


    After saying that, he turned to face the staircase. He then made his way there.


    "You! Now you are going to talk over your dad? This is how raised you." Alpha Martin said it from behind. His eyes turned red with rage.


    Carolina held Martin''s hand.


    "Martin."


    Alpha Martin snatched his hand from his wife''s grip and kicked on the table close to the couch.


    "How dare he behave like that? Tell him that he is grounded for a week. I will stop everything that allows him to live a luxurious life. What does he think about himself? A bad boy who can do anything he wants? Is this how he ns to lead this pack?"


    "Ian, apologize to your dad right now," Carolina said, walking toward him.


    Jan turned around and looked at his parents. His father was ring at him, while his mother was pleading with her eyes.


    His gaze shifted to the broken table that his father had just kicked in anger.


    "If you think I obeyed you all these times because of your money, you are mistaken. I am the master of my own life. I obeyed you because you are my parents, and you have no other heir but me. Otherwise, I am not interested in living this disciplined life where I have to answer questions about whether I slept with a girl, give penalties for a car race, or listen toints about my lifestyle. This is who I am. Take it or leave it."


    When he closed the door, he took off his T-shirt and threw it on the floor, furious.


    He walked to the bed and copsed on it. His back pressed against the mattress, and he closed his eyes.


    He rubbed his forehead before opening his eyes.


    His gaze was fixated on the ceiling. He thought about only one person, and that was Ava."


    Before he discovered her as his mate, everything was okay. He did not even notice her like that. However, after rejecting her, she began affecting her.


    All of a sudden, He sat up. He was not feeling well today.


    Did he drink too much?


    He had a sudden urge to shift and go for a run. But he had just argued with Stephen at the party. How could he tell


    him and others to go for a run with him? They all liked to run together.


    The night passed and he did not go out of his house.


    65


    In the morning,


    While descending the stairs, he noticed Nova''s father heading in the dining room with his parents.


    Since he was the pack''s beta, he most of the time remained with his father and mother.


    n, good morning, son," Nova''s father said.


    "Ian, have breakfast with us," Carolina said.


    Beforen could say no to her, his father spoke out.


    "Why are you calling him? He should go and find food for himself."


    "Martin, you scolded him a lotst night. At least let him have breakfast."


    Martin did not reply and made his way to the dining room. Beta followed him after casting ast nce atn.


    "Man, you know what your dad wants. He wants you to be a good boy. Why don''t you just leave this carefree lifestyle and start being responsible? You are not a kid anymore. We thought about handing over the throne to you in a year. How will you handle everything like this? What about our pack? How will we live if our head Alpha lives like this?"


    n."


    His mother walked toward him and held his arm.


    "Your dad wants you to settle up with someone who will stand beside you, someone who can carry our pack with you. Since you haven''t found your mate, that means you need to get a chosen mate."


    "I don''t want to talk about this. I was clear to both of youst night."


    His mother sighed as she realized that no one could make this boy understand anything.


    "Then let''s go to have breakfast together."


    "No, thanks, mom. I am not hungry."


    He noticed his car was not outside. He understood that his father had instructed the guards to lock the car in the parking lot.


    When he nced a the guards, they bowed their heads, avoiding eye contact with him.


    He was considering taking a bus to get to the university, so he made his way to the bus stop which was far from his house.


    After getting there, he boarded a bus and sat next to the window.


    At each and every stop, arge number of passengers boarded the bus and exited it as well,


    65


    sudden, he noticed a girl at a stop.


    He sat up straight. He saw her get up to catch the bus.


    She stepped onto the bus and walked to the secondst seat. Ian''s eyes followed


    her, but she did not notice him.


    When she sat on the seat, he looked away from her.


    She was none other than Ava, his ex-mate who he decided to avoid.


    He murmured to himself with a confused expression,


    respon,


    "Gamma Harper has a number of cars. Why didn''t she take one to use? What is


    she doing on the bus?"

 Chapter 66

    66


    Just as he thought he should not care about her, he saw a boy looking in Ava''s direction.


    "David, are you going to sit or not?" Another boy beside the boy asked him.


    ''David?''n thought.


    He had heard the name somewhere before. He raised a brow as if he realized something. That boy and his friends were from his university.


    However,n wondered why those boys took a bus since every kid there was rich.


    He shrugged his shoulders and looked out the window. His ears perked up as he heard what David told his friends. "No, I am going to sit there," David replied.


    As the bus started moving, the David guy moved forward.


    But as soon as he took steps closer to the empty seat next to Ava, he felt a leg and almost tripped on the bus.


    "Uppss, you nearly fell on your nose. I am kind enough to let you sit here. I can take the seat you are aiming for anyway."


    David was stunned to see thatn Dawson was on the bus.


    n?" he murmured in shock.


    His friends immediatelyposed after hearing David and saw that he was right.n was there.


    "Shut up and sit down there."


    David gulped and hurriedly took the seat thatn had previously taken.


    "I believe you are in your sophomore year. I just want to tell you..."


    He paused for a moment, then turned his head to nce at Ava, who was looking outside the window. She was a little far from them, so she did not notice what was happening there.


    "Don''t try to get something you can''t afford,"n said, standing straight.


    David immediately lowered his head, thinking thatn would bully him. He wondered how he had offended this bad boy.


    When he sat beside her, she turned her head to look at him.


    Her calm face turned bitter almost immediately.


    "You!"


    66


    "What''s so surprising?" he asked.


    She shook her head and muttered,


    "I can''t just believe it. Even after telling you so muchst night, you came to sit beside me."


    His head twisted to face her face.


    "Excuse me? What do you think of yourself? I didn''te for you. Can you see the guy over there?" He pointed his finger at his previous seat, where David was sitting.


    Ava moved his head slightly to follow his finger. She then took a look at David.


    Her brows arched as if she were not pleased.


    "What is there?" she asked with an angry tone.


    "I gave my seat to David," he replied.


    Ava moved back and gave him a disapproving look. She parted her lips, as if to say something, but then turned her head to the window,pletely ignoring him.


    He was too arrogant to strike up a conversation. He could not figure out why he kept running into her.


    After a while, Ava nced at him. She quickly averted her gaze away from him.


    "Why are you here on the bus? You can go to the university with one of your dad''s cars. He has many, if you don''t know,"n said as he finally broke the silence.


    He let go of his ego and thought about talking to her. He could not forget what had happenedst night. Instead of her harsh words, he remembered the closeness between them.


    The way his hands roamed on her body, he could not forget the feeling of getting close to her.


    "It''s none of your business," she replied.


    He noticed he was not making eye contact with him anymore, as though she was avoiding his eyes.


    He smirked and leaned close to her ear.


    "Are you afraid of me?"


    She immediately got up from her seat.


    He was stunned. "Where are you going?" he asked.


    She gazed at him and replied,


    "I am not going to sit with you anymore."


    He also got up, blocking her way to get out of their seats.


    "But every seat is taken," he said.


    She nced around and realized that he was right.


    66


    "Leave," she said, pushing his chest to move him, and then she made her way to the door.


    He frowned and followed her. He saw her pressing the button to stop the bus.


    "I am getting down here," she said to the driver.


    The driver pulled over in a corner. She hurriedly paid and stepped off the bus.


    However, his card was blocked.


    "Fuck!"


    He groaned as he realized his father had already cut off his ess to everything.


    He noticed he had no cash in his wallet.


    "Please hurry up, buddy. The passengers are gettingte for their destinations," the driver said.


    His eyes roamed around in the bus, and he found David and his friends.


    "Hey, you. Come here," he said.


    One of them hurriedly came to him.


    "Yes?"


    "He will pay for me."


    After saying that, he got off the bus and rushed behind Ava.


    David and his friends were shocked.


    "Ian Dawson, the son of the future Alpha, is not only on a bus but also out of


    money!"


    They muttered to each other.


    It was really surprising to them. They nced atn through the window and saw


    that he was trailing behind Ava.


    They were confused as they nced at each other.


    The bus started again, blurring their sight as it moved ahead faster.


    On the other hand,


    "Ava, wait."

 Chapter 67

    67


    Ava listened ton''s voice, and her steps halted.


    She frowned when she realized that he was following her.


    But why?


    Last night, she was really upset with herself. But then she tried to handle herself, saying that she had warnedn enough.


    However, today she metn again. She would be lying if she said she was not surprised to seen on the bus.


    She had been riding buses for a long time, but she had never seenn, even though her route was a few stopster than his house.


    Today she wanted to take a bus, though her parents said to take one car with her. She just wanted to go back to her old life for a while, where no one knew her and she could live carelessly.


    But now, everyone was aware of her identity as the Gamma''s new daughter, and people liked to gossip about her a lot.


    "Why did you get off the bus?"


    She heardn again. She turned around and looked at him.


    "Are you following me?"


    He noticed her reaction and said,


    "Why so scared? I haven''t done anything to you yet," he muttered, smirking at her.


    Her brows lifted in shock. His words made her feel nervous. It reminded her of what he did to herst night.


    Just thinking about the way he got closer and kissed her neckst night, she felt a shiver in her body.


    "Stop following me," she said, turning back to him and walking to the direction she was going before.


    The reason she left the bus was because she did not want to be in the same bus with him.


    But it was a bad morning for her sincen Dawson had decided not to leave her side and kept bothering her.


    "Where are you heading?" he asked, walking beside her.


    Ava chose to ignore him. She had no interest in talking to him.


    After walking for a while, she found the bus stop close to her and went to sit on a bench.


    Whenn sat down beside him, she took a deep breath.


    She looked at him furiously and asked,


    "What do you want?"


    He folded his arms and replied,


    "I guess you are flying higher. Don''t think yourself superior just because you are now Stephen''s sister, okay?"


    He sounded a little bit angry, as if he were mad because she continuously ignored him and his words.


    67


    "Excuse me?"


    "No, you are not excused," he replied with a bored grin.


    Ava rolled her eyes in response.


    "Talking to this boy means talking to a wall. How can a boy be so sitameless? He has a girlfriend, so many flings, and now he hase after me," she said in a low tone to herself.


    However,


    He looked away from Ava and realized what he was doing. ''Why did I do that? I shouldn''t havee here,'' he thought.


    He was about to stand up when he heard Ava''s phone ringing.


    Ava took out her phone from the bag and saw it was Luke''s call.


    She hurriedly received the call.


    "Luke!"


    "Where are you, Ava?" Luke asked her the moment she ced the phone close to her ear.


    "I am waiting for the bus," she replied.


    "Bus? But why?"


    "I wanted to take a bus today. You know it has be my habitual fact.''


    Ava paid attention to Luke''s words as she kept talking to him.


    00


    What she had not noticed was how the boy next to her was looking at her.


    "I was wondering if we could go for coffee today," Luke asked.


    Ava thought for a moment before asking,


    "Go for coffee?"


    Ava heard the sound of something clicking. She turned her head to seen lighting a cigarette.


    She frowned at him. "What are you doing?"


    He took a long puff of the smoke and blew it out of his mouth while looking at her. But he did not reply to her.


    "I am waiting for you on campus. You know you arete today, right?" Luke''s voice reached her ear, bringing her attention back to him.


    Luke thought she was asking the question to him.


    "I will be there soon," Ava replied, coughing slightly because of the smoke.


    "Are you okay?" Luke asked with a worried tone.


    "Yeah, I am alright, Luke. See you on campus."


    After saying that, Ava cut the call and got up from the seat.


    67


    !


    She ignoredn and walked forward in order to get a cab since there was no sign


    of buses there.


    "You seem really close to that guy."


    She heardn''s voice. Now it was her turn to ignore him and his questions.


    Why would he want to know if she was close to anyone?


    She avoided looking at him and raised her hand to hail a cab


    However, a hand grasped her wrist and turned her around.


    Ava''s body pressed againstn''s chest, causing her to let out a gasp.


    "Stop roaming around with that Luke guy. I don''t like him.


    Ava was taken aback by his actions and his words. Her brow furrowed in puzzlement as to why he had said that to her. Her expression quickly changed to one of rage.


    "You are not going to tell me who I should roam around with."


    "Oh, really?"


    "Yeah. You are no one to tell me what I should do," Ava said, pushing him away.


    But he drew her close to him again. "Who am I to you? I am your future Alpha, dear. You are living in my pack."


    Her lips parted as she saw how he was smirking at her. She gritted her teeth and muttered,


    "Then, before you be the head of Alpha, I will leave this pack. But I will not let you ruin my life, even though you have already done enough."


    The curve of his lips deepened as he tilted his head. She shut her eyes tightly when his face moved closer.


    His nose brushed her ear, and he muttered,

 Chapter 68

    68


    Ava''s eyes flung open, and she pushedn hard on his chest


    "What''s wrong with you? Why can''t you just let me live?" she asked with a disbelieving look.


    cigarette, which he was still hold his fingers.


    "You called me dirtyst night. How can I let you go so easily, nerd?"


    "Stop calling me a nerd. You are worse than those bullies," she mumbled, her eyes stinging with tears.


    But she was not going to let this boy


    her tears. She would not let him make fun of her emotions again.


    "You can change your appearance. But for me, you are still that nerd I rejected."


    She closed her eyes and turned around. She did not want to be with him for a single moment. She tried to muster some courage against him, but he was a cruel boy who only knew how to make her feel bad.


    She still did not know what he wanted from her.


    She had only one option, which was to talk with her brother


    She dialed Stephen''s number while walking ahead, leaving fan behind.


    Stephen did not receive her call. Sho


    assumed that he was attending a ss, which was why he could not receive it. With disappointment in her face, she took a deep breath.


    She noticed a bus wasing on her way. She realized she had walked a little away from the bus stop. She decided to take it, but then she took a step back when she thought fan would also board the bus.


    So she hailed a cab and hurried to the university.


    When she arrived at her university, she noticed that everyone was talking aboutn Dawson.


    There was some news spread thatn was out of money. Everyone assumed that his father was angry at him, so he cut off all of his expenses.


    It did not bother Ava. What bothered her


    Wa


    the second news.


    There were some pictures ofn and her sitting on the bus next to each other. They looked really close in those pictures. The other pictures were from the street wheren was following her after getting down from the bus.


    "What nonsense! Is this even news?" Ava murmured, shaking her head. Ava murmured, shaking her head.


    She saw the news the moment she entered the campus. They were all over the timeline of the university''s group profile.


    "Ava!"


    She paused walking when she heard Abigail''s voice. Before she could turn, she was immediately hugged by Abigail.


    "What happened, Ava? Why isn following you? You didn''t say anythingst night, either. I had seen himing out of the room. But when I asked, you said nothing."


    Ava broke the hug and exhaled. She nced around before holding Abigail''s hand.


    68


    "Let''s go," she said, leading her to somewhere to talk.


    As usual, they sat in the cafeteria.


    When Ava told her


    that had happened in the dark room, Abigail appeared to be angry.


    "How dare he! It''s an assault. How


    can he touch you without your permission?"


    Ava was about to agree with her but paused. She recalledn''s wordsst night. He imed she could not resist his closeness. She remembered the moans and how she almost lost herself in the sensation of his lips kissing her neck.


    "He is a bastard! It''s be his habit to sleep with a new girl every night. How cheap! You should have pped him."


    Abigail''s angry voice pulled Ava back from her thoughts. She wanted to shrug everything off her mind.


    "I want to forget that boy. I just want him to stay away from me, Abi. Please do something," Ava said to Abigail desperately.


    Abigail was about to say something, but another voice interrupted them.


    "Hey guys, what are you talking about? It seems serious."


    They turned their heads and saw Luke close to the table. He walked toward them and took the seat next to Ava.


    Abigail raised her brows as if something hade to mind.


    "She is worrying about the bad boy in our pack. Have you got anything on your mind, Luke?"


    Hearing aboutn, Luke''s face became gloomy. Ava pinched the edge of her brow in frustration.


    "I saw the posts. Why was he with you, Ava?" he asked her.


    Ava nced at him and replied,


    "I don''t know. Nowadays, he is disturbing me a lot. I want to get rid of him. I am tired of telling him that. I don''t know why he is picking on me again and again."


    Luke put his hand over hers and gently rubbed the back of her hand.


    Abigail nced at their hands. A smirk appeared on her lips as she said,


    "I think it''s time for my bestie to get a boyfriend."


    Ava did not respond to Abigail, as she thought she was just kidding.


    But Luke gazed at Abigail, who winked at him. Luke immediately looked away


    from Abigail and returned his gaze to Ava.


    His eyes were filled with adoration as he looked at her. He looked at his hand and held her hand with both of his hands.


    Ava slowly lifted her gaze to look at him.


    "I think Abigail is not wrong. You should give it a shot. Who knows, there is someone who really wants to protect you."


    Ava stared at Luke. For the first time in years, she noticed a change in his gaze toward her.


    She bit her bottom lip and nced away when she realized he was talking about himself.


    68


    Just as she was about to speak to him, the entire cafeteria fell silent.


    Ava turned her head to see what was making the others so quiet.


    But the moment she turned her head, she froze.


    But what caught her attention was that he was staring at Luke''s hand, which was holding hers.

 Chapter 69

    69


    Tan began to walk toward the table where Ava and his friends were sitting.


    Ava gulped at his furious look. She tried to break free of Luke''s hand, thinking thatn would do something to Luke since he had warned her at the bus stop about Luke.


    But Luke tightened his grip on her hand. She look not feel afraid of anyone.


    at Luke, and Luke shook his head, indicating that she should


    She was ready to yell atn when she assumed he would stop at their table. But before that, he walked past their table and stopped at the table behind them. Ava turned her head and saw Paul and Cyrus joiningn to stand close to the table.


    "In"


    One of the boys seated on the table spoke out with fear in his voice.


    Ava gasped in shock. The people at the other tables rose up from their chairs and began to gather around the table.


    "It''s showtime. Come on."


    Ava heard other girls'' whispers. She frowned when she thought about how cheap


    it was for people to think fighting was a show.


    The boy tried to stand up, butn kicked his leg. The boy groaned in pain.


    "Look how hotn is! The real bad boy!"


    "Did you see how his tattooed muscles moved when he punched the boy? I just love it!"


    "Stop it, guys. He is currently with Nova."


    "But where is she? Today she didn''t show up on campus."


    "I sawn dragging her out of the party. I think she had a rough night with him.¡±


    The girls chuckled as they kept whispering aboutn.


    Ava felt disgusted. These upper-ss people and their spoiled kids werepletely out of her mind.


    "P-Please let me go. I didn''t do anything."


    The boy''s begging voice echoed through the whole cafeteria


    Ava''s eyes widened in shock. She hurriedly stood up as Luke and Abigail also got up from their chairs.


    Ava moved forward and noticedn''s ferocious expression.


    ''How can he beat a guy like that? Just because he is the son of the head Alpha, he can''t just do anything he wants,'' she thought.


    "I have run out of money. My dad is punishing me. I am broke, huh?"n muttered and kicked him again.


    Ava covered her mouth when she saw more blooding out of the boy''s mouth.


    She nced around and saw that no one wasing for help for the boy, not even his friends who were sitting with him at the table a while ago. They left their friend in danger and just flew away from the fight.


    No one had the guts to go againstn and stop him. She was surprised that even Luke was not moving.


    "Why don''t you stop him? He is beating a boy mercilessly.


    Luke grabbed Ava''s hand and said,


    "Let''s go from here. It''s not our fight. I don''t want him toe for you again."


    Ava was stunned. "But the boy-"


    "Ava, listen to me. He isn Dawson. He beats people like that, and there is no one who can stop him. Unfortunately, he has the authority. We can''t interrupt him unless it''s about us."


    "He is right, Ava," Abigail mumbled.


    Ava pulled her hand away from Luke''s grip. "What are you saying, Luke? I can not watch other people get beaten in front of me like that. I came for you too, remember?"


    Luke froze when he heard her. "But I thought it was me, that''s why you..."


    "Luke, please let me go," Ava said to Luke as she walked towardn. Cyrus and Paul stopped her.


    "Ava, you should not havee here. Go back to your ss. It''s not your brother''s fight," Cyrus said to her.


    She shook her head as she nced atn and the boy.


    "Why did you post those things to our group? What to show? Thatn Dawson


    has lost his authority?"


    "I-I am sorry, In. Please forgive me."


    "Forgive?"


    "Didn''t you spread to the entire university that I am out of money and my father has cut off everything? Now I will show how I will make him use his money for my actions."


    The boy was scared by his words.


    "What if I send you to the pack hospital for a week? I will give you an expensive treatment that wi...equire more time to recover. How about it?" He asked with a smirk.


    Ava was staring at an. She tightened her fists as she felt he was the ruthless boy


    in the world. He was proving it to her again and again.


    n, I apologize."


    The boy copsed onto the table, nearly unconscious.


    69


    "Leave this boy," she said, pushingn.


    Everyone gasped in shock.


    "You are a ruthless man. Why are you beating this boy? Just because of some posts? Your posts are everywhere, uploaded daily with new girls at club parties. That time, you never had a problem. Now that you saw he was a weak boy, you came to demonstrate your dominance over a weak person."


    Everyone stared at Ava. No one had the audacity to talk ton like that. She did thatst time as well, when she came to save Luke. But she went overboard this time.


    She assumed he was only talking about how she spoke to him. But then she noticed his gaze shift toward Luke. "Go and hang out with your friend. Don''t get between me and my prey, nerd."


    70


    Ava looked into his indignant eyes. She could not understand him. She started to


    feel that she should never have fallen for this boy before their rejection.


    Her secret crush on him broke her heart. She felt mad at herself for feeling something for this type of guy in the past.


    She was afraid of what would happen when he became the head Alpha. He would


    be the most unfair leader in their pack. Their pack was not safe in his hands.


    was about to hit his head against the table when Ava grabbed his wrist.


    "Please don''t!"


    Ava said it in a shaky voice, She feared that the boy would die.


    "Go and hold his hand, not mine," he said, yanking his hand away.


    Ava nearly lost her bnce due to it.


    However, a pair of arms held her from falling. She raised her head and saw that it


    was Luke.


    He helped her to stand up and pushed her behind him. Abigail rushed to Ava and hugged her. "Are you okay, Ava?"


    "I''m fine," Ava replied, then nced atn.


    Luke gaven a stern look.


    "Ian, I don''t care about your fights. That boy spread rumors about you, but the


    way you handled it was the cruelest way to do it. But you can''t hurt Ava like that. I won''t take it


    When Ava heard what Luke had said, she was stunned. She realized that he was not a coward when he refused to help the boy a few minutes ago. He denied it because he wanted to ignoren entirely. However, when it came to her, he came to defend her.


    She felt warmth in her heart. He did the same for her after the rejection. He tried to help her a lot of the time.


    to defend?"


    Luke''s fists tightened. "Stay away from her."


    Everyone was watching them with shocked faces. A few of them even recorded videos, expecting that they would fight likest time time


    Looking away from her, he returned his attention to Luke and muttered in a low


    tone,


    "Running after something that does not belong to you is only foolishness. The sooner you get it in your head, the


    7

 Chapter 70

    70


    sooner you will be safe from the danger that awaits you."


    Everyone was bewildered by his warning. They had no idea which belonging fan was referring to.


    "Is Luke interested in somethingn owns?"


    People began to whisper.


    Luke red atn and said,


    "I respect our head Alpha, and you are his son. That is why do not want to cause you any future problems. Don''t make me do anything that will have a negative impact on your lifestyle."


    "I''m so scared. Please don''t go andin to my dad. I am very scared of him. He is not my father but my boss, who will punish me to the death.¡±


    Everyone turned silent while staring atn.


    They seemed insane to Ava. They could never be serious.


    So she lifted her hand and took hold of Luke''s arm.


    "Luke, please, let''s go from here," Ava mumbled.


    Luke did not move as he stared atn, looking angry.


    "Yes, Ava is right. Let''s go from here, Luke."


    Abigail also began to pull Luke from behind.


    Luke looked away fromn and walked out of the cafeteria with them.


    Cyrus looked at the crowd and said


    "Leave us. There is nothing more to entrain you."


    Everyone hurried back to their tables, thinking that they could not offend the Power Gang.


    "Why didn react like that? He needs to calm down. It was not the first time his dad grounded him, and it spread to the whole campus. I think the problem is something else" Cryrus said to Paul.


    "He told me to delete that boy''s post, which was totally based on Ava," Paul replied.


    "Wait, there was another post based on Ava?" Cyrus asked in confusion.


    Paul nodded at him and pulled out his phone. "Look at this. I hacked that guy''s ID and deleted this tweet."


    Cyrus grabbed the phone and looked at the deleted post, which Paul had screenshotted as proof in casen needed it after beating that boy.


    Cyrus started to read the post.


    "Ava is a slut who wants our future head Alpha! She wants him to break his sweet rtionship with his girlfriend. Not only that, she tried to seduce himst night so she could have sex with him and then ckmail him with it.


    70


    This girl is not a pure ethical girl, but a whore. Spread this to everyone you meet and make them aware of it."


    His brows raised after reading it. "Stephen would have killed that guy today ifn had not beaten him." Paul signaled him towardn, who was sitting on the chair while looking outside the ss window. Cyrus followedn''s gaze outside, where he found Ava talking to Luke. Ian''s cold eyes were fixed on them.


    Cyrus let out a deep breath and said,


    "It looks like he was not mad at the boy for humiliating him, but mad at him for the humiliations that the boy wanted to create for Ava. But why? Why does he care about a girl whom he has rejected as his mate?"

 Chapter 71

    71


    It must be a date! Oh, how foolish you are! Yes, it''s obviously a date, Ava," Debra said to Ava.


    Abigail nodded her head in agreement.


    After attending their sses, the three friends were walking on campus.


    "I am not a fool. I also thought the same. But he was casual and said that he just wanted to talk to me, so..."


    Ava paused, mumbling, as she reflected on what Luke had said to her.


    He said he wanted to take her to a coffee shop. He had something in his mind that


    he wanted to discuss. They were such good friends, that she did not take it that way.


    "Trust me. Luke likes you. I have seen it in his eyes," Abigail said.


    "Me too," Debra added.


    Ava was stunned. She had never seen Luke that way before. He was her friend-a very good friend. She had never thought of him more than that.


    "I-I."


    Ava''s lips halted as she nced atn, who was walking out of a building where the head office was. The dean may have summoned him for what he did to the boy this morning.


    Abigail and Debra followed her gaze. They shook their heads and exchanged nces.


    They took a few deep breaths and decided to bring their old friend back.


    Abigail held Ava''s hand, trying to pull her attention back to them.


    Ava removed her angry gaze fromn and looked at Abigail.


    "Babe, you need to move on seriously. You can''t just look at him and remember about your past all the time. He is an asshole. He will never let you be happy if you remain single. So give someone a chance who genuinely cares about you."


    Debra grabbed her other hand and joined Abigail in persuading her.


    "Listen, Ava. Life is too short to think about losers. Just get a new man and move on."


    Ava did not like Luke more than a friend. But she knew Luke would always treat her with respect. He would never bully her, or allow others to do so. He was not a bad boy liken, but a good boy who really cared for her.


    Should she take things slowly with Luke and give him a chance? By doing so, she would allow herself to live her


    life once more.


    "Okay. Let''s see what he wants to talk about," Ava murmured.


    Abigail''s and Debra''s eyes widened, and the next moment, smiles appeared on their faces.


    "Yes! That''s my girl!" Debra cheered with happiness.


    Abigail embraced Ava. She patted her head and said,


    put pressure on your head, okay? Just try. I believe you deserve a man like Luke. Your life will be full of love and happiness."


    ''Don''t


    71


    Ava smiled at her friends, who looked happier than ever.


    The whole day, Ava did not get to see Stephen. He did not call her back, either.


    Ava started to feel worried about Stephen. She was certain that he was not at the university.


    Then, where was he?


    When she returned home in the afternoon, she discovered the house was empty. Her mother had not returned yet, and Gamma Harper was alwayste.


    When it was evening, Ava got ready to go out with Luke, as he had promised him. She was dressed in a white top and a brown skirt that ended at her mid-thigh. She put on white sneakers with it. She styled her hair into a high ponytail.


    As she descended the stairs, she noticed that the main gate had opened. Stephen had entered the house.


    Behind him were his friends. She paused her steps.


    Stephen looked at her outfit and asked,


    "Ava, are you going somewhere?"


    Ava shifted her gaze ton, who had just entered the house. His eyes were on her, moving slowly to her dress up.


    She returned her gaze to Stephen before taking a step down to the floor. She approached Stephen and grabbed his hand, dragging him to a corner.


    She nced atn and asked Stephen,


    "Bro, what is he doing here?"


    After ncing atn, Stephen let out a deep breath. "Ava, he is my friend. It is not just him. My other friends are also here."


    Ava let out a sigh as she saw Paul, Ronald, and Cyrus. But her brow furrowed as she noticedn casually approaching the couch and sitting on it as if it were his home.


    Stephen got her thoughts and said,


    "Actually, my house is one of the ces where they alwayse to hang out. My father gave me permission years ago for it. But it is also your house. So you can call your friends here anytime, you know."


    Ava shook her head. "I don''t have any problem with your other friends, but only with him." Stephen raised a brow and asked, "I wanted to ask why you went inton''s fight, Ava?" Ava looked at him and replied, "Steph, he was beating someone."


    "So?"


    Her eyes grewrger. Her eyes moved to the tattoos that almost reached Stephen''s neck. She looked away.


    Her brother was one of them; how could she possibly forget that?


    Putting his hand on her head, Stephen uttered,


    "That boy deserved to be beaten. But you don''t need to think about it. I request


    that you please don''te betweenn''s or any of our fights next time."


    71


    Ava removed his hand from her head because she did not like what he was


    saying,


    "Why didn''t you receive my calls?"


    "I am sorry. My phone was in silent mode."


    Ava nodded in response. "It''s okay.


    Her phone started to ring. She saw that it was Luke. She received the call.


    "Ava, I am outside your new house."


    "Did you reserve any tables in the coffee shop?"


    "No."


    "Thene inside my house. "Let me show you around," she offered.


    "Are you sure?"


    Ava looked at her brother and said, "Yeah, my brother said I could call my friends


    at my house, too. So why don''t youe inside and have coffee at my house?"


    "Not a bad idea."


    When Luke hung up, Ava gave Stephen a smile.


    "My friend ising."


    Stephen gave her a nod. "Who? Abigail or Debra?"


    "Luke."


    He was not expecting this. She cleared her throat and patted his shoulder.


    "I know there is a rivalry between ck Diamond and Red mor, but he is my friend. So.."


    "Yeah, sure. I have no problem." Stephen replied immediately.


    Ava walked past him when she noticed Luke had just entered the house.


    With a broad grin, she made her way to the main door.


    But her steps came to a halt when she heardn''s deep voice from behind. "What on earth is he doing in your home, Steph?"

 Chapter 72

    72


    Ava rolled her eyes and walked up to Luke. She heard Stephen reply ton,


    "He is Ava''s friend. So, he is here for her."


    Luke cast a quick nce at Stephen and his friends. His eyes stopped onn.. "Luke, hi," Ava said with a smile.


    Luke turned his gaze away fromn and toward Ava. He appeared to be amazed by Ava''s appearance.


    "Hi, you are ready to go out. Why don''t we actually go out?


    Ava could see that he was hesitant to enter the house. He was not on good terms with Stephen, either.


    Ava frowned as she grabbed his arm and said,


    "That is what I thought, too. But then I changed my mind. Why not let me show you around? I have a small library there. We can enjoy our coffee while sitting there."


    With a gesture, she indicated upstairs. Luke turned his head to look upstairs.


    Indeed, there was a beautiful small library set up. Two single couches with a small table were there for the people who wanted to enjoy reading books. There were small tree nts, which created a vibrant environment.


    His gaze moved from there and shifted ton. Luke noticedn''s brows arched. He was looking directly at him. There was some kind of warning he could see through that dark pair of eyes.


    Luke scoffed atn before patting Ava''s hand. "You are right. We should have our coffee here at your house. I just want to spend some time with you anyway. So who cares if it is in a coffee shop or at your house?"


    Ava nodded and drew him to the staircase.


    "Ava"


    She stopped walking when she heard a voice. She turned her head to look at Stephen''s friend.


    It was Ronald who called her out.


    "Yes?" she said.


    "Why don''t you and your friend spend some time with us?" Ronald said it with a smirk.


    "No, thank-"


    "Yeah, Luke replied, interrupting her.


    Ava looked at Luke with shocked eyes. He moved his head toward her. He tilted


    his head to get close to her ear and whispered,


    "It''s okay. I am not scared of them. You think I am a coward aren''t you?"


    She immediately shook her head. "No. I did not mean it this morning."


    He smiled at her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Calm down, cutie. I didn''t mind."


    She flushed when he called her ''cutie''. She cast a nce at the hand that was wrapped around her.


    Even yesterday, she could not think of anything. But after her friends told her that Luke liked her, she started to feel that way about his behavior. It was like she had been ignoring his signals all these times.


    72


    While they were looking at each other, a person in front of them did not look good at all.


    His eyes grew cold as he stared at them. His blood was boiling for some reason he did not understand.


    "What happened,n? Are you not fine with them sitting here?" Ronald muttered in a low tone.


    "You don''t look good. What''s wrong? Feeling something strange inside?" Ronald asked, ncing atn''s chest. Ian shot him a cold look and said, "No chance."


    Ronald nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah. Then stop making this dull face. Let us enjoy Stephen''s sister''spany. Can''t you see how beautiful she is? Or is her beauty too much for you to see?"


    Ava and Luke approached a couch and sat down. Stephen gazed at Luke. "How long have you known her?"


    Luke parted his lips as he hoticed Stephen acting like a possessive older brother.


    Ava cleared her throat, and responded, "Steph, we have been friends for quite some time. We used to meet in the library, right, Luke?"


    Luke chuckled, as if memories had flooded his mind.


    Yeah. She was a very attentive girl. I still remember when she first bumped into me. She apologized to me three times, and when I said it was okay, she said she would pay for me because she spilled coffee on my shirt."


    Ava was surprised. "You remember?"


    "Yeah. How can I forget our first meeting?"


    Memorizing the day as well, Ava grinned at him. After all, he was the only boy who became her friend, whereas others enjoyed bullying her.


    Ava heard a sneering from the other side. She turned her head to look atn, whom she had been ignoring the entire time.


    "It looks like she likes to bump into boys a lot."


    the day when she ran inton


    outside the basketball court.


    "What do you mean?" Luke asked.


    "I mean, perhaps she intentionally-"


    Luke cut him off and said,


    "She is not like other girls."


    Ava turned her gaze to Luke. His words gave her heart warmth. There was someone who always defended her at any moment and in any situation. "Oh, really?"n asked in a mocking tone.


    n"


    72


    Stephen''s voice rang out as a warning. He did not want to hear anything negative about his sister.


    Tan sighed as he looked at Stephan. ¡°Okay, I am not saying anything.


    11


    But Luke wanted to telln what was on his mind. So he grabbed Ava''s hand in his hand and told Stephen, "She is very special to me. I know her. If she says she


    is not interested in someone, that means she wants to stay away from them. You


    are her brother now. I hope you will carry out your responsibility and always protect her."


    "I am aware of my responsibility. You don''t need to remind one," Stephen retorted back.


    Luke answered, "That is great.


    After ncing at Luke''s hand, Ava uttered,


    "I don''t need anyone''s protection. I was also fine earlier. It''s just that I never


    wanted to grab others'' attention, which I am getting right now a lot."


    After saying that, she nced atn, who was staring at her


    As if he were warning her, he said,


    "The truth is that whoever''s name is linked ton Dawson for once, gets attention from all sides. Well, positive or negative? It is up to their actions to decide what kind of attention they will get."

 Chapter 73

    73


    Ava rose up from the couch. Luke looked up at her.


    "Let''s go upstairs."


    After giving her a slight nod, he got up from the couch. Even though he was eager to respond ton, he was concerned that Ava was not feeling well around him.


    While Luke was making his way toward the staircase, he asked,


    "You will have to see his face if hees here often?"


    Ava simply shrugged her shoulders. "I don''t care. He is invisible to me."


    Ava took Luke to the library, which was located on the upper floor. They sat on the couches in a rxed manner after Luke had grabbed some books.


    "Wow. "Tales from the Past of Mystic Falls''. You have this book!" Luke said it with an amazed tone.


    She grinned at him. "Yeah, Dad organized all of the book collections for me."


    Luke turned his head to look at her and asked, "Ava, how is your life going here? Is everyone treating you well?"


    Ava thought about the love Gamma Harper and Stephen were giving her.


    "I am very happy, Luke. I am living my life to the fullest. It''s just my past that never wants to leave me."


    After saying that, Ava nced downstairs. She was surprised to see thatn was looking in their direction from downstairs. One of his friends was smoking while the rest of his friends were engaged in conversation. On the other hand, his gaze was fixed on her.


    Ava averted her gaze from him and exhaled deeply as she did so. "I ampletely clueless about what is going on in my life, Luke. I am just-"


    Luke interrupted her and said,


    "There is something I wanted to tell you, Ava. That is why I wanted to take you somewhere where we could be alone. But it''s okay. The ce doesn''t matter anymore."


    Ava felt nervous, as she was already aware of what he was going to talk about.


    She bit her bottom lip and lowered her head while listening to him. "Ava, I-"


    She got to her feet and uttered,


    "I am going to ask the maids to prepare some coffee for us."


    Luke was dumbfounded. However, he was able to regain hisposure when he observed that her cheeks had be red.


    There was a grin on his face as he murmured,


    "Yeah, sure."


    As Ava made her way downstairs, she ignored Stephen and his friends, who cast a nce in her direction.


    She went to the corner where the kitchen was located in order to give the maids instructions to prepare two cups


    73


    of coffee.


    She noticed there were no aids. She was confused about where the maids were.


    She turned around to call the maids, but she let out a loud gasp when she sawn at the kitchen door.


    "What are you doing here?" she asked.


    He took a step forward, causing her to back away.


    "What is causing you to stutter? You did not talk in front of me like this when your special friend was with you," he said, approaching her.


    She turned around and moved to the counter. She calmed herself down and took a deep breath.


    She decided to prepare coffee for Luke herself. It was not like she did not know to do that. She did not need any maids.


    "Look, I am really busy right now. Stop bothering me," she said without stammering


    She was about to reach for the coffee mugs but her hands froze when she felt him behind her.


    Leaning down to her ear, he set his hands on the counter next to hers.


    "I am wondering if you are taking me too lightly. You don''t care about my warning, do you?"


    His cold voice, mixed with warm breath, touched her ear. She closed her eyes tightly and took a shaky breath.


    The sensation that she had experiencedst night was brought back to her mind by it. She recalled the kisses that he had ced on her neck.


    She immediately opened her eyes and turned around.


    However, as soon as she turned, her body brushed against his.


    She looked at his face. His eyes were on hers until they shifted lower on her top.


    She gulped at his gaze. His eyes darkened as his gaze returned to her face. "This dress-up, hairstyle, you put in all this effort for him, right?"


    She lowered her head, trying to move away from him. But he was caging her between his hands from both sides.


    "Where are you escaping? Do you really think you can escape from me?"


    His every word was making her nervous. She wanted to push him, but as if her body did not want it, she felt frozen in her spot.


    "What makes you so afraid of me? Do you really think that will kill you?"


    She felt her heart skip a beat when she heard his soft tone.


    She opened her eyes, as she could not believe her ears.


    She looked into his eyes. They were still dark, just as the moonlight was hidden in the darkness.


    "If you get close to him, I will take the matter very seriously."


    Ava slowly grabbed his wrist and tried to remove it from her chin. But he was like


    a stone. She could not move him


    away.


    73


    "Why? Why do you care if I stay closer to him or anyone else? What is it to you? Do you really think of him as your enemy? Even if he is your enemy, that has nothing to do with me."


    Jan leaned closer to her, which took her breath away. He closed his eyes and brushed his nose against her cheek


    "I don''t know why, but whenever I see him touching you, something inside me fumes."


    She blinks her eyes after hearing him. She turned her head to look into his eyes, which caused her nose to brush against his. He nced at her lips.


    She parted her lips and asked,


    "I-I am asking you again,n. What do you want?"


    After a moment of staring at her soft lips, he replied in a low tone that shocked her


    from the inside.


    "You. I guess I want you."

 Chapter 74

    74


    Her lips were trembling as her heart started to beat faster. She stared at the person who she had fallen for before even knowing that he was her mate. Though she believed that she had lost her feelings for him after the rejection, she realized that something was still there to fade away.


    She let out a whisper.


    "W-What?"


    But then he backed away and burst outughing. 2


    Ava was caught off guard by hisugh.


    She realized how foolish she was to believe this boy, even for a moment.


    "Just look at your face! You really think I want you, don''t you?"


    She tightened her fists as she felt like crying. But she did not cry. Instead of showing her tears, she showed him her anger.


    "A boy like you can never be with one girl. So keepughing at your own joke."


    She tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him. "Ian Dawson, just leave me."


    She tried to push him. He wrapped his hands around her waist and tightened his grip.


    "Your tongue is running really well these days. I have seen so many girls running them, but in the right ce, you know."


    She felt disgusted when she understood his meaning.


    "I just hate you,n."


    "It''s okay. Everyone hates me. What''s new? Even my parents don''t like me much."


    She frowned at him. She recalled that when she went to the pack house, she noticed his father scolding him for a few things.


    "If they have such a son like you, what else can they do but only hate him?" She mocked him.


    As soon as she said that, his eyes turned colder, and he released her.


    "I am afraid that you will ruin Stephen''s life. I can''t even tell him to stay away from you. But as soon as he gets it in his head how bad hispanies are, it will be better for him. You are the worst person in that group, capable of turning them into sinners."


    Ava nced at the counter and mumbled,


    "I wanted to make coffee for Luke, but it appears that I am no longer able to do so. You ruined our coffee date.


    74


    Congrattions."


    "Date?" he asked, furrowing his brows.


    Ava ignored his question and made her way to the door in a gloomy mood.


    When she walked out of the kitchen, she saw Ronald leaning against the wall while smoking.


    He grinned at him. She ignored him and went upstairs.


    Ronald nced at the kitchen door. After a while, he heard noise.


    He shook his head and went into the kitchen, only to discover the knife and a few utensils scattered on the floor.


    He raised his head and sawn''s angry expression.


    "Why did you pretend tough? You faked it. You could have stuck to the truth."


    Hearing Ronald,n looked at him.


    "Ronald Rce, stop spying on me."


    "Spying?" Ronald said, scoring at him.


    Rnd responded with a chuckle. "You are my best friend. I should keep an eye on you, shouldn''t I?"


    "You need to listen to your heart. Are you afraid of what you are feeling? Be honest,n. Stop ignoring your heart."


    Ronald held his shoulders and said,


    "I know you have ruined everything. But you aren Dawson. Nothing can slip through your fingers if you want to keep it. Just follow your heart and ept what you want. Don''t push yourself. You quit sleeping with girls, which was nearly impossible for you. You broke up with your so-called girlfriend, whom you believed was ideal for Luna''s position. For whom? Ask your heart. You will get your answer."


    "Where is your sister?" he questioned Stephen.


    "She has just left with Luke."


    Han red at Stephen. "You should watch out for where she is going and with whom. You said you cared about her, but is this how you are doing it? Didn''t you see how that Luke guy was looking at her?"


    Everyone was astounded byn''s words. Ronald walked into the living room. He had also heardn.


    Stephen moved towardn and said,


    "I am not going to stop her from living her life. I think she likes him as well. We


    witnessed it when you beat that boy on our campus. She cried as if she had been


    in love with him for a long time and that he was very close to her."


    Stephen''s words ignited a fire withinn.


    74


    ?


    "I won''t let her be with that boy."


    No one looked surprised. They had already figured out whatn wanted.


    Stephen let out a stressful sigh.


    "Look,n. I know she is your ex-mate. But you can''t control her life. You are my friend; that''s why I am talking to you calmly. You need to stop bothering her and let her live her life. You have rejected her. Now, please don''t ruin her life. It was never her fault."


    "Do you think I will ruin her life?"n asked with a disappointed look. Stephen noticed his look, but he replied,


    "You have been with different girls. You never cared about any girl''s emotions. How can you suddenly understand Ava''s emotions? She was broken by you once. Now someone else wants to take care of her. She will without a doubt ept him as her boyfriend. So I don''t want any prob?<pn cut him off and asked a question, which shocked everyone except Ronald. "What if I tell you that I regret rejecting her?"

 Chapter 75

    75


    Inside the car, there was a silence that yearned to be broken But by looking at Ava''s face, Luke thought he should keep driving without asking her anything.


    After a long drive, he pulled over the car to a coffee shop.


    Ava opened the door without saying anything and got out of the car.


    Luke stepped down from the car and followed Ava inside the coffee shop.


    He had been observing her sullen mood for a while. When they were in her house, he was waiting for her to have a conversation. But when she returned, she was empty-handed and asked him to go to the coffee shop he had previously


    decided on.


    From then on, she remained silent and looked angry.


    Luke pulled out a chair for her. She looked at him. There was a sudden


    amazement in her eyes. But then it immediately faded.


    "Thank you," Ava said and sat down on the chair.


    Luke took a seat across from her and asked,


    "Ava, what''s wrong? You look mad. Have I done anything wrong?"


    Ava shook her head and replied almost immediately,


    "No, no. Did I make you feel like that? I am so sorry, Luke."


    He smiled as he noticed her mood returning to normal.


    "Rx, Ava. I was just asking. You didn''t make me feel like that."


    Ava let out a sigh and leaned her back against her chair.


    She was not mad at Luke but atn.


    She was mad at herself too. How could she almost believe the things he had said


    to her? And why did she think that was even possible?


    ''Even if what he said was true, I should ignore him. I will never forgive him. I


    should not. What he did to me was brutal,'' she thought.


    "You are lost again," Luke said, staring at her.


    She tried to pay attention to Luke. "Listen, Luke. I am just mad atn. Nothing else."


    Luke''s brows lifted as he looked perplexed. n?"


    "Yeah, He..."


    She thought she should not tell him whatn had said to her. She did not need to.


    She disregarded bothn''s warning and his continued mockery of her. She focused on Luke.


    "Forget it, Luke. Tell me. You wanted to say something."


    Luke''s face turned calm as he grinned at her. "Since you are mad today. Let''s talk about it tomorrow."


    She shook her head. "I am not mad. At least not to you."


    75


    Luke''s grin broadened. ¡°By the way, you don''t look good in anger. I like your smiley face. Always try to smile."


    His words caused Ava to pause. She blinked her eyes. Her cheeks were getting hot.


    She chuckled while nodding her head. She patted her cheeks and mumbled,


    "Let''s order some coffee."


    "Yeah."


    Luke called a waiter and ordered two cups of cappino for them.


    Luke asked how her study was going and if she had any problems with any subjects. She said she would try to study hard to get good marks for this semester.


    Luke seemed to be twisting the conversation and turning it into something personal.


    "You know everything about me, Ava. I want someone who will be loyal to me. How about you?"


    Ava paused, sipping coffee as she nced at him. She cleared her throat and ced the cup on the table.


    "Me?" she asked with a shy smile.


    "Yes. Who is your dreamy boy? What kind of boy do you like?"


    Ava''s smile faded. She lowered her head, looking at the coffee.


    She moved her finger on the cup and mumbled,


    "Dreamy boy? I used to have a crush on someone," she said, thinking about the person she was in love with.


    Luke froze as if he did not expect Ava to be in love with someone. Gazing at her, he allowed her to speak.


    "I thought it was just a crush. But when I got closer to him, I realized it was love. I could not just stop myself from thinking about him. I tried to forget him but could not stop my heart."


    She closed her eyes as she took a long pause. She recalledn''s closeness in the kitchen.


    Her eyes flung open as she realized that she was thinking about him again. She slowly looked at Luke, who looked serious.


    "Luke, I-"


    Luke interrupted her and asked,


    "Is he Jan?"


    Her eyes widened. Was she too obvious?


    She looked away from him.


    She felt a hand reaching out for hers. Luke held her hands and said,


    "Ava looked at me."


    She returned her gaze at him. He took a deep breath and said,


    "Listen, you are talking about your past. I know you don''t love him anymore, not after the rejection."


    There was no doubt that she did not love him anymore. In fact, she believed that she hated him from the core of


    her heart.


    "Yes, I don''t love him anymore. I have hated him from the day he rejected me as


    his mate. It is not just the rejection; it is also how he treated and insulted me after discovering I was his mate."


    Luke exhaled and nodded his head. "I trust you."


    Ava averted her gaze away from him when she saw him looking at their hands.


    She nced at their hands. He rubbed her hand gently and muttered,


    "He is a bad boy, Ava. I have known him since middle school."


    She looked at him, intent on listening.


    "He was arrogant from his childhood. A spoiled rich brat. He is not spoiled by his parents. But this is the way he made himself."


    She frowned at him. "This is the way?"


    "He not only sleeps with girls, but he also smokes, consumes excessive alcohol, and attends car races for money. That is why he does not care, even if his dad cuts him off from anywhere. He has his own way to live his life."


    Ava''s lips trembled. It seemed thatn was worse than she had thought.


    She pulled her hand away from Luke''s. She got to her feet and uttered,


    "I think we should leave now."


    As just she turned around to leave the coffee shop, Luke stood up and said,

 Chapter 76

    76


    Ava froze in her tracks. She was aware of his feelings, as Abigail and Debra had already told her today. However, she had no idea how awkward things would be for her


    She bit her bottom lip because she did not know what to sa


    Luke took her hand and said,


    "Let''s go."


    He led her out of the shop and looked at her.


    "I understand it might be awkward for you. You-¡°.


    "I knew about it," Ava interrupted him.


    "You knew?" Luke said with a broad grin.


    Ava nced at him and mumbled,


    "Abigail and Debra told me about it."


    He paused as his smile faded. "So you did not notice it from your side?"


    Ava parted her lips, but nothing came out. She did not feel anything inside, indicating that she did not like him more than just a friend.


    "Ava, I know you don''t have any feelings for me. But give me a chance. I promise we will end up together. I don''t want to end our friendship. You can take your time, and when you feel it is okay to go for a rtionship, you can tell me."


    Ava was stunned. She felt that Luke was really a good guy. Her heart was warmed by the way he always expressed his care for her.


    He was a caring boy who had feelings for her.


    She had never thought someone could even like her. After all, who would be in love with a nerd like her?


    "Thank you for understanding me, Luke," she said.


    Luke smiled at her and opened the door for her. She entered the car, and they headed to her house.


    On the way, Ava thought about what Luke had said to her.


    She had nned to say yes to Luke, but something was holding her back.


    Luke asked her to have dinner with him when he saw a famous restaurant on their way.


    She nced at her phone. She checked her phone and found no missed calls. She assumed her mother had not returned home yet because if she had, she would have called her.


    So she agreed to Luke and went to the restaurant.


    As they took their seats at a table, Ava looked around the restaurant.


    Because the restaurant was well-known, every table was filled with wealthy people. She recognized some familiar faces from their university.


    Her gaze drifted to Luke, who was sitting across from her. He was staring at her.


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    Ava felt the atmosphere between them had changed. She cleared her throat and said,


    "Let''s order something."


    They ordered what they would like to try. Ava noticed all the dishes were very expensive there. But she was relieved that she still had money in the bank card that her mother had given her before the wedding,


    They began eating when the waiter brought them delicious dishes.


    Luke tried to make the situation less awkward by talking to Ava about her mother.


    Ava told him how hardworking her mother was.


    As Ava spoke with Luke, her gaze shifted to a couple approaching their table.


    Both of them came to a halt in front of the table. Ava furrowed her brows when she noticed how the unknown couple were staring at her.


    They were both young. The boy had green eyes, while the girl had blue eyes. She calmed her expression and asked,


    "May I know you?"


    The boy''s brow arched as if he were looking at a ghost or something. The girl quickly shook her head and grabbed the boy''s arm.


    "No. We don''t know each other, dear," the girl said with a polite smile.


    The girl started dragging the boy with her to the next table.


    Ava stared at them until they sat down at the table.


    "Ava?"


    "Hmm?"


    Ava looked away from the couple and turned her head at Luke.


    "Do you know them?" he asked.


    "No. Don''t you think they are strange?"


    "Strange?" Luke asked, ncing at them.


    The boy was still looking at Ava. Luke red at the boy. But when he noticed the


    girl was also looking at Ava strangely, he felt Ava was right.


    "Yeah. You are right. That''s odd."


    At that time, Ava got her mother''s call.


    She received the call.


    "Mom."


    "Ava, I heard from Stephen that you went out with Luke."


    She nced at Luke and replied, "Yes, Mom."


    Her mother cleared her throat and whispered, "How is it going?"


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    $25 8004


    Ava looked away from Luke and chuckled.


    "Mom,e on."


    "Okay, okay, fine. Enjoy your time. I won''t bother you. I like that boy for you anyway. I saw you both together at our wedding. So..."


    "Mom!"


    "Okay, my baby. I won''t tease you anymore. Are youing back?"


    She nced at her food and mumbled, "I will take some time. I am having dinner, and the ride will be long to get back."


    "Oh, you are having dinner? I wanted to ask you to join me and Harper for dinner. He booked a table for us. Stephen is not at home, he said he can''t join. And you also won''te then-"


    "It''s okay, Mom. You both should go and enjoy your time. I will be back home safely. Don''t worry."


    After talking with her mother, Ava continued to eat her food. But all the time she felt the unknown couple''s gazes on her. Luke noticed it as well.


    After finishing their dinner, Ava and Luke paid the bills together.


    It was because Ava did not let Luke pay for her. She insisted that he split the bill. Despite Luke''s eagerness to pay for her, she declined, saying that she would never go anywhere with him if he did not listen to her. Luke had no option rather to split it.


    When they stood up, Ava nced at the couple for thest time.


    She felt awkward looking into their eyes. After letting out a sigh, she left the restaurant with Luke.


    During the long ride, Luke told her how he was trying to gather his courage to tell her about his feelings. Ava realized that she would never get a boy like him who was so eager to talk to her or give his best for her.


    When they arrived at Ava''s house, Luke pulled up behind other cars. There were


    a few cars parked there, so he had to park it behind.


    Luke got out of the car and opened the door for Ava.


    She stepped down, and he closed the door.


    Ava hugged Luke as she felt thankful to him.


    "Thank you, Luke. You understood my situation. You care for me. That''s a huge


    thing for me."


    Luke hugged her back and replied,


    "It is just how I feel."


    After saying goodbye to Luke, Ava waved her hand at his car as it drove away.


    She had a smile on her lips as she started to walk past the other cars.


    However, she froze when she heard a familiar voice.


    "I see you had a great time with him."

 Chapter 77

    77


    She turned around and sawn leaning on his car. She had not noticed him or his


    car when she got out of Luke''s car a few minutes ago.


    She tried to ignore him and started to walk again.


    However, he grabbed her arm and stopped her.


    "How can you just ignore me like that?"


    His tone was angry as if he were furious. She tightened her fist and turned to face him.


    She yanked her hand away from his grip and asked,


    "What is your problem?"


    He left after speaking with Stephen, but he could not go to the pack house. He went somewhere else.


    There was something killing him inside. So, when he asked Ronald, he said Stephen and the others were not at Stephen''s home. He mentioned that Stephen''s parents had also left the house for dinner.


    Son was worried for Ava and returned to Gamma Harper''s house. He parked outside and waited for Ava for quite some time, smoking, until a car pulled up and Luke emerged with her.


    He was relieved that Luke had not gone inside the empty house with Ava; otherwise, he did not know when he would have lost his cool.


    "Let''s talk."


    His tone was soft, which caused Ava to feel like she was hallucinating again.


    She folded her arms across her chest and asked,


    "Ian Dawson, after making fun of me, you still think I will talk to you? What do you think of yourself?"


    She could not understand why he wanted to bully her like that. She wanted to stay away from him.


    When she noticed him getting closer, she took a step back.


    "Do you really like Luke?" he asked out of the blue.


    Ava''s steps were frozen by the direct question. She blinked her eyes and looked away from him.


    "W-Why do-"


    He interrupted her and asked,


    "I asked, Do you like Luke? Reply to me yes or no. I don''t want to need anything in detail."


    She gazed at him with a confused look. ¡°Excuse me? Why would I even give you any details? I was just asking why you asked me that. Who are you to ask me these personal questions?"


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    She noticed that the skin on his right wrist was red. Her eyebrows raised as she realized he had gotten a new tattoo. She looked carefully and caught a glimpse of a half moon that was almost exposed through the sleeve of his jacket. ''Did he go to get a tattoo today?'' she thought.


    He noticed where she was looking. He pulled down his sleeves to hitle his wrist and said,


    "I just asked a simple question. If you like that guy, just say it. What''s there to beat around the bush? Your brother has already lectured me enough. I don''t want to hear any from you."


    Ava''s gaze went back ton''s face. She furrowed her brows What did Stephen say?"


    The weather was chilly, and Ava began to feel cold. She cast a nce at the door to her house. She thought she should ignore him like an invisible man.


    So she turned around to leave.


    But once again he spoke out.


    "I see you don''t like him. Otherwise, you did not brush the question aside."


    She turned to him and replied,


    "You are wrong. I like him. I like him a lot. And you know what? He told me today that he also likes me."


    "What? Are you wondering how a boy like Luke can like me? Did you think you could bully me for the rest of your life simply because I was your mate and you rejected me? No way,n. He says he will protect me from everyone because he cares about me. So I don''t need to think about my ridiculous past anymore." Upon hearing her,n shut his eyes and nodded his head. "Okay, I got it."


    She was stunned. "What?"


    He opened his eyes and gestured his head toward the house.


    "Make your way to your home. Your parents are not at home. Stephen is outside with others. The maids are not at home because the chief maid has gone to see her sick daughter, so Stephen gave the others the day off."


    Ava was amazed by his details. "How do you know all of this?"


    "Before it''s your house, it''s our safe ce. We just did not go there in thest few days because Gamma Harper recently got married. But from now on, you will see us more often," he replied very calmly.


    Ava could not believe he could be this calm andposed. She doubted him, but her heart started to race when he said,


    "You were right. I am not a good guy. Indeed, you should stay away from me." She felt strange. Wasn''t it what she wanted?


    "Hmm," she replied.


    She saw him moving back and turned around to go to his car.


    77


    At that time, his phone began to ring.


    He paused and pulled out his phone from his pocket.


    Ava was about to leave but stopped when she overheardn talking on his phone.


    "What did you say? What happened to Steph?"


    Her eyes widened as she listened to his words.


    "Okay, I am on my way there."


    After saying that,n hurriedly unlocked his car and got inside it.


    Ava dashed to his car and opened the front door. She bent down and asked,


    "You were talking about Stephen. What happened to him?"


    "Get back to your house. He will be fine. I am going to him."


    Ava hurriedly entered the car and shut the door. Ian looked at her with a frown.


    "What are you doing?"


    After ncing at him, Ava answered,


    "I am going with you wherever you are going right now."

 Chapter 78

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    "Are you crazy? What are you saying?"n asked as his frown deepened.


    Ava rolled her eyes. "Look, I don''t want to go anywhere with yo-"


    While she was speaking,n interrupted her by saying, "But you are still sitting in my car."


    "The reason for this is that I am concerned about my brother."


    "I have already told you. There is no reason for you to be concerned about him. I am heading over to check on him and make sure everything is alright. So go back to your house."


    Upon hearingn, Ava experienced a sense of uncertainty regarding him. Why was he so hesitant to bring her along? Her brother might be in big trouble.


    It was her responsibility to find out what happened to Stephen because she had already epted him as her brother.


    Ava gazed at the windshield while folding her arms against her chest and muttering,


    "Don''t bother. Just start the car because I am not getting out."


    Whenn was busy driving, the whole car turned silent.


    Ava slowly moved her eyes from the road and gazed atn.


    She noticed that he was in a bad mood as if he was going to kill someone. His neck veins became more visible, giving him an intimidating look.


    Ava gulped when she nced at his hand, which was holding the steering wheel. The way he was clenching it, it looked like he would break it anytime.


    Her eyes froze on the tattoo on his forearm. The yellow light from the streemps highlighted his tattoos in front of her eyes.


    She examined it carefully.


    It was a brand new tattoo of the moon and the sun facing each other. Between them was a thin line separating them from each other.


    The design of the tattoo left Ava speechless. She had never seen such a beautiful tattoo before. It looked manly in his hand, but it also appeared to be painful.


    As ifn noticed her looking at his tattoo, he pulled his sleeves to his wrist.


    "Have you got a new tattoo today?" Ava asked in a low tone.


    "Hmm."


    It was the only responsen had given her. (1)


    Ava regretted asking him that question.


    ''Why did I ask him that? I should not care if he gets a new tattoo. Why am I so shameless!'' She scolded herself in


    her mind,


    The whole car was filled withn''s cologne, which caused Ava''s wolf to move inside.


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    Ava closed her eyes as she wanted to feel her wolf entirely. Her wolf howled inside, and she flung her eyes open.


    She let out a loud gasp!


    ''Are you back?'' she asked her wolf.


    However, her wolf did not respond; instead, she continued howling inside.


    "Are you okay?"n asked, casting a nce at her.


    Ava tried to calm herself and mumbled,


    "Yeah, I am fine."


    She was at a loss as to why her wolf could still react ton''s scent after a long time of rejection.


    After a while, Ava noticed that the car had entered a strange alley. She sat upright


    in her seat. "Where are we?" she asked with a confused look.


    She could see the walls of the alley were painted in different colors. The streetlights were red and blue.


    She looked at the boys and girls who were roaming in the alley. They looked


    savage. The girls are dressed in short dresses and wearing dark lipstick. All of the


    boys had tattoos on their bodies. They looked terrible in Ava''s eyes.


    Ava gulped as she turned her head atn.


    "Where are we?" she asked once again.


    "Why are you scared? Didn''t you want toe with me?"


    Ava cleared her throat, showing that she was confident. "Yeah. Where is Stephen?"


    "Fight? For what?"


    She had never heard members of the Power Gang engage in fights with each other. People at their university liked to call their group the epitome of friendship.


    31


    When they saw him, the girls who were walking by the car gave him a wink. He smirked at the girls in response.


    Ava scoffed when she noticed that.


    ''He started flirting right here! How cheap this boy is! I just can''t believe it. Who knows where Stephen is!'' she said in her head.


    The smirk disappeared fromn''s face as he turned his head and met her gaze.


    "What? Now can''t I even look at the girls?" he asked.


    "Yes, you can. But I did note here to witness your flirting. I am going to look for my brother myself. You can enjoy yourself. By the way, he should know how worried his friend is when he is in danger."


    After saying that, she got out of the car. She shut the door harshly. She did not even look back atn, who was staring at her through the window.


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    Ava started walking as she took out her phone from her bag She dialed Stephen''s number. But it was unreachable.


    When she walked past some boys, they whistled at her.


    She nearly froze. She was startled by their behavior. Boys at her university liked


    to mock her by giving her disgusting looks. When she became Stephen''s sister,


    they stopped bothering her and were afraid to approach her.


    But here, the boys were giving her different looks. She wanted to get out of the alley as quickly as possible.


    At that time, she heard a boy from behind.


    "Hey, sweetie! You look new here. Wanna have fun with us?

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    Fear began to grow inside her. She bit her bottom lip as her legs became heavy with fear.


    The way those boys looked at her was something she had never experienced before. It was like she was some kind of food they wanted to have.


    She ignored the boys'' voices as she looked left and right. She noticed many sports cars parked along the side, indicating that everyone was wealthy there.


    They came here with their friend circle to have fun with girls or have drinks. She could see them holding red cups, creating their own road club on the street. There wererge speakers on one side. Music was ying, not as loud as in clubs, but enough to be heard throughout the alley.


    4


    She noticed another alley that connected with this one. 1


    "Stephen must be there!"


    As she was about to turn left, she ran into someone. Something cold dripped onto her white top.


    She hissed as the icy liquid touched her breasts inside the top. She lowered her head and saw that her top was so thin that it exposed her bra in front of the boy she had bumped into.


    "Maroon inside the white color! I liked it," the boy said, moving closer to her.


    His behavior so terrified her that she retreated a step.


    The boy started tough. ¡°That''s cute! How about you apany me to my car? You can trust me on that..."


    The boy grabbed her hand and leaned into her ear. Ava wanted to puke at the scent of his body. He chuckled and murmured,


    "Every seat is soft and smooth. I bet you won''t find any difference with the bed."


    Ava was shocked by his words. Did he think she was one of the girls who hade here to seduce boys?


    Just as she was about to push the boy, another hand reached out and grabbed the back of his neck.


    Ava gasped when she saw the boys harshly away from her.


    ove


    She noticed a tattooed hand grabbing the boy, and her gaze was drawn to the sun and moon tattoo.


    Unknowingly, she felt rxed by feeling his presence. Her startled heart settled down, as if it felt safe around him


    n!"


    The boy spoke as he stared atn with wide eyes.


    "How dare you get close to her?"n asked.


    His eyes turned red, but Ava did not notice because she was behind him.


    The boy started to tremble inside. "Is she with you? I didn''t know."


    tatu


    "W-What have you just done?" She said ton in shock.


    79


    "Ssshh."


    Jan pressed his finger on her lips as he warned her to shut up through his angry eyes.


    "You have already enraged me enough to leave the car and walk down this alley by yourself. Now keep your mouth shut if you don''t want me to kill this boy."


    Ava swallowed her breath as she could see how madn was. She nced at his finger then returned her gaze at him.


    Ava immediately pushed him and turned away.


    "What are you looking at?" she whispered in embarrassment.


    She felt thatn was just like the boy who was looking at her with bad intentions.


    However, she was taken aback whenn approached her from behind. Before she could turn her head to nce at him, she felt a ck jacket wrapped around her body securely.


    She looked atn''s tattooed hands, which were holding her from behind.


    "Let''s go," he said, taking her hand.


    She looked at him from behind as he started to pull her along with him. She looked down at his jacket, which protected her upper body from the skimming gazes of other boys.


    Why was she feeling so secure around him?


    This incident reminded her of the day he saved her from being harassed by some boys at university.


    Ava looked at his ck inner sleeveless t-shirt that he wore under his jacket. Since he removed the jacket, his upper body was almost exposed.


    With those muscles that he always kept hidden under his clothes on disy in front of her eyes.


    The girls around them were staring atn with jaws dropped. Ava nced at them, not liking how they were looking at him.


    But she told herself she did not have to care about it.


    She was shocked when sheid eyes on Stephen and the other friends.


    "Stephen!"


    She let out loudly.


    There were a few more boys with Stephen and the others. They turned their heads when they heard her voice. Stephen''s eyes widened. "Ava? Why are you here?"


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    MAY


    He was seated on a chair. But when he tried to stand up to approach Ava, the boy behind the chair pulled him back down.


    "Oh! Who is this beauty? Did you bring her here to present her to our Alpha? I


    see. She is quite presentable," one of the unfamiliar boys toldn.


    n let go of Ava''s hand, which caused her to feel startled. Did he agree to take


    her here because he had this type of n in his mind? 2


    Was his hatred for her this deep?


    But what happened next took her by surprise.


    "Dare to look at her once again, I will pull out your and your Alpha''s eyes together."


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 Chapter 80

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    What the fuck was that!"


    The boy groaned in pain. He was lying on the floor and had lost his strength to get up. The wayn had kicked his chest, he was sure that he felt a broken bone inside his chest.


    "Ian Dawson, you can''t beat our men like this. We are not from your pack who will obey you like dogs," another boy spoke out as he tried to approachn.


    "Dogs? Did you dare to call my pack members dogs?"


    She had witnessed his aggression before when he was fighting with Luke. A few minutes ago, he almost killed a man by hitting his head against a wall, and now he was beating some men.


    Her eyes shifted to his friends, who were watching the fight calmly.


    Ava frowned at them. ''Why are they not stopping him?''


    Her mouth set in a hard line as she looked at them.


    Whenn approached Stephen, the boy behind Stephen moved forward and punchedn''s stomach.


    Ava gasped when she saw it. Her heart began to race as if she could not seen in pain.


    One of the boys spoke out with an aggressive tone,


    "Stop messing with us. Thunder Howl Pack won''t allow others toe after us. We never stopped you froming into our pack. Then why did your friend stop us from doing our business here?"


    Ronald, who was leaning against a wall, stood up straight after hearing the boy.


    He walked towardn and said,


    n, let''s do this calmly. But before that..."


    Ronald paused for a moment and turned to the boy who had just spoken.


    "Before that, let me give him back the blow."


    After saying that, Ronald punched the boy in the cheek, breaking his cheekbone.


    The boy could not take it as he tried to hit Ronald back. Butn punched him in the stomach, causing the boy to bleed from the mouth.


    "A punch should be powerful enough to make you bleed. Yours was a punch of a


    kid,¡±n said, standing tall as if he did not get hurt a moment ago.


    All the other boys attempted to attack them, but they all fought each other.


    Ava dashed over to Stephen to untie the rope that was wrapped around his hands.


    However, when she touched it, she hissed in pain.


    "I-It-"


    "It''s damp with silver water. Don''t touch it, Ava," Stephen warned his sister.


    80


    Ava shook her head. "No. 1 must be painful. Let me help you."


    "No, Ava!"


    Instead of listening to Stephen''s words, Ava kept trying to help him. She felt pain


    in her hands, feeling like they were burning.


    But she showed her bravery and untied the rope.


    The moment she untied it, Stephen turned to her and asked


    "Are you okay? Why are you here?"


    ¥¹


    "I am here for you, Steph. What happened to you? Who are these people? And


    why did they tie you up?"


    She was so perplexed about everything that she threw a bunch of questions toward him.


    Stephen took her hand but failed to notice her burned hands. She bit her bottom


    lips in pain, but she did not let out a painful moan.


    Stephen hid her behind a pir and said,


    "They will try to attack you. So stay behind it, okay?"


    Ava nodded her head as she nced at the others fighting each other.


    Breaking into a rage, Stephen stormed over to the boys.


    Ava''s gaze trailed overn, who was looking fiercer. She somehow started to feel fear in her heart by seeing him in this look.


    He looked very dangerous.


    "Did your Alpha tell you all toe here to do these things?"n asked.


    Stephen shouted while kicking a boy. n, they wanted to supply those things to our varsity. We should teach them a lesson."


    Ava was unaware of what they were talking about. She could only think that those boys were selling something among the students.


    Whenn made a boy fall to the floor, he grabbed his hair and asked,


    "How many boys did you sell them to? I will break your bones with that count."


    When the boy refused to tell him, he got up and kicked the boy''s legs.


    Ava covered her ears as she began to feel like crying. She did not like to see violence. She was a kind-hearted girl who led a quiet life. 1


    The sounds of breaking bones made her heart tremble.


    She let out a scream when she felt a hand grab her wrist tightly and pull her out from behind the pir.


    They saw a boy who grabbed Ava''s hand tightly. Their eyes froze when they saw he was holding a knife near Ava''s throat.


    "This girl is wearing your jacket. She might be special to you. What if we kill her?" the boy askedn.


    20


    Ava''s legs were trembling with fear. The sharp knife was just an inch away from her neck.


    "Ava!"


    Stephen tried to approach her, but the boy shook his head in warning.


    "Don''t dare to move. Why are you looking so concerned? You did not look like this even after we tied you."


    Stephen growled at the boy and said,


    "Leave her, bastard. She is my sister."


    The boy raised his brow and turned his head to Ava. "Does Camma Harper have


    a daughter, too?"


    "Leave her if you do not want to boil Gammas'' blood," Stephen warned the boy.


    But he shrugged his shoulders. His lips curled as he gazed at Ava''s face.


    "An innocent girl! How on earth is she your sister, Stephen? You must be kidding me."


    "He is right. Let her go if you want to stay alive," Ronald said. He directed his attention away from Stephen and towardn.


    The boy did not listen to him and muttered,


    "I believe you all. She is Stephen''s sister. So what if we can''t kill her? We can


    harm her. It is up to you all whether you let go of our men and let us do our


    business, or you want this girl to be hurt."


    01

 Chapter 81

    81


    Ava closed her eyes when she felt the knife touch her throat


    However, the boy moved it from her neck and held it near her arm.


    "What about stabbing her arm, huh?"


    Ava thought she would lose her arm today. She slowly opened her eyes.


    However, she was taken aback whenn picked up a beer bottle from the floor and hurled it in her direction. Fearing that it would hit her head, she shook her head. But never made contact with her body. Rather, it smashed into the boy''s head.


    The boy immediately released her and grabbed his head.


    Ava turned around to see the boy''s body fall to the floor.


    The boy was groaning in agony, moving his body like a fish pulled out of the water.


    Everyone turned to look atn. Shock swept over Ava. 1


    He avoided Ava''s gaze and focused solely on the boy.


    He bent down and snatched the knife from the boy.


    "I warned you not to look at her, but you dared to touch her. I don''t like it when someone ignores my warnings."


    After that,n stabbed the boy in the arm with the knife.


    The boy let out a scream of pain.


    Ava covered her mouth asn twisted the knife, which was still piercing the boy''s skin.


    Her eyes became blurry. She was not used to witnessing all of this.


    She turned away from him and ran towards Stephen.


    Stephen hugged her and asked,


    "Are you okay?"


    She nodded her head while hugging him. Right now, all she wanted was someone to hold her and tell her


    everything was fine. She wanted everything to be a nightmare so that when she woke up, she would not remember


    1. it.


    Stephen stroked her hair and said,


    "No one will hurt you now. Don''t worry."


    She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to nce at the boy. He was still groaning from pain.


    Paul spoke out as he walked toward the gate. "I am sending men to clear this up. Cyrus looked over atn and asked,


    81


    "What are we going to do to them? Pack hospital or


    Tan cut him off and replied,


    "Send them to their Thunder Howl Pack."


    Ava broke the hug and looked at Stephen.


    "Thunder Howl Pack?"


    Stephen gazed at her and replied, "They are Thunder Howl Pack''s men. We don''t have a very good rtionship with their Alpha and officials."


    Ava tried to think of the name of that pack. It sounded familjar. She had heard of the pack before. The pack''s Alpha ascended to the throne at a young age. She nced atn, who looked gloomy.


    "No need to know about that pack. We are never going to have any kind of deal with that pack anyway," he said, indicating his words toward Ava.


    After a few minutes, Paul brought some men to take the men to send them back to their pack.


    Ava stared at the blood on the ground. She was in a daze. Her mother always took her away from this world. She had never been in this type of situation before.


    Stephen raised his hand and ced it on her head.


    "Lil sis, don''t worry. Just forget about these, okay?"


    Something came to Ava''s mind as she was about to ask but paused when Cyrus said to Stephen,


    "Your hand is bleeding, dude. Let''s go to the pack hospital."


    Ava noticed Stephen''s wrists were bloody because of the rope that had been tied around them.


    "I am going with you," she said, ready to go with him.


    Stephen shook his head. ''No, Ava. You should go back to our house. I will be fine and return home safely. I have some other work to do." (1


    ncing at Ronald, he uttered,


    "I need your help with something. Drive her to my house."


    Ronald nced at Ava, then replied,


    "Sure. Why not?"


    Ava wanted to refuse, but she understood that Stephen might have some urgent work. So she kept quiet.


    Stephen left with Cyrus, and Paul left with the men who were getting the boys out.


    So only Ava, Ronald, andn were there.


    Ronald walked up to Ava and questioned,


    "Hey! Are you alright?"


    81


    Ava lowered her head and inumbled,


    "In truth, no I am not."


    Ronald studied her for a moment before focusing on the jacket she was wearing


    "That''sn''s jacket."


    It dawned on Ava that she was still wearing it.


    She was about to take it off, but Ronald shook his hands to stop her.


    "No need to do that. I was just asking."


    Ava thought her top might still be wet, so she considered wearing it..


    "Okay."


    "Then let''s go," Ronald said, gesturing toward the gate.


    Ava walked ahead, making her way to the gate.


    As soon as she walked out, she noticedn leaning against the wall. He was


    smoking and looking to the other side of the road.


    Ava paused her steps and followed his gaze. She noticed a couple making out on


    the street. She averted her gaze from them shyly.


    Ronald''s phone began to ring, and when he answered, he cast nces at Ava


    andn.


    Ava waited for him to say something because she assumed the caller was Stephen.


    But after hanging up the phone, Ronald stated,


    "Ava, I need to leave now. It''s urgent." 1


    Ava was stunned. If he left, then who would take her home? It was alreadyte at night. She was certain she would not be able to get a cab there. The way that people were looking at her while she wasing here was something that she could not forget. So there was no way she could leave alone.


    "But then how will I-"


    Ronal interrupted her and gazed atn, who was listening to them without looking


    at them.


    "Don''t worry.n will drop you home." (1

 Chapter 82

    82


    7


    82


    "What? No!"


    Ava shook her head. She did not want to go withn. She was terrified just from seeing his angry look.


    Ronald let out a sigh as he stared atn, waiting for him to say something.


    "Bro, can''t you do that?"


    "Ask her who brought her here. He will drop her back."


    Ava gulped when she heard his deep voice. All the confidence that she had raised against him washed away tonight.


    She could not forget the moment when she saw him stabbing the boy''s arm. It pierced her mind. 2


    Ronald''s lips curledes he smiled.


    "Then I am leaving," he said to Ava.


    When he nced atn again, his smile turned into a smirk


    "Bye, bro," he muttered ton.


    Meanwhile, Ava was feeling awkward.


    She was withn Dawson. She took a few deep breaths to keep herself under control.


    She gazed atn.


    He was still smoking.


    "Smoking is not good for health," she muttered in a low tone.


    He turned his head to look at her.


    She averted her gaze away from her, fixing her gaze on the couple.


    With his arms wrapped around the girl, the boy was giving her a passionate kiss.


    Ava could see love in their actions. She wondered if lovers came there to enjoy their time there.


    "Who told you it is bad for your health?"n asked and continued to smoke.


    "If¡¤


    f you don''t want to listen, that''s your choice. Don''t ask stupid questions," she replied, knowing that everyone knew about it.


    While looking at her, he muttered,


    "You are more harmful to my health."


    She turned to him and asked,


    "What?"


    He shifted his gaze and bit the cigarette between his lips.


    8


    82


    "You like Lake, don''t you?


    He asked that out of nowhere. She frowned at him. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"


    He nodded his head. "No need to answer again."


    He turned to her and moved toward her. "You can keep it to yourself. I don''t want


    to listen to that nonsense anyway."


    Ava backed away until her back was against a wall,


    But he did not stop from moving closer.


    "W-What are you doing?"


    "Looking at you," he replied simply.


    He raised his hand to smoke again while staring at her.


    She blinked, staring at the bad boy. The way he was looking at her, it seemed like she was an obsession to his eyes.


    Her gaze lowered from his face and moved to his broad shoulder. She noticed a bruise on his arm, which was unnoticed by the others because of his tattoos.


    If she looked closely, she could see a deep cut. She remembered a moment in the fight a few minutes ago when a boy tried to hit him with a bottle of beer, but he dodged with his arm. It was possible that he got hurt that time.


    "Y-Your arm."


    He moved his gaze from her and looked at his arm. He returned his gaze to her. "Are you concerned about me?"


    His sudden question stunned her. She immediately looked away from him and cleared her throat.


    "No, I am not. I was just saying that because you helped my brother a while back."


    She gave him a surprised look. "But why? He is your close friend, isn''t he? You wasted your time in the car too."


    Her eyes continuously went on his arm.


    She was unaware of how dangerous these men were until tonight. They could kill anyone, and no one would say anything to them.


    "Why did all of you fight with those boys? Why did they cage Stephen like that?¡±


    "They are drug dealers. They wanted to sell drugs to the students, which we don''t want. So when Stephen caught them, they caged him."


    "And why did you and Stephen fight?"


    He raised an eyebrow and took another step toward her. "I am sure you would


    prefer not to know the reason."


    She shook her head. "No, I want to know."


    82


    His body moved dangerously close to hers, and he muttered


    "What if I told you that it is rted to you?"


    She was taken aback. "Rted to me?"


    She thought about it, although the closeness between them made her even more


    nervous.


    "Why are you wasting your time thinking about the reason for fights between two close friends? Don''t be so anxious, Omega."


    Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him calling her ''Omega''.


    No one had ever called her with her rank except him. Hearing that from his deep voice, she felt tingling inside.


    The smoke from his cigarette was getting into her nostrils, causing her to cough slightly.


    So she pushed his chest and said, "Move. I don''t like the smoke of cigarettes."


    He did not move as he tilted his head to get a better look at her face.


    "It''s not that bad. Wanna try?"


    She frowned at him, getting mad at him. "What are you saying? I will never touch cigarettes."


    The left corner of his lips rose as a smirk appeared on his face.


    He ced his other hand on the wall beside her head and leaned close to her


    lips.


    Her heartbeat quickened as she felt his nose brush against hers.


    If he moved only an inch close to her, his lips would press against hers.


    Then he spoke in a deep voice and made her shiver all over.


    "When I asked if you wanted to try, I didn''t mean you to touch my cigarette. I have


    many other ways for you to taste it."


    83.83.


    +25 BORUS


    83

 h Really 83

    83


    Ava closed her eyes when she heard him. She did not know what had gotten to her. He possessed a scent that could entice any girl.


    It felt like an addiction to smell it more and more. Ava''s mind might have gone nk there.


    She was captivated by his closeness, unsure of what she was allowing him to do.


    She could feeln''s nose move against liers, indicating that he was about to kiss her.


    But then he backed away.


    Almost instantly, she opened her eyes. Her gaze was drawn to his mocking look at her.


    The mockery on his face caused her blood to boil.


    She clenched her jaw, realizing he was making fun of her again, and fell into her trap once more.


    She clenched her fists and said,


    "What were you trying to show-


    She gasped, and he grabbed her hands, pinning them over her head.


    She nced behind him and noticed that everyone was preupied with themselves and not paying attention to what was going on between them.


    "I can not exin how I felt when I heard you left with that Luke guy. Why were you spending so much time outside with him? Where did he take you, huh? Did you enjoy spending time with him?"


    Ava was astounded by his words. She tried to move her head away from his grip, but she froze when he pressed his thumb against her bottom lip.


    He bit his lower lip while gazing at her lips. The movement of his thumb across her lips caused her to exhale deeply and take a deep breath.


    His touches had the power to ignite her body.


    What was this bad boy doing to her?


    She did not want it, or did she?


    "Don''t let him touch you, okay? If he dares toe closer, just call me. I will break his hands."


    "W-What are you..."


    She paused when she felt him pushing his thumb inside her mouth.


    His action caused her eyes to widen. His eyes moved to her eyes.


    While locking eyes with hers, he brushed his thumb against her tongue and moved it in a circr motion.


    His hand, which was pinning her hands, was moving down towards her body. He slowly wrapped it around her


    waist.


    Ava did not know what to feel. There were a lot of sensations going through her.


    83


    She felt his other thumb niove on her waist as well.


    He was ying with her tongue. He was enjoying the way she responded.


    She could not push him or tell him to move as she had before.


    Her eyes were half closed as she was feeling what he was doing to her.


    His eyes were working like a slow poison. The way he was gazing at her, making her feel like she was naked in front of him.


    He leaned into her ear, brushing his nose against the earlobe.


    "You should ept who you want to be close with. Liking someone is temporary,


    but feeling someone''s closeness like this, that maybe..."


    He paused and let-out a chuckle.


    His words and chuckle brought her back to reality.


    He was teasing her again!


    She became so enraged at him that she bit his thumb, which was still in her mouth.


    He groaned and moved away from her face. He yanked his thumb into the air.


    Ava red at him, feeling satisfied by seeing him in pain.


    "This is what you will get every time you try to get closer to me," she said with an angry tone.


    However,n looked at her. She felt somehow scared, thinking that he would hurt her.


    However, what he did surprised her.


    He sucked his thumb, which she had bitten.


    Her heart pounded like a marathon. She gulped and stared at him.


    He smirked at her and asked,


    "If you will give me this to get closer to you, then I can..."


    He moved closer to her again, but she pressed her palm against his chest.


    "You shameless man! You have a girlfriend."


    "Fuck her."


    Her hands werepletely frozen. In her eyes, he was the most disloyal boy.


    "Can''t you think of another excuse to push me? Why do you always talk about other girls?" he asked.


    Ava red at him. "Because you think I am one of the-"


    She stopped when she heard a voice.


    n?"


    Ava looked behindn and saw it was the girl she was talking about.


    83


    28 GORS


    "Nova?"


    Nova frowned at Ava and asked,


    n, what are you doing with her?"


    Ava felt embarrassed. She was currently feeling like the dirtiest girl in the world.


    Because this boy''s girlfriend was in front of her, and she had caught her so close to her boyfriend.


    She knew how badn was, but she should have stayed away from him.


    "Ava, what are you doing in this alley? And you are with Luke, aren''t you? You even went on a date with him to a popr restaurant. Why are you cheating on him? Does he know about it?"


    Ava suddenly realized she had almost forgotten about Luke


    Why did she always forget about the world around her whenn was close to her? She looked away from Nova and mumbled,


    "You don''t need to think about Luke. Take care of your own boyfriend. He needs a girl, I guess."


    After saying that, Ava turned in the other direction and started walking without looking at fan.


    She did not care where she was going. But she was feeling humiliated.


    "Ava, you became a cheap girl," she told herself in the end.


    She did not stop and kept mumbling,


    "You don''t have any self-respect. You were with someone who has a girlfriend. You were with a bad boy who liked to have different girls every night. You are a fool. Your heart is an idiot to get nervous whenever he gets closer to you."


    She felt like crying.


    But she controlled her tears when she saw the boys and girls around her, giving her nces.


    They might be making fun of her becausen''s girlfriend had caught her with him.


    Ava wiped the corners of her eyes as she took a deep breath. Her eyes turned cold, getting mad at herself.


    "Ava"


    She heardn''s voice from behind.


    But she did not stop. Instead, she walked faster.


    She felt someone grab her hand and turn her around.


    "Whatn? Not satisfied with how you insulted me in front of your girlfriend?"


    Jan looked into her eyes. "Are you crying?"


    "Just leave, okay? Go back to your girlfriend."


    When she tried to yank her hand away from him, he pulled her close to him and


    said,


    "She is not my girlfriend. I broke up with her. For...for you. 5


    84

 Chapter 84

    84


    Tan did not like how Nova interrupted him while he was with Ava.


    When Ava began to walk away,n turned to Nova.


    "Why are you here?" he demanded, staring at her furiously


    Nova''s eyes trembled as she sawn''s fierce expression.


    "In-"


    "And what were you saying? Which restaurant did she go to with Luke? Do you start spying on her?"


    Nova shook her head. "No way. One of my friends was in the restaurant. She saw her and told me about it."n tightened his jaw. Just thinking about Ava going on a date with someone made his mind go crazy.


    "Stay away from her. Don''t dare to bully her."


    "When did I bully her?"


    "Don''t tell anyone that she was with me."


    Han''s eyes went in the direction where Ava was going. Nova grabbed his hand and said,


    "Ian, you have a wound in your arm. Did you get into a fight?"


    He yanked his hand away from her. He turned to look at her


    "I hope you did not forget that we are done. So far, nothing much has happened between us. Then why did you make her feel ufortable by asking what she was doing with me? Did you intend to humiliate her by pretending you are still my girlfriend?"


    "No, I-"


    "I don''t like to raise my hands on women. But if you try to hurt her intentionally, I will kill you."


    Nova''s eyes widened. She had never seenn feel so protective for anyone. She assumedn wanted to spend the night with Ava after seeing her makeover.


    But the wayn warned her made her believe it was more than that.


    n, please don''t misunderstand me."


    "Don''t try to get close to me. And forget her words. I don''t need any girls anymore."


    His eyes moved to Ava''s back as he said,


    "I have fixed my gaze on someone. I no longer need new girls to go out every night."


    Nova was speechless. She had seenn go to private rooms in clubs with new girls every other night, but after she became his girlfriend, he never slept with her.


    Now when she thought he would go back to his old self and it was the only reason for the breakup, he shocked her with his statement.


    84


    After rushing toward Ava,n reached out and grabbed his hand. He noticed her red eyes, which indicated that she was crying.


    He did not want to see her cry.


    She was misunderstanding him that Nova was still his girlfriend. It was his fault. He did not tell her about his breakup.


    Therefore, he told her about it and the underlying reason for it.


    On the other hand,


    Ava was taken aback. She was confused by his words.


    "You broke up with her for me?"


    Ava pulled her hand back and said,


    "Stop ying with me. I am a simple girl. Just let me live my life like other girls. I don''t want to get into your all''s lives. I am not the type of girl you think I am. Please don''t destroy my life like this."


    She almost begged him, not knowing that tears had already fallen on her cheeks.


    "Stop crying. I am not destroying your life, okay? I was just..."


    As if he lost his words, he turned silent.


    She took off his jacket and pressed it against his chest.


    "Thanks for the jacket," she mumbled.


    She turned around to nce around her. It seemed everyone stopped what they


    were doing and stared at them.


    She tried to figure out how to get on the highway.


    "I am dropping you home," he said, turning his head to her side.


    She let out a deep breath and remained quiet.


    She was not aware of the alleyways. So her only option for returning home was to go with him.


    He returned to his parked car after passing through the alley. He opened the front door for her.


    She got inside the car and sat unmoved.


    The whole ride was silent.


    Ava''s mind kept reying the wordsn had said to her.


    She did not even dare to move her head to look at him.


    She could not find a reason for him to break up with Nova for her.


    84


    ''He was lying. There is no way he will break up with his girlfriend for a girl he neglects. He only wants to break me. I can never let him do this to me,'' she told herself.


    When the car arrived at her house, he pulled it over.


    She did not want to spend even a single moment withn. It had been so many times when he got closer to her.


    She could not believe this boy would not make fun of her for this night in the future.


    He might be feeling proud that he had seen her looking weak in front of him and his touches.


    She tried to open the door but paused when she realized that the door was locked.


    She turned to look atn.


    He was not looking at her. His gaze was fixed ahead of him.


    "Unlock the door," she mumbled.


    When he turned to her, she immediately looked away from him.


    She looked down at herp, waiting for him to unlock the door. However, he did


    not do so.


    "You wanted to know what had happened between me and Stephen."


    She shifted her gaze towards him. He was gazing at her.


    "He asked for something that I can''t do."


    "What did he ask?"


    Her eyshes fluttered as he leaned close to her face and replied,


    "He asked me to stay away from you. I can''t do that because I don''t want to do


    that."

 Chapter 85

    85


    Ava''s heart froze at his words. She stared at him. He was so close to her face that she could feel his breath.


    She assumed he was teasing him because he wanted to make her belleve that. He would then make fun of her after she had put her trust in him.


    Ava looked into his eyes and said,


    "I prefer to keep my distance from you. We are no longer mates to whom you must be bound. You are now free,n Dawson. You can live your life without any stress. No one will make fun of you because an ugly and weak omega is not your mate anymore."


    The expression onn''s face changed when he heard her words. He realized Ava was reminding him of what he had said to her before rejecting her.


    He clenched his jaw because he no longer wanted to y the good boy role in front of her.


    It was true. He was trying to be a good and calm boy in front of her. He was trying


    to keep his patience with her. But now, he wanted to show her his true self. 2


    It was his fault that he had rejected her. However, he was now regretting it.


    He moved back to his seat and ran his fingers through his hair.


    "Ava"


    "Ian, I don''t want to listen to you. Thank you for driving me back home. Let''s not talk to each other from tomorrow."


    After saying that, Ava inhaled deeply. She waited for him to unlock the doors.


    Upon noticing hisplete stillness and silence, she gave him a quick look and uttered,


    "I don''t want to have anything to do with you."


    He turned to face her and asked,


    "If I say I regret rejecting you, will you-"


    She cut him off and asked,


    "Do I look foolish to you?"


    His brow furrows in response to her question. He knew there was no way she would believe him.


    When he leaned in, Ava felt her heart race.


    "W-what are you doing?" she stuttered.


    His gaze lingered on her face. He grabbed the door and asked,


    "I want you to stay away from Luke and all the boys who want to get close to you."


    "I will not listen to you. It''s my life, my chofce."


    "And your choice should be me,n Dawson," he muttered.


    She was caught off guard. His name came out of his mouth with such a deep tone, it sounded different.


    She gulped as she looked into his eyes. They turned dark.


    173


    85


    "W-What do you mean?"


    His gaze dipped and shifted on her lips.


    "I don''t want to lie to you anymore. I want you. And I am not kidding with you. I am damn serious."


    Ava blinked, unable to believe what she had heard.


    If he had said that before the rejection, she would have fallen head over heels for him. But now it was toote.


    In her eyes, he was a person who did not value her.


    Ava lifted her hand and ced it on his shoulder to stop him from moving closer. He nced at her hand before returning his gaze to her.


    "Do you think everything is a game? You rejected me as your mate. Do you know what this means? You rejected your fate. It was not a rtionship where you can break anytime you want. You broke me brutally. You hurt me so deeply that I will never be able to recover."


    He spoke softly as if stroking her with his alluring tone.


    However, she was no longer the same Ava who was in love with him.


    "If you want to make me feel better, then stay away from me. Your presence


    bothers me," she mumbled, moving


    7 her hand toward his chest.


    He closed his eyes as if he were feeling her touch.


    "What if I say that I want to bother you until I will make you mine?"


    Her hand froze on his chest. She swallowed her breath and tried to remove her hand from his chest.


    But he grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest once again.


    "I know you want me too. I can see that. Why are you resisting yourself?"


    Ava looked away from him. She did not know if he could hear her loud heartbeats. She tried to calm her heart.


    She yanked her hand away from his grip and replied,


    "You are wrong. I don''t want you. Now unlock the door before I-"


    127


    "Go. You don''t have to kill me for not unlocking the car door. But let me tell you something: one day, I will lock you in this car. That time, I will not let you go." (2 After saying that, he winked at her.


    He had a smirk on his face as if he had been granted the right to be himself. When Ava realized what he had just meant, she nearly choked on her own breath.


    "Shameless!"


    She muttered and rushed out of the car.


    She started to walk hurriedly toward the door of her house. She looked around at the other cars and spotted Gamma Harper''s car there. She realized that he and her mother hade back.


    85


    She heardn''s loud voice from behind, which caused her to pause her steps.


    "You ignited a fire inside me when you said you don''t want me, Nerd."


    She turned her head to nce at him. She saw that he was out of the car, leaning against the door.


    "You see everything as a game," she replied.


    He chuckled at her before folding his arms against his chest, causing his muscles


    to bulge.


    "Why don''t youe and y this game with me? Let''s see who caves in."


    me?


    Ava gave her a stern look, letting him know how much she hated him.


    He shifted his eyes from her face to her dress and said,


    "I forgot to tell you. You look hot today. I hope the next time you dress up like this,


    only for me."


    She listened to him with her jaw clenched. His words had made her angry with


    him. He was doing all of this just to tease her.


    She stomped her feet on the ground in rage and turned around. She made her


    way to her house''s door while muttering,


    ''Go to hell."

 Chapter 86

    86


    Tan chuckled while looking at Ava. She was walking towards her front door.


    When he noticed her entering her house, he got into his car and drove away.


    His gaze was fixed on the road as he drove to the pack house.


    He was not fond of that house. Even though it was his home, he felt suffocated there.


    The way his father ruled over him there, he did not like such a life. He liked to be free where no one could tell himn what to do.


    After all, he was the boss of his own life.


    When he arrived at the pack house, he got out of the car.


    While ying with the car keys on his finger, he entered his house.


    "Look at your brat!"


    He heard his father''s voice and paused his steps. He turned his head and noticed that his parents were in the living


    room.


    He rolled his eyes at them.


    "Don''t you both have any other work besides sitting in the living room? Every


    night Ie back, I see you sitting there."


    Alpha Martin and Luna Carolina got up from the couch.


    n, you saw us here because every night we wait for you to return," Luna Carolina said.


    Meanwhile, Alpha Martin was ring atn.


    "Good to hear that. But I am not a kid whom you have to supervise. You two can go and have a sound sleep. Thank you." 1


    Though his tone was polite, there was a touch of sarcasm in his words.


    Alpha Martin walked towardn and nced at the keys thatn had been ying with his finger.


    "You bribed my guards to manage to get your car back," Alpha Martin muttered.


    He clenched the keys in his fists.


    Alpha Martin scoffed at him. He turned his head to look at his wife.


    "Carolina, you said your boy is stubborn. What about him now? He could not even spend a day without the luxury


    we provide him. How do you think he will be a head Alpha? Is that position a piece of cake?"


    Carolina closed her eyes as she rubbed her forehead. She got in the way of the father and son once more.


    She did not know who was more stubborn.


    "Tell him to return everything, whatever he took today."


    Alpha Martin''s words enragedn. He was mad because, in his eyes, his father treated him like a servant who did


    86. 86.


    not know the work.


    He grabbed his father''s hand and put the keys on his palm


    "You can have your car to yourself."


    His father nced at the keys and muttered,


    "You said the same thingst night but could not resist having-


    "Martin, let it slide for this time," Carolina said as she interrupted him.


    Carolina heldn''s arm and said,


    "Go to your room: Your dad is mad. He will be okay tomorrow."


    "He is mad at me all the time. It doesn''t affect me anymore


    Carolina lowered her head. "Maybe we should give him some time."


    Martin shook his head as he nced atn''s room. "It would be a miracle if someone came into his life and taught him a lesson. He is not living in reality. This attitude won''t work in the war. To protect his pack and maintain a stable aura in front of other Alphas, he must create an image. Like the Alpha of the Thunder Howl Pack."


    Carolina raised her head to look at him. "That Alpha also has a bad reputation. People are scared of him because of his badboy image. He is young but dangerous."


    Martin moved his gaze away fromn''s room after hearing Carolina.


    He looked at her and replied,


    "But he is not as disobedient to his parents as our son. That is the reason why they inherited him at such a young age."


    Carolina nodded at him. Her mind was clouded by memories from the past. She


    let out a deep breath, shaking the memories away.


    Inside the bedroom,


    He felt less heavier after telling Ava what was on his mind.


    He smirked when he thought about how she was nervous when he got closer to


    her. He believed he would not have to make much effort to make her get close to


    him.


    When he woke up in the morning, he considered leaving early to go to the university.


    He grabbed his wallet and noticed some cash. He walked out of his room and left the pack house without taking his car with him.


    He took a bus again, thinking that he would meet Ava on the bus again.


    But it looked like yesterday was a fortunate day when he could meet her there. Today, she might have considered taking her father''s car instead of waiting at the bus stop near her house.


    86


    No one dared to ask him anything since yesterday he had beaten a boy enough to


    give others the same warning to shut their mouths..


    He noticed students were looking at something on their phones. He frowned at them.


    What were they looking at so curiously? There might be new rumors spreading on campus.


    He saw a boy walking past him while looking at his phone. He snatched the boy''s phone and saw what everyone was busy watching.


    His calm and curious face slowly turned gloomy when he saw a post with some photos.


    The photos were all of Ava and Luke together.


    They were having-dinner together. It looked like they were enjoying each other''spany.n was aware of it. But what caught his attention was a video attached with the photos. He yed the video, and his brows lifted:


    In the video, Luke was saying to Ava, "Hike you, Ava."


    Tan was about to throw the phone in anger when the boy next to him grabbed his hand.


    "Please, it''s my new phone." 1


    He tossed the phone to the boy and walked toward the lobby area with a furious


    face. ''He proposed to herst night. So she was right when she said she likes him and he likes her too?''

 Chapter 87

    Ava walked into the campus and noticed people ncing at her.


    She rolled her eyes and murmured, "What again?"


    She tried to ignore the people, but one of the boys approached her and asked,


    "Ava, are you really with Luke? Is there any chance to reconsider it?"


    Ava was stunned. A surprised look appeared on her face, as she did not know how this boy had heard about her and Luke.


    "What do you mean?" she asked, giving him a confused look.


    The boy handed him his phone and showed him a video.


    She watched the video where Luke had proposed to her. It looked like Luke was a little loud at that time. It was because she was about to leave the cafe, and he tried to stop her from leaving


    "So, is this now the talk of the town?" she inquired, raising her head to face the boy.


    He scratched the back of his neck and eximed,


    "You have many other choices, you know. They may keep their distance from you because of your brother. Even though we have seen you and Luke together. He was very protective of you."


    Upon hearing the boy, Ava realized how Luke defended her in front ofn.


    There was a lot going on yesterday. The fight in the university, andter at that nightn once again fought with other people.


    Thoughst night was hard for her, she did not want to remember it again.


    "Ava."


    She heard her voice and turned her head in the direction of it.


    Abigail came to her and wrapped her shoulder around her neck.


    "What are you doing with this boy?" she asked, gazing at the boy.


    The boy turned his attention to Abigail. "What do you mean by this boy? I am a member of team ck Diamond."


    Abigail scoffed at him. "You and your whole team should stay away from my friend. Now shoo shoo."


    The boy nced at Ava for thest time. Ava handed his phone back to him. He left their sides when he found no hope for himself.


    "What were you watching on that boy''s phone? Oh, wait! The video, hmm?"


    Abigail wiggled her brow, teasing Ava.


    Ava shoved the thoughts and turned to look at her.


    "So you also watched the video?"


    "You also? Everyone has seen it, baby," Abigail said and winked at her.


    Ava let out a chuckle. "Stop teasing me. I am already depressed."


    87


    Abigail started to walk, dragging Ava with her while holding her shoulder.


    "Why are you depressed?"


    "We didn''t go on a date, Abi. He said he liked me. I told him that I needed some time."


    "What''s wrong with that?"


    "It''s just, even if it was a date, I don''t like how they clicked ine and my private life like that. I don''t enjoy these people''s lives where they feel like celebrities when others like to spread news about them like paparazzi."


    Abigail understood what Ava meant, so she nodded her head in agreement.


    They entered the cafeteria and sat at a table. Ava was about to tell Abigail everything that had happened yesterday.


    But before that, someone ced a cup of strawberry smoothie on the table.


    Both Ava and Abigail looked at it with confusion because they had not ordered anything yet.


    But then they saw the fair hand of a girl. They lifted their gazes from the mug and looked at the person.


    "What do you want, Nova?" Abigail asked.


    Nova was standing there. She smiled at Abigail and then fixed her gaze on Ava. Beside Nova were with two other girls.


    Ava realized that she had seen one of the girls in the restaurantst night.


    It did not take long for Ava to realize who had recorded the video of her and Luke


    She was enraged by the thought and stood up from her chair.


    "You! You were the one who posted that video, right?"


    The girlughed as she nced at Nova. Nova smirked at Ava and asked,


    "What''s wrong with it? Are you embarrassed about being seen with Luke? Wait a minute. Shouldn''t it be the other way around?"


    Nova''s friends burst outughing. Theirughs gained other people''s attention as they turned their heads to look at them.


    "Nova and you two minions, my friend is already depressed about something. So fuck off!"


    Abigail said after standing up from her seat angrily.


    Nova raised her hand and ced a finger beneath her chin.


    "Depressed? Why? Let me guess."


    She took a brief pause before her eyes lit up as she smirked at Ava.


    "Is that because you are not with just one man?"


    7


    Everyone started to whisper about it.


    "Not with one man?"


    "Is she with other men at the same time?"


    "So she is a two-timer? What a waste!"


    87


    They started to judge Ava with their skimming eyes.


    The atmosphere turned heated as they started to talk about how Ava was taking advantage of Stephen''s reputation after bing his sister.


    Abigail tightened her fists. Ava grabbed her hand to keep her under control because she knew her best friend was angry and would do anything to hurt Nova. She did not want to see a catfight for her.


    Ava looked at Nova and said,


    "How can you be so sure that I am also with another man?


    Nova gave her a sly grin. "Do I need to give proof for it?"


    Ava raised an eyebrow. "Why not? I also want to see that proof. Why didn''t you post it online like you made your friend post Luke''s and mine video on the group? Are you afraid of something, Nova?"


    Everyone was confused about how her going with another man was rted to Nova.


    Nova red at Ava.


    Ava smirked at her, stepping closer to her.


    "You should not have messed with me. Now I have to reveal your secret, which


    you had kept hidden from others in order to maintain your so-called ''Future Luna''


    reputation."


    Nova looked around and noticed others'' perplexity. Upon seeing her response, Avaughed.


    It was her time to give her back.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, our campus queen is deceiving you all. She is no longer


    Nova could not take it. She could not tell others about it. So she said to everyone,


    "She is lying. Don''t trust her. She is just-"


    However, a deep voice interrupted her from behind.


    "She is not lying. I broke up with Nova."


    88

 Chapter 88

    Everyone turned their heads ton, who had just entered the cafeteria.


    They were stunned to learn thatn had ended his rtionship with Nova. She was his first girlfriend. Because he never dated anyone before. One night was always enough for him to get bored with a girl.


    Nova froze with his deep voice. Her heart began to race but of fear. She recalled his warning fromst night. She did not expect to get caught.


    Ava nced behind Nova and noticedn approaching them


    He was getting close in her direction, which reminded her ofst night when he leaned close to her in his car.


    Ava could see his eyes were enraged as if he was mad about something But they were not fierce, likest night when he beat the boys.


    Nova''s legs were shaking. She gulped and murmured,


    n..."


    "What''s happening here?"


    Nova turned silent. She did not dare to say anything.


    Abigail looked atn and said,


    "Your girlfriend... I mean your ex-girlfriend was disturbing Ava. Tell her to stay away from her. I would break her mouth if she dared toe to bother her again. She is no longer the future Luna, so I do not think we should be afraid to approach her."


    Her words were loud enough to reach everyone''s ears. She intentionally did that to let others know about it. It would put Nova in her ce.


    Nova gave Abigail a re. Abigail gave her a scowl.


    "What? You were the one who asked your friends to post pictures and videos of my friend and his future boyfriend.


    00


    He gazed at Ava, who was now looking at Abigail.


    "Anyone can like a friend. What''s with it? It doesn''t mean they need to date or something. What''s a big deal?"n muttered while staring at Ava.


    His words caugh Ava''s attention as she looked at him.


    "But if both of the people like each other, then they can date," Ava said in reply.


    n, are you single again?" One of the girls asked.


    88


    They had dreams of bingn''s girlfriend, but they never got a chance.


    Without looking at her, he responded,


    "Of course."


    His eyes were still fixed on Ava.


    Nova felt like crying whenn admitted it; she broke into tears and said,


    n, why are you doing this to me?"


    We never slept either. Then what is there to cry about?"


    His words shocked everyone. They could not believe that a boy liken who needed a girl every single night had never slept with Nova.


    There could be two reasons.


    Either he loved her and waited for her consent, or he had no interest in her at all.


    By judging that it wasn Dawson, everyone was sure that the second reason was the real reason.


    Ava made a disgusting expression as she stared atn. Nova was not a good girl. Butn was degrading her in front of others. He had no value in his eyes for a rtionship. He did not know how to respect women.


    So she shook her head and turned to sit back on her chair.


    However, she came to a halt whenn spoke again.


    "Guys, don''t mind, Nova. She was a bit upset. Well, it''s not for the breakup. We broke up many days ago. But she is upset because she saw me with someonest night."


    Ava turned her gaze to him. She shot a re atn, telling him not to tell anyone about it since people would misjudge her.


    Others were eager to know whon was with. They began to question him, trying to figure out who had caught his attention.


    "I was with someone very special, you know. I can''t tell you all her name until she reveals it herself. But let me tell you all one thing..."


    He turned away from Ava and looked at all of the girls sitting on the tables, who were all upset with him. "From now on, no more girls for me. Maybe it is time to be


    a one-woman man. What do you to say?"


    Everyone nced at each other, disbelieving in their ears.


    Ava was surprised atn''s words as well.


    She felt Abigail moving close to her and murmured,


    ¡°Ava, has he lost his mind? Ian Dawson without girls? That''s impossible. Who does he now want to impress by saying this?"


    Ava closed her eyes, not knowing how to exin it to Abigail right now. Ian was


    just ying with her. There was no way she would fall into his trap this time.


    Just as she felt a little relief thatn did not take her name, Nova burst out in rage.


    "Are you happy now, Ava? It''s all because of you. You snatched my boyfriend away from me. I am no longer afraid to tell the truth to others. You were the one who was with himst night in the dark alley where he always goes with his friends. You were all alone with him. You are trying to seduce him and-ahhh!"


    Nova felt pain in her arm whenn grabbed it tightly. She thought he almost broke the bone.


    "Didn''t I tell you not to mess up with her? If you dared to humiliate her again, then she would think that I made you do that. Apologize to her right now."


    People could not just believe what they were listening to. Nova''s ims were almost believable because girls could do anything to getn''s attention. But the wayn took Ava''s side, showed that he cared for Ava and got mad at her.


    "In, you are hurting me," Nova sobbed.


    "Say sorry to her right now. It looks like you think your dad''s reputation can give you permission to insult the Gamma''s daughter. Don''t forget that the future head Alpha will handle the lives of all of the former officials. I will take care of your family after bing the head Alpha."


    Ava was taken aback. Didn just threaten Nova about her father and her family just because of her?


    Was she dreaming?


    She was about to shake her head to say that Nova did not need to apologize and she could just stay away. But Nova looked at her with furious and tearful eyes, gritting her teeth and saying,


    "I am sorry, Ava. This is something I will always remember"

 Chapter 89

    Ava averted her gaze away fromn and focused on Nova. She could see Nova looking angry at her.


    But was it her fault?


    Ava let out a sigh and turned to Abigail.


    "Let''s sit already. We have wasted our time enough with these people. We have sses to attend, too."


    Nova stomped her leg on the ground in rage and left the cafeteria, crying. Her friends left behind her.


    Everyone returned back to what they were doing. But they got the biggest breaking news of the year.


    Ian Dawson was single again. Since he was in a rtionship before, it was possible that anyone could get the change this time.


    They believed he was just roaming around with Ava since Nova said she had seen him with Avast night. They did not think Ava could keepn''s interest in her for a long time.


    Girls nced at him with smiles. Some of them blushed just by looking at his attractive profile.


    Ava was aware of everything that was going on around her.


    Abigail frowned atn and leaned close to Ava.


    "Why is he still around? And what was Nova saying? You were with himst night?"


    Ava gave Abigail a pat on the hand. She shook her head and murmured,


    "I will tell you about itter."


    Abigail had grown impatient. She lifted her head and gazed atn.


    "What are you doing here,n? Can we have some personal space, please? At the very least, let my friend breathe. Didn''t you see how your ex-girlfriend was trying to insult her?"


    Ava fixed her gaze on the table as she listened to Abigail.


    Howeyer, when she sensedn approaching, she raised her head.


    the back of her chair, he ced his palm on the table in front of her.


    He bent over to reach for her.


    She was stunned by his action.


    He leaned close to her. Everyone turned their heads at them again.


    Abigail looked at them with shocked eyes.


    "W-What are you doing?" Abigail said ton when she nced at Ava and saw how shocked she was.


    89


    "I watched the video where Luke said he likes you."


    Ava blinked her eyes, not knowing what was in his mind.


    He was mad before. But after watching her like this, he thought she was cute. Her innocent expression lessened her rage.


    He stood up straight and rested his hand on her head, Ava closed her eyes briefly before opening them again.


    The girls'' jaws dropped when they saw how softly he interacted with her. It was a sweet gesture from a boy to a girl.


    They were already stunned when they heardn''s words, but his actions made them feel unbelievable.


    "Your expression conveys that you gave him hope. I hope you did not forget what I told youst night."


    Ava removed his hand away from her head and nced at others who were staring at her.


    "What is with this new acting? J-Just leave."


    She was unable to control her tone in the end. It was because her heart was racing faster. He always moved closer to her, as if he did not need her permission to touch her.


    Everyone widened their eyes whenn said the next word.


    "You caught the future Alpha''s eyes, Nerd," he said loudly while stepping back.


    Everyone let out gasps. Everyone in the cafeteria started talking about it in hushed tones. Girls looked in the direction of Ava and felt envious.


    Abigail was too shocked to react. It was the first timen had said something like this to someone.


    Was he trying to y with Ava?


    She held Ava''s hand and uttered,


    "Babe, are you okay?"


    It was as if Ava came out of a spellbound thatn had created, she broke eye contact with him.


    The atmosphere in the cafeteria became heated. Everything seemed to be disoriented. The sound of people''s voices reached Ava''s ears.


    She sawn grinning at her; he turned around and left the cafeteria.


    She held her head and groaned.


    "Ava?"


    She heard Abigail''s voice. She turned to Abigail and replied,


    "I am not okay, Abi. I am messed up."


    She then told Abigail everything that had happenedst night.


    89


    Abigail''s face was filled with shock. Ian''s actions and words were unbelievable.


    "I can not believe this! He said he wants you. What exactly is he looking for? What did he mean by that?" Abigail asked.


    Ava lowered her head. "I don''t know. I think he thought he could make me a fool."


    Abigail reflected for a moment. She rememberedn telling others that he would never go after another girl.


    She rubbed her forehead, convinced her best friend was in danger.


    They exited the cafeteria, heading to their sses. Ava''s thoughts were still on


    what had happened in the cafeteria. "What about Luke, Ava?" Abigail asked Ava


    as her gaze fell on Luke, who wasing in their direction.


    Ava turned her head and noticed Luke. She let out a deep breath.


    "I will talk to him.''


    "About what?"


    Abigail assumed Ava would reject Luke because she appeared to be confused


    with her heart.


    But Abigail was taken aback when she heard Ava,


    "I like Luke. I took time from him, but now I think I should start dating him. I don''t


    wantn messing up my life again." (3


    Abigail was about to tell Ava not to do anything in a rush. But before that, Ava


    walked toward Luke to stop him in the middle of the way.


    She looked at Luke and said,


    "Luke, let''s date." (1

 Chapter 90

    90


    Luke was shocked when he heard Ava. He found out what had happened in the cafeteria through his friends. Lan made it clear to everyone that he had his eyes on Ava.


    He thought Ava would reject him and tell him that she would go withn.


    But Ava''s words surprised him.


    "Ava."


    Ava gave him a small smile and said,


    "What you heard about me andn, I will clear it up for you. I was with himst night, but it was because Stephen was in danger. I told you before. I no longer have any feelings for him."


    Luke''s face broke into a wide grin. He smiled at her broadly and asked,


    "Are you sure? Are you sure that you are giving me a chance?"


    Ava nodded her head with a warm smile. Ian had already broken her heart. She did not want him to break it again. So it was better she gave it to someone else and be loyal to the person.


    Luke pulled her into a hug. Ava nced at others who were looking at them. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Luke.


    "I am very happy, Ava. I promise to always keep you happy."


    Ava nodded her head after breaking the hug. He cupped her face and said,


    "This weekend is the basketball tournament match. It''s the finale, and I want you


    toe and support me. If I win, I will make the day memorable for you."


    He indirectly told her that he would propose to her officially to be his girlfriend.


    Ava shifted her gaze away from him and nodded her head in response. She had no idea why, but whenever she was near Luke, she never experienced that electrifying feeling.


    Why did she feel it only when she was withn?


    It was afternoon.


    After attending all of her sses, Ava walked out of the campus. She nced at Stephen and his friends. Ian was not with them.


    Stephen walked up to her and asked,


    "I heard what happe="


    Ava interrupted him and said,


    "Don''t worry. I am fine. And thank you for supporting me. Theard you had warnedn about me."


    Stephen smiled at her. "I am your brother. It''s my responsibility. But I am sorry. Even after trying, he..."


    Stephen paused, losing his words to make her understand the situation.


    Ava patted his arm and replied,


    "Don''t fight with your friends for me. I will handle it. I promise."


    Stephen gave her a warm smile and stroked her hair in response. It reminded her


    ofn patting her on the head this morning


    Ava thought about to call the driver, but Stephen said,


    "Will you wait for me for a few minutes? I am also leaving right now."


    "Sure," she replied.


    Stephen went back to his friends to talk about something


    Ava waited for him as she pulled out her phone from her bag and began to use it.


    Her gaze shifted away from her screen when she noticed a pair of shoes approaching her.


    She raised her head to look at the person.


    However, she was taken aback.


    It was the same guy she had seen at the restaurant. The boy with green eyes.


    "Yes? May I know you?" she asked the boy.


    The boy stared at her without responding, which caught her off guard.


    "Excuse me? Are you listening to me?" She spoke again.


    The boy raised his hand and moved his finger toward her face. Before Ava could


    say anything, he ced his finger in the center of her brows.


    Ava felt like someone was jerking her entire body. The boy immediately removed


    his hand from her forehead and took a step back.


    Ava''s eyes widened. She had no idea what had just happened.


    "W-Who are yo-"


    Ava could notplete her sentence as someone called her from behind.


    "Ava?"


    Ava turned around and saw Luke approaching her. She could see that his eyes were on the green-eyed boy.


    He came to stand next to her and frowned at the boy.


    "Are you stalking her?" Luke asked the boy.


    The boy raised his brows in response. Ava almost believed that he was mute if he did not speak out.


    "Are you his boyfriend?" the boy asked.


    Ava and Luke both were offended. They gave the boy a scowl.


    "Who are you to ask that?" Ava asked, getting a little angry.


    "Yes, I am her boyfriend. Now what?" Luke said to the boy.


    Ava nced at Luke. She remembered asking him about dating.


    "I can''t believe it. How can you date him?" The boy said, looking at Ava in


    disbelief.


    90


    Luke got so mad at the boy that he grabbed the boy''s cor and asked,


    "How dare you say that?"


    "Luke!"


    Ava hurriedly grabbed his hand, trying to break the hold.


    "Please calm down, Luke."


    The boy did not move. His eyes shifted on Ava. Ava was stunned when she saw


    his eyes glow green for a second.


    Stephen and his friends dashed toward them. He freed the boy from Luke''s grip.


    "What happened?" Stephen asked Luke.


    "This boy is stalking Ava."


    Stephen red at the boy and asked,


    "How dare you stalk my sister?"


    The boy looked at Stephen. His eyes glowed again.


    "Is she your sister?"


    "Yes, she is. Who are you? Why are you here? I don''t think a wizard has the permission to roam around our pack like this."


    Ava was stunned when she heard Luke.


    ''A wizard? He is a wizard! That was why his eyes glowed green!'' she thought.


    She did not know why the boy looked at her like that.


    "I am from the Thunder Howl Pack. I had permission toe here. I am leaving


    the pack tonight. So don''t be concerned about the permission thing."


    This was the second time Ava heard about that pack. She nced at Stephen and noticed his


    darkened.


    "Then you should leave as soon as possible."


    The boy nodded his head and replied,


    "I will leave for sure. But before that..."


    The boy paused and nced at Ava, then muttered,


    "I want to talk to her. I came to this university for her."

 Chapter 91

    91


    Stephen tightened his fists in anger. "How dare you even say that?"


    Ava could not understand why that guy wanted to see her. The way that guy gazed at her with his green eyes, she felt intimidated.


    Ava noticed that both Luke and Stephen looked angry at the guy. Her brother was angrier.


    She could still feel that boy''s finger on her forehead, sending shivers down her spine. It was a horrible sensation for her. She had never experienced anything like that.


    She was nearly shaken inside by what he had done to her.


    "What do you want to talk about?" She asked the boy.


    The boy''s eyes turned sharper as he tilted his head, giving the vibe that he was not afraid of anyone.


    Ava was able to understand his thoughts. Why would the boy be afraid of anyone if he could give them an electric shock by simply touching their foreheads?


    Ava''s thoughts could notst for long because a voice came from behind her which caused the green avert his gaze away from her.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Ava looked over and noticedn. His brows knitted as he gave the boy ¨¢ look. With a swift expression change, the boy answered,


    "Ian Dawson."


    It was a kind of greeting that the boy had not done to the other two boys.


    Stephen did not look atn. He looked still mad at him.


    Meanwhile, Luke was not pleased to seen there beside Ava. So he grabbed Ava''s hand and said,


    "I will drop you home. Let''s go with me."


    Ava looked at their hands, then cast a nce at the green-eyed boy.


    "He can''t handle you. Don''t be with him," the green-eyed boys said.


    Stephen growled at the boy and asked,


    "Now you will tell who my sister should stay with or not?"


    The boy shook his head and replied,


    "I may not be her enemy but her well-wisher."


    "I am still unaware of your identity. But I can only guess based on what I have seen from a distance. You were bothering my friend,"n said, ncing at Stephen.


    Stephen could not remain calm as he spoke out.


    91


    "He is stalking Ava. He is from the Thunder Howl Pack. He said he wants to talk with Ava."


    Upon hearing Stephen,n raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to talk about with her?"


    It was the same question Ava had asked the boy earlier.


    "I can''t tell you. I want to observe her and-"


    Ava gasped with surprise.


    "Observe what? She is mine. Do you still have the balls to check her?"


    The boy''s eyes widened by his actions and words.


    "Y-Yours? But that boy said he is her girlfriend," the boy said while pointing his finger at Luke.


    "Let him believe that. Do you still want to learn more about her?"


    The boy shook his head. Ian loosened his grip around the boy''s neck and said,


    "I am letting you go for now. Every one of your men is leaving. If you want to stay alive, you should leave as well."


    As ifn''s warning had worked, he nced at Ava onest time before leaving the university.


    Ronald let out a chuckle. Stephen stared atn without letting out any words.


    Luke nced atn and Ava, who were looking at each other. He cleared her throat before patting Ava''s hand.


    "Ava? Are youing with me?"


    Ava averted her gaze fromn. She was about to answer yes when Stephen said,


    "She is going back home with me."


    Luke felt upset, but he did not stop Ava.


    "Then I''m leaving. See you tomorrow," Luke said to Ava.


    Ava gave him a nod. Luke nced at others and thought of something. He moved closer to Ava and hugged her.


    He rolled his eyes and looked away from them. Luke took his leave and got in his car, then drove away.


    Stephen walked towards his car. Ava was about to sit in the front seat beside Stephen, who had just started the car.


    But before that, Ronald grasped the door''s corner and uttered,


    "Let me sit with Stephen. You can sit in the back seat."


    91


    Ava did not say no to him. But she wondered where Ronald''s car was.


    Ronald bent down to look at Stephen after opening the door


    "Taken with us."


    Stephen held his hand still. He turned his head and gave Ronald an angry look.


    Ronald hurriedly sat beside the driver''s seat before closing the door.


    Ava leaned her back against her seat. But then the door opened once again from outside.


    When Ava looked over, she sawn getting into the car.


    "What are you doing?" she askedn.


    Jan sat next to her and smiled at her.


    "What am I doing here? Well, I am going to apany you. I thought you would


    feel bored."


    He winked at her. Ava rolled her eyes and turned to look out the window.


    Stephen looked in the rearview mirror and sawn staring at Ava.


    "He is broke right now. Don''t you think we should help him? Even though I am


    aware that you andn are at odds, you two fought..."


    Ronald paused because Ava was inside the car with them. With augh, he said,


    "Let''s help the future Alpha for today, okay?"


    Stephen looked at Ronald and asked,


    "What makes you sit here? She could have sat next to me."


    "Calm down, buddy. I am not going to eat your sister alive, but I have ns to do


    soter." (3)


    92

 Chapter 92

    92


    The whole car went silent. Ian''s words left Ava stunned. Her eyes froze as she gazed out the window.


    Stephen turned his head to look at Jan.


    "Can you please shut up?"


    Jan smirked as he observed Ava''s side profile. Ronald patted Stephen''s shoulder.


    "Why are you putting yourself between them? Your sister is capable of dealing with him."


    Ava turned her head to look at Ronald. "Would you kindly ask your friend to refrain from speaking with me? I am over him."


    Ronald nced at Ava and gave her a cheeky smile. ¡°Do you believe anyone has any control over him? Even his parents struggled to keep him under control. Who are we to have the power to do that?"


    Aftersaying that, Ronald burst outughing.


    The three people in the car looked at Ronald with serious expressions.


    Ronald realized that and cleared his throat. "Oh, wasn''t that funny?"


    "No, not at all," Ava replied.


    The car began to move as Stephen refocused his attention on the road and began driving.


    The ride was silent.


    Ava did not move her head and tried to remain still in her seat.


    She sensedn approaching her abruptly. She looked at him and realized he was closer to her than before. He seemed to move his body, and his leg came to brush against her.


    She moved her leg so it did note into contact with him. But once again he moved closer. She closed her eyes in annoyance and turned to look directly into his eyes.


    "What?" she asked in a low tone.


    "What what?" he questioned back as he leaned to her and whispered.


    She was about to push him with her hand, but he grabbed it and started looking at it.


    "My brother is in the car, and you have the audacity to bother me!" She whispered angrily.


    She noticed Stephen ncing in the rearview mirror. She felt embarrassed.


    "What happened to your hand?" he asked with a desperate tone.


    Ava frowned at his question and looked down at her hand. He was examining her palm. She took a careful look at it.


    There were a few red lines visible in her palm, indicating that she had been hurt before and had healed.


    It came as a surprise to Ava.


    She had no idea when she got hurt. She gave it some thought and found a possibility.


    It could be when she was trying to help Stephen by untying the silver rope. She felt pain, and her hand hurt a lot at that time.


    92


    However, how did her wound heal? She could still remember that when she was withn after the fight, she did not feel any pain in her han!.


    She brought her hand close to her chest and began to think about how the wound had healed.


    "So what is your strategy for this time,n?¡± Ronald asked Jan.


    Ronald''s question was out of the blue. It was clear that he asked to calm the atmosphere inside the car.


    His eyes shifted to her hand again, and they softened.


    He tried to move his focus away from Ava and looked at Ronald.


    "What strategy? I am going to win this game," Ian replied confidently.


    Ava was lost in her thoughts. She could not hear the others conversations. She was thinking about the guy with the green eyes.


    Why was he so eager to see her? What exactly did he want to talk about? What did he do to her? What was that? What did he do with her forehead?


    She raised her hand and touched between her brows. She was totally fine. Then why did she feel like his touch was still on her forehead?


    So many questions were running inside her head. She thought she was going crazy.


    The car reached Gamma Harper''s house.


    "Let''s go."


    Stephen and Ronald got out of the car, headed to the house.


    Ava was lost in her thoughts andn was in her. So none of them got out of the car. (1


    "What happened to you?"n asked in a low tone, getting that she was thinking something deep.


    "I am thinking about that boy. His green eyes had something that caught my attention. It was like he was trying to tell me something. I had seen him before, and he did the same thing then. Today, the way he touched my forehead, I just-" Ava paused as she struggled to find the right word to exin


    However, when she felt a pair of hands cupping her cheeks and turning her face, she realized she was withn and talking to him.


    She immediately grabbed his wrists to remove his hands from her cheeks. But he tightened his grip and leaned in


    her face.


    His eyes were on her forehead, and he asked,


    "Did you just say he touched you? In your forehead? How dare he!"


    92


    asked,


    "Why do you care if someone touches me? Just leave me."


    He looked into her eyes and replied,


    "I don''t like to repeat myself. That Luke guy is not even mypetition. So, now


    you are trying to get closer to that wizard?"


    Ava''s eyebrows raised as she realized she had almost forgotten about it.


    She pushedn''s hands away from her cheeks. "Fepted Luke into my heart. We are dating."


    "From today. I was the one who asked him to date me. I want him."


    Ava could seen''s eyes d?rken. She flinched when he punched the seat in front


    of him.


    "So you want him? Even after so many warnings of mine, you still want him?" "Yes, I like Luke and-"


    1


    "And I like you," he murmured as ifpleting her sentence.


    He tilted his head and kissed her cheek, then muttered,


    "I realized it after I rejected you. I really like you, Ava."


    93


    93

 Chapter 93

    93


    Tan''s confession left Ava frozen. The touch of his lips lingered on her cheek, giving her the electrifying feeling that she wanted to feel when she was close to Luke.


    "I know I-"


    Ava pushed his hand hard, which shockedn.


    Ava''s frozen expression transformed into rage. She red atn and said,


    "Like me? As to how? Insulting me and attempting to force me into being with you against my will? For what? With the intention of ying with me like other girls and then breaking up with me like you did with Nova, is that what you want to do?"


    "I have already exined why I broke up with Nova. Just because of you."


    Ava scoffed at him. "Yes, of course. I caught your eye. So, once you have gotten over me, someone else will catch your eye. It is as simple as that."


    She cut him off and said,


    "It''s toote,n. I don''t like you at all. Look around and try to fix your eyes on someone else. Because it''s not like we are still mates and we are bound to be together."


    After saying that, she turned to open the door. Butn grabbed the knob and stopped her.


    She turned her head, and her heart nearly stopped. He was closer to her.


    "Just tell me why you are doing this. You were in tears the day I rejected you as my mate. You did not seem pleased with it. That means you wanted me, right?"


    Ava collected herself and responded,


    "As you said, I was crying that day, and you showed no mercy. Then why would I want to be with that boy? I would rather stay single than be with him."


    "I don''t want another fight between you and my brother because of me. So you better note to my house before solving your problems."


    She pushed him, opened the door, and got out of the car.


    She did not look back at him for once and made her way to her house.


    When she entered the house, she noticed her mother was at home. Her mother was talking to Ronald and Stephen with a smile on her face.


    Her mother noticed her and walked over to her. "How was your day, Ava?" she asked.


    93


    "Fine, mom," Ava replied.


    Her mother asked her if she had eaten yet. She said she was not hungry and wanted to get some rest.


    Her mother looked at her for some time, asking if she was okay. She replied that she was fine and only felt tired.


    "Where isn?" Ronald asked Ava when she was heading toward the staircase.


    She came to a halt in her steps and turned to face Ronald. Her gaze shifted to Stephen, who looked calm.


    She shifted her focus away from him and responded to Ronald.


    "I don''t know."


    "But he was in the car."


    "I think he does not want toe into our house anymore," she said before going upstairs, leaving both boys perplexed.


    Days passed as Ava tried to remain close to Luke. She had made up her mind about him. She would be his girlfriend and would strive to live a happy life.


    Both Abigail and Debra supported her, saying that she would never get a caring boy like Luke.


    Ava always made an effort to avoidn at the university. Surprisingly, he also did not try to show up in front of her. It appeared that he had finally epted that he and she could not be together.


    It waste in the evening.


    Ava and Stephen were sitting on the couch in the living room. They were watching


    a movie on their 85-inch TV. Ava looked scared because it was a horror film.


    When a horror scene appeared on the screen, Ava became scared, while Stephenughed louder.


    With a mouthful of popcorn, Ava turned to look at Stephen.


    "What''s so funny in the movie? It''s so scary! Why are youughing, Steph?"


    Stephen could not stopughing, and seeing her terrified expression made himugh even more.


    "I am leaving then. Bye."


    Ava put the bowl of popcorn on the small table in front of them and tried to stand


    up.


    Stephen took her hand and sat her down.


    "Lil Sis, why are you so angry? Isn''t it funny? How could a wolf transform into arge ck bird? Is this even a scene? That''s hrious!"


    He startedughing again. Ava took a nce at the screen. Was she a scared kid? If she thought like Stephen, he was right. That was not a terrifying scene.


    She shook her head. ¡°No, no. I can''t think like you boys.." Stephen ruffled her hair and replied,


    "Your brother is a big boy. So you don''t have to be scared of anything, okay?"


    Ava smiled at him and nodded her head. In just a few days, she and Stephen had created a wonderful bond. If someone who did not know them saw them together, they would assume they were biological siblings.


    93


    The sound of the doorbell reached them. The maids dashed to open the main


    door.


    When they opened it, Stephen''s friends entered the house because it was their time to be together.


    Ava stood up and said to Stephen,


    "We will continue watching the movie tomorrow."


    "How about another movie? It is aedy rather than a horror film."


    Ava thought for a moment before giving him a ng


    "Sure."


    As Ava headed to go to her room, she cast a sidelong nce at Stephen''s friends.


    Except forn, everyone was there. Ian did not visit her house after she told him


    not to.


    She shifted her gaze away from them to concentrate on the steps.


    Cyrus'' voice rang out from behind her.


    "It''s been a while. Let''s put an end to this fight. What should we do to celebrate<pn''s birthday? We should organize a party for him tomorrow night. What are your thoughts, Steph?"

 Chapter 94

    94


    1


    +25 80205


    Ava turned her head to look at her brother. Stephen was quiet. His friends looked stunned by his reaction.


    The three of his friends stood up from the couches they had just sat on and asked,


    "Are you for real?" Paul asked with disbelief.


    "Stephen, you have changed after getting a family. We understand how eager you were to have one. But you are pushing your old friends," Cyrus uttered.


    Ronald cast a nce at Ava, who was standing at the stairs te turned his attention back to Stephen and said,


    "It looks like you are too protective about your sister. But you forgot who had been protecting you all along. He isn Dawson, our friend who has never abandoned us and has always protected us, even when we were lost."


    Stephen lowered his head after hearing Ronald. He was right. Ian was the one who rescued them whenever they were in danger. Their lifestyles were part of his decision. If today they could live so carelessly and with some power, it was all because ofn.


    When Ava noticed her brother''s silence, she turned and went downstairs.


    She walked up to Stephen, who was sitting on the couch and ced her hand on his shoulder.


    Stephen raised his head to look at her.


    Ava could see his eyes were filled with confusion. His eyes begged her to allow him to be with his friend, even though it would cause problems in the future.


    Ronald looked over at Cyrus, and Paul then said,


    "Let''s go. We don''t have toe here anymore. He chose to be alone. It''sn''s birthday, and he expected us to sit here alone and think about the reason behind the fight? He is no longer our friend."


    Cyrus and Paul looked at Stephen before turning to Ronald, who was already leaving the house. They let out a sigh and left the house.


    Ava saw them leaving. She wanted to stop them but prevented herself. She thought she should talk to her brother at first.


    So she sat next to him and said,


    "Brother."


    Stephen dropped his head and muttered,


    "Don''t mind my friends. They are just mad at me."


    Ava was surprised that despite everything his friends had said to him, he was still thinking about her.


    She locked her arm with him and rested her head on his shoulder.


    Stephen gazed at her and said,


    "I know he is a bad boy. But it is only from the outside. He has an inner softness.


    He has some anger issues, and sometimes he does not like to listen to others SO-"


    Ava moved her head from his shoulder and looked at Stephen.


    "I don''t need to know about him. But how long have you been friends with him?"


    Her question stunned him, but he replied immediately.


    More than ten years."


    Ava showed no signs of surprise. It was because she could see how upset Stephen was,


    She had also seenn''s concern for Stephen when he received calls from others that night. Though Ronald wasn''s best friend,n tried to give attention to all of them. He valued their friendship. He was not a good mate, but he was a good friend.


    "Stephen, don''t fight like kids. Just let it go and release the grudge from your heart. I know you care for me, but 1 have talked to him about us. I do not think he will bother me again. Even if he does, you don''t have to break your friendship for me. I will take care of everything"


    As if Stephen only needed her consent, the heaviness in his heart lifted. He immediately hugged her tiefestly.


    Ava let out a chuckle. Her smile faded when she realized that she had made her brother''s life difficult because now his own friends were questioning him.


    Stephen broke the hug. To lighten his mood, Ava asked,


    "So what is your n for his birthday?"


    Stephen was taken aback by her easygoing demeanor. "It is fine if you don''t want


    toe to the party we are nning for him."


    Ava shook her head and replied,


    "Why won''t Ie? He is our future Alpha. Of course, I wille and enjoy the party."


    Stephen broke out in a wide smile. After all these days, Ava finally saw that smile. It was as if he was upset over their fight.


    Ava stood up and said,


    "Then contact your friends and n forn. I am going to sleep now. Good night."


    Stephen grasped her hand. She looked at his hand before shifting her gaze to him.


    "Ava, I have something to tell you."


    "Yes?"


    He loosened his grip and muttered,


    "I have been observingn. He has be strange. I mean, he has changed. We have never seen him without girls, but now he ispletely different. I heard what


    he told the girls in the cafeteria a few days ago. I think he "


    He paused briefly to look at Ava.


    Ava gulped and averted her gaze from him. "Stephen, I-"


    "Ava, you know bom very protective of you. Still, I am saying it to you. I think he


    was right when he said he was feeling regret."


    Ava stepped away from him and said,


    "It''s toote, Steph."


    He got up and grabbed her hands. "I am not saying you should give him a chance. But I believe he should properly


    5


    ** Th*** is no need for him to make an apology. He just eds to keep his distance from me, which he is doing ng now, and the fi


    did you miss the way he add the by who was foolish ough to touch you? That protectiveness... I had never witnessed him acting toward another in this y


    Ava recalled the moments that Stephen reminded her of. Pat she had moved on, and there was no way she wanted to get in touch with tan


    "Stephen, I am happy with Luke. He is going to ask me to be his girlfriend soon, maybe in the basketball final. I am willing to ept him: S01 don''t have to think about fannymore." (7

 Chapter 95

    95


    95


    "Party? Butst night..."


    Ronald paused, as he spoke on the phone with Stephen. But his gaze was drawn to fan, who was sitting on his bike. While looking at the ss door of a tattoo shop,n was smoking a cigarette.


    "Ronald, you know I was mad at him. But then Ava-"


    "Again Ava? What''s wrong with you, St¨¦ph? Are you still thinking about her? She looks happy with her boyfriend, Luke. What aboutn? Can''t you see his situation?"


    Stephen was silent. As his gaze remained fixed onn, Ronald exhaled deeply and let out a long breath. He could not see his best friend in this state.


    Over the past few days,n had stopped using his father''s belongings, which included his father''s money and vehicles. He started smoking more than he had before and stopped talking to everyone. Because he was broke, he wanted to drink but could not do it. On the other hand, he was the kind of person who would never ask his friends for financial assistance.


    Rnd used to believe that makingn realize his feelings for Ava would make everything right. That was why he was mockingn about his feelings.


    Who expected the situation to turn out the other way, with his best friend losing himself?


    "I know everything. As of right now, Luke is not Ava''s boyfriend. And now, what do you expect me to do? We are all bad boys. But when ites to our family, none of us can see ourselves with them. Because we are aware of one another''s personalities."


    When Ronald heard Stephen, he rolled his eyes. "Bro, in the future, you will have to choose between your future Alpha and your lovely sister; who will you pick?"


    As if Stephen were taken aback by the question, he cleared his throat and replied, "I do not believe that day will evere.''


    11


    Ronald did not want to argue with Stephen, but he was mad at his sister. Whenn was saying that he liked her and wanted to be with her, then why could she not reconsider it?


    "Take an ear, Steph. You should enjoy your time with your little sister. There is no need to be concerned aboutn or his birthday. I am still alive to take care of it.¡±


    Ronald did not give him a chance to speak further and ended the call.


    He walked over ton and leaned against the bike, standing next to him.


    His eyes also went to the tattoo shop.


    "What are you looking at?" Ronald askedn.


    The smoke that emanated from his mouth spread like a cloud around his face, making it difficult for other people to see it clearly.


    "Nothing much," Ian replied.


    The first thing that Ronald looked at wasn''s wrist, and then he moved his gaze to his forearm. He nced at his


    new tattoo.


    95


    "You were in a bad mood, so I didn''t ask you. This tattoo..."


    Tan lowered his head and looked at the tattoo. "You are right."


    Ronald looked at him and asked,


    "This is incredibly painful. Did you do that during your fight with Stephen?"


    "No. When I fought with her. She made me realize that I don''t deserve her."


    Without uttering a single word, Ronald continued to fix his gaze onn. Ian''s gaze returned to his tattoo.


    "Do you know why the sun and the moon can''t be togethern asked, looking at his tattoo.


    "Why?" Ronald asked in a low tone.


    After letting out a chuckle,n responded by saying,


    "It''s because the sun wants to protect the moon from itself. But it leaves no opportunity to fully illuminate the moon so that it can shine." 1


    Ronald was speechless. Did he just refer to himself as the sun and Ava as the moon?


    Ronald shook his head as he felt thatn started to talk out of context.


    "What about the line between them?" Ronald asked.


    "This line is fate. Fate can never let the moon and sun be together. That thin line will always remind them of their ces and always make them apart from each other." 1


    Ronald pattedn''s shoulder and murmured,


    "When did you start to think like this? This tattoo has a very deep meaning. Is she aware that you designed this tattoo specifically for her? I mean, whenever you see this tattoo, you think about her."


    Blowing smoke out of his nose,n tried to find the right words to exin.


    "She doesn''t need to know. She is happy with someone else. I don''t want to bother her again."


    Ronald was sorry for him. The big bad boy had turned into a lover boy. "Tomorrow is your birthday. I heard your dad will return your bank cards. You will get your cars and bike back. What is your n? Let''s go somewhere with bikes."


    Ronald had a simple n. He would throw a party in his farmhouse and invite everyone on the campus to celebrate the night. However, before that,n needed to go to that ce, which was a little away from the town.


    "I can''t go anywhere with anything. I don''t want to use my dad''s cars or cards anymore. I am okay with how I am. living. That bus ride, cheaper food, and no alcohol parties are not so bad, you know."\


    Ronald gave him a bored look. "Bro,e on. Let''s go with us. I promise we will have fun. You will thank meter.


    I won''te."


    "Come on."


    Their argument continued, as none of them wasted to fonently, as hard to ages


    with analit


    He promised that he would apany him and others to bike tira


    Jan assumed it would be no more than a ride or a long dri


    On the other hand, Ronald pondered in his head,


    ''I wish I could make you happy and persuade Ava to attend gow birthday party, it


    wont be the best gift for you and your upset heart.''


    96

 Chapter 96

    "So you are going to his birthday party?" Luke inquired, his gaze fixed on Ava. They were sitting on a bench near the basketball court. Since the basketball final match was the day after tomorrow, Luke was practicing hard.


    "Yeah," Ava replied, sipping the apple juice that she had just bought from the cafeteria beforeing to the basketball court.


    Luke wiped his sweat with a white towel after turning away from Ava.


    Anc


    Ava noticed that Luke was not pleased after hearing that, so she tried to ease his mind by exining,


    ¡°Luke, I understand your thoughts, but as I previously stated, there is a beef between Stephen andn. If I do not attend the party and enjoy myself with you, Abi, and Debra, Stephen might believe that I have not moved on, which is not true. I have moved on, right?"


    Luke turned his head to face her and asked,


    "Have you really moved on, Ava?"


    Ava was taken aback by his question. She got up from the bench and said,


    "Why did you ask that? You know what I want; I have tried everything to move on, and now that I am feeling carefree, you are asking this question.¡±


    Luke stood up and held her hand. "Rx. Don''t get mad. I was just asking."


    Ava frowned at him. "You can''t just ask me that every single day. Every day since I asked you to date, you have asked me the same question. What will I do to make you believe that I don''t love him anymore?"


    Ava felt tired of answering the same question. Why could he not see that she was trying?


    It was not easy for her. If it was just a rtionship thatn had broken up, she could have gotten over him after some day. But he rejected her as his mate, which affected her wolf.


    Her wolf was still not well. She could not feel her wolf except when she was close ton. She still could not understand why he had an impact on her wolf.


    Thest few days she had made every effort to avoid any kind of encounter withn. It somehow affected her wolf. The painful wounds that had almost stoppeding restarted to appear on her back.


    Her back was hurting, and she could not tell anyone. There was no one who could help her.


    She remembered Abigail''s uncle, who was an Epsilon. He had told her that no one could help her or rescue her


    wolf.


    "Ava, I am really sorry. I really like you. That''s why I don''t want to lose you. Please don''t get mad at me."


    Ava heard Luke and let out a deep breath. She thought he was right from his perspective. He might be feeling


    insecure.


    Ava responded with a nod. "It''s okay. See you at night."


    Luke smiled at her and replied, "Okay."


    Ava left the basketball court and went to the department of marketing. She waited for Abigail and Debra there. They both had the same sses today.


    As Ava waited for them, she stood next to a window. She noticed her brother hade to the university by bike. Not only he but also his other friends did the same.


    96


    She did not seen there. Perhaps they were able to convince him not toe to campus to that their party for him would not be tuined.


    Before Ava could walk out of that building, Stephen had already started the bike and left the campus


    "These kids are really rich! Private cars, bikes, sports cars, what more do they have?" She mormored and shock her head.


    "Ava"


    She heard Abigail''s and Debra''s voices. They called her together. Ava turned around and hugged them


    "So what is our n for tonight?" Debra asked.


    Since Ava had already told them in their group about going ton''s birthday party, they were aware of it.


    "Let''s go to my house. Then we can spend some time thinking about it," Ava offered them.


    Abigail and Debra both agreed.


    When Ava got in her car, Debra got inside. Abigail told her driver to leave because she was going with Ava


    After the three of them were seated together in the backseat, the driver started the car.


    In the whole ride, theyughed and gossiped about what had happened in their sses.


    Everything seemed to be getting normal for Ava. It was like after staying away fromn, she had almost forgotten him and his closeness. 1


    "The girls finally stopped talking about you andn. Now there are new rumors circting about you. They are saying that Luke will kiss you if he wins the match," Debra said, winking at Ava.


    Ava was stunned. Because of whatn had said to her in front of others in the cafeteria, people used to talk about them. However, once they saw her and Luke together, they assumedn had stopped approaching her and she was now only with Luke.


    "K-Kiss?" Ava mumbled.


    She just thought about something like that with Luke and her heart clenched inside for no reason. It felt as though she was not ready for it yet.


    But she did not tell her friends about it and slid this topic with augh.


    Abigail nced at Ava and asked,


    "Are you sure you are going tonight?"


    Ava nodded her head. Debra wrapped her hands around Abigail and Ava''s


    shoulder since she was sitting in the middle, then said,


    "If not tonight, then never. If that day I had been in Abi''s ce, I would have suggested you y with that bad boy.


    11


    "And what about Luke?" Abigail asked Debra.


    Debra smirked at her and replied, "She can have both, you know."


    Both Abigail and Ava gave her a poker face, and Debra burst intoughter.


    "Okay, okay, I was just kidding. Come one, guys."


    96


    Ava looked out of the window as she recalled the day in Stephen''s car. Ian made


    a confession to her. She believed he was just trying to y with her. That type of yboy could not be yed by any girl.


    "What are you nning to wear? Have you decided?" Abigail asked Ava.


    She turned to look at her, and Debra then shook her head it response.


    Debra''s eyes brightened as she said,


    "Why don''t you wear the ck dress you boughtst time? That dress with the back chain! Your body and curves would look so hot on it."

 Chapter 97

    97


    Sitting on the floor, resting on the edge of the bed, he threw the ball to the wall, which returned to him the next moment. He wore a sleeveless ck t-shirt. Whenever he moved his hand, his muscles moved with it.


    n, you-"


    His mother, Carolina Dawson, paused at the door.


    She noticed her son was focused on the ball. Though his sharp eyes were on the ball, he looked into some other thoughts.


    She stepped into the room and walked toward the bed with slow steps. She sat down on the edge of the bed, where he was leaning back.


    n."


    "Mom."


    Carolina stared at her son. Ian had be more calm over thest few days. Her son was not like that. Though she and Alpha Martin always tried to discipline him, it did not mean she expected him to lose himself.


    He did not change himself but instead became silent. As if something was bothering him. She feared that something had shattered her son''s heart.


    Carolina reached out and ruffled his hair. ¡°Ian, my son. What happened to you suddenly?"


    "What happened to me? Nothing."


    Carolina was taken aback by his calm,posed tone of voice. It indicated that he was upset.


    She removed her hand from his head and ced it on his shoulder.


    She pointed her finger to his muscles and said,


    "Did someone break my strong son''s heart? Tell me. Have you scared anyone with these muscles, tattoos, and piercings?" 1


    He smiled at his mother. He leaned into herp and rested his head.


    "Mom?"


    "Hmmm?" Carolina asked, moving his fingers on his soft locks.


    "Mom, am I too bad?"


    Carolina paused her hand and tilted her head to look at him.


    "Wait a minute! Are you saying this? I can''t believe it."


    Carolina continued to y with his hair. "Why is it giving me the feeling that someone taught my son a lesson


    175 WWW


    97


    that we couldn''t teach his even after so much scolding?"


    touches.


    He did not know when he drew a line between himself and His parents that he could not share anything, with them. His father was exempt since he was strict to him, but Tan did the same with his mother as well.


    "Mom, what if I say I did something really bad and now I am regretting it? Do you think that I can be forgiven?"


    "Hmmm. Well, that depends on what you have done. Is it something that really hurts someone? Like it left a scar on their hearts and they could never forget it?¡±


    Did he deeply hurt Ava by rejecting her, leaving a wound in her heart?


    He indeed insulted her throughout the university and humiliated her a few other times. He regretted everything,


    In thest few days, he only thought about her and realized that he liked her very much. It was not something physical, but rather something close to his heart. In fact, his wolf also desired her.


    n?"


    "Yes, Mom."


    "Are you in love?"


    His mother''s question froze him. He blinked his eyes and slowly raised his head from herp.


    He nced at his mother, trying to understand her question.


    Love was a big thing. He had never considered it. He believed he liked Ava and wanted to be with her. He had no idea about their future, nor did he consider it in his mind.


    Despite this, he felt possessive whenever he got close to other boys. He even felt it when he first saw her with Stephen. Luke was someone he hated because he was with her.


    "Love?" he muttered in a low tone.


    Carolina looked at him closely and said,


    "If you feel that you can''t see a girl with someone else except you, but at the same time you can let her do that for her happiness, then that''s called love."


    Looking at his puzzled expression, Carolina smiled at her son.


    She cupped his cheeks and kissed his forehead.


    "My baby, if you love someone, you can go for her. Just don''t y with her, and always be loyal to her. A yboy attitude may attract escorts, but a dignified woman would only want your loyalty. So if only you are ready to change yourself, you can have her. Tell her what''s in your heart and make her believe that you are only her man."


    He got on his feet and grabbed his phone from the nightstand.


    It was Ronald''s call. He received the call, and Ronald told him that they were all outside the pack house.


    97


    Carolina got up and smiled at him. Jan hugged her.


    "Thanks, Mom. You said a lot of things today. I will keep them in my mind."


    Carolina patted his back and wished him all the best. She did not ask anything else, as if giving him personal space.


    His eyes fell on Stephen, but he did not say anything to him


    However, Stephen got off the bike and approached him.


    n."


    again.


    But Stephen surprised him when he pulled him in a hug.


    "I am sorry, buddy. I should have ended the fight that night. It took me so long to


    hug my friend."

 Chapter 98

    98


    A car came to a stop in front of a big house. Three girls stepped out of the car.


    The three of them looked hot and attractive. Others around the car looked at them with surprise.


    "Look how they are looking at us!" Debra said to Abigail and Ava.


    Ava cast a nce at the others. She could see boys who were about to enter the house eyeing her from afar. Meanwhile, the girls gave her cold looks.


    She lowered her head to look at her dress. Her upper body was covered fully by the ck dress, but it was perfectly fitting with her body. It ended up in her mid- thighs. Since it was a fitted dress, she felt that it was too short. Half of her thighs were visible. She was not fond of revealing dresses,


    "I swear! Ava looks bang-on. Boys are going to dream of her after tonight," Abigail said.


    Ava nced at her and let out a chuckle. "I know you are trying to cheer me up."


    "No way. She is so right. Look at you. With this look and appearance, you can kill any boy, and they will be ready to let you do that," Debra uttered.


    The three of themughed at their own words.


    Ava shook her head, then took a deep breath.


    "Let''s go inside," she said.


    Ava entered the house with her friends. She could not help but be in awe when she saw Ronald''s farmhouse. It was very simr to Stephen''s farmhouse. However, the difference was that it was near the hillside. Driving on this road was difficult, so everyone came with their drivers rather than driving their cars on their


    own.


    In daylight, you might be able to see the hills'' beauty. But the long windows allowed everyone to see outside. There were trees all around the house. In the darkness, the hills looked like ck shadows.


    Ava walked inside while looking around. Since it was a Power Gang''s party, there was no doubt they turned the house into a club.


    Ava could see girls and boys enjoying the party. The loud music and smoke made her vision blurry. It was like there was an addiction to the smoke that could drive people''s minds crazy.


    "Let''s have a drink," Abigail asked.


    Ava and Debra agreed and headed to the bar. After grabbing three sses of beer, they walked to a corner.


    "Where is your brother?" Debra asked Ava.


    "Maybe he ising withn," Ava replied.


    Just at that moment, all the lights in the house switched off Ava grasped Abigail and Debra''s hands tightly. She was afraid of the darkness.


    "It''s okay, babe. It might be a ckout. They will arrange something soon," Debra said, calming Ava in the dark.


    "Yes, Ava. We are here with you. Don''t worry," Abigail added, patting her hand.


    Everyone was making loud noises due to the sudden power cut. However, when they heard the bikes'' loud silencers, they became silent. They realized who had just arrived.


    After a while, the main door opened and the lights turned on.


    429 BOWS


    Ava felt relieved when the lights came back on. She exhaled deeply. However, when her gaze fell on the door, she nearly forgot to breathe.


    Jan was at the door, looking at the people at the party. He had a confused look on his face. It was as if he was unaware of the party. After all, it was a surprise party for hiin.


    His ck clothing gave him a charming aura. Ava''s gaze moved to his face. He had his one brow pierced, which enhanced his attractiveness.


    Ava shifted her gaze to his lips when he bit his bottom lip with his teeth. Her heart raced as she noticed the mole under his lower lip.


    Despite the distance between them, she felt very close to him. She could see him very clearly. She felt enchanted as if she could see him without boundaries.


    "Here is the birthday boy!"


    Ava looked away fromhn when she heard the other girls.


    She noticed that Debra and Abigail were looking at her.


    "What?" she asked in a whisper.


    Debra nced atn and mumbled,


    "Why did you look lost in him just a minute ago? What''s on your mind, Ava?"


    Ava froze at her question. "No, that is not-


    11


    "Or perhaps you epted my suggestion?" Debra remarked, raising her brows.


    Ava smiled at her. She knew her friend was just pulling her leg.


    But when she nced at Abigail, she saw she was calm.


    "Where is Luke?" Abigail asked.


    Ava pulled out her phone from her bag to call Luke. She dialed his number and found it was ringing.


    While holding her phone near her ear, she once again nced in the direction wheren was.


    Her heart skipped a beat as she noticed him looking at her.


    She felt a shiver run down her spine as she saw his eyes move down her body, observing her from head to toe.


    She recalled what had happened in Stephen''s car a few days ago.


    "Hello? Ava?"


    She quickly turned away fromn and exhaled.


    "Ava, are you hearing me?" Luke''s voice spoke out again."


    Ava realized that she was holding her phone and Luke was in the line.


    "Luke, where are you? We are at the party, waiting for you.


    "I will be there soon. I am on my way, Ava."


    "Okay,e safely."


    98


    "Alright."


    After hanging up the phone, she turned to her friends. Only Abigail was there because Debra had dready g the dance floor.


    Abigail gestured to Ava to look somewhere.


    "You came here to enjoy the party, right? Why bother confronting the birthday boy?"


    Ava nodded and turned back to look atn. He was no longer looking at her.


    When she noticed Stephen was talking with Jan like old times, she felt relieved in


    her heart. She did not want to ruin anyone''s friendship for her.


    Ava took a sip of the beer and said to Abigail,


    "You are right. It should not even bother me."

 Chapter 99

    Jan spent the entire day riding the bike with their friends. I did not bother his father about getting his bike back. Paul had an old bike that he gaven.


    Whenn considered returning to the pack house, Ronald offered him and the others a ride to his nearby farmhouse.


    Jan did not think much, and he agreed with him.


    But when he arrived at the house and walked inside, he was surprised.


    His friends nned a party for him. The beginning hour of his birthday was still a few hours away. They told him


    to enjoy the night and then cut the cake in the middle of the night that they had prepared for him.


    At that moment, fan''s gazended on the hottest girl in the party. For him, it was none other than Ava.


    However, for some reason, he felt she was more beautiful than hot.


    Her dress covered her upper body, leaving her legs exposed. They looked fair and smooth. Her thighs brushed against one another as she moved closer to the bar.


    That dress was scornful to his eyes because he could see every curve of her body.


    When she turned around, a few boys were staring at her back.


    "What''s wrong?" Stephen asked.


    "Nothing."


    Rnd nced at Ava and askedn,


    "Are you bothered by someone''s presence?"


    His friends were stunned. However, when they looked in the direction wheren was looking again, they understood what he was talking about.


    Stephen foundn''s angry reaction amusing. He motioned toward the couches. They all sat down there together.


    "My sister is hot. What can other boys do? It''s not like we never look at other girls."


    Today, Stephen had an open conversation withn about Ava. So everything between them was now totally okay. They were really close friends, and nothing could shake their friendship.


    His eyes were bristling with jealousy. He did not like how other boys were staring at Ava.


    Many girls came ton. They even prepared gifts for him, which Ronald instructed them to ce on therge table near the dining room.


    Some of the girls wore revealing clothes to impressn. Little did they know,n Dawson had changed. He was no


    25 BOBS


    99


    longer attracted to the allering bodies. Someone else now owned his heart. Everyone started to drink. A few girls joined them on the couch.


    A girl wearing shorts and revealing tops approachedn and sat next to him before he could refuse her.


    "Hi,n. What''s up?"


    The girl reached over his t-shirt and put her hand on his abs. Jan was about to push the girl away, but his eyes fell on Luke entering the house.


    He saw Luke directly go to Ava. They smiled warmly at one another and then hugged.


    "If you keep staring at her like that, then there is no reason for this party. Just enjoy it, Jan. Go and talk to her, or just leave her and feel the night," Ronald said ton in their mind link.


    Why was she not pushing that boy away from her, as she had done every time he tried to get too close?


    He felt the girl next to her grabbing his hand and cing it on her thigh. He looked down at his hand and noticed her moving it to her upper thigh.


    She almost brought his hand inside her shorts, but he yanked it away.


    "Leave," he murmured, turning away from the girl.


    His eyes drew on Ava again, but his heart started to beat faster when he noticed her looking at him.


    She took a quick nce at the girl and then at him. Luke said something to her, and she looked away from him.


    ''Did that bastard try to portray me wrong to her?'' he thought in his mind.


    He was certain Ava misunderstood his intention. She might be thinking that he was with this girl.


    Luke took her and her friends somewhere far from his sight. He felt insecure on the inside.


    "Ian, did I make you mad?" the girls whispered in his ear.


    "Yeah, I am mad. Do you want to break my anger?"


    The girl responded by nodding her head.


    "Go find Ava, and then bring her here."


    The girl was shocked. She got up from the couch. She recalled what happened in


    the cafeteria a few days ago.


    She had only one question in her mind. Wasn pursuing Ava?


    The girl did not want to pass up the opportunity to be withn, even if it was only


    for a minute: So she dashed to her friends and asked them to gather some people.


    Asn was drinking while talking with his friends, that girl came back with Ava and her friends. Luke was also


    with them.


    +25 BOWS


    Some familiar faces from fie university approached them as well.


    "Why are all of you gathered here as though we are going to y a game?" Ronald asked.


    With a nod of her head, the girl replied,


    "Why don''t we spin the bottle?"


    Stephen shook his head. "No way. I don''t want anything like thest time."


    "Last time I missed the game. It''s my birthday party. So I think we should y. How about we drop the dare and just ask the truth?"


    100

 Chapter 100

    The group of people that the girl chose and gathered there agreed to y the game. They chose an empty hall room to y the game.


    Ava did not want to y the game, but Luke persuaded her. He said he wanted to enjoy the party with her. How could Ava forget that Luke was a party freak?


    Abigail and Debra were thrilled because there were no dares and none of their friends would have to bear any consequences.


    As Stephen and his friends got up from the couches to move on, Ava did her best to ignoren.


    However, when he walked past her, his arm brushed against hers, causing her to jerk inside.


    Luke grabbed her hand and asked,


    "Are you alright?"


    "Y-Yeah."


    Luke noticed her changing behavior, but he did not say anything to her.


    After trailing Ronald, they walked into a room filled with couches.


    But everyone chose to sit on the floor.


    Everyone sat on the floor and ced a bottle in the center.


    Ava noticed her friends patting a ce for her to sit. Ava lowered her dress and sat down, folding one leg over the other.


    She wished she had not worn this dress. She had to sit ufortably on the floor because if she moved slightly, the people in front of her could see between her thighs.


    She sat embarrassedly, hands on herp to conceal her thighs.


    Her gaze was drawn ton, who hade to sit in front of her on the opposite side. He was facing her. She assumed he purposefully chose that ce.


    She gritted her teeth in rage.


    ''What a shameless man!'' she thought.


    However, the next thing thatn did really shocked her and others around them.


    "Sitfortably.


    Everyone was shocked by his actions and gentle words.


    Ava immediately ced the pillow on herp and sat properly.


    She felt bad for mistaking his intention when he looked at her thighs.


    Ava nced at Luke, who was staring at the pillow. Meanwhile, Abigail and Debra''s jaws dropped.


    Everyone started to get excited when Ronald spun the bottle


    Stephen was the one in front of the bottle when it stopped spinning.


    "Have you ever been in love?" A girl asked.


    ¡°No, I don''t trust in love. But maybe things will turn around if I find someone who


    can look out for me and my attitude." Stephen answered.


    Girls and boys cheered him as they liked his answer. Ava smiled at her brother. She hoped he would soon find the girl he truly wanted.


    Next, the bottle stopped in front of Abigail.


    It was Debra who raised her hand to ask her a question. Abigail red at her and shook her head.


    "You can''t question me. No, no,"


    With a sly smile, Debra questioned,


    "Are you crushing on someone over here?"


    Abigail did not look at anyone. Debraughed at her. "Come on, babe. If you can''t answer, you have to drink the whole bottle of the whiskey."


    "Have you lost your mind?"


    "Yes, I have," Debra replied.


    Ava patted Abigail''s shoulder. "Just answer her. You don''t need to take names."


    "Yes, I do have a crush on someone here," Abigail replied.


    Ava was taken aback. ncing around, she tried to figure out who it might be. She was unaware of it. Abigail would have to askter. But then she thought when Abigail wanted to share it with her, she would. So she should not press her for anything to spill.


    When it was Luke''s turn, Abigail asked him,


    "Is it true that you will soon propose to Ava to be your girlfriend? Do you really like her?"


    Ava gave Abigail a look. Abigail winked at her.


    Luke chuckled and nodded his head.


    "That''s true, I will. I really like her. She is just the perfect girl for me."


    Ava heard Luke''s answer, but her eyes went ton. Ian''s eyes darkened as he stared at Luke, seemingly intent on killing him.


    Ava quickly averted her gaze from him and grabbed Luke''s hand. She recalledn beating the boys when she went with him to rescue Stephen. She could not get over how ruthlessly he could beat others.


    She was concerned for Luke.


    Luke caressed her hand and leaned close to her ear. He whispered to her,


    "Are you impressed with my response? Well, that''s true."


    100


    Ava pursed her lips and lowered her head. She did not know what to say.


    She began to feel like she was not doing right with Luke. Did she really him in the same way he liked her? Or


    did she just use him to move on in her life? Would there be any future for this kind of rtionship?


    "Ava! It''s your turn!"


    2


    She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Abigail''s voice. She noticed the bottle had stopped in front of her.


    "I''m


    going to ques-


    The girl who was withn was about to question Ava. Butn cut her off and asked,


    "Have you ever loved someone?"


    Everyone was shocked whenn mentioned love. They could not believe what magic had done Ava to him that he began to speak in thenguage that he had never wanted to learn.


    Ava nced atn, who was looking into her eyes.


    Ava''s heart was pounding.


    She felt Luke patting her hand. She turned to look at Luke. He was aware of her


    past.


    "It''s okay to answer. You don''t need to give him the name to satisfy his ego.


    Ava realized that he was right. She could just tell the truth and leave the name behind. It was not like she was still in love with him.


    She could feeln''s gaze under her when she was looking at Luke.


    She took a deep breath and locked her gaze withn, then replied,


    "Yes,"


    14


    before asking her another question.


    "Who is he?"!

 Chapter 101

    Ava seemed to be taken aback. The way he asked the question with the anger in his face surprised everyone. "Dang! You can''t ask two questions," a boy said to


    Ava spoke out,


    "It''s none of your business."


    Everyone let out gasps. They could not believe she had responded so boldly ton.


    That was the reason why he had asked her the question.


    But when he saw her looking at Luke after hearing his question, his blood started to boil.


    It looked like the person was Luke. She was in love with Luke. Ian could not take


    it.


    ¡°Excuse me. I am going for a drink. I can''t y anymore," Ava said, getting on her feet.


    Luke raised his head to look at her. "I aming with you.


    Ava nodded her head in response.


    "Okay."


    Her one reply zed fire inn''s chest. He clenched his jaw while staring at Ava. Luke looked at him, demonstrating that he had won.


    Abigail and Debra followed her.


    Stephan directed his gaze atn.


    Ronald turned to look atn as well. He could see his best friend was on the verge of losing control.


    Before he could speak to him to handle him,n red at others.


    The girl who was sitting besiden stuttered,


    "S-Shall we c-continue?"


    "Fuck off!"


    He left the room, leaving his friends behind.


    Ronald, Cyrus, and Paul nced at Stephen. As if Stephen felt their gazes, he looked at them.


    "Your sister looks mad. She has a secret lover," Ronald remarked in their mind links.


    Stephen shrugged his shoulders and replied,


    "It can be anyone. Who knows?"


    Ronald raised an eyebrow. He smirked as if he had something in his head. He left the room, looking for his best


    101


    friend.


    Meanwhile,n went to sit on a couch. When the waiters brought a tray of wine to


    the small table in front of him, he grabbed a ss.


    He chugged down sses after sses.


    Ava wasughing with Luke. It stung his eyes.


    "You are here!"


    Ronald approachedn and sat next to him. Ian avoided looking at him while drinking.


    Ronald nced in the direction wheren was staring.


    Ronald leaned close ton''s ear and said,


    "Why so mad? Can''t you see she is so happy with that boy? He will soon be her boyfriend. After that, she will be his. Then only he will have the right tough with her, touch her, and kiss-"


    Ronald noticedn''s eyes turning red in anger. Ronald nced atn''s hand and grabbed it. He removed it from his cor and said,


    "I never thought my best friend was such a coward. If you want her this much, why are you even giving another boy chances?"


    Ronald frowned at him and asked,


    "If you know, then why are you not doing something?"


    "I warned her a lot of times. If I had wanted, I could have beaten that boy to death.


    But I could not bear the thought of her getting hurt because of me. She is in love with him."


    Ronald was stunned. He stared at him. He had never seen his best friend so devastated.


    "And are you okay with getting hurt like this?"


    He looked at Ava and Luke. He got up from the couch and walked over to the bar. He noticed Ava and Luke talking


    in a corner.


    It appeared as though Luke was telling Ava to leave with him. When Ronald noticed Luke holding Ava''s hand, he frowned. He turned his head to cast a nce atn.


    So Ronald pulled out his phone from his pocket. He looked up a number and dialed it.


    The other person picked up the phone after four rings.


    "Hello?" the other person spoke out.


    101


    "Do something and get Luke Katz out of my party."


    "Okay, sir."


    "Wait."


    "Yes?"


    Ronald nced at Ava and muttered,


    "He is with a girl. Make sure she does not leave my house without my approval."


    "Sure, Sir."


    Ronald hung up the phone and smirked while looking at Luke. He turned around and ordered a drink with a grin on his face.


    After grabbing the drink, be returned ton. Stephen and others were talking with


    other girls. So it was easy for Ronald to converse withn.


    He did not forget to nce at Ava''s friends who were on the dance floor. It appeared that Ava had told them that she was fine with Luke and that they could enjoy the party.


    He sat besiden and said,


    "This will be yourst chance. Don''t mess up this opportunity with your arrogant ass."


    "What?"


    Ronald singled him in Ava''s direction. Ian nced at Ava and noticed that some boys were engaged in conversation with Luke. A few minutester, Luke said


    something to Ava before walking out of the house.


    "What did you do?" he asked Ronald.


    With a sly smile, Ronald whispered,


    "I just tried to save my best friend from feeling guilty for not expressing his


    feelings to his girl."n nced at Ava again. Ava was looking at her friends as


    she stood alone in the bar''s corner. After putting the ss down on the small table in front of him,n rose up from the couch


    102


    +

 Chapter 102

    102


    Moving away from the lounge area,n headed to the bar. Girls came close to him, trying to linger on his body.


    He pushed them aside and walked towards Ava.


    When he approached Ava, she was stunned. He grabbed her wrist, prompting her


    to rise from the stool she had just sat on.


    "What are you doi~"


    He interrupted her by dragging her to the other side.


    n? What''s wrong with you?" She said, struggling to break free.


    Ava, on the other hand, was shocked. She had no idea wheren would take her.


    There was some time left before the clock struck 12 a.m. Ava was not in the mood to celebraten''s birthday, so a few minutes ago she told Luke that she should leave. Luke had agreed and said to her that he would also leave. But a few boys had suddenly approached Luke, and he told her that they needed to speak with him.


    From then on, Ava was feeling lonely at the party. She did not want to bother Abigail or Debra. They were so kind that they left her with Luke to spend time with him.


    She was not sure where she was right now.n was dragging her to somewhere in the house where she could not see anyone. He seemed to know every route through this house.


    While walking past the long hallway windows, she felt a cold breeze from outside. All she could see was moonlight falling to the ground.


    When they entered a hall where the moonlight faded as they moved forward, she began to feel fear in her heart.


    "Can you please stop? What''s wrong with you?"


    She yelled atn.


    He paused abruptly, causing her head to collide with his back. She took a step back and tried to break his grip on


    her wrist.


    She gulped as she sawn''s enraged eyes through the faint moonlight that still coulde through a window.


    She blinked her eyes a few times, hoping to calm her heart. She then collected herself and yanked her hand away, saying,


    "Why did you bring me here,n?"


    "You don''t know the answer?" he asked, taking a step toward her.


    She moved backward while holding her breath.


    "I-I want to leave."


    "Where? Do you have a date with that Luke? Is there anything you n to do with him that you will not be able to do at the party?"


    His cold voice sent shivers down her spine. She cleared her throat and tried to sound confident.


    102


    "W-What are you saying?"


    He grabbed her arms and pressed her against the wall.


    She was stunned. He got closer to her and looked into her eyes.


    "Who is he?"


    His question confused her. So she asked,


    "W-What?"


    "Who is the boy you are in love with?"


    His question caught her off guard. She frowned at him and replied,


    "I told you it was none of your business."


    Her body jerked up when he punched the wall next to her.


    "That is my business. Everything about you is my fucking business."


    She nced at his hand, which appeared to be swollen from the punch.


    He lightly grabbed her jaw, then turned her head to face him.


    "Tell me. Who is that bastard? I will kill him. Is that Luke?"


    Her eyes widened. She could smell alcohol on his breath, and it constantly


    touched her face while he was speaking.


    "Y-you are d-drunk. L-Let me go."


    She began to stutter, not knowing what to reply or do at this moment.


    She removed his hand from her jaw and tried to move away from him. But he grabbed her wrist once again.


    She thought he would yell at her because he was not in his right mind and under the influence of alcohol.


    However, he surprised her, saying,


    "I am sorry, Ava. Please don''t leave me."


    She slowly turned around and saw him calming himself by taking deep breaths.


    He bit his bottom lip, which caused her gaze to shift towards the mole under his


    lip.


    He pulled her closer to him. She gasped as her body came into contact with his. He lowered his head to meet her level. His lips were close to her cheek, and she could feel his warm breath.


    "I-I...¡±


    As if he lost his words, he turned silent. His gaze was fixed on her face, observing her closely under the dim moonlight.


    Her eyshes fluttered as she blinked frequently; she was nervous.


    He leaned close to her eyes, causing her to close them. She felt his lips brush against the eysh in her left eye.


    Her heart nearly forgot to breathe. He moved to her other eye and kissed her eyelid.


    When he moved away from her eyes, she opened them to look at him.


    "Look what you turned me into. Do you think I have ever beaved this strangely towards any other girl?" Lan whispered


    She stared at him, unable to utter a single word. She felt he legs turn to jelly on the floor.


    "Can you forget about that boy ande to me instead?"


    His question froze her, "W-What?" she asked,


    His hand slipped from her hand and wrapped around her waist. Brushing his nose against hers, he replied,


    "The boy you love, can you leave him ande to me? He doesn''t deserve you."


    Her eyes grew wider when she realized what he was trying to say. She realized


    he was talking about Luke because he assumed the boy she was in love with was Luke,


    Ava pushed his chest with all of her strength, forcing him to take a step back.


    ¡°Go and find another girl to y with, okay? I will not leave him. For you? Never." After saying that, just as she was about to turn around to leave,n grabbed her arm and pressed her against the wall again.


    She let out a hiss of pain. She felt hurt in her back, not because of the push but because of the wounds on her back that started to appear again.


    "What happened? I didn''t push you that hard, did I?"


    She closed her eyes in pain, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Jan frowned as he noticed tears rolling down her cheeks.


    "Did I hurt you?"


    "M-My w-wounds... it hurts," she said, biting her bottom lip to hold back tears.


    He was taken aback by her reply.


    She opened her eyes, begging him to let her go. However, in the blink of an eye,


    he turned her around and said,


    "I want to see your wounds."


    103


    +2

 Chapter 103

    103


    Ava froze on the spot when she heard him. With a shake of her head, she turned


    around. "No, no. You can''t see the wounds."


    He furrowed his brows and asked,


    "Why? Is that in your lower back? Is this why you are feeling shy?"


    Ava did not know if this boy understood what he was saying She pushed him slightly and wiped away her tears.


    She shook her head and replied,


    "Look, I know you are drunk. But I think you should go back to the party. My wounds don''t have to do anything to you."


    Saying that, she attempted to move, but he ced both of his hands beside her head.


    As he gazed into her eyes, it appeared as though he was trying to see something within them. She could not understand what. But there was no way she would let him do what he wanted.


    "Am I too bad that you are running away from me?"


    She paused by his question and asked,


    "W-What?"


    Was he too bad? The answer was yes. He was too dangerous for her and her life. He was the one who started the pain. She had no desire to interact with him in any way.


    "Do you think I am drunk?"


    Ava frowned at him. "You are not? Who am I even asking? All the drunk people say that they are not drunk."


    He moved his body closer to hers. She inhaled deeply. The scent of his cologne touched her nose. The rhythm of her heartbeat began to quicken. The pain in the back slowly decreased, as if it were the effect of his closeness.


    "I am not drunk, baby. I would have pounded you against this wall long ago if I had been drunk."


    His voice was calm, but his words made her eyes widen.


    Her cheeks became red. She looked away from him.


    ''No, no, Ava. You are with Luke. He ns to propose to you in two days. You have already told him to give him a chance. You can''t be this close to another boy, especiallyn, who had rejected you as his mate,'' she reminded her in her mind.


    "Now let me see your wounds,"


    "No wa-"


    He cut her off by making her turn around. It left her speechless.


    She tried to move, but he grabbed both of her hands and pinned them over her head with one hand on the wall.


    n, you can''t see this. Have you gone insane? How can you see my wounds?"


    He bent down and nted a kiss on her earlobe. She felt her heart tighten inside by the feeling.


    "Why are you so scared? Are you not wearing anything underneath this dress?"


    She was too shocked to reply,n assumed that the answer to his question was no to be said in a digry gry


    tone,


    "You didn''t wear anything? Who did you n to seduce like that?*


    After saying that, he bit her earlobe. She let out a moan.


    "Aahh!"


    The moan droven crazy. He was not really drunk At least not to the extent that he would do somethingpletely out of his mind.


    He pressed his body against her back and wrapped his other hand around her waist.


    "If you let out another moan, I will forget that you hate me will give you another reason to keep hating me. Because I still haven''t punished you for ignoring my warning and roaming around with another boy in front of me.


    She dosed her legs tightly as she started to feel wet. She had no idea how he could make her body feel like this with just his words and touches.


    "In, let me go."


    "Why? So that you can leave my birthday party without even wishing me?" he asked and tilted his head


    He kissed her cheek and murmured,


    "You are so cruel, baby. I don''t want to be rude to you. Why do you always appear in my sight with that boy?"


    His hand lightly pinched her waist. She moaned again.


    However, it was not a pleasant moan. Ian sensed she was in pain.


    Taking his gaze away from her face, he turned his attention to the dress she was wearing


    He was so lost that he forgot about her wounds. He immediately backed away from her, but he did not let go of her


    hands.


    "Just rx and let me see what''s bothering you."


    His tone conveyed a promise that he would not cause her any harm, and his voice made her feel as though he was reassuring her to remember to remain calm.


    Ava shook her head, trying to break free her hands. Ian was like a stone. He refused to let go of her hands.


    He raised the other hand that was holding his waist. He moved her hair away from her neck.


    Her alluring neck seemed to invite him to attack. But he controlled himself and moved his hand to the back chain of her ck dress.


    The moon appeared to be shielded by a cloud, which now moved away from it, illuminating the hall slightly more. Ian was able to see her clearly. He grasped the chain with his fingers and began to unzip it slowly.


    n, please don''t. I don''t want anyone to see-


    She could not finish her sentence as he had already unzipped her dress. The chain came to an end at her waist.


    She was not wearing any bra inside because the dress was attached with bra pads. A chilling wind caressed her bare back.


    She could feel fan''s stare at her back, which made her feel ashamed. It was because she was not even wearing a revealing dress, which was exposing her back, but he himself unzipped her dress''s chain to see it.


    She was about to tell him to leave her, but she heardn''s shocked voice.


    "What the hell is this? How did you get such wounds on your back?"

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    104


    104


    "Ian, just let me go. I am begging you," Ava said, as she did not want to exin anything. There was a pain in her


    voice.


    His grip loosened around her hands. She immediately turned around and pressed her back against the wall to hide


    1. it.


    Ava was surprised to hear him stuttering. She looked at him while resting her head against the wall.


    Something hit his mind as his brows lifted as if he were shocked once again.


    He used to think that it was due to the push and that she was weaker.


    "How did you get these wounds?" he muttered.


    Ava looked away from him but she did not move.


    this. Because there was no way she could get hurt like this.


    He lifted his hand to touch her cheek, but Ava pushed his hand away.


    "Don''t touch me," she mumbled, folding her arm. She rubbed her arms and fixed her gaze on the floor.


    "Don''t tell me it''s because of m-"


    Ava raised her head to look into his eyes. She could not stop herself from telling him what he had done to her.


    "Yes. These wounds, this pain... it''s all because of you,n Dawson."


    "No, this is not possible. How did I..."


    "You rejected me. My wolf could not take the rejection. Because of you, I almost lost her. She behaved like she had disappeared from inside. You, Ian Dawson, you... because of you, I have to feel this pain every single night. Whenever I wake up in the morning, I feel these wounds on my back."


    "But why?"


    Ava gave him a broken smile. ¡°It seems I am bearing consequences.''


    "I was the one who rejected you. I am supposed to feel it, right?"


    104


    Ava let out sarcastically, "You are right. You should have felt this pain, not me. I wish you could feel it,n."


    Ava''s voice was chilly. Her eyes were cold, demonstrating to him that she hated him.


    With a pair of shaking hands,n stepped toward her.


    Ava noticed his approach and asked,


    "After witnessing what damage you have caused to me, you still want toe close to me? For what? To break me more? What is your next goal? To kill me? You know what? Just kill me already. Maybe after that, you will be satisfied."


    "I know what I did to you is unforgivable. But can you forgive me for once? I swear


    I will make everything right." Avaughed at him. She shook her head.


    "What did you say? You will make everything right? How? Can you make this pain stop? Can you stop these wounds from appearing on my back every single night? What about my wolf? Can you give my wolf back to me?"


    Her questions pausedn. He felt a pang in his heart.


    He had been giving so much pain to this girl unknowingly. She had to endure so many things for his foolishness. "I wish I had not rejected you, Ava."


    Ava averted her gaze from him. She tried to move him away


    "Please don''t push me away."


    His tone was like he was begging her. She paused her hands from moving him away and returned her gaze to his. She thought he was drunk; that was why he said this to her. If he were in his right mind, he would have never said that.


    "My wolf... I don''t know when I will get her back. She is bearing the pain for you. She will never ept you. How will she? After what you did to her, it''s impossible."


    Her hands that cupped her cheeks pulled her toward his face.


    "I will make her like me. Will you give me a chance to be with you?"


    Ava was taken aback. "T-To be with you? And what did you just say? My wolf? There is no one who can save me and rescue my wolf. So it''s better you stay away from me,n. I''am already broken. Don''t break me again."


    He saw tears streaming out of her eyes. He moved his thumbs to wipe them. "Don''t cry. When I said I would make things right, I meant it."


    She frowned at him. "Really? How?"


    He let go of her cheeks and turned her around before she realized what was happening


    "What are you doing?" she asked.


    104


    He grabbed the back of her head and pressed it against the wall.


    "Calm down. Don''t cry if it hurts, okay?"


    Ava was startled. What did he mean? Did he have any other intentions?


    She wanted to curse him for hurting her and breaking her entirely. Ifn did something tonight that degraded her and made her feel like the other girls around him, she would never forgive him.


    However, she was surprised whenn said,


    "Nothing will happen to you or your wolf. I am going to heal your wound right now.".


    Today''s Bant''s Offer

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    105


    The feeling ofn''s fingers brushing against her bare back over her wounds


    caused Ava to close her eyes. Even though she was experiencing pain, she was also experiencing an unknown sensation that was caused by his


    touches.


    She felt his knuckles stroke her upper back. She had no idea how he would heal her.


    "It''s not funny at all. Get away from


    me,n...Aaah!"


    She moaned when he leaned in her back and pressed his lips on the back of her neck.


    His hand let go of her head and grabbed the dress: He pulled it down her shoulders, giving him full ess to her upper back.


    n!"


    Ava let out an angry tone. She did not know why he was doing this.


    How could he heal or help her when an epsilon said to her that no one could help her?


    She pressed her hand to her chest, holding the dress in ce. She was afraid the dress would slip off her shoulders if she did not do it.


    Her heartbeat started to race when she felt his breath on her back.


    When he kissed her wound, she cried in pain.


    He moved his lips to her cheek and kissed her there.


    "Don''t worry. I will relieve your pain as soon as I can," he assured her.


    His lips hadpletely taken over her mind. So even though he was not holding her, she was not pushing him


    away anymore.


    He closed his eyes to take a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, they turned red.


    He slowly leaned on her back. He stuck out his tongue and rolled it over her wounds.


    Ava tightened her fists to keep herself from crying in pain. His tongue felt cold on her wounds. But when it rolled over the wounds, it felt like salt rubbing against her raw wounds.


    Asn moved lower, close to her waist area, he nced at the back of her head to see if she was moving.


    The waist area of her back was the major part of the wounds.


    He reached out his hand to press on her mouth before licking the wounds around her waist.


    At that moment, he desired to rip her entire dress and lick her whole body in order to check whether or not there


    was another wound. But he controlled himself and did not tear her dress.


    Her lips pressed against his palm as she let out,


    "Ummm!"


    105


    She had no words to express how she was feeling at the time. The sensation was something that her body desired to experience, but at the same time, she was afraid to feel once more. The rhythm of his tongue was causing her body to move in time with it.


    Her humming caused him to lick her wound more deeply. He did not only lick her wounded skin but also kiss here and there to ease her pain.


    But he did not tell her anything. Instead, he removed his hand from her mouth and wrapped both of his hands around her waist. He began to kiss her back while rubbing his nose.


    It was driving himpletely insane to get her so close to him.


    Seeing her beautiful back, he felt thirsty. He wanted to devour her. He wanted to make her his. He wanted to tell her that he was the only person in the entire world who could have the ability to fix her in such a state.


    Ava continued to moan againstn''s palm.


    She had no idea when her pain faded and she started to feel dizzy.n''s lips, nose, and tongue were ying with her upper back. She could only moan in response.


    She had never before allowed a boy to touch her body in such a manner. Ian was the only boy who was her first at everything. He stole her first kiss; he was making her crazy by showing her that touches and kisses could give so many sensations inside.


    Her eyes were closed. Her face was pressed against the wall. Her lips were open. "In, I-"


    She was interrupted by a growl from inside her. Her eyes flung open. She got back to her senses when she realized that her wolf was responding to her.


    ''Are you there?'' she asked her wolf.


    Her wolf growled once more, making her eyes widen.


    Tears rolled down her cheeks when she understood that she had finally got back her wolf.


    She could not be more shocked when she realized that there was no pain in her back. It felt like magic. The


    wounds she had been trying to get rid of for so long were healed by the boy who caused them.


    As ifn noticed her frozen state, he med his head away from her back and stood straight. His eyes returned to ck as he stared at her from behind.


    Ava slowly turned around to face him.


    She looked at him and said,


    "M-My wolf is back!"


    "I know," he replied while looking into her eyes.


    She stared at him with a shocked face. "How did you do this?"


    He moved closer to her face, causing her to clutch her dress against her chest.


    105


    "I healed your wounds. Your wolf is free from the pain. She is under no obligation


    to bear any consequences for my actions. I will protect her forever."


    When he heard Ava, her eyes grew wide. There were so many things happening that she could not take everything together. She was relieved that her wolf was back. Butn''s words were shocking to her. So she asked,


    "F-Foreve-mmnn"


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    106


    Ava was shocked by his action. Ian wrapped his hands around her waist and pressed his body against her, causing her back to press against the wall again.


    He tilted his head and moved his lips on hers.


    She sensed that her wolf desired him. Her wolf was unwilling to leave this boy. Her body, including her heart, wanted him.


    What would she do? She had no other choice but to give in.


    She closed her eyes and allowed him to kiss her.


    He tilted her head by grabbing her neck and kissed her deeply.


    Ava felt his lips on her lips, which felt divine. He nibbled her lips gently, making her heart race like a marathon.


    She lifted her hands and grabbed his jacket tightly.


    He ran his tongue across her lips. But she did not open her mouth to let her get into her mouth.


    So he moved his hand from her waist and shifted to her chest.


    She opened her mouth and let out a moan when he pressed on her right breast. He grabbed the opportunity and pushed his tongue inside her mouth.


    She felt her heart almost skip breathing by his touch on her breast. She grabbed his hand to remove it.


    He kneaded it again before leaving it. She could only moan in the kiss. His hand moved to cup her cheek. He was devouring her mouth as if he was thirsty for her.


    Ava started to feel breathless. She ced her hand on his chest and tried to push him.


    She huffed as a rush of air entered her mouth. Her eyes were still closed. She took deep breaths through her mouth as her mouth was open.


    His Adam''s apple moved as he swallowed and looked at her bare neck. His gaze shifted slightly downward, and he noticed her cleavage was exposed because she forgot to keep her dress close to her chest.


    Ava opened her eyes and looked at him. She noticedn''s gaze. When she lowered her head to check where he was looking, she noticed her cleavage.


    She hurriedly attempted to hold her dress against her chest. Butn''s mind had already gone insane.


    He grabbed both of her hands and pinned them above her head. It caused her dress to stop moving from its current position:


    "In," Ava mumbled in a low voice.


    He looked at her and smirked.


    "I am the only one who can see you like this. Don''t you dare to allow another man."


    106


    After saying that, he moved his head to her neck and kissed her there.


    She let out a gasp. She blinked her eyes to keep herself under control. She bit her lips to stop herself from moaning.


    But the way he kissed her neck, as well as the sounds of kissing, made her lose control.


    "Aahh!"


    He felt she was fragile and not used to all of these feelings. He would teach her everything. He would introduce her to the world of desire. After all, he believed she was his woman.


    He started to leave his traces on her neck to let her remember who she belonged


    to.


    Until at one point, something hit his nostrils, freezing his entire body.


    He paused kissing as he detected a familiar scent.


    He was so shocked that he forgot that he was caging her hands. He stared at her


    neck, trying to figure out whether what he was smelling was real.


    It was the same scent that he had smelled a long time ago. At Luke''s party, he


    had kissed a girl in the club, and that was her scent.


    Everything that had happened at the party came flooding back to him.


    He recalled ying games with some girls, but he only grabbed Ava''s hand. She was at the party, and he did not make that encounter good for her. He thought it was Luisa in a bathrobe, but it was actually Ava in that ck coat she was wearing.


    He let go of her hands, looking shocked at her.


    Ava opened her eyes as soon as she felt her hands free. She blinked her eyes,


    not knowing whyn was giving her that surprising look.


    She was too embarrassed to ask him anything. They had just kissed, and she did not stop him from doing that.


    Should she feel guilty about what she had just done?


    Her cheeks heated up from staring into his eyes for too long. She lowered her head.


    Butn lifted her chin gently with his fingers and made her look at him.


    "Was that you that day?" he asked her.


    "W-What?"


    "That day in Luke''s party, I kissed you, right?"


    Ava was taken aback. She could not believe that he was not aware of it. She had


    the assumption that he was with so many girls that the kiss with her had no value


    in his eyes.


    She pushed his hand and mumbled,


    "Yeah, and it was nothing to you so-"


    106


    He once again did not finish her as he nted a small kiss on her lips. She was stunned by his action.


    He moved and cupped her cheeks.


    "You have no idea how many days I have been thinking about you. Your scent... Whenever I got close to you, I remembered that kiss. There were so many times when I thought it was you. But your scent was different, so I could not recognize you. I am sorry for not recognizing you


    Ava was surprised to hear him. She remembered the kiss as well as what happened afterward. She had witnessedn kissing another girl that night. She was in love with him at the time, so what happened that night broke her heart. How could she forget that?


    She exhaled deeply and stated,


    "It was just a kiss, just like tonight. You should not think too much about it."


    Ava nodded her head and replied,


    "There is no reason for us to get closer like this. You hurt me, then you helped me


    to heal the pain. Thank you. That''s all I can say to you,n."


    He felt a pang in his chest. He realized that she was the only girl who did not want


    to be with him. At the same time, she was the only girl his heart desired.


    Ava nced atn and said,


    "Let''s just end this here."


    "Ava"


    "We both know there is nothing between us."


    "Ava"


    "We should not meet anymore. And you should stop approaching me."


    "Ava"


    He kept calling her name, but she was not interested in hearing it. She kept telling


    him what was on her mind.


    "I am d you and Stephen are back together. You should now maintain your


    distance from me."


    "I can''t," he replied.


    She frowned and yelled at him,


    "But why? Why can''t you just leave me alon-"


    "Because I love you, Ava."


    11


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    107


    Ava could not let out a single word after hearingn. She could not believe her ears. Her heartbeat fastened. Her wolf jumped inside her as if she had not been wounded in a long time.


    Ava stared atn. Ian looked away from her, avoiding her gaze.


    She let out a chuckle that causedn to look at her. Her chuckle evolved into a madugh. Her dress moved a little down, revealing more cleavage. But she did not care..She wasughing uncontrobly.


    "Why are youughing?" he asked.


    Ava paused and gave him a re. "Are you so eager to spend a night with me that you are now lying? Love and all? Do you know what will happen to your so- called reputation when your whole campus gets to know about this?"


    "Do you think I want to sleep with you?"


    She pulled her dress up to her shoulders to hide her body again. She tried to reach her back while replying,


    "Oh, you don''t?"


    He gulped as he saw her look into his eyes and ask that bold question. She seemed to have not only regained her strength but also developed new strength.


    "I am not lying to you."


    She could not reach her back chain, so she stopped reaching for it and focused her gaze on him.


    "Oh really?" she asked with confidence in her eyes.


    "If I had wanted to fuck you, I would have done it at Stephen''s party before your mother''s wedding."


    All of the confidence in her face washed away when she heard him say such things.


    She averted her gaze away from him and recalled how he had almost ripped her clothes to make her naked, but then he stopped and let her go out of the room.


    "Don''t recall those things that only hurt you. I swear I will never let you remember those again."


    In fact, his behavior tonight was unusual. He had never talked to her like this. Shest heard him in Stephen''s car, when he mentioned liking her.


    At the time, she did not believe him. But today he was saying that he loved her.


    "You are drunk. That''s why you are saying all of this."


    Upon hearing hern asked,


    "What if I tell you the same thing tomorrow? Will you trust me?"


    Ava looked in the direction from which she could leave. She believed this boy was drunk and was doing something he usually did not do in the right mind. So to get out of this ce, she said,


    "Yes, If you tell me tomorrow, I will trust you."


    107


    :


    A bright grin appeared onn''s face. Ava could see his face through the moonlight. She almost lost in his smile. But she reminded herself that he was the same person who had broken her. She could not give him another chance. She could not even believe him.


    "Then I am leaving," she mumbled.


    She pushed her hair back to her neck and stepped away fromn.


    "Wait!"


    She paused to look at him. "W-What?"


    He stepped toward her and took off his jacket. Ava was stunned by his action.


    He stepped behind her and tucked the jacket behind her back.


    Gripping his jacket, he said, "Put your hands inside."


    Ava was hesitant, but since she could not reach her back chain, she put her hands in the sleeves of his jacket. ¡ü


    He wrapped the jacket around her body and reached for the front chain from behind her. He zipped the chain of his jacket while encircling her body with his


    arms.


    He leaned into her ear and said,


    "You look good in my jacket."


    Ava looked at his jacket and noticed that it was toorge for her. He was so tall that his jacket outgrew her dress and nearly covered her entire thighs.


    He patted her shoulders. "You are free to go.


    She nodded her head and turned around to leave.


    When she was heading back to the living room where the party was going on,n was trailing behind her.


    She turned her head to look to the side. She noticed his shadow behind her. She looked forward and entered the living room.


    The moment she got back to the party, the lights went out.


    With terror, she let out a gasp. However, a pair of hands held her from behind.


    "Don''t be afraid. I am here with you."


    She heard others begin countdowns.


    "Ten"


    "Nine"


    "Eight..."


    Ava turned ton in the darkness. Even though she could not see him, his presence made her feel calm.


    "Three"


    "TWO"


    107


    "One"


    "Happy Birthday,n," Ava said, then tried to move away fromn so that he could


    enjoy the party and she could leave.


    But the lights came on at that time, illuminating the entire house.


    A few servants arrived with a trolley holding a chocte cake.


    Ava wanted to get away because the girls were trying to get close ton. But he took hold of her hand and pulled her toward the cake.


    All the people gathered around him as he got closer to the cake. Everyone noticed that he was holding Ava''s hand. They were shocked. The boys and girls who were ying with them were taken aback when they saw they were together.


    Abigail and Debra were still present at the party. When they noticed the jacket wrapped around Ava''s body, they became concerned.


    "Look! She is wearingn''s jacket!"


    "Oh, my God!"


    "I wish I could have that jacket."


    The girls around them started whispering.


    Ava looked at Stephen, who was equally surprised. He cast a nce at her and


    He cut the cake, and the crowd apuded.


    He took the first piece, moved it towards Ava''s mouth, and said,


    "The first bite to my special person."

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    108


    Everyone was shocked when they heardn.


    "Special person?"


    Girls were looking at Ava with envious eyes.


    Meanwhile, Ava was taken aback. She nced at the piece of cake thatn was holding close to her mouth. She shifted her gaze to her friends, who gave her a puzzled expression.


    "Ava"


    She heard Stephen''s voice. She looked at Stephen, who was signaling her to eat the cake.


    She gave a nod and took a bite out of the piece. She noticed fan''s gaze fixed on her lips. She raised her hand to touch her lips, but before thatn first swept his thumb across the corner of her lips. He then sucked his thumb and turned to his friends.


    37.37.


    Ava was shocked. She was unable to move as she stared at his back. His friends looked pleased as they patted his arm as if he had done something really good.


    Ava felt someone grasp her hands. She turned only to find Abigail and Debra dragging her out of the crowd. Everyone was looking at Ava. She tried to avoid


    their gazes.


    Her friends led her into a corner and let go of her hands.


    "Ava, what happened just now?" Abigail asked.


    Debra ced her hands on her waist and inquired,


    "Where were you before this? Were you with...."


    She paused, shifting her gaze back ton''s jacket, and mumbled,


    "Oh, yes. You were definitely with him.¡±


    Ava noticed her friends'' questioning gazes. She had no idea how to exin anything to them.


    "Ava, did he do something again?" Abigail asked, holding her hand.


    Abigail was trying to assure her that she could share anything with her. Debra also looked at Ava with assurance.


    "You can tell us, babe."


    Ava bit her bottom lip and looked in the direction wheren was.


    She noticed he was having drinks. His friendsughed. He was also smiling with them. 1


    His smile... it caught her eye. When he smiled, he looked very attractive.


    Ava recalled what had happened between them a while back. She swallowed as memories of their kisses came flooding, back to her. She felt like his lips still lingered on her lips, neck, and back.


    "Ava?"


    Abigail''s voice came into her ear. Debra waved her hand in front of her eyes to get her attention.


    "Huh?"


    She said and looked at them.


    108


    Debra turned her head and nced atn. She raised a brow and said,


    "Why do I smell something fishy? Did you two kiss?"


    "What!" Abigail said with shock.


    Ava gulped and lowered her head. Seeing her reaction, Debra smirked at her.


    "Well, well. "I made the correct guess."


    Abigail shook her head. "Ava, say something."


    Ava lifted her gaze and looked at her friends. She thought for a moment before deciding to tell them everything.


    Abigail and Debra''s eyes widened as they learned hown had healed her wounds.


    "Oh my God!! I fucking love it," Debra said, pping her hands.


    It seemed as though Abigail was stunned. Thoughn was a bad guy, the way he


    healed her was really hotter than makeout.


    "How the fuck he controlled himself?" Abigail asked.


    Ava frowned at her. "W-What are you saying?"


    With a small giggle, Abigail remarked,


    "You look so hot. Any boy would have banged you for finding this close."


    Ava''s heart almost stopped when she heard Abigail. She recalled thatn had said the same thing to her as well. But he was drunk, so he could say anything in that state.


    "And then?" Debra asked, resting her chin on her palm.


    Sitting on the bar stools, the trio was enjoying their beers.


    The club became chaotic and loud when the DJ decided to y some dance music because it was midnight and the party was winding down.


    People began to dance like crazy. Some of them went to eat in the dining area. Ronald made sure that everyone had food. Because everyone was too busy to have anything other than drinks, they decided to have some food right now. But many of the students were lying here and there drunk.


    Ava''s gaze drew to the dance floor. She saw couples making out while dancing. Her face turned red as she rememberedn kissing her earlier.


    "We are waiting, babe."


    Ava heard Debra and turned her gaze back to them. She cleared her throat and thought about how to tell them whatn had told her.


    "He..."


    "He what?" Abigail asked.


    She avoided their gazes and said,


    "He helped me to get back my wolf."


    Abigail''s eyes grew wider. "Y-you mean your wolf is back!"


    108


    Ava nodded her head in response. Abigail''s face lit up as she hugged Ava.


    "My baby, I am so happy for you."


    Debra appeared to be confused. "What a minute. What did I miss?"


    Abigail then told Debra what had happened to Ava''s wolf and how her uncle could not even treat the wolf.


    "So he was the one who hurt her, and now he is the one who has fixed everything?" Debra asked.


    Abigail was not fond ofn. But after learning that he helped Ava and rescued her


    wolf, she felt she was also melting for him.


    "Then? You still haven''t said what he said to you."


    Ava swallowed her breath and mumbled,


    "He told me that he loves me."


    "WHAT?"


    Both Abigail and Debra said alone and got up from their stools. Ava could understand their reactions. She had felt the same way after hearing it.


    "Ian Dawson said he loves you? I mean, can he love someone? He is capable of doing so?" Debra said, ncing at


    Ava stayed silent. Abigail hugged her and said,


    "Don''t be stressed out. What did you reply to him? Did you tell him that he was the one you were in love with?" "No way! She can''t do that. Ava should be a hard nut to crack, you know. She can''t give in so easily," Debra said. Ava listened to them while casting a nce atn. She was surprised to see that he was also looking at her.


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    Ava looked away fromn and shrugged her shoulders and said to her friends,


    "I told him that I am with Luke."


    Abigail shook her head. "But we all know that you don''t feel anything for him. I told you to give him a chance, but with your heart, you can''t make it happen, Ava. It will only hurt Luke at the end."


    Ava realized that Abigail was right. She would not eptn, and she would not y with Luke either.


    "But... I told him that I would give him a chance.''


    Ava''s words caused Abigail and Debra to exchange nces. They sat back in their stools.


    Abigail patted Ava''s head and said,


    "Ava, take your time. Think about what your heart wants. Go after what you want.


    If you want Luke, go after him. And if you wantn-"


    "No, I don''t want him. I can''t trust him. I believe he will hurt me like before."


    Debra let out a sigh and said,


    "Babe, you need to calm down first and... OH MY GOSH!"


    Debra''s loud voice caused Ava to turn her head to her. She noticed Debra''s eyes were fixed on the jacket.


    Ava lowered her head, noticing that the jacket had moved away from her neck, leaving her neck exposed.


    "What the hell, man! So many hick-mmmmn."


    Abigail got up quickly and pressed her palm against Debra''s mouth.


    "Deb, everyone is looking at us. Don''t scream."


    Debra pushed her hand away, pointing her finger at Ava''s neck.


    "Fuck everyone. First, look at her neck."


    Abigail looked at where she was pointing. Abigail looked stunned. Ava quickly pulled upn''s jacket to hide her


    neck.


    Debra leaned on her shoulder while smirking at her.


    "So, sweetheart, you told us everything except for the intimate moments you shared with him?"


    "T-That''s-"


    "Come on. Look at your face. You are blushing like hell. If he had forced you, you should be crying instead of blushing. It shows that you still have feelings for him."


    1


    Debra''s words froze Ava. She nced at Abigail, who nodded at her, indicating that Debra was right.


    Ava looked around and asked them,


    "Where is Luke? I need to talk to him."


    "Luke was calling you, but you didn''t receive his calls, so he called me and told me that he was leaving," Abigail


    said.


    109


    Ava arched her brows. "He left? But he said he only needed to talk to the boys."


    "Boys? Which boys?" Debra asked.


    "Some boys came to Luke when we thought about leaving.


    Abigail looked at Debra, who looked back at her. Then Debre let out a deep breath.


    "I think your lover boy nned it. He wanted you all alone, so he made our innocent Luke out of this party."1 "Lover boy? Don''t say that. He was just drunk. He will begin to behave rudely and arrogantly tomorrow. Mark my words."


    They nodded their heads and mumbled,


    "Let''s see."


    Ava decided to leave the party. Her friends told her that they were also leaving with her.


    She agreed with them and headed to the main door.


    "I will talk to Luke tomorrow," Ava mumbled.


    Ava started to feel guilty. She letn kiss her, and it was eating her alive inside. Why did he always forget the world when she was withn? How could she have forgotten about Luke during that time?


    Observing her face, Abigail exined,


    "You should not feel guilty about anything. You didn''t do anything wrong.''


    "I told him we should date and-"


    11


    "It''s okay. He hasn''t proposed to you yet. You can still deal with the situation. But


    don''t give him hope for nothing. He is our friend. You should step toward him only


    if


    you feel something for him more than a friend."


    Abigail''s words dug deep into her mind. She walked with a lowered head.


    "Ava, where are you going?"


    She heard Stephen.


    Stephen approached them and looked at Ava. His gaze shifted ton''s jacket for a moment. Ava felt embarrassed because she was still wearing the jacket, But she could not take it off because of her dress.


    "You look cute in this jacket. Because of its size, it does not look like it belongs to you. By the way, whose jacket is this?"


    Stephen''s question made Ava feel even more embarrassed. Abigail and Debra gave him a look.


    "What?" he asked them.


    Debra scoffed at him and replied,


    "You want her to be with your friend rather than Luke, right?"


    Stephen looked at Debra with a frown. He did not like how she always spoke to him boldly.


    His eyes moved back to his sister, and he replied,


    "No. I want what is good for her."


    109


    "But you can''t decide anything for her," Abigail said.


    "I am not doing it. She is the one who will choose what she desires. Simr to what my friend is doing. I believe he can get the girl he wants, just as my sister will find the right boy for her," he said with a smirk.


    Abigail and Debra''s eyes widened as they realized Stephen had twisted his words. His words only meant one thing: he wanted Ava to be withn.


    Ava was staring at her brother. Stephen seemed to be siding withn. Didn tell him anything? Wasn''t he againstn getting close to her? What had happened to Stephen suddenly?


    Ava tried to understand Stephen. She assumed that after patching up withn, Stephen started to believen more than before.


    As Debra heard Stephen, she sneered at him and held Ava''s hand. "You and your friend are both bad boys."


    "Only bad boys carprotect a good girl, you know." 2


    Debra seemed like she did not want to lose in the verbal war between her and Stephen. So she said,


    "My friend can have any boy she wants. We will get her the biggest bad boy than your friend."


    Stephen lifted an eyebrow after hearing her. He lowered his head to her level, which caught Debra off guard. His gamma blood reflected as he said,


    "The biggest bad boy? Where are you going to find another bad boy like him? I can assure you that no one can be like my future Alpha,n Dawson. He will turn the werewolf world upside down once he takes over his throne."


    110


    110

 Chapter 110

    Ava was surprised to hear Stephen. She always thought thatn was a troublemaker and he would not be a good Alpha. Because if an Alpha would waste all of his time with girls, how could he be the leader of a pack? 2


    She felt that Stephen had overconfidence inn. Now she had a better understanding of how powerful the Power Gang was. Because they all admire and respect one another, no one could ever break them.


    However, Stephen was talking about her, which Ava did not want to hear. How could he think that onlyn could protect her?


    What was she? A criminal who needed a protector to save her from getting punishments for her crime? 2


    She turned her attention to Debra, who was looking at Stephen intently. Ava let out a sigh when she found Stephen and Debra looking at each other.


    She felt that only Debra could give Stephen an answer in his face. Aside from that, she had never witnessed any other girl having the courage to do that. In fact, Nova also cried when Stephen scolded her. After all, he was a Gamma. His blood was hot, which would boil at any time.


    "Steph, I don''t want to hear anything about him. I am leaving the party. Come on, girls."


    As a sign of her agreement, Abigail nodded her head. Debra looked away from Stephen and walked out of the house. Stephen smirked at her and turned to Ava.


    "I am telling the driver to send you home."


    "Hmm."


    Ava was about to walk out of the house, but her steps halted, and she turned to look at the birthday boy onest


    time.


    He was engaged in conversation with Ronald and did not notice her leaving, which was good for her. She took a deep breath and left the house.


    She made her way toward the car that she had arrived in. Debra was already seated in the backseat.


    Ava and Abigail climbed into the car and drove away from the residence.


    Debra shifted her attention to Ava and said,


    "Why is your brother like that?"


    Ava was stunned. "Like what?"


    "Like so arrogant. Before, we heard them talking about themselves, but now they started to chant about their future Alpha. Did you see how he got mad at me when


    I said about another bad boy? It looks like he has already made up his mind to set you up withn."


    Ava''s lips parted. She could see Debra was mad.


    Ava nced at Abigail, and then both of themughed at Depra.


    "What''s so funny, babes?" Debra asked them.


    "Babe, look at yourself. Someone defeats you in a verbal fight. Like seriously? I


    should give Stephen a prize for this," Abigail said,ughing hard.


    Debra rolled her eyes. "No way. I could have replied to him back, but..."


    110


    ¡°But what?¡± Ava asked when Debra paused.


    Debra smirked at her and replied,


    "But your brother was right. I secretly agree with him. Dating a bad boy is like you are the queen. No one can do or say anything to you. And the bad boy is not just any boy, but the future Alpha!"


    "Dating? You are daydreaming," Ava muttered.


    But her heart raced as she rememberedn confessing to her.


    "Because I love you, Ava."


    Those words reverberated in her mind. She smiled when she felt her wolf inside. She was free now. She would no longer have to feel any pain.


    "Why are you smiling? Let me guess," Abigail whispered.


    "What is there to guess? This girl was head over heels forn, and now that he has confessed to her and helped her, he must have won her heart back," Debra exined.


    Ava flushed and shook her head. She had made a promise with her heart that she would not forgiven.


    ''But he saved us. Forgive him, Ava.''


    Ava''s eyes grew wider when she heard her wolf after a long time.


    ''You are back!'' she said to her wolf.


    Abigail and Debra understood that she was talking with her wolf. They rubbed her shoulders and rested their heads on them.


    When Ava arrived at her house, Abigail and Debra waved at her. They left in the


    car because the driver would drop them off at their homes.


    Ava entered the house and noticed that all of the lights were turned off. She assumed that her parents were asleep.


    She moved quietly upstairs to her bedroom.


    She shut the door and went to sit on the bed. Her gazended on the ck jacket she was wearing.


    Unknowingly, she lowered her head and sniffed the jacket. Ian''s scent lingered on his jacket. It smelled like rain. It was so refreshing that she wanted to sniff it more. Ava stopped herself and said,


    "No, I can''t be like that. I should stop myself. He was drunk and did all of those things. He will be back to normal in the morning."


    She got up from the bed and walked toward the dressing table. She took off the jacket and looked in the mirror. She bit her lower lip when her eyes drew on her neck. There were a few hickeys visible. She closed her eyes as she rememberedn''s kisses.


    She turned around to see her back in the mirror. The chain was unzipped, allowing her to see her back.


    To her surprise, there were no wounds. She had the assumption that they would leave scars. But her back looked


    clean. 1


    It was impossible for her to forget the agony she experienced whenn licked her wounds. But she had also felt


    110


    something else. It was a painful pleasure. She could not deny the fact that she liked it when he healed her. The process was very intimate, but it had taken her breath away


    Alphas were extremely powerful in rank. They got the respect because of the power and abilities they had.


    "People say the right thing. Alphas can heal their mates with their saliva."


    She mumbled, but something confused her mind.


    "But we are not mates anymore, then how did he do that?"


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 111

    There were deep rays of sunlight as the sunset, and the morning was bright and sunny.


    Ava''s eyes were opened by a knock. She rubbed her eyes and sat up on the bed.


    Someone was knocking on the door. She yawned and then got up to go to the door. She opened it and found her mother.


    "Good morning, baby."


    "Good morning, Mom."


    Ava embraced her mother with a hug. Her mother gave her a warm smile and a gentle pat on the back.


    "Are you okay, Ava?"


    Hearing her mother, Ava broke the hug and checked if her clothes were moved from her neck. Last night she on a high-neck t-shirt before going to sleep.


    "I am fine, Mom," she replied.


    "I thought you were not okay, so I came to check."


    "Why?"


    "It''s because you never sleep sote,"


    Ava frowned and turned her head to check the time on the wall clock.


    She was shocked to discover that it was toote for her sses. She had missed half of her sses today. "Oh, shit!"


    put


    She left her phone at Ronald''s house during the partyst night. So she could not get up early today because she had not heard an rm.


    She hurried into her room. "I missed sses, Mom. Let me get ready first."


    Her mother chuckled as she observed her reactions.


    "We are waiting for you outside."


    Ava paused and turned to her. "We? Dad is at home?"


    Her mother nodded and said, "Stephens also at home."


    "Wait, why? Is today the weekend?" Ava asked with a confused look.


    Her motherughed and shook her head. "No. But we have something to tell you and Stephen, so Harper told Stephen toe back home for a while."


    Ava thought about what it could be that they wanted to talk about.


    When her mother left, she went to take a quick shower.


    She changed into a skirt and a high-necked top after leaving the bathroom. She


    put on a white sneaker with it and Heft her bedroom without drying her hair.


    As she went downstairs, she noticed everyone seated at the table.


    111


    "Have breakfast with us," Harper said to Ava.


    Ava took up a seat next to Stephen. She raised her brow and looked at him, curious about what had happened.


    Stephen shook his head, indicating that he did not know.


    Their gestures did not go unnoticed by their parents. They exchanged nces with each other with smiles on their faces.


    "I am d you two are getting along well enough that we can stay stress-free even if we leave for a while," Harper said.


    Ava and Stephen both looked at him. Ava asked,


    "Are you two going somewhere?"


    "Let''s eat first," her mother said.


    They had breakfast together. During the breakfast, Harper asked,


    "How was your guys'' surprise party? I heardn was very happyst night.''


    00


    Stephen grinned at him and replied, "The party went well. But the reason behindn''s happiness was something else."


    After saying that, Stephen nced at Ava. She did not look at him, but she got what he meant.


    "His parents are nning something big for him," Angelina mumbled. 1


    "What?" Stephen asked.


    Harper saw how curious his son was. "This will be big news for you as well. So be prepared for tonight''s royal announcement."


    Ava was also curious. She remembered thatn did not have a good rtionship with his parents. She wondered if they had nned anything to make him happy on his birthday.


    After having breakfast, Ava was about to get up from her chair, but Angelina stopped her.


    Ava settled on her chair again and asked,


    "Yes, mom?"


    "We haven''t told you what we wanted to tell you both."


    Stephen looked at Angelina and said, ?


    "Mom, you can share with us. Is there a problem? Is it rted to Dad''s health?"


    Stephen gazed at his father with a worried look. Angelina replied,


    "Your dad and I made the decision to go to the other pack for his treatment."


    Stephen''s eyes brightened. Ava remembered Stephen telling her about Harper''s disease before their parents got married. He needed a mate who could help save his wolf.


    "That''s great!" Stephen said as he jolted up from the chair.


    He went to hug Harper and Angelina. Ava rose up and did the same.


    ¡ê


    She was happy for Harper. The entire family appeared to be very happy.


    111


    1


    "We wanted to tell you this together. So we wanted to eat together even though it


    waste for breakfast," Harper exined.


    Ava and Stephen smiled at each other. They were relieved that their father would be fine after the treatment.


    "So when are you leaving?" Stephen asked.


    "Tonight."


    Ava was stunned. "Tonight?" she asked with a surprised look.


    Harper gave her a warm smile and asked, ¡°Why? Do you have any ns for tonight?".


    She immediately shook her head. ¡°No, I don''t. I was saying. Isn''t it too early? I mean, you just mentioned leaving and leaving tonight.''


    ">


    "I know we should have informed you both a while ago. But your mom got a leave


    from the pack hospital, so I think we can use the days off."


    Ava was perplexed as she asked, "Days? How many days are you going for?"


    "One or two weeks. It depends on the treatment," Angelina replied.


    Ava had never been apart from her mother for this long, so it was a little awkward


    for her. However, she smiled and nodded her head.


    "I believe Dad will be fine when he returns to the pack."


    Stephen looked at Angelina and said,


    "Dad had been waiting for you for so long. Let''s hope everything goes well."


    "I believe everything will be fine, my son," Angelina assured him.


    "I am leaving then. I was in the middle of something when you called me,"


    Stephen said.


    Harper halted him and said,


    "I hope you will look after Ava in our absence."


    "No doubt, Dad."


    "One more thing."


    "What?"


    "Try to stay at home more often."


    Stephen furrowed his brows. "Well, that''s not possible. I have my friends and-"


    Harper interrupted him, saying,


    "Your friend has full ess to this house. If you want to spend time with them, call them here every day. But I want you to be there for her. There is no way you will leave Ava alone all the time while roaming around the pack."

 Chapter 112

    112


    "Okay, Dad. I will call my friends here and won''t stay out at night. Happy?" Stephen said to his father.


    Harper gave him a nod with a rxed grin. Ava remained quiet.


    "Bye then. I will be back in the evening."


    Saying that, Stephen made his way to the door.


    "I aming with you," Ava spoke out.


    He paused and turned to her. "Sure."


    Angelina and Harper smiled at them. Ava said goodbye to thein and followed Stephen outside.


    "Are you going to our university?" she inquired, approaching Stephen''s car, which was parked in a corner in front of other vehicles.


    "Of course I am. Even if I weren''t, I would have dropped you," he said, stroking her hair.


    "I left my phone at Ronald''s housest night."


    Stephen removed his hand from her head and pulled out his phone from his pocket.


    "Let me check."


    He called Ronald and asked if he had Ava''s phone. After speaking with him, Stephen turned to face Ava.


    He hung up the phone and said,


    "He said he got your phone. Let''s go to the campus. He will give it back to you." "Thanks, bro."


    "Anything for you, little sis."


    Ava got into the car, and Stephen sat behind the wheel. Then they drove away from their home.


    When they arrived at university, Ava was the first to step out. She noticed that people were looking at her.


    She ignored them, suspecting it was forst night.


    Her heart started to beat faster when she remembered what had happenedst night. Her hand unexpectedly reached for her neck. She was wearing a high-neck top, so her neck was covered. She gulped and tried to push away her memories ofst night.


    She looked for her friends. She could not find them.


    She realized that she could only attend one ss. A smile appeared on her face when she remembered that in today''s schedule, she had herst ss with Abigail and Debra.


    There was still time for the ss to start. So she rushed toward the ss. Girls were giving her looks while she passed by. While the boys kept their gazes away from her.


    She reached the ss and noticed that the professor had not entered yet. She huffed and nced around the


    ssroom.


    Abigail and Debra got up from their seats and waved their hands at her. They seemed surprised to see her. Ava walked toward them and took thest bench, which was behind them. Debra was sitting in the corner with


    Abigail. She moved from 1er bench to sit next to Ava,


    "I can not believe you showed up for thest ss!" Abigail eximed out loud.


    "I thought you were dreaming about your bad boy," Debra alded with augh.


    Ava gave them a look before letting out augh. "I also don''t know how I slept so long today,"


    "Told you already. You were dreaming the whole night, babe," Debra said.


    Ava shook her head and replied,


    "After so long, this is the first time I have not felt pain in my back. All the wounds left my back. Maybe that is why I was able to sleep soundly."


    They heard her exnation and nodded at her. Ava told them that her mother and Gamma Harper were leaving tonight for another pack.


    "Don''t worry, your dad will be fine."


    "Yeah."


    Ava felt good when her friends tried to rx her. She was talking with them when the professor walked into the ssroom.


    Ava and her friends paused their conversation to look at the professor.


    The professor started the lesson. Ava could not keep her mind on the lesson. Her thoughts kept drifting back tost night''s party.


    Abigail backed slightly against Ava''s bench and whispered,


    "What are you thinking?"


    "Nothing."


    Debra moved to Ava and said,


    "Have you talked to Luke yet?"


    Ava shook her head and replied,


    "Not yet. I will talk to him after this ss. Where is he?"


    "You can find him on the basketball court. Tomorrow is the final match. He was


    looking for you. He was asking us about you."


    "Okay, I will go there to talk to hi-"


    Ava was interrupted by a loud voice in the ssroom.


    "May Ie in?"


    Ava realized the voice was familiar. So she turned to look at the door to see who had arrived.


    Her brows raised when she noticedn.


    ''What is he doing here?'' she wondered.


    The professor sawn and motioned for him to enter the ssroom. Ian walked into the ssroom.


    The girls looked at him with awe in their eyes. He was in his bad boy appearance. His t-shirt and jeans were


    112


    average, but he preferred to wear ck jackets in various styles. He always wore expensive boots, and they looked hot on him.


    "Ian Dawson, why are you here?" the professor said.


    His lips curled up into a grin. He turned to the professor and replied,


    "Today is my birthday, professor."


    The professor knew about it because he was the future Alpha, and everyone had


    been looking forward to this day all year.


    "Happy birthday to you,n," said the professor.


    "I thought it would be a good idea to switch the ss for today since I was getting


    bored in mine."


    The professor seemed perplexed when he heardn.


    "You are a senior student, and it is-"


    He cut the professor off and said,


    "Look, I am not in the mood to give you excuses. I want to sit in your ss. Do


    you have any issues, Professor? If you have any problems, I can go to Dean to-"


    The professor hurriedly interrupted him and said,


    "No, no. No problem. You can join the ss and sit anywhere you want."


    The grin onn''s face grew wider. He approached the professor. He gave him a


    shoulder pat and said in a low tone,


    "I will give you a promotion after bing the head Alpha."


    The professor parted his lips in surprise. Then, he smiled atn.


    corner.


    Debra raised her head to look at him as she was sitting in the corner.


    He cleared his throat and tried to speak politely.


    "Would you mind sitting there? I want to sit here with your friend."


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 113

    Oh Really 113


    113


    Everyone was shocked. Abigail and Debra both had their jaws dropped in shock. Debra blinked her eyes as she could not believen hade to this ssroom just to sit with Ava. Not only that, he spoke so politely!


    Meanwhile, Ava was stunned byn''s words and actions. She was avoiding his gaze. She clutched Debra''s sleeve and mumbled,


    "Don''t."


    "I think I spoke too politely. That''s why you are not moving"


    Abigail cleared her throat, signaling Debra. Debra immediately got up and said,


    "Sure, you can sit here. I have no problem sitting next to Abi. I was sitting there a few minutes ago anyway."


    After that, Debra let out a small chuckle and proceeded to the bench, where she sat down with Abigail. It caused her sleeve to slip away from Ava''s fingers.


    Ava looked at her friends, and then at others. The girls were staring at her, giving her looks.


    She tightened her fists and turned away from them.


    She could feeln sitting next to her. The benches were all designed for two people. They were sitting together on the same bench.


    Ava did not turn to look at him. She moved slightly away from him, attempting to get closer to the window.


    "Focus on your ss, everyone," the professor said.


    Everyone took onest look at Ava andn before returning their attention to the professor.


    Ava looked outside the window. She did not know what had gotten overn, which caused him toe to her ss


    Curiosity killed her as she slowly turned her head to look at him.


    She saw his side profile from so close. It was absolutely breathtaking. Her gaze moved to his jacket. She realized that his jacket fromst night was still in her house. She had forgotten to bring it with her to return it to him.


    She was about to move her gaze away, but before that,n suddenly turned his head and caught her gaze on him.


    Her heart skipped a beat. She froze at that moment. His gaze did not let her move from her position. As soon as she recalled his confessions fromst night, she immediately averted her gaze from him.


    She tried to focus her attention on the ss. But she could not do it.


    She could feeln getting closer to her. She nced at him and asked,


    "What are you doing?"


    His


    gaze caused her heart to race.


    "M-move," she stuttered.


    "You are sitting next to the window. I also want some fresh air, you know."


    4


    Ava grabbed the corner of the bench to stand up so that she could get out of the bench while saying,


    Then sit here and I-"


    He interrupted her by grabbing her hand. "But I want to sit like this. I like the scent of the air that brushed you first."


    Ava looked at him and gulped. She felt her cheeks heat up. She did not know what to reply.


    She felt his thumb stroking her hand. She lowered her head and realized that he was still holding her hand.


    She tried to break free. But he refused to let it go.


    When she tried to yank her hand, it causedn''s body to move closer.


    Her eyes grew wider. Ian gave her a sly grin. She hurriedly pushed his chest to move him away.


    She cast nces at other people. Since they were sitting on thest bench, it saved her from getting embarrassed. Nheless, some of the girls were ncing at them. Her cheeks turned red. Gritting her teeth, she uttered,


    "What brings you here,n? It''s not even your ss."


    "I wanted to see you."


    "What?" she asked, ncing at him.


    She gave him a re, fearing that the professor would yell at her if he kept staring at her like that.


    "The professor will notice us and misunderstand us. Pay attention in ss."


    A look of surprise appeared on her face. Taking a quick nce at the professor, she observed that he had taken notice ofn. However, he was not saying anything ton, and he was acting as if he were blind to the situation.


    She shook her head in disbelief and said,


    "Stay away."


    "That''s not possible," he replied.


    "What do you want,n?"


    front of her. She grabbed the phone, trying to figure out what he wanted to show


    her.


    "I saw the post fromst night. I was drunk, and I don''t remember much," he exined.


    Ava saw the posts in which he was feeding her the first piece of his birthday cake. The caption was, n said she is his special person.


    Ava locked his phone and thought for a moment.


    So, I was absolutely right. He was drunkst night. He would not have done those things if he were in the right mind.''


    Unknown to her, she felt upset in her heart that he had said somethingst night that he never meant.


    113


    She gave his phone back to him and said,


    "You were drunkst night. You said those things because you wanted to tease


    me."


    "Really?"


    She nodded her head, avoiding his eyes.


    A smirk appeared on his lips as he observed her face and asked,


    "Are you hiding something from me? Did anything happen between usst night?"

 Chapter 114

    114


    Ava inhaled deeply and then turned her gaze ton''s face.


    "Nothing happened."


    "Okay. I believed you."


    Abigail and Debra nced at Ava as they had been listening to them from their seat.


    They gave Ava a confused look. Ava shook her head, indicating that she did not want him to remember anything.


    Ava''s gaze moved down to the bench. She noticedn''s hands resting on the bench. His tattooed hands were only half visible.


    She studied the new tattoo carefully. She was drawn to the sun and moon in the tattoo, despite the fact that she could only see half of it.


    "Your new tattoo..."


    She paused when she realized she had broken the silence on her own. She bit her tongue.


    She let out a low tone,


    "So beautiful!"


    Ava looked at him and gave him a look.


    "What? Now can''t I even express my painful emotions?"


    She shook her head. "I have already seen what type of person you are. Your hands are covered in tattoos, and you areining about pain from one of them? You are just impossible!"


    With his gaze on her, he muttered,


    "I wasn''t talking about the tattoo though."


    "Huh?" she asked with a perplexed face.


    He shifted his gaze away and shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing. Are you free today?"


    She was stunned. "Excuse me?"


    "I asked if you were free today. What''s there that you couldn''t understand?".


    She clenched her jaw at him and his smug remarks. With a mocking smile, she answered,


    "That''s none of your business."


    "I see," he murmured.


    During the whole ss, Ava feltn ncing at her. She did her best to avoid looking at him.


    114


    She would be lying if she said she felt nothing. Being sitting so close to him, she felt her heart flutter.


    But she told her heart that he was not good for her.


    When the ss came to an end, Ava got up, andn looked at her without moving.


    "Let me go out."


    "It was yourst ss, right? Are you going back home?"


    Ava rolled her eyes. He looked at her with a frown.


    "Did you just roll your eyes at me?"


    Ava folded her arins and replied,


    "Yes, I did roll my eyes at you. Now what? What will you do?"


    He smirked at her and replied,


    "I would like to make you roll your eyes, but in a different circumstance, you know." 2


    His words caused her eyes to widen. Abigail and Debra were shocked as well, but when they saw their friend''s reaction, they burst outughing.


    "See? Even your friends get along with me. When will you?


    Abigail cleared her throat and said,


    "We are not getting along with you. It was a joke, so¡ª"


    "I was not joking, though."


    The three friends were shocked. Then Ava let out an angry voice.


    "IAN! YOU SHAMELESS MAN!"


    "I will be outside the campus."


    She frowned at him and asked,


    "And what will I do with this information?"


    "Perhaps you will try to look for me."


    "Never."


    "I have my own ways, baby girl."


    After saying that, he left the ssroom.


    Ava stared at his back until he walked out of the ss. Abigail and Debra smirked


    as they looked at Ava.


    "Babygirl, where are you looking at?" Debra asked.


    Ava looked away from the door and shifted her gaze at Debra.


    "You! Don''t tease me."


    Abigail and Debraughed at her again. They grabbed her hands and exited the ss together.


    "I must say, I am watching a newn Dawson. I have never witnessed him treating


    a girl with such patience."


    Ava thought about it after hearing Debra''s words. With a pat on her hand, Abigail said,


    "I think he is changing himself for you."


    Ava stopped her steps and gave them a disbelieving look.


    "Guys, he was drunk. That''s why he bbered that love yous and all. He can''t


    remember anything. He said he forgot what had happenedst night."


    Abigail and Debra exchanged a nce and then inquired.


    "Then why did hee for you today?"


    "He saw some posts and thought to tease me again."


    Abigail shook her head. "He isn Dawson. Don''t take him lightly, babe."


    Ava murmured as she walked past them,


    "You both are now taking his side."


    From behind, Abigail said, "It''s because he helped my friend. It''s not toote."


    Ava said goodbyes to them and told them that she was going to meet Luke.


    When Ava arrived at the basketball court, she saw Luke practicing.


    She sat on a bench and watched him y.


    After a while, his eyes fell on her, and he said something to the coach.


    He then ran up to her and smiled at her.


    "Ava."


    Ava felt terrible seeing how happy he was to see her. How could she tell him that


    she had no feelings for him?


    Would he think that she was using him?


    However, they had not yet begun dating each other.


    "Luke, we need to talk."


    Luke''s smile faded as he observed her face. Taking a seat next to her, he said,


    "I was looking for you. Your phone-"


    "I forgot my phone at Ronald''s house."


    "Oh, I see. When did you get back homest night?"


    Ava lowered her head and kept quiet. Everything had happenedst night after he


    left the party. How would she exin them to him?


    114


    "Why are you quiet? If you think I mind seeing those birt purpose. He must have


    intended to insult you in front of c


    Ava lifted her gaze and shook her head. "No. That was not


    The realization that she was defendingn caused Luke to Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 115

    115


    "I mean, he was drunk, so he said that out of the blue."


    Luke''s frown eased as he said,


    "Oh. That''s okay then."


    Ava nodded her head and looked away from him. She bit her bottom lip, not knowing where to start.


    She felt him touching her hand. Luke held her hand and asked,


    "Do you want to say something? I am your friend before I be your lover. You can share it with me."


    Ava looked at him and took a deep breath.


    "Luke, there is something I really want to talk about."


    "Yeah, sure."


    "Luke, I can''t-"


    Aya was interrupted by a ringtoneing near them. Ava turned around to see a boy running toward them, handing Luke a bag. The ringtone wasing from inside the bag.


    That was Luke''s bag. He thanked the boy before pulling out his phone.


    Ava could see the name of the person who called. It was his father''s call. Luke received the call.


    "Hello, Dad."


    Ava lowered her head as she moved her feet across the floor She could hear his father''s booming voice speaking to him.


    "Yeah, Dad. I remember what you saidst night. But I believe I can do it."


    After a short conversation, Luke hung up the phone. He then turned to Ava and said,


    "Sorry for that. So what were you saying?"


    Ava looked at his worried expression and asked,


    "Is everything okay?"


    "Yeah, of course."


    "Last night, you left suddenly."


    "The boys wanted to talk to me about the match, and then I was about to enter the house again. However, the guards stopped me. I almost picked up a fight with


    them, but then my dad called me, and I had to go back home."


    Ava listened to him carefully. By his looks, he looked very serious.


    "What happened to you, Luke? You don''t look fine today."


    He lowered his head and muttered,


    "Tomorrow is the final match."


    "You should be happy about that. I believe you will win the match."


    Luke lifted his gaze to look at her. He smiled at her sadly.


    "I worry that my father will not let me continue in this field if I do not win. He threatened to send me overseas if I lost the match. I don''t want it. It is my dream to y basketball."


    Ava could see his painful eyes. He really loved basketball. She remembered how he fought for her withn and was injured a few months back. That time he could not y for long time and looked upset.


    "I am confident you will win, Luke."


    Luke nodded his head and grinned at her. "With your wishes, I can do anything. I have no desire to go overseas. I want to live here with mom and dad. I don''t know why my dad doesn''t want to listen to me."


    Ava averted her gaze away from him and muttered,


    "Luke, I-"


    Once again, she was interrupted. However, this time it was the coach who interrupted her.


    "Luke, return to practice. It''s not time for having a chit-chat with your girlfriend."


    Ava was stunned by the coach''s words. Luke smiled at Ava before getting up from the bench.


    "Vam going back to practice. We will talkter. Maybe we will talk tomorrow after the match. You wille to watch the match, right?"


    Ava rose to her feet and replied,


    "Yes, I will."


    She wanted to talk to him today. But, after ncing at others who had stopped ying and were waiting for their captain to join them, she let out a sigh and decided to speak with him tomorrow.


    "Good luck, Luke."


    "Thank you, Ava."


    With a smile on her face, Luke went back to his practice.


    Ava stared at him. He yed extremely well. He had won the practice matchst


    time, so she assumed he would win and achieve his dream.


    After a while, Ava turned to leave the basketball court. As she passed by the


    court, she overheard others discussing the match.


    n will win the match without any doubt."


    "Of course he will. He doesn''t even need to practice."


    "I heard he changed the time of practice. He arrived here early in the morning to


    practice and left an hour ago."


    "He is probably very busy."


    "Today is his birthday. I think he and his friends have ns."


    "I wish I could be part of the Power Gang.


    While listening to the boys and girls, she walked towards the campus''s other gate.


    ''So Stephen was in the middle of practice when Dad called him,'' she thought.


    115


    $


    Ava came to a halt when she realized she had yet to take her phone from Ronald,


    She started to look for Ronald until he found him in the cafeteria with Paul.


    "Hi, Ava."


    "Hi. Steph said you have my phone," Ava said.


    Ronald lifted his brows when he heard her. He said,


    "Yeah, I have."


    "Okay. Please give it back to me. I am roaming around without my phone," Ava uttered, extending her hand toward him.


    A smirk appeared on Ronald''s face, which caught her off guard. Paul let out a chuckle.


    "Actually I had," Ronald muttered.


    "What do you mean?" Ava asked with a confused look.


    Ronald''s smirk deepened as he replied,


    "My best friend took your phone away. You can get it back from him, you know."


    Ava was taken aback. "What!"


    Paul nodded his head as he spoke,


    "We are not sure where he is. You can do a search for him. He has your phone."


    Ava gave Paul and Ronald a disappointed look, then left the cafeteria.


    She recalledn telling her that he would be outside the campus. She gritted her teeth and mumbled,


    "This boy!"


    She left campus and went outside to look around. Ian was nowhere to be found.


    She felt annoyed. Where could she find him right now?


    At that time, a bike approached from the other side and came to a stop beside


    her.


    She was shocked by the sudden action. The bike, which was ck in color, gave


    off the impression of being extremely luxurious as if it were reserved exclusively for the bad boys.


    She stepped back from the bike.


    As she took a quick nce at the helmet, she noticed that the boy was removing


    it.


    n?"


    She eximed as soon as she realized it was him.


    He motioned her to get on his bike and said,


    "Didn''t I tell you that I have my ways to get you toe back to me? Let''s go. I


    freed up my entire schedule for the day to spend with you."

 Chapter 117

    Ava was shocked for a moment,n saw her surprised look Grabbing her hand, he drew her closer to him.


    She tried to free her hand, but he had already put his helmet on her head.


    "I do not have another one, so you can use mine."


    Ava grabbed the helmet and removed it. She handed it to him and stepped back.


    "What are you doing? I don''t want your helmet.¡°(


    After giving her a frown,n threw his helmet to the ground


    Upon seeing the helmet fall to the ground behind the bike, Ava let out a gasp of surprise.


    "What the hell!"


    "You didn''t like it, so I threw it."


    Aya noticed that everyone around them was looking at them. She moved towardn and mumbled,


    "Look,n. I am not interested in going anywhere with you. Now give my phone back to me. Your best friend said it''s with you."


    "This one?"


    "Yes!"


    Ava tried to take it from him. But he raised his hand, making it impossible for her


    to grab it. She made an effort to retrieve it, but he raised his hand higher.


    Seeing that she came closer to him to get her phone, he moved close to her ear and whispered,


    "Why work so hard? I will give it back to you easily."


    She felt a shiver all over her body at his whisper. She backed away and red at him.


    "What do you want?"


    "It''s my birthday. You have not given me any birthday presents.''


    Ava did not agree with him. Since Debra was an expert when it came to the boys, Ava and Abigail had given her some money to purchase a gift for Lan.


    "Now you are asking for a birthday present like this?" Ava asked, folding her arms.n nodded his head and replied,


    "I am a shameless boy, remember? I am not ashamed to ask you anything. But you are a dignified girl. How can you go to a party and not give anything to the birthday boy?"


    Ava rolled her eyes at him. She thought it would be awkward if she told him that she had told Debra to buy something for him.


    So she decided to buy something for him. ¡°Okay, I will give you a present. Now give me back my phone."


    116


    He extended his hand to her, which was holding her phone she reached out to grab it. But he pulled his hand back and said,


    "No, I don''t trust you. You have to go with me now if you really want your phone back."


    Ava tightened her fists, looking at him. This boy was stubborn.


    She nced at others who were staring at them and thoughtn would create a drama if she did not go with him. "Okay, fine."


    She got on the bike. She then murmured,


    "I have never seen a narcissistic boy like you. Asking for a present like this!"


    When he started the bike, she took a nce at his helmet.


    "Hey! What about your helmet?"


    He put on his sunsses and turned to the side to respond.


    "I don''t need it anymore."


    As soon as he finished saying that, he increased the speed. She let out a gasp


    and quickly grabbed his jacket.


    During the ride, she said,


    "Do you want to kill me? Slow down the speed."


    He pulled the break, and her body pressed against his back.


    "Did you say something?" he asked.


    "What''s wrong with you,n?"


    "Hold me tightly and enjoy the weather. We are heading to the bridge."


    Ava nced at his back. She gulped and slowly moved her hand to his torso.


    Her heart was beating faster, not knowing if it was for the speed or for her being so close to him.


    She held him tightly, ignoring the fact that her body was pressing against his.


    It came as a surprise to her when they arrived at the bridge. The fresh air was brushing against her face. She could see the river from two sides.


    Ava felt like she had never felt so refreshed before. As she looked around, a bright smile spread across her face. Her hair was blowing in the wind. Trying to push her hair strands with one hand, she tried holdingn''s chest with her other hand.


    When she turned her head, she noticed how close they were Riding the bike, he looked so good.


    The ck shades looked great on him.


    Everything about him was different from others.


    She could feel her heart melting just looking at him. It was like he was more attractive than the scenery around her.


    "Do you like it? I would like to take you somece. Do you want to go with me?" he asked.


    Even with the sound of air, she could clearly hear him.


    She had no idea what had gotten into her, she mumbled,


    "Okay."


    He grinned as he increased the speed. Her eyes widened as she clutched him


    tight.


    Her nervousness suddenly red up and she bit her lower lip.


    Was she falling for him once again?


    She shook her head, reminding herself that she could not do it.


    The bridge came to an end, and thendscape around them changed.


    Ava noticed there were a lot of houses, shops, and buildings


    After some time,n stopped the bike.


    Aya looked up at the building where the bike hade to a stop. It was a huge shopping mall.


    She got off the bike and looked atn.


    "Where are we now?"


    blowing air had made her hair messier.


    "Somewhere no one can find us," he replied with a smile.


    She frowned at him before turning to face the mall.


    "I have never been to this shopping center before."


    To be honest, she had never traveled this far before.


    With a grin,n got off the bike. He handed the keys to a guard and grabbed her


    hand.


    "Let''s go inside. You said you would get me a present."


    She nodded, but her eyes widened at the sight of the location te.


    "Hold on! You took me to another city!"


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 118

    118


    With the ss box in their possession, the employees made their way to the


    reception area.


    Ava looked around while heading to the reception. He nced atn. He was using his phone for something. With a throat clearing, she uttered,


    "You need to get a chain as well. How are you going to wear it?"


    n looked at her and shook his head. "It wille with it," he replied. "Oh."


    When they arrived at the reception area, the receptionist smiled at Ava and handed her the bag. After taking a peek inside the bag, Av¨¤ removed the bill to make the payment.


    As soon as she looked at the bill, her eyes grew wide in shock.


    It was very expensive. It was greater than the amount that her mother earned in a single month.


    She scolded herself foring there. She did not expect the pendent would be this costly.


    She nced at the bag, thinking about what she would say ton. It was his birthday present. How could she tell him that she did not have that much money? The thought of having to unpack it embarrassed her.


    "What are you waiting for? Let''s go,"


    Ava stared at his back. She felt her eyes hurt inside. Her eyes began to well with tears.


    How would she pay for it now? She blinked her tears away and took a deep breath.


    She turned to the receptionist and asked,


    "Can I pay for it in installments?"


    The receptionist appeared to be shocked. "No, you can''t buy anything in installments in our shop."


    Ava felt her heartbeat slowing and nearly stopping.


    However, the receptionist spoke out again.


    "But why are you asking for it? Mr. Dawson has already paid for it."


    "Wait what?"


    Ava was taken aback. She blinked her eyes a few times and nced at the packed box inside the bag.


    "He paid for it?"


    The receptionist nodded her head and smiled at her.


    "He enjoysing here to shop. He is our regr customer. He just paid the bills


    a few minutes ago."


    "A few minutes ago?"


    Ava remembered thatn was using his phone a while ago.


    "Okay, thank you."


    Ava thanked the receptionist and dashed out of the store. She looked around and foundn leaning against a pir near the store.


    "Why did you pay for it?" she asked, moving toward him.


    He shifted his focus away from his phone and toward her.


    "What?"


    "I asked, why did you pay for it?"


    "Because I liked it," he replied and tried to reach for the bag


    Ava moved her hand behind and said,


    "I was buying a present for you, right? I know I have not that much money, but I...".


    She paused, losing her words. She handed him the bag and started to walk away from him.


    She felt upset but she did not know why. She recalled Gamma Harper had given her his bank card to use. But she never took that card. It was because she was a simple girl, and her choice was simple as well. She never thought of buying something so expensive.


    She thought that she should start to earn. She could not depend on her parents anymore.


    ''Wait, why am I thinking all of this? Just to buyn a present?'' she thought and stopped her steps.


    ''I hate him, right? But he healed my wounds, and my wolf is back to me. Do I really hate him now?'' She asked herself.


    "No, you still love him," her wolf spoke from inside.


    Ava''s breath hitched when she heard her wolf. She shook her head and said to


    her,


    "I can''t trust him. He will get bored and leave me for another girl."


    At that moment, she heardn from behind.


    "What are you murmuring?"


    She turned to him and said,


    "You bought it for yourself. Let''s buy something else for you. I want to give you


    something. That thing can''t be counted as mine."


    He stepped toward her and lowered his head to reach her level.


    "Are you that desperate to give me something? Then you can give me something I


    like. What do you think?"


    She looked into his eyes and asked,


    "What do you


    like?"


    His eyes moved from her eyes and shifted to her lips.


    "A kiss would be fine."


    She let out a gasp. He smirked at her reaction and then chuckled.


    He bit his bottom lip to control hisugh and stood tall. ¡°A good girl is really hard to get, huh?"


    118


    She turned away from him, remembering how he kissed hest night. She got goosebumps just thinking about it. "Don''t worry, I was just kidding. I know you can never allow me to do that. Because you hate me."


    "Let''s go, madam. Buy me something you like."


    Ava went to the showroom, where she bought a watch for him. The price was really reasonable, which stunned her. She questioned whethern had brought her here on purpose so she could buy it.


    When they came out of the showroom after buying a new watch, Ava nced at fan''s expensive watch that he was wearing. She wondered if he would ever wear the watch she had just bought for him.


    They left the mall and walked over ton''s bike.


    "How about having lunch with me?"


    Ava noticed that it was already afternoon. They spent so much time at the


    shopping mall that they forgot about their meal.


    "I want to go back home."


    "Why? Am I so boring?"


    She took her eyes away from him and replied,


    "Mom and Dad are leaving tonight."


    He got on the bike and said,


    "I promise I will take you back before they leave."


    "But-"


    "It''s my birthday. Can you please give me your time for today?"


    His request shocked her. She almost forgot that she came here with him to get her phone back, not to spend time with him.


    She stared at him. Her thoughts turned to the past-how she used to look at him whenever he walked past her. The time reflected in her mind when she always wanted him to give her just a nce. He was so close yet too far from her.


    The thought of his ignorance toward her made her heart tighten inside.


    As ifn could read her mind, he said,


    "It''s okay if you don''t want to-"


    She interrupted him by getting on his bike. She then put her hand on his


    shoulders and said,


    "Okay, just for today since it is your birthday."

 Chapter 119

    119


    Tan brought Ava to a restaurant. It was half an hour away from the shopping mall.


    As if he noticed her questioning nce, $


    "I am not this gentle. It''s just that I


    he said,


    trying to be patient with you."


    Hearing him, she looked away from him and replied, "You don''t need to. Just be who you are."


    He raised a brow and looked at her with a sly grin.


    "You will flee from me if I begin to be myself in front of you. I don''t want to scare you."


    She nced at him swallowing her breath. He signaled to her to ce an order by pointing his eyes toward the menu card.


    Ava looked at the menu and realized it was quite an expensive restaurant. However, she could afford the prices of regr dishes, so she pushed the menu toward him and said,


    "Order what you like."


    He grabbed the menu and nodded his head with a smirk.


    She wondered why he was smirking. What was on his mind?


    He called the waiter and ordered the most expensive dish for them.


    Ava''s eyes widened in shock.


    ''Is he going to bankrupt my mom? I have money to pay these prices, but not that much.'' she thought and almost facepalmed herself.


    "What?"


    "Nothing,'' she thought.


    She took a nce at her watch, which her mother had given her a year ago. So she had a n for it.


    When the waiter arrived with the dishes, she was in awe.


    In fact, when she started to eat, she felt it was the most delicious food she had ever eaten.


    "Like the food?"n asked.


    She nodded her head with a small smile. He grinned at her and muttered,


    "I knew you would like it."


    "Have you evere here before?"


    "Yeah, I came here with a lot of girls before."


    She paused eating after hearing him. She put the spoon on her te, having lost her appetite.


    119


    BUNUS


    "Look at your face, nerd.".


    She gave him an unimpressed look. He raised his hands as a sign of surrender.


    "I swear I have nevere here with another girl. I was just teasing you, soe on."


    She stared at him and said,


    "Stop lying. You came here with other girls. The truth slipped out of your mouth."


    He put his elbows on the table and moved towards her, asking,


    "Why do you care? Didn''t you say you hate me? Why does it matter to you?"


    She averted her gaze from him and continued to eat. "I don''t care. I should not," she murmured while eating.


    He observed her eating for a long time. She cast a nce at him.


    "Why are you not eating?"


    "Have you ever seen me roaming around with girls?" he asked.


    When Ava heard him, food got stuck in her throat, and she began coughing. She could not believe what he had just


    asked.


    She took a deep breath and gazed at him.


    "What were you asking? Was there ever a day whenn Dawson and the girls'' news did not spread across campus? Each day, new girls for you."


    Heughed and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry, I asked the wrong question, I guess. But it''s only about the nights, okay? I never take girls out on dates. I have always been waiting for my mate to do these things."


    Ava''s heart skipped a beat. But then she felt a pang when she realized that she was no longer his mate. He himself broke the bond.


    She took her gaze away and finished her te. Then she said,


    "Good to hear that. You can do that with your second chance, mate.''


    Ava raised her hand, requesting the bill from the waiter. Ian''s te was not finished yet. So, when the waiter returned with the bill, he pushed the te slightly before grabbing it.


    "I will pay for you today. It''s your birthday," Ava said.


    "Come out. I am clearing the bill."


    She was stunned. "But how can I let you pay for me? Let''s just split it, okay?"


    He frowned at her and asked,


    "Do I look like a boy who will let you pay?"


    She shook her head. ¡°No, I am an independent girl. I mean, can not allow other boys to do that for me." He signaled for the waiter to leave. When the waiter left, he said to Ava,


    "Be this independent girl for other boys, not me. I took you here, so I will pay for everything that you need." She wanted to protest, but she realized he had already turned around.


    "What about your food? You haven''t finished yet," she asked him from behind. "Lost my appetite," he replied without looking back.


    Ava took a nce at his unfinished te. She felt really bad in her heart. He had not even finished his meal.


    "Was I too harsh on him? Should I be a little softer? What did I say wrong to make him mad?" she mumbled.


    She noticed him paying the bill in the reception area. She walked toward him as he exited the restaurant.


    He got on his bike. She cleared her throat and asked,


    "So, where are we heading now?"


    "Your home," he replied.


    She was taken aback. "But you said you wanted-"


    "Your time? Yeah. But it looks like I am forcing you. I don''t want to force you. I will


    keep those things for my second chance, mate, you know."


    She was taken aback. Did he just taunt her for her advice?


    "I don''t want to go home right now."


    "Where would you like to go then?"


    She grinned at him and asked,


    "How about going somewhere you like? How about the clubs? Is there a club


    around here?"


    BUNUS

 Chapter 120

    120


    It was evening when they arrived at a club. Ian assured her that he would get her back home before her parents left. So Ava was rxed.


    After he parked the bike, they strolled together in the direction of the club''s gate.


    The guards stopped Ava, but when they noticed fan was behind her, they nodded their heads at him.


    They were about to hold Ava''s hand to ce a seal on her wrist; however,n grabbed her hand and pulled her beside him.


    "No need to seal her hand. She is with me. Isn''t it enough?n asked them.


    The club guards exchanged nces before nodding atn.


    "Yeah, sure."


    They stepped aside, allowingn to enter the club with Ava


    Ava was new to club things. She only went to parties hosted by her friends or Stephen. They usually turned their ces into clubs.


    Ava cast a nce at the people who were dancing wildly. The smell of liquors was stronger. The music was loud, but not throughout the entire space.


    With a quick nce, she noticed a dancer pole dancing in one area of the dance floor. 1


    She wondered if they were strippers.


    She looked atn, remembering the party where a girl stripped down and jumped into the pool in a bikini to seduce him.


    "Not liking it here?" he asked.


    "No, I am fine," she replied, slipping out of his grasp.


    She went to the bar and ordered a soft drink. Ian came to stand next to her.


    "Hey!n!"


    A group of boys approachedn and shook hands with him.


    "What a long time, bro! Where have you been?"


    "Where are the others?" the boys questionedn.


    Ava looked at the boys. Her gaze shifted to their muscles and tattoos. They were


    all giving off the same vibe.


    She averted her gaze from them and turned to the bartender


    The bartender ced her ordered drink on the counter.


    Ava took a sip of her drink before looking atn.


    "They didn''te today,"n replied, grabbing a ss of beer.


    "So you are alone?" One of the boys asked.


    The boy''s eyes shifted to Aya, then he asked again,


    "I see you got a pretty girl here."


    "She is with me."


    The other boys chuckled. Another boy asked,


    "Of course,n. Every girl is here for you. They are ready to get on their knees. But..."


    The boy moved toward Ava, which caught her off guard.


    "Wanna share her with us?" the boy saidn.


    As soon as he finished,n yanked him away from Ava and punched him in the


    nose.


    Ava''s eyes widened.


    The boy touched his nose and realized that he was bleeding. The other boys got scared and moved back.


    "W-What happened, bro?" they asked.


    H¨¢n red at them and replied,


    "Fuck off! She is not that type of girl. She is mine."


    The boys'' eyes grewrger as they slowly turned their gaze at Ava to look at her carefully. They understood whatn meant, but they could not just believe what they heard.


    "I am sorry," the boy whose nose had broken said.


    The boys backed away and left the club.


    He rubbed his forehead and muttered to her,


    "I am sorry that you had to face that."


    She lowered her head and replied,


    "I know they assumed I was one of those girls who..."


    She could not say more. She did not say anything further.


    No matter what kind of girl she was, if she was withn, people would refer to her


    as the girl who came to him to spend the night.


    "What is making you so upset? Didn''t I tell them who you are?" he asked.


    She shook her head and headed toward the gate. She wanted to leave. She was


    no longer interested in seeing his lifestyle.


    "Where are you going?" he asked, approaching her from behind.


    She walked past the people while saying,


    DUISUS


    "I am leaving."


    He followed her. When she approached the crowd, he pushed the boys, as if to


    protect her body from being touched by others.


    They exited the club and walked to a less crowded area.


    "Ava, are you mad?" he asked.


    She turned to look at him and answered;


    "No, I have no right to be mad at you. I was the one who decided toe here


    with you. I never thought your friends would want to share me-"


    "Ava, they are not my friends. I just know them because Ie here often."


    "Yeah, I can see why youe here. That''s why they guessed it."


    He ran his fingers through his hair and asked,


    "How will I make you believe that I am no longer thatn who spends nights with other girls? I..."


    He tried to find words. He stepped towards her and held her hands.


    He lowered his head to her eye level and said,


    "I love you, Ava."


    She froze in her ce. ''Wasn''t he drunk when he said that to herst night? Did


    he remember everything?'' she thought.


    He cupped her cheeks and stroked them with his thumbs.


    "Y-You said you forgot aboutst night.''


    "I lied. You told mest night that if I said the same thing today, you would believe


    me. Just look at me. I did not change my words."


    She stared at him as her heart started to beat faster.


    "I know I should not have rejected you. I was wrong when I said I did not want you. If I had spent a little time with you, I would have fallen for you at that time. Everything was my fault. Can you give me a chance to prove myself? I will show you my true self. I won''t hide anything from you.


    She was listening to him instead of pushing him away. Her heart and her wolf both wanted to be with him. But she was stubborn to believe that he would break her heart again


    "What can you do to prove yourself?" she asked.


    "Anything for you."


    She looked into his eyes and asked,


    "Can you give up your goal of winning tomorrow''s game for me?" 1


    Today''s Bonus Offer

 Chapter 121

    Tan''s hands froze around Ava''s cheeks when he heard her. He was kind of in disbelief.


    "What did you say?"


    Ava removed his hands away from her cheeks and replied,


    "You heard me right. I don''t need to repeat it."


    He frowned at her. "Why are you asking something impossible?


    Sheughed at him. "Something impossible? The boy who did not consider the possibility of destiny before breaking the mate bond now speaks of impossibility. Nice joke,n."


    "Are you asking me to lose the match so that Luke can win it?", 1


    Ava''s brows lifted by his question. Though Luke needed to win the match, she did not have this intention before saying that.


    She just did not want to trustn. That was why she asked him something that he would not do.


    It was really impossible to lose the final match forn Dawson. It would destroy his reputation on campus.


    Ava believed he would not do that for her. In fact, no one would risk their drs for her.


    She just wanted him to push away from her. She had realized that they were not made for each other. He had rejected her, so it was over right then.


    Ava thought for a moment and folded her arms, then nodded her head at him.


    "You were talking about proving yourself. I just asked something to prove your love. If you think I am asking this for Luke, then why not?"


    "So you really love him, huh? The boy you are in love with was actually Luke. Last night in the game, you were talking about him, right?"


    Ava looked away from him and chuckled at him. "Yes, you are right. It''s him."


    "Then..." he paused as he backed away from her.


    He was finding the words to say something.


    "Then everything that happened between usst night... Was that nothing to you?" he asked, fixing his gaze on


    her.


    She looked at him calmly. She took a deep breath and replied,


    "I told you this before. Now I am saying this to you again. I don''t want to be with


    you. It''s better to keep your distance from me. I am not after you."


    He took another step back. As if he ignored her every word, he asked her again,


    "I asked you something. Did you feel like nothing at allst night?".


    She tightened her fists, trying topose herself, and replied,


    "No. Why are you reacting like this? It is not like you have never been this close


    to another girl. I am sure you went to clubs to be around girls and do more things than that. I don''t think your reaction is legit."


    "So it''s Luke Katz."


    Ava recalled how he hit the boys when they went to save Stephen. She immediately let out,


    "Don''t you dare hurt him, Ian. He is very special to me."


    He sneered at her and turned around, heading back to his bike.


    "Yeah, I have seen how special you both are to each other. He came to fight for you after I rejected you. So you two''s love began before I was even a part of your life," he muttered as he walked.


    Ava looked at his back. She did not try to break the misunderstanding. She was afraid that she would be weak for him once again. So it was the best time to part ways.


    She saw him getting on his bike. She thought he was so mad that he would leave her there.


    However, to her surprise, his bike approached her and stopped next to her. Without looking at her,n said,


    "Get on."


    Ava felt nervous because of his cold tone. Before she mentioned the basketball match, he was soft toward her.


    She got on his bike since she had no way to return home except to go with him. "Hold me if you want to get back home as soon as possible," he said coldly.


    She nced at his jacket. With a slow move, she put her hands on his shoulder. When he rode the bike at high speeds, she had to wrap her hands around his torso tightly.


    It was a very long ride, and it took hours for them to reach their city and Ava''s house.


    She nced at his face. She could see he did not look in a good mood. She gulped and was about to invite him to her house since it was also Stephen''s house.


    But before that,n took something out of his pocket and grabbed her hand.


    When she looked at her hand, she noticed her phone. He gave her phone back to


    her.


    She was stunned to realize she had almost forgotten about her phone while she was with him.


    He let go of her hand. She gripped her phone tightly.


    She looked at him and said,


    "If you want toe-


    "No, thanks," he replied without looking at her.


    326 BONUS


    She watched as he started his bike and rode away from her house.


    She stared at the road. The distance made her heart beat slower. She shook her head and told herself,


    "He is not serious about me. He can''t be serious. I am just one of the girls on his list who he finds appealing right now. He will not be the same after I agree to get close to him."


    She was lost in her thoughts until she heard her mother''s voice from behind.


    "Ava."


    She turned around and noticed her mother waving at her from the doorway.


    She walked toward her house and hugged her mother.


    "What happened, baby?" her mother asked.


    "Nothing, Mom," she replied, breaking the hug.


    1


    She entered the house with her mother. As soon as she walked inside, she saw many things that looked like gifts.


    "What''s this, mom?"


    Gamma Stephen and Harper were seated on the couches. Harper looked at Ava and replied,


    "Alpha Martin and Luna Carolina have just issued a royal announcement. They sent us presents because it''sn''s birthday."


    Ava nced at Stephen, who looked really happy. She then looked back at Harper and asked,


    "What is that announcement, Dad?"


    Harper stood up and replied,


    "They announced that they will hand over the throne ton next year."

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    122


    Ava was stunned. One year was too early forn to rule the pack. She wondered whethern was aware of it.


    Would he be able to run the pack at this young age and with a lifestyle where he did not follow any rules?


    "That means Stephen is going to be the Gamma of our pack next year as well. We are celebrating this good news," Ang said with a cheerful voice.


    "Thanks, Mom," Stephen said.


    Ava looked at her brother and smiled at him. "Congrattions, brother. Soon you will be our gamma."


    Stephen patted her head and replied,


    "Then your brother will protect you forever."


    Harper and Ang smiled when they saw how love there was between the brother and sister.


    Ava spent some time with her family. They sat at the table to have dinner together. Harper and Ang told them many things that they needed to know about their house.


    Ang stated that she had told the maids everything and that they would be at home all the time. Harper said they would try toe back soon.


    "You are going to be the Gamma of the pack very soon. I hope you will start cleaning up your image," Harper said, looking at Stephen.


    Stephen paused eating and nced at his father. "Yes, Dad."


    "I heard you were into some fight a few days ago." Harper inquired, giving Stephen a serious look.


    Stephen gulped as if he were afraid to get scolded by his father.


    Ava noticed his situation and cleared her throat. She knew what had happened some days ago. She was present there. It was her responsibility to clear the misunderstanding between them.


    "Dad, actually he was not fighting with anyone. It was some boys from the Thunder Howl Pack. They were doing some illegal things, and Stephen, as the future Gamma of our pack, showed some bravery to stop them."


    as ie


    Everyone at the table turned their heads at her. Stephen''s brows lifted he were in surprise. Ava assured him that everything would be alright by blinking at him.


    At that time, everyone heard a noise throughout the dining room.


    It was Ang whose spoon dropped on her hand to her te, and it made a noise.


    "Mom?" Ava said.


    Ang looked at her and asked,


    "Thunder Howl Pack? How do you know about them?"


    Ava was stunned by her reaction. She tried to figure out why she appeared so tense all of a sudden.


    "I was there at that time."


    Ang''s eyes widened. "You what? When did this happen?"


    Ava nced at Stephen, who let out a sigh and shook his head.


    425 BOKUS


    He leaned close to her and whispered,


    You shouldn''t have said that."


    "I-I was trying to save you"


    Before she could finish, Harper''s angry voice echoed.


    "Stephen!"


    Stephen lowered his head and exined,


    "I am sorry, Dad. I didn''t know she woulde there. I was in a cage, andn


    came to my rescue. That time she overheard him and came as well."


    Ava hurriedly nodded at Harper and said with a pleading tone,


    "Yes, he is right. Please, Dad. Don''t scold him. He has no fault.¡°,


    Harper looked at Ava, then shifted his gaze at Stephen. "I am happy to see you


    both together in a good bond. But that doesn''t mean you two will end up in danger together. Stephen, I told you to protect her, not put her in danger. And what did you say?n was there too?"


    Stephen nodded his head. "Yes, Dad."


    "What were they doing?"


    "They were selling drugs to our university''s students," Stephen exined.


    Ava paid attention to his words. She rememberedn telling her that they were doing something extremely wrong, which they protested.


    "You know their head Alpha. You should not mess up with him," Harper warned Stephen.


    Ava frowned at him when she heard him. But then her gaze moved to her mother, who was in a daze.


    She did not ask anything to Harper and fixed her focus on her mother.


    After the dinner, Ang took Ava to the balcony and held her hands tightly.


    "Did any of those boys see you?"


    "You mean the boys from the Thunder Howl? Yes, they did. Why?"


    "Did they ask you anything?"


    Ava was surprised to hear her mother''s questions.


    "Why would they ask me anything?"


    Ang let out a deep breath as though she were rxed.


    Ava gave it a thought and recalled everything rted to Thunder Howl Pack..


    "Oh, yes. I met a very strange boy. He had green eyes. Stephen said he is a wizard. He wanted to talk to me."


    Ang''s hands trembled a little. Ava looked down at her hands and rubbed them gently.


    "Mom, what''s wrong?"


    Ang shook her head and asked,


    "Tell me. What did he say?"


    "Mom, that timen came to stop him. I don''t know what he wanted to talk about. It looks liken, Steph, and others do not have a good rtionship with that pack''s people."


    As if Ang was at ease, she exhaled deeply. She murmured in a low tone,


    "Son came between you and that boy? That''s good."


    Ava was confused about her mother''s words and behavior.


    "I think Harper did great when he asked Stephen to stay at home. I think you should thankn and stay close to him as well. He is going to be our head Alpha soon. He can be there for you anytime you want him."


    Ava stared at her mother without letting out a word. She was just observing her mother, who looked worried as hell.


    She could not help but say,


    "Mom, I am not a kid anymore. I can protect myself."


    Ang shook her head and cupped her cheeks.


    "My love, promise me that you will stay away from the people who are from the Thunder Howl Pack. That pack is the only reason why I always hide you from others. This is Gamma''s house, and you are now Gamma''s daughter. It is the best thing for you and your safety."


    "Mom, why do I need to hide from that pack''s people? Why is my rtionship with them?" Ava asked as she did not want to be more confused.


    Ang gave her a worried look as she replied,


    "You know about our past. I told you about it. But I never told you which pack we


    escaped from years ago."


    Ava''s eyes widened as she spoke.


    "Y-You mean..."


    Ang nodded her head and replied,


    "Years ago, we managed to flee from the Thunder Howl Pack. Therefore, it would


    be best if you avoided that pack and its members."


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    123


    After hearing her mother, Ava was taken aback. Her memories of the past were limited to dreams. Her mother always tried to avoid telling her about it. She only knew that she was from another pack, and this pack''s Alpha and Luna saved them by giving them shelter here.


    "But, Mom, it was a war, and we were trying to save our lives. Because of the war, we lost dad..."


    Ava paused as she reflected on her father''s death. She closed her eyes and bit her tongue, fearing that she had reminded her mother of him.


    Ang lowered her head, clearly upset. Ava hugged her mother and mumbled,


    "Mom, I am sorry. I didn''t mean to-


    Ang stopped her and said,


    "It''s okay, my baby. He was a beautiful part of my life. I can never forget him."


    She broke the embrace and looked into


    "But you have to listen to me." 11


    a''s eyes, then uttered,


    Ava did not understand why her mother was so concerned about her. The war was over, and who would remember them? Even if they remembered, what was the problem? They were not the only family that fled from the pack to save their lives.


    Ang could read her mind when she said,


    "Don''t think much. Just listen to Mom, okay?"


    Ava let out a deep breath and nodded her head at her mother. She did not want to ask so many questions to her mother. If her mother told her to stay away from the pack and their people, she might have thought something before saying it.


    "Okay, Mom. Don''t worry. They are kind of creepy anyway.


    Ang smiled at her and stroked her head. "That''s my girl. By the way, I sawn dropping you here. What''s going on?"


    Ava noticed her mother''s doubtful eyes. She immediately shook her head to deny her.


    "Nothing, Mom."


    Ang chuckled as she saw how her daughter avoided meeting her gaze.


    "You are very young, Ava. This age is an age where people make mistakes, and


    at the same time, they learn from them. I can only tell you not to make any mistakes because am a mother. I don''t want to press you for anything. But I don''t want you to end up like me."


    Ava lifted her gaze to look at her. "Mom."


    Her mother smiled at her sadly. "I didn''t know the matebond would pull me here in another pack. I was someone else''s wife and a mother of a child. When my husband died, thought I would have to live my whole life as a widow. But my mate was there, and he kept reminding me that he was the one the Moon goddess had chosen for me. I never regretted marrying your father or having you. You two are her blessings to me. But, there is something called mate bond, right? So I can only pray for you to get your mate as soon as possible. Because he is the one who is destined for you."


    Ava listened to her mother without saying anything. How could she tell her mother that her mate had broken their mate bond and she was now mateless?


    When it was time for Harper and Ang to leave, they hugged Ava.


    "I hope you will return with a happy face and healthy body Dad," Ava said to Harper.


    "I will, my child."


    Stephen also hugged them. He told Ang that if they needed any help, they could contact him anytime.


    Ava stood at the main door as she watched her parents get into their car. They waved at Ava and Stephen while setting their destination to another pack.


    Ava waved her hand slowly while looking at them.


    When they drove away, stood there unmoved. Her head was leaned against


    the frame of the door, looking at the empty road.


    Stephen turned his head to look at her. He furrowed his brows and


    noved toward her.


    "What happened to you? A


    you alright?"


    Ava blinked her eyes and stood straight. She nced at Stephen and replied,


    "I am fine, Steph."


    He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and asked,


    "Then what''s with your sudden mood change?"


    They walked inside the house together.


    "Nothing, bro. Just feeling a little sleepy."


    Stephen turned her to face her and asked,


    "Didn do something? Where were you two the whole day?"


    Suddenly something came to Ava''s mind as curiosity developed in her head.


    "We went somewhere. But I want to ask something. Will you answer me?"


    Stephen smirked at her. "I can see you want to ask something aboutn. Your excitement seems enjoyable to me."


    Ava hit his arm.


    "Ouch!"


    "Be serious, okay?"


    Stephen raised a brow and nodded his head.


    "Okay, okay. You can ask me anything. You tried to save me today. You are my best sister."


    He said that and hugged her before kissing her on the head


    Ava smiled at him and then came back to her question. She did not know if Stephen would answer her. But she gave it a shot.


    123


    "Steph, can you tell me about the Thunder Howl Pack?"


    Stephen''s expression changed as soon as he heard about that pack. He frowned at her and asked,


    "Why do you want to talk about that pack?"


    Ava gulped as she noticed a sudden change in his behavior. She could see that


    there was some kind of rivalry between the two packs.


    "I mean, why don''t you all like them?":


    "Didn''t you hear what they had tried to do? They are the most ridiculous people. Especially their head Alpha. We just don''t like him."


    Ava raised her brows, not knowing why they despised the Alpha.


    "Why?"


    Stephen stared at her for a while then looked away.


    "Ian and him are on a beef. They can''t get along with each other well. Something happened in the past, so they just can''t."


    His response was making Ava even more confused. What could have happened to spark a rivalry between two Alpha boys?


    Stephen thought for a moment as if he were collecting his words. Then he said,


    "He is also a bad boy. He is doing a great job of managing his top-level position. But I bet whenn Dawson starts ruling, he will not stay like this. His position will definitely shake."

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    In the morning,


    +25 BONOS


    Ava''s sleep was disturbed by her phone''s loud ringtone. She reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her phone. She tried opening one of her eyes to see who had called her.


    It was Debra''s call.


    She closed her eyes and pressed her phone to her ear.


    "Debra," she let out in a sleepy voice.


    "Where are you, babe?"


    Ava''s brows furrowed. "Where am I? In my house, in my bedroom, in my bed," she mumbled in a sleepy tone.


    "What! Babe, today is the final match. It''s close to 10 am. The match will start soon. How can you be on your bed at this time?"


    Ava''s eyes flung open, and she sat up on her bed.


    "Oh! Shit!"


    "Exactly!"


    "Do I have some time to take a shower and get ready?" Ava asked, turning her head left and right.


    "You have thirty minutes. Come on, hurry up!"


    "Okay, I''ming; bye."


    Ava hung up the phone and rushed to the bathroom. She took a quick shower and came out in a bathrobe.


    "Why didn''t Steph wake me up? He might have gotten up early and left," she murmured.


    She hurriedly opened the closet door and chose to wear a white t-shirt and ck tight jeans.


    She quickly dressed up, applied light makeup, wore white sneakers, and left the


    room.


    She went downstairs. The maids rushed behind her.


    "Don''t you want to have breakfast?" a maid asked.


    "I don''t have much time. Today is Brother''s final match," Ava replied and walked out of the


    house.


    124


    +25 BONOS


    Ava told the driver to hurry up and get to the university.


    When Ava arrived at her campus, she was already ten minuteste.


    She got out of the car and started to walk faster. At that time, her phone rang, and she noticed it was Abigail.


    "I am on the way," Ava said the moment she received the call.


    "Okay, okay. We are in the front row. We are waiting for you," Abigail said.


    "Got it."


    Ava nced at the students passing her. She wondered why they didn''t go to watch the match.


    Then she realized that not everyone could get the tickets. All of the tickets sold out in less than twenty minutes, so not everyone had the opportunity to purchase


    one.


    Ava remembered Luke had reserved front-row seats for her and her friends in advance.


    Today was an important match for not only Luke but also his brother''s. She did not know whom she should root for. Luke was her close friend, and Stephen was her brother.


    She had known Luke for a long time. He came into her life and supported her that time when no other boy was there for her. Because of him, most people avoid bullying her. He was her friend when she used to be a nerd.


    She reached the basketball court and paused. She could see so many people sitting there. She looked around and found Abigail and Debra.


    They were waving at her.


    She walked up to them. They patted the seat in the middle of them for her. She


    sat on the seat and huffed.


    "You arete," Debra said.


    "I know, I know," Ava murmured.


    She looked at the scoreboard, which disyed the game''s current state.


    She noted that Team ck Diamond had already scored. Her gaze slowly shifted to the yers.


    She saw Stephen giving his best in the field. She smiled at him. She had never had a conversation with Stephen about basketball. It looked like he was very passionate about the match, or she could say it was the final match, so he was doing his best.


    She moved her gaze, and she saw Luke looking at her.


    124


    +25 BONOS


    She waved at him with a smile. He smiled at her back and then focused on the match.


    "Who are you rooting for today?" Debra asked Ava.


    Ava furrowed her brows and turned to her. "Of course, Luke."


    "Really?" Abigail asked.


    Ava turned to Abigail and asked, "Why? Any doubt?"


    Abigail grinned at her and motioned her to the field. "Maybe there is another


    desires your rooting as well. That''s why he is looking at you."


    Ava turned her head and foundn looking at her.


    Their eyes met, and Ava''s heart started to beat faster.


    She looked away from him and cleared her throat, then replied to Abigail,


    "I don''t care. He is a stranger to me anyway."


    Both Abigail and Debra asked together,


    "STRANGER?"


    Ava ignored their gazes and murmured,


    "I talked to him, and we decided not to see each other again."


    "We? Or only you?" Abigail asked.


    person who


    Ava nced at her, then lowered her head. Debra wrapped her arm around her shoulder.


    "Babe, you know you love him."


    Ava shook her head. "No, I don''t."


    "How long do you keep telling lies to yourself, Ava?" Abigail asked.


    She moved closer to Ava and mumbled, "You know you still love. Why don''t you just give him a chance?"


    The game was going on, but the three friends were busy talking to each other while looking at the match. Their focus paused whenn tossed the ball into the basket.


    "And again, the ck Diamond!"


    The announcement and cheering were loud. The cheerleaders were dancing. While looking atn, they were chanting his name.


    124


    +25 BONOS


    Ava scoffed atn when he nced at the cheerleaders.


    "I don''t trust him. If I give him a chance, he will break my heart again. So I decided


    to push him away from myself."


    "That''s impossible! He isn Dawson. He can''t stay away from what he wants," Debra said, staring atn.


    Ava rolled her eyes and nced at Luke, who looked worried for his team.


    She felt bad for Luke. She just hoped that Luke would win the match. It was more important to him than any


    other.


    "Ava, what did you say ton?" Abigail inquired from next to her.


    Ava let out a deep breath and replied,


    "That''s not important. I asked him to lose this match so he could prove to me that


    he truly loves me. But as we all can see, he can''t do that. So..."


    Abigail and Debra exchanged a quick look, and both yelled.


    "YOU DID WHAT?"

 Chapter 125

    125


    Ava shook her head and mumbled to her friends,


    "Let''s pay our attention to the match. Let''s pray for Luke to win today. I don''t have aboutn. He will not give in."-


    Abigail and Debra fell silent.


    any


    doubt


    Ava fixed her attention on the game. She could see how the crowd cheered forn whenever he scored points for his team.


    Ava observed that he did not nce at her again. It was like he finally decided not to look at her again.


    "May the best team win," Ava mumbled in a low tone.


    Her friends heard her, but they did not say anything.


    When Stephen put the ball in the basket, Ava jumped and pped for her brother.


    Stephen looked at her and gave her a flying kiss. Ava smiled at him and sat down again.


    Others looked at her, realizing they shared a strong bond, and Stephen adored his new sister.


    "You said you wanted Luke''s team to win," Abigail said.


    Ava nodded her head and replied,


    "Of course I want that. Bute on. Stephen is my brother.''


    "So? Now who are you cheering for?" Debra inquired.


    Ava rubbed her forehead. "What''s wrong with both of you? Why are you talking like my wish is important here? Whoever ys well will win the game."


    "If your brother loses the game, will you feel upset?"


    "Yeah, I will. But he will be one of the officials. He will have other goals. But Luke..."


    Ava paused as she remembered what Luke had said to her yesterday.


    "Luke what?" Abigail asked.


    "If he fails to win this match, his father will send him abroad."


    125


    +25 BONOS


    "What are you saying?" Debra asked with a shocked tone. Abigail was equally shocked.


    Ava nodded her head. "Yeah."


    "Then he should win the match," Abigail said, ncing at Luke.


    The game was going one way. The ck Diamond was going to win the game single-handedly.


    Team Red mor looked upset. Luke gave them encouragement and told them not to give up. Although they scored points as well, it was not enough to win.


    When it was halftime, all the yers went to the restroom.


    The audience in the arena went out to buy some popcorn and drinks.


    Ava and her friends also went outside.


    "Did you talk to Luke yesterday?" Abigail asked Ava while walking together.


    "No, I couldn''t. He was busy with his practice."


    "Oh shit! You know what he ns to do about the proposal thing..." Debra muttered.


    Ava''s steps paused. She almost forgot about it. Luke mentioned to her many times before that he wanted to propose her officially to be his girlfriend and then start their rtionship.


    "But only after he wins. It doesn''t look like his team can win," Abigail said.


    Abigail and Debra also wanted Luke to win. Luke was their close friend. However, they were afraid of Ava''s decision. They knew that Ava was in emotional turmoil. She did not understand her situation and could not make sound decisions in her life.


    Suddenly, Ava''s eyes fell on someone. She looked at her friends and said,


    "You can go get some popcorn. I aming in a few minutes."


    "But where are you going?" Abigail asked.


    "I have something to do," Ava replied, heading toward someone.


    Abigail and Debra were about to continue walking, but their eyes followed Ava, so they paused.


    "That''s Luke''s dad, right?" Debra said.


    "Yes. He also came to watch his son''s match."


    "I guess Ava was right then."


    "Let''s hope Luke wins. We don''t want him to go abroad. He should have his own say in her


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    life''s decision."


    On the other hand,


    Ava walked toward Luke''s father.


    "Uncle."


    Luke''s father was talking with another man. When he turned to Ava, his brows lifted.


    "Uncle, I am Ava, Luke''s friend."


    He smiled at her and replied,


    "Hello, dear."


    Ava nced around and saw many people around them. So she said,


    "Uncle, can we talk? I have something to talk about."


    The man agreed, and they walked in a less crowded area.


    "I heard about you from Luke. He attended your mother''s wedding. You are


    Gamma Harper''s daughter."


    Ava lowered her head while nodding her head.


    "You seem like a really nice girl."


    "Thank you, Uncle."


    Finding the right words to begin the conversation, Ava scratched the back of her hand a little.


    "You wanted to talk about some-"


    Ava interrupted him and said,


    "Uncle, please don''t send Luke out of the pack."


    The man was stunned. Ava looked at him and gulped. She could see he was not pleased.


    "Luke wants to be with you and his mother. Basketball is his life. He will have to give up his dream if you send him overseas. Please reconsider your decision even if he loses today. If you understand him and give him the right to choose his way to live his life like he wants, even if he loses the match, he will win in his life." The man gave her a long look. Then he asked,


    "Why are you saying this? Did he tell you about this?"


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    "No, I overheard him speaking with you on the phone," she lied.


    She did not want Luke''s father to misunderstand him.


    "Your brother is on the opposite team. Luke is clearly losing the game. Is that why you came to talk to me?"


    Ava remained silent. She genuinely cared about Luke. They had been friends for


    a very long time.


    How could she not want to help him? He was there for her in every bad time.


    "Lose or win, I think you should ept his wishes. He respects you a lot. But he also has a big dream. He wants to be a big basketball yer. Don''t break his dream. If he loses, he can stand up again. But if his dad doesn''t support him today, he will feel the loss at every turn in his life."

 Chapter 126

    126


    The half-time was over. The game began once again. Everyone started to cheer for their favorite team.


    The teachers, students, and guardians were all there to watch the game.


    There were only two quarters left to get the result.


    ck Diamond was leading to victory.


    Ava was watching the game with a distressed mind. She remembered Luke''s father and her conversation a while


    ago.


    He said he would think about what she had told him. But he would do what was good for Luke.


    Ava did not know what Luke''s father would decide for him. She could only hope that it would be on Luke''s side.


    Team Red mor seemed to change their strategies. They began to concentrate more on defense than attack. They attempted to divert the opposing team''s attention and seize scoring opportunities.


    When Luke scored, Ava jumped up with a big smile on her face.


    She was happy for Luke. She believed if he yed well, he could win the match.


    In her heart, she was guilty.


    She did not want to use Luke. She liked Luke, but she was wrong when she assumed she could be with him as more than friends. She liked him only as a friend. So she felt guilty about talking about dating him a few days ago. She should not have done that. Even though they didn''t start dating, it gave hope to Luke to n for their rtionship.


    But today, Ava would tell him that she could not be with him. However, she feared that if he were to lose the game, he would experience even more heartbreak.


    While cheering on Luke with her friends, Ava''s gaze shifted ton.


    He did not look calm anymore. His mood darkened, as if he had noticed how she reacted to Luke''s goal.


    Ava settled into her seat. Unexpectedly, she fixed her eyes onn.


    As time passed, the Red mor began to score, hoping to match ck


    Diamond''s score.


    Everyone crossed their fingers asn snatched the ball from an opposing yer and moved toward the basket.


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    Ava was shocked when she saw almost all the yers of the Red mor gathered aroundn to stop, but he crossed them and headed toward the basket once again.


    The girls in the audience arena began to cheer his name.


    Ava''s eyes widened when he jumped in the air and shoved the ball in the basket.


    "What a Dunk!"


    Ava could hear the reporter''s stunned voice on the speakers.


    "What a tremendous shot byn Dawson!"


    The chief crew also cheered forn after watching what a wonderful yer he


    was.


    "I must say no one can beat him in basketball," Debra said, almost cheering forn.


    Abigail looked at Debra and asked,


    "We are on Luke''s team. Have you forgotten that?"


    Debra shook her head immediately and replied,


    "No. I was just saying. Don''t mind me."


    Meanwhile, Ava''s eyes were onn. He nced at him, looking at her reaction.


    It looked like he was not pleased by her reaction. His face fiercer in rage.


    Ava averted her gaze away from him. She looked down at herp.


    Last night''s memory reflected in her mind.


    She remembered how he finished his practice before her ss ended and then spent the whole day with her. Once more, he had confessed to her, but she rejected him, telling him to do something he would never be able to.


    "Team Red mor!"


    Ava turned to look at the field and saw that Team Red mor had scored again.


    At that point, her heart was filled with confusion. She somehow did not feel good about the


    score.


    She wanted the Red mor to win, right? Then why did she start to feel different?


    "TIMEOUT."


    It was time when the coaches got time to discuss their strategies with their team''s yers.


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    Ava noticed that Luke''s coach was patting his shoulder. On the other hand, Team ck Diamond''s coach looked angry. He was saying something serious to his team yers.


    Ava focused on them and noticed that Stephen and Ronald were saying something ton.


    Butn shrugged his shoulders and ignored them. He walked back to the field.


    The coach ced his hands on his waist and shook his head atn.


    "The final quarter begins."


    When the referee blew his whistle, the match resumed.


    It was thest twelve minutes. The score was close to each other. The ck


    Diamond was a few points ahead of the Red mor.


    It was a miracle for the Red mor, or game changers, to get so close to the ck Diamond.


    As the clock ran out, Team Red mor kept scoring goals.


    It was thest five minutes.


    The score was changing every minute. While eating popcorn, everyone appeared anxious.


    The game was going tough, and thepetition was neck-to-neck.


    Ava''s eyes went here and there on the field. She could see the ball in the ck Diamonds'' hands the majority of the time. Despite this, the Red mor continued


    to score. Debra and Abigail looked happy since Luke was winning.


    "THE LAST ONE MINUTE."


    Ava did not know why, but she felt her heart was beating faster.


    The score was a tie.


    The hosts continued speaking into the microphone, informing listeners of the state of affairs in the field.


    "Andn Dawson now has the ball in his hand. It is a big opportunity for the ck Diamond. Everyone is doing their best to stop him. Let''s see if he can win the game by scoring for his team and breaking the tie. Even Luke, the Red mor''s captain, is moving from his spot to get the ball from him."


    Ava stared atn, watching him get closer to the basket.


    He seemed unstoppable in his quest to win the game and score points for his


    team.


    Luke rushed ton, trying to stop him. But it did not look like work at all.


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    Everyone held their breaths.


    Ava clenched her fists while watching.


    At that moment, she sawn turn his head in her direction, and their eyes locked.


    It was only for a second, but to Ava, everything stopped around her with just that


    one nce


    at him.


    Everyone jumped to scream but froze when they saw the ball did not make it into the basket.


    "Ian failed to hit his target! How is that even possible? It was a very clear shot!"


    Luke seized the opportunity by grabbing the ball and moving to the opposite side.


    It was as if the ck Diamond yers were too shocked by their captain''s missed shot to react to the


    game.


    Cyrus and Paul tried to stop Luke. But it was toote. Luke had already


    approached the basket and tossed the ball inside.


    The hosts then made the announcement to the speakers.


    "The victory belongs to Team Red mor!"

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    127


    The people who came to support the Red mor were basically the family of the


    team. members. So they cheered for them in happiness.


    Debra and Abigail got up and rushed down the stairs to reach Luke to congratte him.


    Meanwhile, Ava was sitting on the seat.


    She was unmoved. She was confused about the thing that had just happened in front of her


    eyes.


    "I can''t believen missed the target."


    "Exactly!"


    "He intentionally missed the goal."


    "We all witnessed that."


    "Why did he do that?"


    "How could he serve the victory to the team on the te?"


    "That wasn''t even hard for him. He had already crossed all of the opposing yers. Then why did he not score?"


    Ava heard other people''s voices. They all were surprised when they observed the same thing.


    Ava''s eyes were fixed on the field. She noticedn looking at Luke.


    His eyes slowly moved to Ava. He did not break eye contact.


    From far away, she could still see that he was staring at her. It was as if his gaze was mocking her for testing him.


    Her heart shook inside when she realized what he had just done.


    He proved himself to her!


    He proved that he loved her!


    He gave up his victory in the final match just as she asked him to prove his love for her.


    Ava could not believe he could do something like that for her.


    Ava''s gaze moved when someone was waving at her. She shifted her eyes saw it was Luke.


    and


    She got to her feet and walked down the stairs. She walked over to him and gave him a small


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    smile.


    "Congrattions, Luke," Ava said to him.


    He did not reply, but rather than that, he pulled her into a hug.


    Ava was surprised by the hug, but she patted his back as she could see how happy he was.


    "I did it, Ava. I won the match," Luke said, hugging her tightly.


    She felt a pang in her heart.


    She wanted Luke to win the match. But how could she not be pleased when he won it?


    Ava''s gaze was drawn ton. His friends were talking to him. They looked enraged at him.


    Luke broke the hug and cupped her cheeks, causing her to look away fromn. "Are you happy?" he asked.


    Ava looked at Luke and nodded her head slowly. She lied to him. For some reason, she was unable to feel happy.


    Luke smiled at her, but Abigail and Debra noticed Ava''s changing behavior. They silently


    observed her.


    "Ava, I wanted to say something to you," Luke said, getting down on one knee.


    Ava''s eyes widened, as she did not expect him to do that at the moment. She recalled what he had mentioned before.


    He held her hand and looked into her eyes.


    "Lu-Luke, don''t-"


    Luke interrupted her and asked,


    "Ava, will


    you be my girlfriend?"


    Ava was stunned. The people around them began to scream with cheering.


    Looking at Luke, Ava blinked. She slowly moved her eyes.


    Her gaze shifted ton. He was also looking at her from afar.


    Ava''s heart trembled when he looked away from her and turned around. She watched him leave the field with his head lowered.


    Ava felt something was itching her eyes. Her lips quivered. Blinking her eyes, she inhaled


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    deeply.


    She realized that tears dropped on her cheeks. She immediately wiped her tears and moved her eyes back to Luke.


    With an embarrassed expression, she gazed into his eyes and uttered,


    "I am sorry, Luke. I can''t date you. I tried, but it''s just that I can never feel for you more than a friend. You are my closest friend, and I promise you will always be


    the same in my heart. But I don''t want to use you to move on in my life. I really apologize. I can''t be your girlfriend." 2


    Luke''s smile froze. Everyone around them went silent.


    Debra and Abigail were staring at Ava. They felt very sorry for Luke.


    Luke loosened his grip on Ava''s wrists. He let go of her hands and tightened his fists tightly.


    "What are you saying?" he said in a low tone.


    Ava could not move her eyes away from him.


    "I-I am sorry," she mumbled.


    This was all she could say to him.


    He slowly got on his feet and backed away from her. "You still love him, don''t


    you?" he asked, stepping back.


    After hearing his question, she looked away from him.


    She could not help but realize in her heart that she still had feelings forn.


    Luke let out a chuckle and shook his head. "You know your answer can ruin my victory; you still did that to this day."


    Ava gazed at him and shook her head. "No, I just didn''t want you to be in the dark. I didn''t want to-"}


    He raised his hand to stop her. ¡°Just leave me alone, Ava. I got what you want.


    You never wanted me. You... you gave me hope of something that I can''t ever


    get."1


    Ava closed her eyes, allowing tears to flow down her cheeks. Abigail and Debra approached her and stood beside her.


    "Luke, calm down. She wanted to talk to you. But you were busy."


    "Talk about what? Isn''t she the one who asked me to date? Why is she taking a step back?"


    Luke''s questions shocked everyone as they began to gossip.


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    "She asked him to date her!"


    "How unabashedly confident can a girl be?"


    "She thought she could seduce the captain of Red mor, but then realized she


    did not deserve him."


    "Does that mean Nova was right about her?"


    Whispers spread throughout the field as everyone fixed their gazes on Ava.


    "You all shut the fuck up before I break your bones," Stephen said from a side as


    if the whispers reached his ears.


    He red at everyone and walked off the field.


    "I am sorry again, Luke. If you can, please forgive me," Ava said, lowering her


    head before dashing out of the field.


    Luke clenched his jaw and stared at Ava''s back.


    "That girl cheated you, bro," one of his teammates remarked, patting his shoulder.


    At that time, Luke''s father approached him, who was watching everything from a little distance.


    "Luke"


    "Dad."


    His father took a quick look at where Ava had gone. With a smile on his face, he


    said,


    "She is a mysterious girl. That little girl taught me a few things today."


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Ava was crying unexpectedly. She had no idea why she was crying. Was she crying because she had broken Luke''s heart?


    Or she was crying for someone else?


    She began to search for the person. She wanted to know why he did that.


    He not only proved himself by intentionally losing the game, but he also made her


    feel guilty.


    She had never imagined he would give up his victory for her.


    While thinking about him, her steps came to a halt at a gate of her campus.


    She peered at the boys from behind a tree. Ian was about to leave campus, but his friends stopped him.


    She could hearn''s friends'' furious voices.


    Her brow furrowed in surprise as she saw Ronald grabn''s cor.


    "How can you throw water in our four years'' hard work?"


    Cyrus was trying to break freen''s cor from Ronald.


    "I can''t believe it. How could you be so stupid,n? You deceived us. You know that, right?¡± Stephen asked.


    "Say something. Why did you do that?" Paul said.


    Cyrus shook his head and muttered,


    "Bro, we have been looking forward to this day for a long time. Everyone knows no one can beat us. We have always been the winners. Why did you deliberately lose the game?"


    Rnd pushed Cyrus away from his side and looked atn. His hands were still holdingn''s cor. He said,


    "Do


    you know what they are going to call us? Losers. How could you miss that simple shot? You gave them so many chances to score. You even blocked your own yers so that they could score every single time to match our score. Is this how a captain should y?"


    "Your friend is selfish. Always keep that in your mind," he uttered in a low tone.


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    Ava bit her bottom lip to control her tears. She could seen looked helpless. She took a long breath and wiped the corner of her eyes. She continued to watch them.


    "But why did you have to do such a thing? You have a good chance of winning. You said you don''t like that Luke guy. Then why did you let that boy win? Do you have any exnations?" Stephen asked with a disappointed look.


    He grabbed Ronald''s wrist and removed them from his cor.


    "And don''t dare to do that again. I am your friend, but that does not mean you will forget who I am."


    Ronald gave him a sarcastic grin. "So now you will discipline us? By how? You have already made us lose a game. als this how you n to run our pack?" Ronald asked.


    Anger was audible in his voice. He was hell mad at his best friend. He did not expect him to do something like that. After all, it was not just his loss, but every yer would have to suffer for it. He shattered their dream of winning the championship.


    "Next year I will be your head Alpha. You will have to follow my everymand, and you won''t be allowed to oppose any of my decisions. So start to prepare yourself from now on.''


    >>


    His words were directed not only at Ronald, but also at all of his friends who would serve as


    his officials.


    Everyone became silent. But there was fury in their eyes.


    Ava sawn leaving the campus. She turned around and leaned her back against the tree.


    She held back her tears as she looked up at the sky.


    Because of her, he lost the match, lost his friends'' confidence over him, and almost got into a fight with his friends.


    Ava felt terrible in her heart. She did not know why she was feeling pain in her heart.


    Was it because she could not see him in pain or she could not see his downfall?


    Asn''s friends head inside, Stephen''s eyes fell on Ava.


    He walked over to her and grabbed her hand.


    "Ava? What are you doing here?"


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    The other boys stopped and looked at her.


    "Wait, are you crying?" Stephen asked, touching her chin to look at her face closely.


    Ava lowered her head and sobbed.


    "B-Brother, h-he-"


    "I know Luke proposed to you. Did you ept him? It totally depends on you, Ava. But as your brother, I still believe you should think before stepping forward," Luke said, cing his hand on her head. 1


    Ronald sneered after hearing Stephen. "Don''t think that boy has won over us. Our captain showed some sympathy to him. That was why he won today. If our own captain had not betrayed us, Luke would not have been in a state to show his face. We would have defeated him with scores he had never imagined."


    Ava gazed at him and said,


    "In...." she paused as she tried to collect words to exin.


    At that time, Debra and Abigail came there.


    "You are here! We were searching for you," Abigail said to Ava.


    n, what?" Ronald asked, ignoring Ava''s friends.


    "Did you not ept Luke''s proposal? Have you changed your mind?" Stephen asked.


    Ava let out a shaky breath and replied,


    "Don''t misunderstand,n. He did that because I asked him to do that."


    "You asked him for what?" Paul asked.


    Ava nced at her brother and replied,


    "Brother, I was the one who asked him to lose the match."


    Stephen''s hand froze on her hair. He immediately frowned at her and removed his


    hand from her head.


    "What are you saying, Ava? Did you do that for Luke? Your brother is also a member ofn''s team. Don''t you know that?"


    Ava could feel the angering from Stephen and his friends. She closed her eyes and tightened her fists.


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    "I am sorry, brother. I never thought he would actually do that. I was just-"


    Ronald interrupted her while moving toward her.


    "Listen, girl,n Dawson is not a joke. He loves you, but you have no right to y with his heart. He rejected you and deeply regretted it. Now what do you want him


    to do to prove himself to you? He sacrificed his dream for you. Basketball was the only thing that brought him peace. You took that away from him too."

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    Ava left the campus with her friends. They had been consoling her for hours. She was feeling guilty that she maden do this thing.


    "Don''t think about it. Just think about how much he loves you," Debra said.


    Abigail nodded her head and hugged Ava''s arm. "Please, don''t be upset. You are not at fault. Who thought his love was unconditional for you? A bad boy like him has a really bad reputation. So no one can trust him easily."


    Ava was listening to her friends while sitting in the car. They had been telling her not to feel stressed.


    However, her heart was desperate. She wanted to go ton and talk to him.


    She could reflect on the moment in her mind whenn left the campus. He did not even change his jersey when he left.


    She arrived at her house. Her friends decided to give herpany since she did not look good to them.


    While spending the whole day with her friends, she realized that nothing could ease her mind.


    When her friends left, it was evening time.


    She waited for Stephen while sitting in the living room. She kept looking at the main door, but Stephen had not returned.


    So she decided to call him. She was afraid that he would stop talking to her. After what she had done, anyone would do that out of anger.


    Just as she was about to call Stephen, he entered the house.


    Ava rushed to him.


    "Brother."


    Stephen paused and looked at her. She looked away and mumbled,


    "I am sorry, brother."


    Stephen stared at her for a long time, then asked,


    "Have you gotten your answer?"


    "Huh?"


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    "You asked him to prove it. Now have you gotten your answer?"


    She avoided his gaze and mumbled,


    "Where is he?"


    Stephen sighed and muttered, "He is not picking up any of our calls."


    She immediately looked at him. "Not picking up your calls? Why? Is he okay?"


    Stephen looked at her carefully. "Do you care for him?"


    "Where is he?"


    Stephen walked toward the staircase while saying,


    "You don''t need to know."


    Ava ran to his brother and held his hand.


    "Please, Steph. Where is he? I need to talk to him."


    He turned to her and replied,


    "Don''t go to him. He is in a really bad mood. No one knows what he will do in anger. Tonight there is going to be a car race. Maybe he will participate in it. If you really want to talk, you can talk to him tomorrow."


    After saying that, Stephen went upstairs.


    Ava was perplexed. "Car race?"


    She remembered that Luke had said to her thatn liked to go to car races. She recalled Stephen saying that they all had sports cars. She assumed every one of them liked to race with their cars.


    Ava sat down on the couch. She was in emotional turmoil. She wanted to seen.


    But she had no idea if they met, what would she tell him.


    Hisst look that he gave her before leaving the field was pierced in her mind.


    She decided to meet him no matter what. She had to talk to him.


    She unlocked her phone and went to check on their university group. She searched for the ce wheren usually went for car races.


    As usual, the girls had all the ideas about it. Ava saw some photos ofn. They all posted about a month ago. That meantn stopped going there for a while.


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    Ava''s heart trembled when she saw some posts about how dangerous the races were.


    She checked the location and went back to her bedroom.


    She had something on her mind. She took a deep breath and opened the closet.


    She pulled out a leather skirt and ck crop top.


    She could not cheer for him in the match, but she could do that for his race.


    She dressed up and applied some makeup to give her a confident look. She put on a pair of boots and left her room.


    While getting down the stairs, she nced at Stephen''s bedroom. She was afraid that if he noticed her, he would not let her go there.


    She felt sorry for Stephen and all of his friends as well. She thought to say sorry to every one


    of them.


    But right now, she only wanted to apologize to the person who had proved his love to her.


    She hurriedly walked out of the house and noticed the cars.


    She was about to call a driver but stopped herself.


    "Stephen will learn about it. I should not take any cars," she mumbled and moved


    toward the road.


    She hailed for a cab and told the cab driver the location.


    The driver turned his head to her and asked,


    "Miss, are you sure?"


    Ava nodded her head. "Yeah. Please take me there as soon as possible."


    The location was far from her house, so she believed if the driver did not go faster, she would miss the race.


    The driver started the car. Ava leaned her back against the seat.


    She was nervous. She did not know how he would react to him. It was genuine that he was mad because he had lost the winning game.


    During the long ride, she thought about yesterday. She andn had spent the entire day together. He was gentle with her, being both careful and caring.


    When Ava arrived at the location, it was past 8:30 p.m.


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    It was an open space with people gathering here and there.


    After paying the cab driver, Ava got out of the cab.


    She looked around, not knowing where to go.


    The cab left, and she started to walk. She noticed there were many boys and


    girls. A few of them sat on the car trunks sipping alcohol.


    She ignored them and walked ahead. The boys were smirking at her as if they could understand that she was new to this ce.


    She saw a few girls who wereughing. She approached them and asked,


    "Excuse me, could you please tell me where the car race is taking ce?"


    The girls looked at her from head to toe. With a raspy voice, one of them motioned her to the left side and said,


    "That way."


    Ava smiled at her. "Thanks."


    She started to walk in the direction that the girl had said. She heard the girl from


    behind.


    "But the race has already begun. You have to stick to the crowd, girl."


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    Ava heard a loud sound, as if someone had fired a gun. She flinched in that sound and covered her ears.


    "Upps, I meant the race has just begun," the girl said, smirking at her.


    Ava slowly removed her hands from her ears and rushed toward the way where the crowd began to cheer.


    She felt herself nearly trip over while running. But then a boy took hold of her hand and straightened her out.


    "Thank you," she mumbled.


    When she raised her head, she noticed a boy eyeing her body. She immediately pushed his


    hand


    away and said,


    "Don''t touch me."


    The boy rolled his eyes and walked past her. She swallowed her breath, thinking that this ce was strange. People around her were very different from her.


    Since she did not have much time to think about other things, she started to walk again. She entered the crowd and pushed people to go further.


    As she reached the edge where the audience was protected by a safety line, she turned to look for the cars.


    "Are you new? Is this your first time?" A girl asked beside her.


    Ava nodded her head and turned her head to look at her. She saw the girl had tattoos on her hands and neck. She was smoking while looking on the left side.


    She turned to Ava and pointed with her hand that held the cigarette to the left, saying, "They areing from that side."


    Ava realized that most of the people had tattoos there. Some of them had tattoos on their hands, neck, thighs, and other ces she couldn''t even see.


    She could smell alcohol and different scents. She understood that people around her were taking something. Looking over to the other side, she noticed some boys and girls smoking something.


    "That''s cannabis. Do you want some?" the tattooed girl asked.


    Ava immediately shook her head in response. The girl chuckled while looking at


    her.


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    At that time, a boy leaned in Ava''s ear from behind and said,


    "Hey, babes. Can I stand behind you? Why not give me some rub while waiting for the cars?"


    Ava was startled. She immediately turned around and pushed the boy.


    "Wow. What''s there to get mad about? Just asking for a rub, babe," the boys said, looking offended by her push.


    Ava felt ufortable standing in the crowd. These people were really weird. They talked like nothing mattered to them. They were openly doing everything they wanted, and there was no one to stop them. They were bing shameless as there were no restrictions for their


    actions.


    "Bro, just fuck off. She doesn''t look interested," the tattooed girl said.


    The boy moved to another girl as if it was just normal help that he wanted from girls. Ava returned her focus to the road.


    As time passed, her mood was getting worse. She was feeling awkward.


    "Don''t worry. You will get along with all of this very soon," the tattooed girl said.


    Ava shook her head. "No, I don''t want to."


    "And who are you supporting, by the way?"


    Ava was just about to answer when the girls from both sides began to scream.


    She turned her head to the left side and saw two carsing.


    One of them was red, and the other one was ck in color.


    She stared at the cars. They wereing at an unbelievable speed from a far distance.


    Ava''s heart started to beat fast as it heard the sounds of the engines of the cars. The ck car was ahead of the red cars. The red car tried to cross it, but it was as if the ck car was ying with the indicators. So even if the red car wanted to, it failed every time.


    As the cars came close to where Ava was standing, the ck car suddenly slowed down.


    Ava''s heart skipped a beat when she caught a glimpse ofn inside the ck car.


    As if time stopped, his gaze locked with hers. His brows furrowed as if he did not believe that she hade to watch a car race.


    "IAN."


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    "IAN"


    "IAN"


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    The girls were cheering forn. They were stunned by watching his car slow down.


    "What happened to you,n? Go faster!" the girls shouted in frustration.


    Ava broke eye contact and turned to look at the other car, which was close to the finish line.


    She shook her head because she did not want the other car to win. She looked at


    "Come on,n!" she yelled so he could hear her.


    The boys and girls thought she was one of his fans. So other girls were also saying it loudly.


    n looked away from Ava and gazed at the red car.


    He switched gears and pressed the elerator hard. The car sped past Ava, like


    a gust of wind.


    "That''s dangerous! What if he would lose the bnce?" The tattoo girl said from beside Ava.


    Upon hearing her, Ava''s heart started to race. She had no idea about car races. She was afraid thatn would lose his bnce.


    She prayed inside her heart while watching the cars.


    Just as the red car was about to touch the finish line, the ck car drove past it and crossed the line first.


    Everyone gasped in shock as it was almost impossible because the red car was also very fast in speed at that time.


    The whole crowd broke into cheers.


    However,n didn''t stop the car or slow down. Instead, he drifted the car in a circle.


    Looking at the ck car, Ava''s eyes grew wide.


    "Oh my god!"


    "He is so hot even when he is driving!


    "Look at his master skills!"


    "Let''s go to him!"


    The girls rushed towardn''s car and stopped in a distance to give him space to


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    The car stopped, andn got out of the car.


    "Congrattions,n.


    The girls ran up to him.


    11


    Ava watched him from afar. She was relieved in her heart. Not because he won,


    but because he was safe and did not lose his bnce.

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    The girls surroundedn with screaming. They tried to hug him. Through a re, he pushed them away from him. They took a few steps back, but they did not move away from him because they were aware of his demeanor. He was an arrogant boy, and why would he not be? He would soon be the leader of their pack and their head Alpha.


    Ava noticed how girls wanted to get close ton. She was not pleased with it.


    She cast a quick nce at their hands. Every single one of them was wearing ck bands. It indicated that they all supportedn, who had a ck sports car.


    Her gaze shifted away from them, and she took a quick look at her hands. She had nothing on her hands and was not wearing anything. In fact, she did not even have any idea about these car races. Did that mean she could not support him properly?


    She nced over atn for a moment. A group of young men approached him. They handed him a bundle of money. She recalled that Luke had mentioned thatn had been gambling in car races and making money from it.


    She gulped, looking atn. She was scared of these things.


    It was not a good thing. The race was an even more dangerous thing itself.


    She was too nervous to go ton. How would she approach him?


    She could see how he was ring at the boys when they said something to him.


    He gave a slight shake of his head, and they walked away from him.


    At that moment,n turned his head, and his eyes locked with hers.


    She was about to approach him, but he turned around and headed to another side. It looked like he did not want to see her.


    Thinking that he was upset with her, Ava bit the bottom of her lip.


    She walked ahead and decided to go talk to him.


    While passing the people, she felt very ufortable. Every single boy appeared to be lustful, as if they were waiting for the opportunity to take girls with them.


    Suddenly she heard loud music ying. She turned her head to get a better look at what was going on over there.


    She saw people dancing there while drinking. All of the kids belonged to wealthy families. They were here with their expensive cars.


    As Ava was watching them while walking, she lostn from her sight.


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    Uponing to that realization, she paused for a moment. She looked around


    and could not findn.


    She felt lonely in the crowd.


    n? Where are you?''


    With a disheartening look, she walked forward.


    "Are you looking for someone?"


    Ava turned around and found the tattooed girl. She nodded her head and replied, "Have you seenn?"


    The girl''s brows rose up. "Do you want to meet him personally? Girl, I can tell you are innocent. He is a bad boy. Are you aware of it?"


    It was like an rm from the girl to Ava. As though she wanted to alert her to stay away from


    "I know him," Ava said.


    "He is well-known to everyone. Girls are madly in love with him. But let me tell you. He is dangerous. Do you still want to put yourself in danger despite knowing this? Girls are all here only for him. He always picked one and threw them away the very next day."


    Ava inhaled as she was aware of it. But she also knew thatn had tried to prove his love for


    her. He imed that he loved her.


    Now, even though she was afraid of her broken heart, she wanted to give him an opportunity.


    Her voice trailed off, "He has changed."


    The tattooed girls stared at her for a while then broke intoughter.


    "Not bad. A good girl is in love with a bad boy! Well, hi. I am Monica, the organizer


    of these car races," the girl said, extending her hand to Ava.


    Ava shook her hands with her and replied,


    "Ava."


    Monica looked around and stopped her gaze at a ce.


    "You can go and sit there if you don''t feel good here. Maybe you can findn from there."


    Upon taking a quick nce at the location, Ava noticed that there were a few empty cars parked there. She thanked Monica and walked toward the cars.


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    She sat on the bo of a car while looking at the boys and girls who were enjoying the night.


    She wanted to seen and talk to him.


    When she was busy in her thoughts, she heard a sound beside her.


    She turned her head and was stunned.


    cigarette and closed the lighter.


    After taking a long, deep puff, he turned his attention to her.


    Moving the cigarette away from his lips, he asked,


    "What are you doing here?"


    The rhythm of Ava''s heartbeat began to quicken. She could not keep eye contact


    for a long time. Her gaze averted, and she responded,


    "I heard from Stephen that you are participating in a car race.''


    "So?"


    His question sounded so obvious as if she had no connection with it.


    Her eyes briefly met his. He was wearing all ck. Combined with the ck jacket and ck boots, the ck leather pants exude an air of darkness.


    She realized that she had matched with him tonight.


    She noticed his eyes were moving from her face and moved down to her dress. She averted her gaze from him, feeling shy.


    His eyes were unmoved on her body for a while. It was like he could not just tear his eyes off of her.


    He bit the cigarette between his teeth, making his mind distract from her.


    After looking away from her,n said,


    "Go back to your house. This is not the right ce for you."


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    "I am not here to go back home. I want to enjoy the ce," Ava replied, looking at


    the people.


    not to argue


    with it.


    Ava noticed him pulling out his phone.


    "What are you doing?" she asked when she caught a glimpse of a contact name.


    "Calling your brother to take you back from here."


    She frowned at him and asked,


    &


    "Wait, what? Why would he take me away? I am here by myself."


    "I am calling Cyrus to tell your boyfriend toe and take you from here then," he said, taking a nce at her.


    Ava froze at his words. "Boyfriend?"


    She hurriedly stood straight and went to him. She snatched his phone away from his ear and cut the call.


    "No need to call anyone. And what do you mean by boyfriend?¡±


    "What did I mean? You know what I am saying. Last night you yourself said that to me."


    Ava was stunned. She recalled that she let him think that she would ept Luke. But it was only because she wanted to push him away from her.


    Her eyes fell on the cigarette between his fingers.


    "Why do you smoke so much?" she mumbled.


    He followed her gaze and looked at the cigarette. He scoffed at her and lifted his hand to bring the cigarette closer to his mouth.


    Just as the cigarette was about to touch his lips, she grabbed his wrist to stop him.


    His eyes darkened as he looked into her


    eyes.


    Ava swallowed her breath. She was feeling nervous under his dark gaze. His eyes were looking


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    so mad that if gaze could kill anyone, she would have died.


    Her hand loosened her grip, and she lowered her head.


    "I was just telling you to stop smoking too much," she said in a low tone.


    He yanked his hand away from her grip and grabbed his phone from her hand.


    She backed away by his actions. She was afraid that she would make him angrier.


    "You lost your right over me. Now I also want to keep my distance from you."


    Ava was shocked. His cold tone almost broke her heart.


    She slowly lifted her head and gazed at him.


    n..."


    "Don''t say anything. Why did youe here? To ensure that I also lose this one?"


    Her heart shuddered. She shook her head. "No, I came here to-"


    "Oh, please. Don''t tell me you came here to cheer for me. Or did youe here to show me some sympathy for losing today''s match?"


    Ava stared at his furious face. She believed she deserved his anger. Because of her foolish condition, he abandoned his dream.


    "Why are you quiet now, Ava?"


    His calling her name frequently caused her heart to tighten. She realized he did not call her by her name quite a lot. After the rejection, he was the one who always approached her.


    "You must be very happy that your boyfriend won, right?" he asked, sneering at her.


    "Boyfriend?" she mumbled again.


    She did not know why he kept calling Luke her boyfriend. She did not ept Luke. Was he not aware of it? 1


    "Yes, your so-called close friend now turned to your sweet boyfriend. I have seen how he proposed to you today."


    Ava could feel his chilly tone whenever he mentioned "boyfriend" in his sentence. She remembered that he left the field when Luke proposed to her. He did not see what she had responded to Luke. Her answer was no, which he did not hear. "It''s not what you are thinking,n," she said, trying to exin to him.


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    However, he did not look interested in her exnation.


    "It''s okay. I don''t need to think about it anymore. I realizedst night that you always wanted me to stay away from you. I was the one who always ran after you. Maybe the rejection made me realize my mistake. But I was never in your heart; it was always Luke."


    She shook her head. "No, you are- "


    "Rx. You don''t have to be afraid."


    &


    He took a pause to take a puff of the cigarette. Then he let out the smoke out of


    his mouth and continued,


    "He is a good guy. You will be happy with him."


    Ava noticed he was not looking mad anymore. It hurt her heart.


    He should be mad at her for choosing another boy over him if he thought she had chosen Luke.


    Then he dropped the cigarette bud and crushed it with his boots.


    "You can enjoy the night. I will send someone to drop you home safely. I am leaving," he said without looking at her.


    He turned around without giving her onest nce. He was hurt. She could see that clearly.


    Her heart kept shaking for hurting him. Even her wolf was angry with her.


    When she saw him moving away from her, she said,


    "I didn''t ept Luke. I rejected his proposal."


    Tears welled in her eyes when he still did not turn around to see her.


    "Ian-"


    He interrupted her as he turned his head to the side and said,


    "It doesn''t matter to me anymore. It''s your choice. Your heart never belonged to


    me anyway."


    She heard his cold tone, which shook a little. She knew he loved her, and he had already proved it. She did not want to give him any more punishment.


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    He had already saved her wolf, taking her out of the consequences she was


    bearing for the rejection. He had already redeemed himself.


    She clenched her fists together and ran after him.


    She stopped him by hugging him from behind.


    "Don''t leave. You were wrong when you said that my heart never belonged to you.


    Because the person who was in my heart was always you,n.¡±

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    Because of what happenedst night, he was in a really bad mood. Because he wanted to show her how much he loved her, he even gave up the championship that belonged to him.


    He hade to the race to ease his desperate mind, which refused to let go of thinking about her. The only thing he wanted was a distraction.


    However, when he noticed Ava during the race, he was confused. When he saw her, he believed he was hallucinating.


    He thought he had gone insane. However, he did not realize that she was actually present until he had won the race and had drifted into the car in a circle.


    Although he did not approach her, his gaze was constantly focused on her. He did not get very


    close to her.


    The reason he came to her was to know why she hade there.


    When she said to him that she did not ept Luke, he felt something move inside him. But then he thought he could never be the person she would choose for herself.


    However, he had never expected that Ava would confess to him like that.


    "Ian, I-I am sorry. Today, I witnessed you losing the game that you were supposed to win. I shouldn''t have asked you to do something like that."


    n, please, don''t leave."


    He grabbed her hands and unwrapped them from his body. He slowly turned around to face


    her.


    As soon as he made the observation that she was crying, his eyebrows raised. It was impossible for him to see tears in her eyes. It dawned on him that it was his weakness. She was


    his weakness.


    Looking directly into his eyes, he inquired, "What did you say?"


    "I said I saw you lose the game today to prove your love to me."


    In response, he shook his head. "Not that. What did you say before that?"


    Now that her eyes were locked with his, Ava was unable to control her tears any longer. Tears


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    rolled down her cheeks, and she sobbed.


    "T-That night you asked me about the person I was in love with..."


    She paused for a moment in order to gather herself. After taking a few deep breaths, she uttered,


    "That person was yo-


    She could notplete her sentence asn grabbed her waist to pull her toward him and smashed his lips on hers.


    Her eyes widened in response to the sensation of his lips brushing against hers. Her body began to shift backward and eventually came to press against a car.


    Ava shut her eyes as he began to move his lips on hers.


    She experienced that sensation again, which was truly electrifying. The rhythm of her heartbeat became as rapid as a marathon. She felt a chill run through her entire body.


    She slowly lifted her hands and ced her hands on his waist. She fisted his jacket when he sucked her lower lip.


    He tilted his head to deepen the kiss.


    He pressed his body against hers, which caused her to open her mouth to gasp.


    He pushed his tongue inside and kissed her as if there was no tomorrow.


    Ava rested her head against the car and responded to the kiss.


    As if her response fueled his feelings from inside, he groaned in the kiss.


    Without breaking the kiss, he moved her head to the right to make space and kissed her roughly.


    It was not gentle anymore.


    It was the hunger he had been feeling for her.


    All these times, he thought it was one way, but when he realized that she also


    loved him, he lost all of his control over himself.


    It was a long kiss.


    When Ava felt breathless, she patted his arms.


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    He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.


    Both of them huffed together.


    Ava''s eyes were closed, butn''s eyes were open. His gaze was fixed on her. He was looking at


    her face.


    His eyes were observing her. The way she looked was causing him to lose even more control.


    She opened her eyes and locked her gaze with him.


    Her open mouth and teary eyes looked fascinating to his eyes.


    He stuck out his tongue to run them over his lips. He bit his bottom lip, revealing


    his mole under his lip.


    There was a smile on his lips, which caused Ava to feel lost.


    "You know what you said, right? You were not lying to me, right?"


    It was as though he was reconfirming what he had heard. He almost could not believe his ears.


    Ava''s cheeks heated as she looked away from him.


    It was their first kiss after her confession to him. It felt so different and blissful that


    she could


    never describe it.


    "You heard right. I was not lying."


    "How long?"


    Ava was confused by his question. She could not understand it.


    "Huh?"


    "How long have you been in love with me?"


    She looked into his eyes and replied,


    ¡°B¨CBefore learning about our matebond."


    eyes.


    "I regret rejecting you. Will you give me a chance to be with you?" He asked her


    the same question he had asked herst night.


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    His eyes were filled with love for her. It did not go unnoticed by her.


    She remembered how she used to be crazy over him. She felt the exact same


    way again.


    She gave him a smile and nodded her head.


    "I will. Because I still love you,n."


    Today''s Bonus Offer


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    "I love you too."


    He was about to kiss her again, but a voice interrupted them.


    "I was like how- what the fuck!"


    When Ava andn turned their heads, they saw Monica standing a little far from them.


    "Oh my my!"


    Monica moved closer to them and took a close look at them as she approached.


    "By looking at her state, I think you are going to bang her tonight," Monica said ton while smoking. 2


    Ava''s eyes grewrger by her words. Ian rolled his eyes and turned to Monica, hiding Ava behind him.


    "Stop teasing her. What are you doing here?"n asked her.


    "Bro, you were literally making out against my car," she said, motioning him to the car where Ava''s body was pressed.


    As quickly as she could, Ava moved away from the car. With a chuckle, Monica asked,


    "She is cute. How long will you keep her with you?"


    "Forever."


    Monica appeared to be shocked.


    During this time, Ava turned her gaze ton''s back. He was so tall that he was standing in front of her like a shield.


    The sound of him saying "forever" caused her heart to leap inside of her chest. "Bro, are you serious?" Monica said, peering at Ava with a shocked face.


    Taking Ava''s hand,n began to walk away from Monica. Monica looked at Ava with a surprised expression on her face as she walked beside her.


    It was really tough to believe thatn Dawson was going to be with a girl forever.


    In fact, hearing him say such things sounded so unfamiliar and strange.


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    "What about the next race?" Monica asked.


    "I am not sure. Maybe when I will be in a bad mood again. But I don''t think that day wille very soon,"n replied without looking back at her.


    Ava blushed, realizing whatn had meant.


    When they had resumed their walk,n released his grip on Ava''s hand.


    People were looking at them with curious nces. Some of them began to talk about how they thought Ava was a fortunate girl to haven''s attention by her side.


    "Steph and your friends are furious with me," Ava said, looking at the ground while walking.


    &


    "It''s okay. They will calm down soon,"n muttered, walking together with her.


    She raised her head to look at his side profile. He was very handsome. She could not stop smiling as she recalled him telling her he loved her.


    She nced at his hand. Her right hand slowly touched his left hand.


    As they were passing a less crowded area where no one was looking at them,


    Ava lifted her hand and held his arm.


    She felt embarrassed. She scolded herself for doing that. Did he not like her touch?


    But she felt his hand over hers.


    Ava moved a little closer to him while walking together.


    She felt the cold breeze touching her face. She could feel a muddy smell as if it were going to


    rain.


    She was liking everything around her. It was as if everything had changed.


    She forgot every pain and struggle in her life. There was a weight in her chest from not getting the boy she had loved, but it lifted today, bringing her peace.


    "Where are we going?" she asked in a low tone.


    "I don''t know," he replied with a smile.


    He was in a very good mood. Her confession made his anger break and gave him something that he had never thought of. He thought he had lost her, and she was in love with Luke.


    2/


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    But he was wrong. He could finally prove his love to her.


    In his heart, he did not lose today, but he won her heart and got back the person


    who the moon goddess made his mate.


    "Do you want to go for a ride?" he asked, taking a pause.


    Ava saw him motioning her to his sports car. She nced at the car.


    She noticed girls were taking pictures with it, and some of them were leaning against it.


    So Ava shook her head and replied,


    "No."


    so he nodded his head and said,


    "It''s okay if you don''t like to..."


    She immediately looked at him and said,


    "No, I would love to. But I don''t want to go there."


    "Are you jealous that they will surround me if I go there?"


    Ava looked away and shrugged her shoulders.


    "That depends on you. If you won''t let theme close to you, then you would not dare."


    She felt him putting his hand on her head. "Not bad, Nerd. You know how to push people away then."


    She nced at him. But the next moment she took a step back. Because he leaned down to her level and said,


    "Take it as a warning or an rm. If any boy will dare to touch you again, I will beat him to death. So don''t let them get close to you."


    For once, she saw the very serious face ofn Dawson. However, seeing her frightening face, the next moment he grinned and winked at her.


    "You should know your lover doesn''t like it."


    Her heart skipped a beat when he called himself her lover.


    She stared at him with lost eyes. Her heart began to beat faster.


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    He tilted his head. She closed her eyes when his nose brushed against her cheek. His lips touched her ear, which caused her to let out a shaky breath. He kissed her earlobe and whispered in her ear,


    "If you keep looking at me like that, I swear I will not be able to control myself tonight."


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    Ava gulped when she heard him. She blushed hard. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She lifted her hand to touch his arm and pushed him lightly.


    "What happened?" He asked, cupping her cheek..


    His eyes were curious and worried. It was like he was afraid that she would turn her back to


    him.


    He had finally gotten her; he did not want to lose her again.


    She looked into his eyes and said,


    "C-Can we start everything slowly?"


    For a moment,n was confused. But then he realized what she meant.


    Forn, having sex or making out was nothing. It was just part of his daily routine with different girls. Whenever he needed to satisfy his desire, he chose a girl to do that. He never forced a girl to do something. Girls always wanted to be with him, despite the fact that they knew his intentions were only for one night.


    But in his eyes, Ava was totally different from them.


    She was someone he wanted to be with. She was the one for whom he backed away from sleeping with other girls. He had also abandoned his desire for her.


    So if that girl asked him to be slow with her, it was nothing for him. If he could be patient with her till now, he would do that in the future too.


    "Okay, we will take the moves slowly."


    His words made her smile at him. "Thank you for understanding me."


    Ava noticed that they were going toward his car. She wanted to stop him but then she stopped herself from doing so.


    People around them looked at them with curious eyes.


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    As soon as the car''s headlights lit up and the car made a loud sound, the girls who were sitting on the hood and trunk hurriedly came down.


    "Move,"n said to them.


    When they backed away,n opened the door for Ava and motioned for her to sit inside.


    Ava noticed others'' shocked faces.


    "He had never let any girl sit in his sports car!"


    "That car is just like his baby!"


    "What''s going on?"


    "Isn''t she just a fan girl like others?"


    "How could she manage to persuade him to let her sit inside?"


    Whispers broke out from the girls. Ava was also shocked, learning that she was


    the first girl whomn offered to enter his sports car.


    She got inside the car, andn closed the door. He came to the driver''s seat.


    He suddenly moved closer to her, causing her to hitch her breath.


    He smiled at her softly. "Don''t worry. I am just fastening the belt, baby."


    She heard him then a sound of a click.


    People outside the car were looking at them with wide eyes. They could see what was going on inside with the open window.


    Ava nced at the jealous faces of the girls. She rolled her eyes at them and thought,


    ''He is my man. You all should stop looking at him like he is some food and you want to taste him, huh!'' she thought in her head.


    The cold breeze touched her face as the car moved faster.


    "Long or short drive?¡±n asked, ncing at her.


    She liked it that her opinion mattered to him. He was showing her a newn who became soft and gentle.


    "Lo-"


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    Ava was interrupted by a ringtone. She pulled out her phone from her bag and


    saw her brother''s number.


    "Oh, shit!"


    "What happened?"


    Ava gulped, looking at the screen, then said,


    "It''s Stephen!"


    "Receive the call; what''s wrong?"n asked while driving.


    "No, no. I can''t receive it. He will scold me."


    "What? But why?"


    Ava was silent. Ian''s brows shot up. "Wait a minute. Don''t tell me you didn''t let


    him know that you wereing to the car race.


    She bit her bottom lip and lowered her head.


    "I didn''t tell him. He told me not to approach you today since you are in the race," she tried to exin.


    "Baby, it was a dangerous ce, you know. You shouldn''t have gone there without notifying anyone. But it''s okay. You are not a kid that you need to tell him before leaving your house. I will go with you if you want to go there again."


    Ava blushed upon hearing him. She looked at her phone again, which began to ring after a brief pause.


    "He must be worried," she mumbled.


    "Receive the call and put it on the loudspeaker. I will talk to him."


    She did what he had told her.


    As soon as she received the call, Stephen''s angry voice roared throughout the


    car.


    "AVA, WHERE ARE YOU?"


    Ava cleared her throat and replied,


    "B-Brother, I¡±


    "Do you know how worried I was? When did you be so careless?"


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    "I am so sorry, Brother. I will not do it again."


    "No, your sorry won''t work. I told you not to-"


    "Will you just shut up? She said sorry, didn''t she? Now will you take her life away


    for going out of the house?"


    Stephen was quiet for a moment. He exhaled and asked,


    "So she is with you?"


    ¡°Hmm,¡±n replied.


    "Take her back home."


    "Why?"


    "What do you mean by why?"


    "Bro, I just want to take her for a long drive,"n said, ncing at Ava.


    She turned away from him, looking outside the window. She was hearing the conversation of both of the boys.


    "Long drive at this time? No, no. Mom and Dad will kill me. They said I have to be


    at home to protect her. So she must be at home too. Otherwise, whom will I


    protect?"


    "Will you argue with your Alpha?"n asked with a deep tone.


    Ava nced at him to see ifn got mad. But she found him calm.


    "Right now, I am not your soon-to-be Gamma but her brother. So get her back


    home as soon as possible, bye." 1


    Stephen cut the phone. Ian shook his head and muttered,


    "Your brother is very strict when ites to you."


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    136


    136


    Ava could not disagree withn. Indeed, her brother was very protective of her.


    "Yes, he is the best brother. I am very lucky to have him in thy life."


    "Yeah, that''s true. But what about the restrictions he is going to ce in front of our path?"


    "Our path?" she asked with a confused look.


    "Baby, you are really innocent. I am worried that I will ruin your innocence."


    Ava''s cheeks flushed when she heard him. She looked away from him.


    The fresh wind touched her face, making her feel refreshed.


    She could not believe that everything was starting to get better.


    The sky was cloudy. The smell of the ground was giving an indication that it was going to rain soon.


    Ava raised her gaze and looked at the beautiful sky. Even though it was nighttime, the white clouds were visible. The ck clouds were slowly moving to hide the white clouds.


    Ava was busy with the beauty of nature.


    "Don''t worry. I will send you home before the rain."


    She heardn''s assured voice, which caused her to move her gaze away from the sky.


    She looked at him and fixed her gaze at him for a long time. Her eyes were observing his handsome features.


    Her gaze slowly moved to his tattooed hands. His jacket was hiding his new tattoo.


    She took a deep breath and asked,


    "Can I ask you something?"


    "Anything."


    He sounded so serene and collected. It was as if he turned into someone else,


    someone who was very good in attitude and manners.


    "Your new tattoo... I want to know the meaning behind it."


    She noticed him ncing at his hand. He nodded his head and replied,


    "Sure. When we arrive at your house, I will tell you."


    Ava''s lips broke into a smile. "Okay."


    Later, during the whole ride, there was a sweet silence throughout the car.


    When they arrived at Ava''s house,n stopped the car.


    He got out of the car and came to open the door for Ava.


    Ava blushed when he extended his hand in front of her. She ced her hand on his and stepped out of the car. He


    136


    closed the door and leaned against it without letting go of her hand.


    She also did not try to remove her hand from his grip. She lowered her head and


    stood near him. "Do you know how hot you look today?"


    Her heart started to beat faster. Her cheeks turned reddened


    She blinked her eyes and assumed her cheeks looked like tomatoes because they were heated.


    Her eyes locked with his. He stared into her eyes and said,


    "Remember when I told you that I would like it if you dressed up for me?"


    :


    She remembered the night when she went out with Luke, andter she had to go


    with fan for Stephen. That night, he had told her about it.


    "Do you know that every time I see you, my heart only says one thing?"


    She gulped and asked,


    "W-What?"


    He smirked at her and leaned down to her face. His mouth moved to her ear, and he whispered,


    "Mine."


    She closed her eyes. The way he said "mine," it was quite attractive.


    "You said you would tell me about your tattoo," she reminded him.


    He moved back and uttered,


    "I see, you are quite interested in tattoos."


    She shook her head and replied quickly,


    "No, it''s not like that. I don''t really like tattoos."


    His one eyebrow shot up. "So you mean you don''t like my tattoos?"


    After saying that, he nced at his hands.


    "I never said that," she replied.


    "Oh, yes. You were implying that you dislike me because I have tattoos. Basically, you don''t like me at all." Her eyes widened. When did she say that? She scolded herself for saying what caused a misunderstanding.


    "No, I really like you. In fact, I lov-"


    She paused in the middle whenn broke intoughter.


    "You are so cute," he said whileughing.


    Her eyes moved to his lips. The way he smiled was very charming.


    Suddenly they heard a sound of thunder.


    She flinched and immediately hugged him.


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    +79 BOS


    He stoppedughing when her body touched his. He lowered his head and looked


    at her.


    His hands moved to wrap his arms around her waist.


    Her eyes were shut tight.


    There was a cold breeze that began to flow. She embraced in tightly.


    Putting his chin on her head, he questioned, "Are you afraid of thunder?"


    She opened her eyes and realized that they were really close to each other. There was no distance between them.


    Her breasts were pressed against his hard chest, and his strong arms were tightly encircling around her waist.


    She tried to move, but he tightened his grip.


    She raised his head to look at him. He lowered his head.


    Their noses brushed against each other. He tilted his head and moved closer to


    her lips.


    She closed her eyes once again.


    The moment his lips touched hers, she tightened her fists against his shirt.


    It was a short kiss for a moment.


    He loosened his grip around her waist and said,


    "The tattoo symbolizes pain, the pain of being separated from your love."


    Ava was taken aback. She stared at him for a while. He did not break eye contact until he let out a deep breath and kissed her forehead.


    "I was really upset when you were away from me. I almost lost hope and felt like I was losing myself. I really love you, Ava."


    Her heart was jolted by his confession. She felt that he never stopped himself from confessing his love for her.


    "AVA?"


    They could hear a voice calling her from behind. Ava turned her head to see her brother approaching them.


    She pushedn and stepped back. She blushed, thinking that his brother had seen them like that.


    She looked atn, who was smiling at her, and said in a low voice,


    "G-Good night, bye."


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    "Have a good night,"n said with a soft tone.


    Ava lowered her head and made her way to the front door of her house.


    In the middle of the way, she stopped beside Stephen.


    Stephen''s steps came to a halt as he looked at Ava.


    She gave her a pleading look.


    "I am sorry, Steph. I know you care about me. You must be really worried. But..."


    She paused and turned her head to nce atn, who was leaning against his


    car.


    She returned her gaze back to Stephen and continued,


    "I had to go to him. It was really important."


    Stephen stared at her for a while. Then he let out a sigh and nodded at her.


    "I hope you have solved everything."


    She smiled at him and nodded her head in response.


    Stephen patted her head and said,


    "I am happy that you are safe. Though when I heard his voice on the phone, I was rxed. No one can hurt you when he himself is with you.''


    Ava looked away from him and agreed with his words. Ian was the future Alpha of this pack. So he was the safest person in the whole pack.


    After talking with her brother, Ava walked past him and headed to the house again.


    When Stephen saw her go inside the house, he turned ton.


    "She''s gone."


    Stephen''s brows shot up as he stared atn''s good mood.


    "Bro, we lost the championship. Have you forgotten that?"


    "You don''t like seeing me happy, do you?"


    "No, that''s not the case. But how can you be so rxed? Because of you, we lost the game."


    "I just tried to prove my love, you know."


    "By wasting our so many years of hard work?"


    137


    "I am really sorry, Steph. I know what I did was wrong. I did something really selfish. This is not what a captain or leader should do. I don''t know what has gotten over me. At the time, all I wanted was to grant her wish, even if it meant losing in front of someone else."


    Stephen raised his hand and put it onn''s shoulder. "I think you should talk to others as well. You know the situation. Their anger is valid."


    "What about her?" Stephen asked while motioning his head to the house.


    "She loves me."


    "Did she say that to you?"


    "Hmm."


    Stephen was surprised. He thought Ava went ton to apologize. He could not believe that his little sister had finally gotten some brain and confessed to the right man who deserved her.


    "That''s why you look thrilled."


    "Yeah, bro."


    While he was driving, his mind kept reying the kiss between him and Ava.


    Her voice was screaming in his head, telling him that she loved him.


    Since he was in a great mood, he turned the wheels and went for a long drive. He


    was thinking about how slowly he should take steps with her.


    After the long drive and refreshed mood, he went to the pack house.


    When he entered the pack house, he noticed his parents were sitting in the living room, just like other days.


    He slowed down his steps while looking at them.


    His mother, Carolina, stood up and walked toward him.


    n."


    She approached him and held his hand. "My son, where were you? We were so worried. Why did you turn off your phone?",


    "I am okay, Mom," he replied.


    He nced at his father, who was staring at him with a gloomy mood.


    "Mom, I am going to my room."


    As he took a step forward, his father, Alpha Martin, got up from the couch.


    "You can''t do one thing right. I wonder how you will run this pack."


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    Alpha Martin came toward him and stopped in front of him. He grabbedn''s jaw lightly and lifted it up. Observing his face, he asked,


    "Why are you avoiding my gaze? You don''t look like this at other times. Are you afraid of facing humiliations?"


    "You could not even win a basketball championship. How would you win a pack during a war?"


    His father''s words stung his heart. He looked away from his father and muttered,


    "Time will tell."


    His father released his jaw and sneered at him.


    "Young people''s blood is very hot. But your achievements rather than your lofty rhetoric-justify your actual ability. Today, you lost it."


    Luna Carolina grabbed her husband''s hand and said,


    "Martin-"


    Alpha Martin red at her to cut her off. Ian noticed it and closed his eyes tightly


    in anger.


    He would have to bear his father''s insults now, which he disliked the most. He shrugged his shoulders and said,


    "What does my basketball match do with you? You didn''te to watch it anyway."


    Alpha Martin frowned at him. "You wanted me toe and watch your match? What did you n to make me feel? Embarrassment from others'' parents whose sons won the match?"


    "You both calm down. And Martin, please. Let our son take his time. He must be very upset."


    Alpha Martin raised a brow. "Upset? He doesn''t look upset at all. It seems he came back after wasting himself somewhere."


    behind.


    "You are good for nothing. So now nothing will go with your choice. I have chosen


    a girl for you. You will have to meet her tom-"


    "Neither of you should be concerned. Because I have found my Luna." 1

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    Ava was surprised to hear Stephen.


    Seeing her surprised look,n cleared his throat.


    "It looks like your sister doesn''t like it."


    A chuckle came out of Ronald''s mouth, and he muttered,


    "Maybe he doesn''t want you to stay here."


    After givingn a quick nce, Ava immediately shook her head. "No, no. I didn''t mean anything like that."


    The corners ofn mouth turned up in a smirk. He looked into Ava''s eyes, giving her a look that made her feel shy.


    She averted her gaze from him as she blushed.


    Stephen noticed them and said, "If you don''t want it, I can throw them out, Ava. What''s your say?"


    "You can do what?"


    The question was asked by Cyrus in a shocked tone.


    Paulughed and said, "She is your sister. Who do you want to impress now?"


    After giving them a look that told them to be quiet, Stephen turned his attention to Ava. "Are you fine with it? If you don''t then-"


    "No, Steph. I don''t have any problem with it."


    Ronald nodded his head and murmured, "Of course, you would be fine."


    It caused Ava''s cheeks to flush. Ian was silent, but she could feel his gaze on her.


    She ignoredn''s friends'' remarks, which were for teasing him, and went upstairs to her room.


    The moment she arrived at her bedroom and closed the door, she leaned against the door and let out a long breath. There was a smile on her face. She bit her lower lip in an effort to suppress her smile.


    ''So he is going to stay here for a while?'' she murmured.


    She could not believe they would live under the same roof.


    Her heart was filled with the same craziness that she had felt for him in the past. She yearned to spend more time with him and admire him. There was a hidden desire in her heart to be by his side always.


    She refreshed and changed her dress. She worefortable baggy clothes since she was in her house.


    When she wasbing her hair while thinking aboutn, someone knocked on the door.


    "Young Miss,e downstairs to have dinner. Young master is calling you."


    She heard a maid''s voice.


    She shouted as she looked at herself in the mirror.


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    "I aming."


    She took onest look at herself before leaving her room.


    Descending downstairs, she tried to look for everyone. When she walked toward


    the dining table, she saw everyone exceptn were there.


    After making her way to the table in a leisurely manner, she took a seat close to Stephen.


    He smiled at her and said,


    "Let''s eat."


    Ava nced around. Her gaze was trying to look for the boy she wanted to see all the time.


    ''Where is he?'' she thought.


    Ronald gazed at Ava, which she noticed, and lowered her head...


    "Don''t be shy, dear. We are alln''s friends, including your newly found brother."


    Ava looked at Ronald and said, "No, I was just..."


    She paused whenn entered the dining area while holding his phone near his


    ear.


    "I will talk to youter, Mom."


    He hung up his phone and looked at the people sitting at the table.


    Ava saw him gazing at her. She heard Stephen''s voice.


    "My sister was looking for you."


    Everyoneughed while Ava was thinking about how to hide her face.


    "That''s good. She should always be looking for me,"n replied, smirking at her.


    Ava felt that she was trapped among these bad boys. They would not let her live the next few days without teasing her.


    She thought to apologize to them for what she had done. She cleared her throat and said,


    "I am sorry, everyone. Because of my foolishness, you all had to lose the game. I am feeling guilty about it. I don''t know if you can forgive me, but please ept my apology.


    Her calm tone indicated to them that she was really upset about everything. Everyone turned silent after her apology. Ava nced at everyone, thinking that she had brought up the topic and it wasted their good mood.


    However, when her eyes locked withn''s, he gave her an assuring look.


    "It''s okay. Let bygones be bygones. Everyone knows we are the real winners, anyway," Ronald said, shrugging his shoulders,


    The others nodded their heads in agreement. Ava let out a deep breath, feeling relieved.


    The whole time, she avoidedn''s gaze in shyness. She felt his eyes were on her all the time


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    "Let her eat, bro. You look like you will eat her alive right row," Paul said ton. Hearing that, Ava stopped chewing her food. She felt the food stuck in her throat, and she started to cough.


    "Drink," he said in a low tone close to her ear.


    Ava''s cheeks turned red, and she quickly grabbed the ss, she chugged down


    the whole ss of water and took a few deep breaths to calm her throat.


    to making contact with her cheek.


    Everyone at the table looked at them in awe.


    "Bro, are you going to... We are here just to let you know," Cyrus uttered. 1


    Ava gulped as she froze in her state. If she were to turn her face ever so slightly, it woulde into contact with his.


    "T-Thank you," she mumbled.


    A grin ran acrossn''s face as he looked at her. It was as if he was enjoying it.


    "Don''t mind them. You should not react to their words. Whenever I am with you, you should consider everyone to be invisible."

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    Ava lowered her head. It caused his nose to brush against her cheek. She felt shiver, but she did not react in front of others.


    The situation was something she could not react to.


    She was feeling embarrassed. She scolded Jan in her head foring this close and made her feel like this in front of others.


    She felt him patting her head.


    "Now eat calmly. If any of them tease you again, I will beat him, okay?".


    Ava did not know what to say or react. He sounded caring and concerned.


    He removed his hand from her head and walked back to his chair.


    "Such a caring man you got!" Stephen muttered to Ava while shaking his head.


    Ava did not know if she had gotten a new disease because her cheeks had been getting heated frequently recently.


    How could she blush all the time?


    2 ose


    Ava finished her food hurriedly and rose up from her chair.


    Before leaving the table, she nced at others and said,


    "Goodnight, guys."


    ¤µ


    Everyone said goodnight to her exceptn. He was looking at her while sitting on his chair.


    She took a quick nce at him before rushing upstairs.


    While heading to her room, she heard Ronald''s loud voice from downstairs.


    "Eat something, dude. You look like a fool in love who doesn''t know anything except staring at his woman."


    Ava chewed her lower lip and rushed to her bedroom.


    She fell on her bed and looked at the ceiling with a bright smile.


    "This boy is killing me," she mumbled to herself.


    She twisted on the bed and covered her face with her palms


    For her, everything changed drastically. Beforest night, she was trying to avoid all the feelings she had for him. But after confessing to each other, she started to feel shy in front of him. She became soft again, just like before.


    However, that did not mean she lost her self-confidence. She was strict from the start. She would not give in so easily, even if they had confessed to each other. She would take time to learn him and understand his lifestyle.


    She wanted to be in a rtionship that would be longsting. She wanted to be with him forever.


    Since they were no longer mates, she was afraid to step faster.


    She sat up and reached out to her bag. She pulled out her phone.


    She went to her friends'' Messenger group. Her smile faded when she realized that Luke was in the group.


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    She stared at Luke''s name for a while.


    She remembered how he got mad at her. But what she did with Luke was also bad. She should not have asked him to date. Though she apologized to him yesterday, she thought as a friend, she should talk to him again.


    It was midnight.


    Ava was still awake.


    There were so many things roaming in her mind.


    She had been using her phone for a long time. So she was feeling sleepy.


    As she was about to close her eyes to go to dreand, she beard a knock on her door.


    Her eyes widened. She sat up on the bed and looked at her door,,


    She heard another knock.


    She thought it was one of the maids, so she got out of bed and said,


    "Coming."


    She went to open the locked door with a yawn.


    However, as soon as she opened the door, her mouth remained open as she froze.


    He was in casual clothes. He was wearing ck sweatpants and a loose ck t- shirt.


    With a wide open mouth, she shifted her gaze to his clothing.


    Even with casual clothes, he looked hot.


    She immediately moved back and pursed her lips.


    Afterposing herself, she said,


    "Y-You!"


    "You don''t like to see me?" he asked, folding his arms against his chest.


    Ava nced at his biceps, which bulged because of the folding arms.


    "I-I mean..."


    She paused, not knowing what to reply.


    "I was feeling bored. Everyone was asleep. So I thought, Why not go to see my nerd?"


    She lifted her gaze, and their eyes met.


    She saw his eyes slowly move down to her body.


    That time she realized that she was in her pajamas. She changed out of her


    baggy clothes and into pajama shorts an hour ago.


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    She saw fan''s eyes move to her legs. His gaze almost made her rub her legs against each other.


    He drew his lower lip between his teeth. She gazed at his mole, which was


    located in the middle under his bottom lip.


    She looked away from him and said,


    "In-"


    He interrupted her and asked,


    "Do you know how difficult it is for me to live under the same roof as you but in a


    different room?"


    She looked at him again. His eyes were back to hers.


    His eyes were digging on hers, making her feel like hiding herself.


    He took a step slowly, causing her to step back.


    She thought he hade to stay the night with her.


    She kept stepping back. He also did not stop moving forward.


    Her back almost touched the wall behind her when he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.


    Her body pressed against his. She gasped and looked at him with wide eyes.


    He leaned in close to her face. She closed her eyes, thinking that he was going to


    kiss her.


    But instead of kissing her, he moved his mouth to her ear and whispered,


    "I remember about the slow step thing. So don''t worry, my Nerd."


    She opened her eyes. But she had to close them again because his scent was so


    appealing that she almost sniffed his neck.


    He moved his head back to look at her closed eyes.


    "Open your eyes," he said with amanding tone.


    She immediately opened her eyes, as if her wolf had submitted to him.


    "Will you go on a coffee date with me?"


    She was dumbfounded.


    "N-Now?"


    He smiled at her and nodded his head.


    "Yeah, right now."

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    Ava blinked her eyes to understand what Tan meant to say.


    ''Coffee date? Right now? Where?'' she thought.


    She had no idea where Tan would take her. She rememberedst night Stephen saying to her that she should not stay out the night before their parents'' return. It was only because of her safety.


    Ava gave it a thought. She made up her mind and thought about going out with


    "Then let me change my clothes."


    "No, need."


    "What?"


    She closed the door behind her and followed the way that he was leading.


    While walking with him, she nced at his tattooed hands,


    Her gaze went back to his face. His hair cut was giving him such an attractive look. His fair neck was even more appealing.


    ''What are you doing, Ava?'' she asked herself and looked away from him.


    She shook her head and said,


    "Control yourself."


    "When did I lose control?" he asked her.


    Her eyes widened as she realized she had said it out loud. She almost pped


    herself. She shook her head and replied hurriedly,


    "No, no. I... Don''t mind me. Where are we going?"


    Ava noticed that he brought her to the staircase from where they could go to the rooftop.


    "Isn''t the rooftop always closed?" She asked with a shocked look.


    "For me, everything is open."


    He brought her to the rooftop and uttered,


    "Now look."


    Ava stepped onto the roof and turned her head to see what he was talking about.


    But she let out a loud gasp.


    "T-This!"


    2141


    "This is only for my nerd, fan replied, releasing her hand,


    Ava could not believe her eyes. Ian had made the rooftop in a beautifully decorated ce.


    She could see dim yellow lights in the trees. In the center of the roof, there was a round table that was white in color, and there were two chairs that were also white.


    A kettle and two coffee mugs were ced on the table. She could see a small pot containing sugar and a silver teaspoon.


    She could not help but mumble,


    "So beautiful!"


    She feltn leaning behind her. He leaned down to her car and whispered,


    "Not more than you."


    She turned around, only to find her face closer to her own.


    Her breath hitched. Her heart almost stopped beating.


    She saw love in his eyes for her.


    She felt emotional that he made such an effort for her. He cared for her.


    She did not think much and wrapped her hands around her neck.


    She hugged his neck and said,


    "Thanks,n."


    She gulped when he stood straight, causing her legs to hang in the air. She tightened her grip around his neck, realizing how tall he was.


    He moved his hands from her waist to her bare thighs. She felt a shiver run through her entire body.


    He grabbed her thighs and wrapped them around his waist before returning his hands to her waist.


    She nced at the ground and realized that she was hugging his body like a Ko.


    Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.


    She moved her head from his neck and looked at him.


    While holding her waist, he walked back to the roof''s door and closed it.


    She stared at his face while he was walking. He gazed at her and said,


    "I love it when you blush. It should be only for me."


    His voice was calm yet demanding. It was as if he were dering his possession. She nodded her head shyly.


    She hissed when his hands moved to her thighs and he ran his hands on them.


    He moved to the table while murmuring,


    141


    "If you keep wearing these types of night dresses, I don''t know when I will part your legs to hunt what''s between them."


    Her legs tightened around his waist. Her heart started to beat faster after hearing his words.


    He came to a halt in front of the table and bent down to sit her in a chair.


    She sat on the chair without moving her gaze away from hi


    He went in another direction. She furrowed her brows, not knowing where he was


    going.


    He stopped in front of a wall where a small bouquet of red roses was ced on a


    white stool beside the standmp..


    Her eyes lit up when he turned around and approached her


    He gave the smalbouquet to her and said,


    "This is for my beautiful nerd."


    She blushed and epted it. He took the chair across from Her and sat down.


    He brewed coffee in both of the mugs.


    "You made coffee?" she asked, smelling the perfect aroma.


    "Only for you," he replied with a grin.


    Ava did not know how to smile more. Ian was doing something she had never


    thought of.


    Who would have thought thatn Dawson would n for a midnight coffee date on the rooftop for her?


    When he moved the coffee mug toward her, he said,


    "I can''t guarantee how it tastes. Because I have never made coffee for others


    before."


    Ava grabbed the handle of the mug and looked at the coffee. She took a small


    whiff of it and then tasted it. When she took a sip of the most delicious coffee she had ever had, her eyes widened in surprise.


    "Wow!"


    "Like it? I loved it."


    "And I love you."


    Hearing him, she could no longer keep eye contact with him. She covered her


    face with her hands and said, n, stop making me feel like this."


    Heughed while looking at her. As if he thought her reaction was cute, he leaned


    his chin against his palm and stared at her intently.


    "That night, if you had told me to burn down the entire world, I would have done it for you. Do you know that?"

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    Ava heard him and slowly moved her hands away from her face. She saw him looking directly into her eyes.


    She gathered all her courage and asked,


    "Ian, do you love me this much? Will we always stay together like this?"


    He nced at her hands and reached out to touch one. He held her hand and gazed at her.


    "I will always be beside you. But.....¡±


    Ava was startled.


    "But?"


    His eyes darkened, causing Ava to be taken aback. She couldn''t understand his sudden change.


    "But what?" she asked again.


    "Never think about cheating on me."


    Ava froze upon hearing him.


    Cheating on him? Why would she cheat on him? Wasn''t she supposed to be the one telling him that? He was the bad boy of the campus who used to be with girls, so she should be the one asking him not to do it.


    However, she realized that, just like her, he was also insecure deep down. Because he had been waiting for her for a long time. He had told her how he saved his heart for his mate. Though he rejected her, his heart still belonged


    to her.


    She smiled at him.


    A man only feels insecure when he is in love.


    "I will never cheat on you. I promise,n."


    "I believe you won''t. I promise, from my side, I will never let youin. I am all yours."


    The two people talked under the open sky for a long time. They tried to know each other and their likings.


    The night was long.


    After a few hours, they decided to go back to their rooms.


    Ava stood up from the chair and sniffed the fresh air. The cold breezes touched her body, giving her chills.


    She was surprised that she was so engrossed in the conversations withn that she could not even feel that cold before.


    However, now, when it was time to leave, she was feeling cold.


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    She opened the door and went inside. Ian stood outside.


    She gazed at him, holding the doorknob.


    "Goodnight,n," she said.


    He furrowed his brows. "Where is my goodnight kiss, nerd


    "G-Goodnight kiss?"


    She realized that he liked to call her nerd. So she let him be. She did not stop him.


    Today she realized that he was not an easy-going person to understand. Sometimes he was soft, sometimes he was demanding, and sometimes he was dominant. But with his every look, she had seen love and care for her.


    She knew he was an Alpha. His blood could not let him stay calm all the time. He


    was a short-tempered boy. But he had great control over himself too.


    Whenn moved toward her, she gripped the doorknob tightly.


    He bent down to her level and asked,


    "Don''t I deserve a goodnight kiss?"


    60


    She observed his face, seeing how desperate he was to get close to her.


    He moved closer, almost touching her lips with his. But she ced her fingers on his mouth to stop him.


    He closed his eyes and kissed her fingers.


    She was stunned. She immediately removed her fingers and said,


    "No kiss."


    He opened his eyes and asked,


    "Are you trying to y with my patience? I am not very good at it, by the way."


    Ava moved toward him, getting too close to him.


    "I know you. You won''t lose your control."


    She wrapped her hands around his torso and pressed her head against his chest.


    "Goodnight,n."


    "Goodnight. Love you, baby.''


    When she broke the hug, he moved back.


    left.


    Ava stared at his back until he disappeared from her sight.


    "I love you, too," she mumbled while closing the door.


    Her happiness had no bound today. She did not know how everything had turned


    out like this, but she thanked the moon goddess for returning her destiny to her.


    274


    142


    Ava woke up a littlete in the morning. It was because ofst night. She slept


    Ava took a quick shower and dressed in a blue dress. She quickly put on a pair of sneakers and left the room.


    She hurriedly descended the stairs.


    The maids who were working there looked at her with a surprised look.


    "Miss, slowly. You will fall down," one of them said.


    "No, I am gettingte for my sses," she said.


    "What about your breakfast?"


    "Where is everyone!


    "They left early in the morning. But-"


    She did not wait for the maid to end her sentence as she rushed toward the front


    door.


    "Okay, okay. I am leaving."


    She did not continue the conversation.


    However, she paused when she heard a deep voice from behind.


    "Where are you going?"


    She was stunned. It wasn''s voice.


    She slowly turned around and noticed he was sitting on the couch.


    Her brows shot up. Didn''t the maid say everyone left?


    n? You were there? How could I not notice?" she mumbled.


    The maids sighed and said,


    "Mastern was waiting for you for a long time. I was about to say that to you, Miss. But you didn''t listen to me.''


    Ava blinked her eyes, scratching her head. She gave the maid a small smile.


    "Oh, okay."


    She turned her gaze ton once again.


    He was seated on the couch, directing his gaze towards her. One of his legs was crossed over the other. He looked like a charming prince. His dark attire always exuded an air of authority.


    She turned around when he did not stop but walked past her. He walked out of


    the house, and at that time she noticed his bike outside.


    She followed him behind quietly.


    He got on his bike and signaled her to get on it.


    "Let''s Fo."


    fie

 Oh Really 143

    Ava put her hand on his shoulder and got on the bike.


    "I am your man. Hold me tight."


    His voice was deep. His gaze was intense. She bit her bottom lip and nodded her head at him.


    He smirked at her and turned back to the road.


    After putting on his helmet, he started the bike.


    She nced at the ck helmet. She recalled that when he had offered her his helmet, she refused it. So he had thrown his helmet on the road.


    ''Did he buy a new one?'' she thought, examining it.


    She gasped when her body pressed against his back while the bike moved on the speed breaker.


    "Told you to hold me tight," he reminded her.


    She exhaled and shook her head.


    ''Did he do that intentionally?'' she thought and smiled.


    She held him tightly despite the fact that her chest was pressed against his back.


    She rested her head against his shoulder and enjoyed the ride.


    When they arrived at the university, she sat up straight. His bike came to a halt. She got down from the bike and said,


    "Thanks."


    Everyone around them stopped what they were doing. Their gazes fixed onn and Ava.


    Whenn took off his helmet, a few girls screamed as if he were their favorite hero and they were his fangirls.


    Ava ignored them. She knew if she wanted to be with the future Alpha of this pack, who was really hot and handsome, she would have to bear all of this.


    "No need to thank me. Make it your habit. Because from now on, I will be around you most of the time."


    Ava blushed and turned away.


    "See youter," she said and started to walk.


    She could hearn''s chuckle from behind.


    While passing the boys and girls, she noticed their shocked faces.


    They could not believe their eyes. Thoughn had dered that his eyes were on


    her, they thought she v Luke, andn might have lost his interest in her.


    ith


    "When she rejected Luke''s proposal in front of everyone, they thought she had some guts. But who thought she was always after ourn?"


    143


    Ava heard a girl''s voice. The blush on her face faded.


    She stopped her steps and turned to look at the girl who had just spoken.


    She approached her and asked,


    "Excuse me? Did you just say something?"


    The girl folded her arms and nodded at Ava.


    "Yeah. I said you have eyes on our Alpha."


    Ava stared at the girl but then smiled at her and said,


    "You are so right. I am after your Alpha."


    The girl was taken aback by her response.


    Ava looked confident. She nced at the other girls and said,


    "Not just that. Let me tell you guys something. I have been after him for a very


    long time. So don''t try to be mypetition. Because you can''tpare my love with your fangirly things.''


    "Love? Every girl loves him," the girl spoke again.


    11


    Ava raised her brows. "By how? Spending one night with him? No way, dear. Do you know why he stopped roaming around with girls? It''s because of me. So stop bothering him and dreaming about being with him. He is my man.¡± 1


    The girls were shocked and offended. They could not just ept someone telling them to stop dreaming aboutn


    Dawson.


    Ava heard another girl''s voice.


    "You! How can you say that?"


    Ava rolled her eyes and ignored her question. "I don''t need to exin anything more. If you have any questions, then ask him directly. If you dare, of course."


    After that, she started to walk again.


    She felt free and confident today. There was no one who could make her lose. She was the queen ofn''s heart.


    She went to attend her ss. Unfortunately, her and her friends'' schedules did not match for today''s sses.


    So she had to attend sses alone. In all the sses, she had to endure the girls'' judgmental gazes. She was sure everyone had gotten the news that today she came to the campus onn''s bike.


    During break time,


    Ava''s friends called her to meet her in the cafeteria.


    But before going to meet them, Ava decided to meet Luke first. She looked for him. People said he was on the basketball court.


    She went to the basketball court and found him all alone. He was ying with a ball. He was throwing the ball in the basket and grabbed it when it fell to the ground.


    "Luke."


    He paused when he heard her voice.


    143


    Ava was nervous. She was upset, feeling sad for breaking his heart. Though she knew he was mad and he could say something to hurt her, she decided to take it.


    Luke turned around.


    "Ava," he murmured.


    Ava slowly walked toward him. Breaking eye contact, Ava came to a halt in front of him.


    "Luke, how are you?" she asked.


    Luke stared at her without replying to her.


    Ava slowly raised her gaze. She thought to meet a pair of angry eyes. However, she was surprised to see a guilty


    gaze.


    "Luke? Is everything okay?"


    Luke remained silent. Ava lowered her head. "Luke, I am sorry. I know I hurt you.


    What I did with you was really wrong, and I am guilty about-" 1


    She was interrupted when Luke pulled her into an embrace


    She was stunned with her hand in the middle of the air.


    "L-Luke?"


    "I am sorry, Ava. I said so many things to you that day. I was selfish and tried to make you mine..I should have known that if you love someone, you can''t force it on them. I even tried to brainwash you aboutn so that you can never go after him."


    Ava was shocked to hear him. "W-What?"


    "Yeah, I am sorry. I lied to you about gambling things. Whatever I told you about<pn in the cafe were lies. I knew you loved him from the beginning. I had always seen love in your eyes for him. But I was envious."

 Oh Really 144

    Ava was silent. She had no idea what to say. Slie recalled that she started to


    think thatn was not that bad at how he pretended or how he got the reputation. Butter, after hearing about him from Luke, her mind had changed. In fact, because of Luke''s statements, she could never dare to eptn''s apologies.


    "I know I did wrong. Yesterday I won the match, but I lost your love. I realized that I was never in your heart."


    Ava lowered her hands and rested them on her sides. She did not hug him back. He realized it and hugged her tightly.


    "I am confessing all of this because I really want to stay close to you. I don''t want our friendship to be over, Ava. I said wrong to you that day. I was mad that you chose him over me, forgetting the fact that you were never mine." Ava felt emotional She did not know who was wrong now. In this situation, she decided to maintain her silence.


    ¡°I am a man, and I could see how other men look at girls. I have seen something in his eyes for you the day after he rejected you. When he was beating me and you came to stop him, I saw envy in his eyes that day. I knew a boy like him could never resist a girl like you. You are an innocent and good girl who no boy can ever get. But I always hide the fact and try to get close to you. Because I really have feelings for you, Ava. Please forgive me."


    Ava bit her bottom lip when tears scrambled in her eyes.


    Luke broke the hug and held her arms. He looked at her eyes and wiped the corner of her eyes.


    "Please don''t misunderstand my feelings."


    Ava smiled at him sadly. ¡°Loving someone is not making them yours in any situation, Luke. You could have guided me as a friend. But you chose to be a lover."


    Luke lowered his gaze. "I am sorry."


    She let out a deep and long breath. She nodded her head and said,


    "Leave the past behind. I also broke your heart, though I had no intention to hurt you. Let''s just end this topic here."


    He gazed at her again. "I misunderstood you that day, Ava. I even insulted you and our friendship. But in truth, you were so kind that you talked to my dad for me. I owe you."


    Ava shook her head. "As a friend, it was my responsibility. I just tried to lessen your problem a little. I tried to make him understand your thoughts. Nothing more." He smiled at her and said,


    "You don''t know your one effort changed my dad''s ment¨¢lity. You did something that I could never do."


    Ava felt relieved that Luke''s father understood him. There were upset feelings in her heart that she hurt him, but she could do something to make him happy as well.


    "I am happy that he epted your choices."


    Luke let go of her arms and asked,


    "Are we still friends?"


    She was shocked when he asked her that. When did she break their friendship?


    Although he had confessed many things to her, she could not ignore the times when Luke was there for her. He


    144


    never failed to protect her from bullies. He was her friend, and she could never break their friendship,


    Ava shook her head. Luke''s eyes widened.


    "Our friendship is over?" he asked, thinking that she meant it.


    But she chuckled and shook her head.


    "No, idiot. I mean, our friendship is not over. We are friends and will always be."


    Luke''s eyes lit up. He was so happy that he pulled her into a hug.


    Ava could feel that he was rxed. She hugged him back and rubbed his shoulders.


    "I hope you will find your mate soon, Luke."


    Luke nodded his Head while hugging her. "I hopen and you be mates again."


    His words made her smile brightly.


    After talking with Luke, Ava felt at ease.


    There was no burden in her heart left. She thought that today was the happiest day ever.


    She took her leave from Luke and went to the cafeteria to meet Abigail and Debra.


    "Ava"


    They called out her name when she arrived at the cafeteria.


    "Hi, guys,¡± Ava said with a big grin.


    "You look happy."


    "Yeah, I am."


    Debra pulled her own seat close to Ava and said,


    "I know why you are so happy."


    "Why?" Ava asked while looking at her.


    "Because today you came to the campus with your dreamy boy," Debra said, winking at her.


    Ava chuckled when she heard Debra. Abigail raised her brows and asked,


    "Is that so?"


    Ava shook her head and said, "No. I am happy because Luke and I solved everything between us."


    Abigail and Debra looked stunned..


    "How? Wait, have you talked to him?" Abigail''s sked.


    "Yeah. We said sorry to each other and decided to remain good friends."


    Abigail and Debra nced at each other and then gazed back at Ava. "Really?" Abigail asked again.


    "Yes, babes," Ava replied to them with an assuring tone.


    "Oh my god! That means we are back together now!" Debra said.


    28 BONUS


    144


    "That''s so relieving!" Abigail added.


    Ava smiled while nodding her head. But her eyes drew to the gate of the cafeteria.


    She noticed her brother and all of his friends walking inside the cafeteria.


    Stephen gave her a nod, and she returned it. They took their fixed table, which was in the corner.


    Ava''s eyes went ton, who grabbed a chair to sit on the table. He did not look at her for once.


    Ava frowned at him, thinking that he looked different.


    "Your lover boy is here," Debra said with a singing tone.


    Ava''s eyes fixed onn. She rested her chin while staring at him.


    But her expression changed when she saw a girl walk ton and hug him. She


    took a seat next to him. He talked to her like they were really close. 1


    She froze when she noticed him wrapping his hand around the girl''s waist.


    The girl blushed while saying something inn''s ear.


    Ava tightened her fists and looked away from them.


    Abigail and Debra looked at Ava with worried eyes.


    Ava rose up from the chair and said with a low tone, "Guys, I am leaving for the next ss."

 Oh Really 145

    145


    145


    Ava walked forward, ignoring her brother''s table.


    She was mad atn. Not even one day passed, andn started to wander around with girls. Sheughed at herself in her heart for what she had said to the girls this morning. They might haveughed at her too.


    She did not care about what others would say, but what about her heart?


    Did he get so bored with her in just one day that he needed a new girl now?


    When she was walking past Stephen''s table, she heard him.


    "Hey! Ava."


    She stopped and turned to look at him.


    "Yes?"


    "You can join us," Stephen said.


    Ronald nodded his head. "Yeah. I think someone needs yourpany right now.''


    His gaze directly went ton after saying that.


    Ava did not look atn. Ignoring him, she said to Stephen,


    "Brother, I don''t want to."


    "1


    "What do you mean? There is still some time left for the sses. Do you have other stuff to do?" Stephen asked while observing her hard expression.


    Ava almost rolled her eyes at his brother.


    ''What can I expect from him either? He is also a part of the Power Gang. The yboys, just like their leader. Can''t he see what his friend is doing while sitting there?'' she thought.


    "Lily, move to another seat. Let Ava sit next to-"


    Ava interrupted Paul when she realized that the girl''s name was Lily and he was trying to move her fromn.


    ¡°No, need. I am not interested in sitting with anyone."


    Everyone gave her a shocked look. She could feeln''s dark gaze on her. But she chose


    to ignore him.


    There was no way she would pretend not to see what he was doing. She would not ept him continuing to do what he used to do in the past with other girls.


    She was Nova but Ava. She might be soft but not a fool. 1


    didn''t care what they thought and just walked out of the cafeteria.


    She was sad. Her happy mood was ruined byn''s actions.


    She attended the sses in a bad mood. She got emotional in every ss, trying to control her shaky heart. She realized that she had softened towardn.


    She noticed Abigail and Debra kept sending her texts, but she ignored them as well.


    She did not want to talk to anyone right now. She was a fool who believed she was the queen ofn''s heart,


    ''Maybe I had be overconfident about myself,'' she scoffed at herself.


    When all of her sses were over, she thought about going back to her house.


    173


    145


    She was heading to the locker room while checking her friends'' messages.


    She called them and told them to stay where she was. They told her to wait for them. They came to meet her in a minute.


    "Are you getting pleasure by making us worried?" Abigail asked.


    ¡°I am sorry, guys. I couldn''t reply to you both. I was just...¡±


    Ava paused as she knew she did not have to tell anything more. They had already


    known the reason behind her sulky mood.


    Abigail and Debra hugged her arms.


    ¡°Babe, don''t be upset. You know the girls. They want your man''s attention," Debra said.


    "But he shouldn''t have given it to them, right?" Ava asked angrily


    Abigail chuckled awwardly. "You are right. But maybe you should talk to him."


    Ava shook her head. "No way. I won''t talk to him."


    At that time, her phone vibrated. She checked her phone and saw a message from an unknown number.


    She read the message.


    "Where are you?"


    She locked her phone, ignoring the message. She knew who that could be. It was


    "You two haven''t shared numbers with each other yet?" Debra asked with a shocked face.


    "He is trying to reach you," Abigail said to Ava.


    "Maybe he understood his mistake that you didn''t like it," Debra uttered.


    Ava gave them a poker look. "And?"


    Abigail let out a sigh and asked,


    "Do you want to look upset all the time? If you have a problem, then just go and talk to him."


    Ava looked away and remained quiet.


    Her phone vibrated once again. Another message from the same number popped up on her phone''s screen.


    "You are going back home with me."


    She stared at the screen until the disy light turned off.


    "Wait a minute! Going back home? What did he mean?" Debra asked, letting go of


    Ava''s arm.


    Abigail''s also gave Ava a questioning look.


    Ava avoided their gazes and replied,


    "He and the other boys are staying at my house for a few days. Stephen called


    them yesterday and asked to stay there."


    Abigail and Debra were shocked after hearing that.


    Debra blinked her eyes and mumbled,


    "Can''t believe how supportive your brother is!"


    "It''s not like that.''


    Abigail grabbed Ava''s hand and smirked at her.


    "So? Living in the same house, huh?"


    Ava faked a smile and said,


    "As you can see how things are going, don''t ask me anything else


    They shut their mouths and nodded at her.


    "Okay, we won''t ask anything," Abigail said.


    Ava nced at the books that she was holding. Then she said to them,


    ¡°I am going to the locker room to put them inside my locker. Are you guys leaving?"


    They shook their heads and said,


    xeouts


    "We will wait for you outside."


    "Okay."


    After saying that, Ava made her way to the locker room. While walking past the


    people, she felt their gazes on her.


    She assumed those might be mocking gazes for her overconfidence.


    She entered the locker room and opened her locker. She put her books down and


    was about to close the locker.


    But she paused when her phone started to ring.


    She saw it was the number from which she got messages a while ago. She realized it wasn''s number.


    She did not want to talk to him right now. So she cut the call and put her phone inside her bag.


    However, as she was about to close the locker, a hand came from behind and shut her locker door.


    She flinched in shock but froze when she heard a cold voice from behind her.


    "Are you ignoring me?"

 Oh Really 146

    146


    Ava turned around and her back immediately pressed against the lecker.


    She nced behind him and noticed people who were there, staring at them..


    "What the fuck are you looking at? Leave."


    His voice was so cold that everyone shook inside. They hurriedly left the locker room, leaving them all alone.


    Ava looked atn and asked,


    "What are you doing


    "Are you ignoring me?"


    She averted her gaze from him and replied,


    "No


    She tried to move aside to leave. But he ced his hands beside her to cage him between his arms.


    "Then why did you cut my call?"


    She took a deep breath and met his gaze.


    "Because I don''t want to talk to you."


    Her answer was blunt. She did not want to hide her anger.


    He furrowed his brows and asked,


    "What did you say?"


    "You heard me. I don''t want to talk to you,n."


    His frown eased as he scoffed and moved back. "I see. You changed your mind."


    She gave him a perplexed look. "What?"


    "You didn''t want to sit next to me at the cafeteria; now you don''t want to talk to me. I see you change your path."


    She was dumbfounded.


    ''Is he putting all the me on me now?'' she thought.


    She shook her head in disbelief.


    "How cheap you are!"


    He arched his brow. Anger was clearly visible on his face.


    "I am cheap? Who is expensive? That Luke?" 2


    Ava was confused. Where did Lukee into their conversation?


    "What are you saying?"


    "You didn''t meet that boy today?" he asked.


    146


    "Yeah, I did."


    "What did he say? Did he confess his love again? Did he sessfully change your mind?"


    His questions shocked Ava. She blinked her eyes, not knowing what he was saying.


    n, what are you talking about?"


    He clicked on something and turned his phone''s screen at her.


    Ava was surprised to see a video of herself and Luke from this morning.


    In that video, they were hugging each other.


    "I can see who you want to talk to. Is this why you are ignoring me"


    Ava stared at him without replying.


    When he did not find any answer from her, he moved his eyes from his phone''s screen and looked at her.


    "No answer?"


    "You are stalking me?" she asked.


    "Is it even a question?" he asked furiously.


    "Yes, it is," she retorted back.


    "People are sending me photos and videos of you. I never thought of sending spies on you. Now I think I should change my mind about this. What if I fix some people?"


    Ava looked away from his mocking gaze and mumbled,


    "It''s just one day passed since you confessed to me and you started to mess with girls. But you have a problem with me hugging my friend?"


    She leaned her head back against the locker. His eyes were fierce, reminding her how short-tempered he was.


    "Your friend? That friend of yours has feelings for you. Are you not aware of it?" he asked, trying to calm himself.


    Ava was also mad at him. So she replied with a cold tone,


    "So what? That doesn''t mean I will break my friendship with him. He is still my


    friend."


    He moved closer to her, almost getting close to her face.


    "And who am I to you?" he asked.


    She stared into his eyes for a while, then looked away and mumbled,


    "You should think about it before holding that girl''s waist."


    He grabbed her jaw lightly and made her look back at him.


    "So you have a problem with me holding another girl, but you don''t have any


    problem with another man touching you?"


    Ava was shocked when she heard him.


    146


    She pushed his hand from her jaw and red at him.


    "Ian, do you even know what you are saying? How can your mentality be so cheap? He is my friend. He was just apologizing to


    1. me. I know his intentions."


    Heughed at her. "Of course. I also know how holy his intentions were toward you."


    Ava could not understand what reason she would get mad at him. He was making everything twisted.


    "Wait a minute! Are you justifying your physical contact with girls byparing it to my hug with Luke?n, I thought you had changed. But what can I expect from you? You never had good intentions with girls, so every man''s intention is wrong in your eyes."


    She pushed his chest, moving him away from herself.


    "You said you loved me. Is this how you show me your love? You don''t even trust me. You are questioning a simple interaction of mine with my old friend. What are you thinking? You can match my hug by roaming around with girls? If you are so eager, you can go to them. I am not stopping you."


    She walked past him and paused. She turned her head to look at him.


    "I never changed my mind or path. But maybe it is you who are longing to get back to yourself. That''s why you grab an issue and go back to your old self." After saying that, Ava left the locker room, leaving him in there alone.


    Her eyes wailed in tears. She could not stop them. When she had just thought


    that everything was bing right, something had to happen to break her dream.


    (1)


    She wiped her tears and left her department''s building. She looked around to search for her friends.


    She pulled out her phone from her bag and noticed her friends'' messages.


    "We are leaving since you are withn."


    "Best of luck, babe."


    They gave her heart and thumbs-up emojis, thinking that everything would be fine


    between her andn.


    Ava decided to take a bus to go back home.


    But when she arrived at the bus stop, it started pouring.


    She went to her house on foot, drenched in rain and emotionally distressed.


    147

 Oh Really 147

    147


    When Ava returned home, it was afternoon.


    The maids rushed toward her when they saw her clothes were drenched.


    "I am fine," Ava said to them.


    She went to her bedroom and changed her clothes. She rubbed her hair with a towel and sat on the bed.


    She was very upset. Her eyes were red after crying for a while.


    "I am a crybaby," she murmured to herself.


    Why would she not cry? Just when she thought fan was hers, he once again went back to himself. For what? Thinking that she would ept him doing anything?


    She was not like other girls who would stay quiet and let him do anything he wanted, just to gain the position next to him. She did not want anything except pure love.


    She remembered how specialn had made her feelst night. Then why did all of this happen today?


    It felt like whatever happenedst night was a dream that he had broken today.


    She spent the whole day in her room. The maids kept telling her to eat something, but she rejected their requests.


    She was lying in her bed when her phone rang.


    She received the call without looking at who had called her.


    "Ava?"


    "Mom!"


    Ava sat up on the bed after hearing her mother''s voice.


    "Mom, are you okay? What about Dad? Is he fine?"


    "We both are alright. How are you, Ava?"


    Ava bit her bottom lip. If her mother had called her yesterday, she would sound like the happiest girl ever. But today, she was not happy.


    "Just fine, Mom."


    After a brief pause, her mother asked with a worried tone,


    "Ava, are you hiding something from me? Are you really okay, my child?"


    Ava took a long breath and tried to ease her mother''s worry.


    "Mom, I am fine. You and Dad left the future Gamma to protect me. He is protecting me well."


    "Stephen is really a good child."


    "Yes, Mom. By the way, how about Dad''s treatment?"


    "We are processing the treatment. He will be fine, but it can take some time."


    "I hope he will be alright. About time, you both have time for your whole life. No worries about other things."


    "You sounded like a mature girl. Not bad."


    147


    She chuckled and mumbled, "Thanks, Mom."


    "Ava, since we are not there, please try to stay closer to Stephen."


    Ava sighed and replied,


    "Mom, he always stays at home. In fact, he invited his friends at home. So they are also here for a few days."


    "Oh, yeah. He talked to me about it. I told him that it''s a great idea


    Ava lowered her head. "Mom, why are you so worried about me?"


    Her mother remained silent. Ava could understand her silence. So she said,


    "Are you worried about the Thunder Howl Pack?"


    She remembered how her mother warned her about that pack. She specifically told her to stay away from that pack''s people.


    "Mom, I am assuring you. No one is going to harm me. I am totally fine and good."


    "Yeah, that''s a relief," her mother replied after a while.


    Ava ignored the topic of that pack and talked to her mother for a long time.


    When it was night,


    The maids came to ask Ava for dinner. But she opened the door and refused to eat like before.


    She sneezed when she tried to talk to the maid.


    "Miss, are you having a cold?" they asked.


    "No, I am fine."


    She closed the door and went toy on her bed.


    Her eyes were getting close slowly. She felt a headache. She began to feel a shiver in her entire body..


    After a while,


    The door of her room opened. Ava nced at the door and saw Stephen.


    "My little sis, are you okay?" Stephen asked with concern in his voice.


    He sat beside her and reached out to touch her forehead.


    "Shit! You are running a fever!"


    "Fever?" she mumbled, coughing a little.


    "Did you get wet in the rain?" he asked.


    Ava nodded her head, realizing that she got a fever because of it. She closed her eyes, trying to sleep.


    "You should eat something. You haven''t eaten anything the whole day," Stephen said, stroking her hair.


    "No, I don''t want to," she murmured.


    "You will have to take medicine to get rid of this fever. But you have to eat something before taking it."


    "Brother, plea-"


    She was interrupted by another voice.


    "Call the doctor. I will stay here."


    147


    Stephen turned his head only to findn, who entered the room. Ava ignored tan,


    and her eyes remained closed.


    "Brother, tell him I don''t want him to be here."


    Stephen gave her a confused look. He got up from the bed and said


    "But why? You two were good yesterday. Hey, you went to uni with him, right? So,


    what the heck just happened?"


    Ava coughed and replied,


    "Tell him to be with the other girl."


    After saying that, she turned her back ton,


    "The other girl? Wait what? Are you talking about Lily? Bro,e on. She is Paul''s girlfriend."


    Ava''s eyes flung ope. "She is Paul''s girlfriend?"


    Stephen shook his head with augh. "You two! I can''t believe it. I bet he did that


    out of jealousy. This man! And you? How could you get jealous so easily? Do you even know how loyal he is to you, sister?"


    Ava wanted to p herself right now.


    ''So she is not one of the girls whon... Oh sh*t!'' she thought and felt regret.


    Stephen bent down and patted her head.


    "We don''t hit on our friends'' girlfriends. You can rest assured, okay?"


    Ava blinked her eyes, not knowing how to react. She misunderstandsn.


    She could not ignore the fact thatn was standing near the bed, watching and listening to everything.


    "But he doubted me. He doesn''t trust me," she said to Stephen.


    Stephen frowned at her. "It''s not the case. He trusts you but not-


    ¡°Stop wasting time on this. Now call the doctor and go tell the maids to prepare


    her food. I am here to see about the matter."

 Oh Really 148

    148


    Stephen gaven a nod and left the room. He did not forget to close the door behind. Ava nced atn for a second, then immediately closed her eyes,


    After a while, he reached for the nket on the bed and covered her body.


    The moment Ava felt the warm nket cover her body, she felt rxed. She feltfortable and warm.


    She did not open her eyes, feeling losing consciousness slowly. It was due to her fever and headache.


    She felt the bed dip slightly beside her. She could smell Jan''s scent,


    Suddenly, she started to feel good inside. Maybe it was because of him.


    Her heart skipped a beat when she feltn''s hand on her head.


    His hand slowly moved to her forehead, checking her fever.


    She wanted to sleep with his touch. It was so calming that she wanted to pull him toward her and sleep in his arms.


    "Are you mad at me?"


    Her breath hitched when his breath touched her ear. She had no idea how this boy had such the ability to make her feel like this even when she was ill.


    "So mad that you won''t talk to me?"


    His question and soft tone caused her to open her eyes.


    She turned her head to look at him. He was very close to her face.


    She pushed him lightly and took a deep breath topose herself


    "You doubt me," she murmured.


    "I can''t tell you how my blood boiled when he hugged you. I could see how you hugged him back. I was upset. You didn''t even want to sit with me. You were ignoring me the whole time. I thought he changed your mind."


    Ava shook her head. She was about to say something but the door opened. She andn turned their heads and saw Stephen with his friends entering the room.


    Ronald looked at Ava and said,


    "Heard you are sick."


    Ava nced at Ronald and shook her head. "No, I am fine."


    Cyrus smirked and asked,


    "No, you were not. But after getting this close with our future Alpha, you look definitely fine."


    Ava blushed. She was already red with a fever.


    alte id, ee


    "Stop teasing her. Can''t you all see how sick she is?"


    148


    Cyrus raised his hands to surrender and uttered,


    "Okay, okay. Sorry, bro."


    Paul walked toward the bed and asked,


    "I heard you were mad atn because of Lily."


    Ava felt embarrassed. She was so silly that she felt jealous of just a simple thing.


    That girl, Lily was actually Paul''s girlfriend


    "I thought..."


    Paul smiled at her and said in an assuring tone,


    "He can never think about any other girl because he really loves you."


    "If you are all done with being my advocate, you can leave now. Let her take a rest."


    Stephen moved towardn and handed him some medicines.


    "I talked to the doctor. He told me to give her these. She is fortunate because we had these medications in our home. It''s because our mom is a doctor so we don''t need to worry I guess."


    Han raised a brow. "If we had not had them, I would have called my family doctor to have them delivered here personally."


    He sounded really dominant. All of his friends nodded their heads and decided to leave the couple alone.


    Stephen turned his gaze at Ava and said,


    "Maids are preparing porridge for you."


    Ava shook her head, refusing to eat anything. She pulled her nket up to cover her head.


    Others chuckled at her reaction, exceptn.


    Stephen left the room along with others. He knewn would take care of Ava.


    When everyone left,n waited for Ava to move the nket away from her face.


    However, a few minutes passed, and Ava did not move. Ian realized she had fallen asleep.


    He slowly shifted the nket and looked at her face.


    He raised his hand and gently caressed her cheek. His fingers moved up to her eyshes. He stroked her face with his knuckles and whispered,


    "I am sorry, baby."


    Ten minutester,


    A few maids came into the room. They were shocked to seen in Ava''s room.


    "I will help her to eat," a maid said ton while holding the tray of Ava''s food.


    Jan gestured for her to put the tray down on the bedside table.


    When the maid did what she was told,n signaled the maids to the door.


    "Leave."


    They hurriedly left the room, as they had no intention to offendn Dawson.


    As soon as the door closed,n patted Ava''s shoulder.


    148


    "Wake up."


    "Hey!"


    "Baby, you need to eat."


    Ava slowly opened her eyes. He helped her to sit up. He fed her with a Her fever was rising, and she was feeling very uneasy. After eating ''Don''t want to," she mumbled.


    Ian helped her toy back on the bed and covered her body with the t


    He left the room after ncing at Ava. He handed the tray to one of t change his clothes and return to Ava''s room in a few minutes.


    When he entered the room, he noticed that Ava''s body was shaking.


    He closed the door and walked toward her. He checked and realized


    "What the hell!"


    He shut all the windows and blinds in the room.


    He nced at Ava while taking off his t-shirt.


    After moving the nket and slipping inside, he drew her closer to


    148


    "Wake up."


    "Hey!"


    "Baby, you need to eat."


    Ava slowly opened her eyes. He helped her to sit up. He fed her with a spoon.


    Ava ate while blinking her eyes.


    Her fever was rising, and she was feeling very uneasy. After eating a couple spoons, Ava pushedn''s hand.


    ''Don''t want to," she mumbled.


    Ian helped her toback on the bed and covered her body with the nket again.


    He left the room after ncing at Ava. He handed the tray to one of the maids and


    told them not to disturb Ava. He then went to change his clothes and return to Ava''s room in a few minutes.


    When he entered the room, he noticed that Ava''s body was shaking.


    He closed the door and walked toward her. He checked and realized that her


    fever was increasing.


    "What the hell!"


    He shut all the windows and blinds in the room.


    He nced at Ava while taking off his t-shirt.


    After moving the nket and slipping inside, he drew her closer to him.


    4

 Oh Really 149

    149


    149


    When Ava opened her eyes, she felt a tay on her face. She had to sit her eyes immediately. She turned around, twisting her body on the bed.


    Trying to sleep soundly, she tried to cover her face.


    However, something caught her nose, and that wasn''s scent."


    She slowly opened her eyes and sniffed her nket. Her eyes widened when she found fan''s scent all over her nket.


    She sat up on the bed and looked around. She found herself alone in the bedroom.


    She lowered her head. She was startled when she noticed she was wearing pajamas.


    "I-I clearly remembered I was not wearing this before going to bed," she mumbled in a shocked tone.


    She tried to remember everything that had happenedst night.


    She recalled Stephening to her room. She remembered his words, his


    friends'' words, andn''s presence in the room.


    She scratched her head, realizing she had misunderstoodn. At the same time, he also misunderstood her about Luke.


    She gazed at her pajamas and asked herself,


    "Who changed my clothes?"


    She raised her head to check her fever. She was relieved that the fever had gone.


    She took a warm bath and got dressed. In the dress code, blue was her favorite color. She liked to wear blue most of the time.


    She let her hair down and put on a pair of high heels.


    She went downstairs. She thought she would meetn, Stephen, and others. But no one was there.


    She walked to the table as she noticed breakfast was served.


    "Miss, have your breakfast," a maid said.


    Ava took a chair and sat down.


    While she was eating, she got a call from Stephen.


    "Steph."


    Ava said as soon as she received the call.


    "How are you feeling, Ava?"


    "I am good now, Steph. Are all of you at the university?"


    Stephen let out a chuckle, which caused her to frown.


    "What?"


    "Do you want to ask aboutn? Then yes, he is here with us in the university."


    Ava blushed, ignoring his answer.


    "Brother,st night..."


    "He was with you. He took care of you."


    Ava''s eyes widened. "W-What? He was with me?"


    140


    "Well, it he had not insisted and you were not sick, I would not have allowed him to stay with you."


    Ava gulped, reflecting on how she discovered her changed clothes after waking up.


    "Are youing today?"


    "Yeah, I aming."


    "Okay."


    Stephen cut the call. Ava was in a daze.


    Didn change her clothes? She felt a little self-conscious and angry.


    Why did he change her clothes? It was very embarrassing to her.


    Thinking aboutn seeing her naked body, she felt shivers all over her body.


    When she was done eating her breakfast, she got up from the chair


    She was about to leave the dining area when a few maids came to ask her about her health.


    "I am fine," she replied with a polite smile.


    "Last night your whole body was burning and sweating," one of the maids said.


    Ava froze as she heard her. She looked at her and asked,


    "At what time?"


    "Midnight."


    "Did you go to my room?"


    She nodded her head at her and said,


    "Mastern called one of us to change your clothes. He looked really worried about you."


    Ava was stunned. She bit her bottom lip, realizing that she misunderstoodn again.


    ''So he did not change my clothes?'' she thought.


    She let out a deep breath and cleared her throat. She noticed the maid''s cheek


    was red. She frowned at her and asked,


    "What happened?"


    The maid shook her head and mumbled,


    "Mastern was shirtless. He stayed in your roomst night."


    Ava''s lips quivered. She blinked, listening to the maid.


    ''Shirtless? she thought.


    Her cheeks had turned redder than the maids''. The heat rising in her cheeks made her want to pat them. But she controlled herself and said,


    "Don''t talk about it to anyone."


    The maid lowered her head and nodded before ncing at her.


    Ava hurriedly walked out of her house.


    149


    She told one of the drivers to take her to the university.


    After getting inside the car, she patted her cheeks.


    ''What happenedst night?'' she thought.


    Thinking about shirtlessn, she gulped, shaking her head.


    His thoughts caused her to lose her innocence day by day.


    There was no wayn had done anything without her consent. Otherwise, she would feel that.


    When she arrived at the university, she got out of the car.


    With slow steps, she started to walk.


    She felt well today. She did not think she had a fever anymore. She was relieved


    that it had subsided in one night.


    However, she was feeling too shy to meetn''s gaze. She could not tell himst night about what was on her mind.


    As she stepped forward, she noticed people were looking at her.


    She stopped moving and looked around. She frowned when she noticed they


    were talking to each other while fixing their gaze


    on her.


    She felt awkward. What did she do now?


    Every single person was staring at her.


    She blinked a few times to understand the situation.


    A boy walked toward her and said,


    "What are you doing here? You should go to the basketball court."


    "W-Why?" she asked, feeling nervous.


    The worst thought that came to her mind was thatn and Luke were fighting


    again. ¡°You should go and see. But hurry," the boy replied.


    Ava''s heart clenched in fear of the fight, as she assumed the boy confirmed it.


    She rushed toward the basketball court. She started to pray in her heart that everything would be fine.


    As soon as she reached the basketball court, she found many people around. They all stopped what they were doing when they noticed her.


    The silence shocked Ava.


    She walked slowly while trying to findn and Luke.


    She stopped in her steps when he foundn standing in the center of the court.


    She was about to approach him but came to a halt in the middle of the court when he noticed her.


    He himself began to move toward her. She stood unmoved in her ce when he came to a halt in front of her.


    They were the center of attention. Ava nced around her, not knowing why they were staring at them.


    She found Stephen and his friends there too. Surprisingly, her friends were also there, waving at her.


    She was about to wave back but froze when she realized that the boy in front of her was getting on his knees.


    Her eyes widened when she slowly moved her head to look down an.


    149


    She realized that he was holding a bouquet of red roses.


    With a smile on his face, he asked,


    "Ava, I love you. Will you be mine?"


    150


    150

 Oh Really 150

    150


    Ava''s heart started to beat faster. She could not let out anything. She almost lost


    her mind.


    She could never describe her feelings to anyone.


    It was something she had never thought of. It was true that she had never thought of this day about how she would react whenn proposed to her.


    His voice was loud as if he wanted everyone around thein to hear everything he said.


    "I was so foolish to ask the people if you deserve me."


    Ava realized that he was talking about the day when he found her as his mate.


    "The reality is that I don''t deserve you. But you still gave this bad boy a chance to get into your heart."


    Ava bit her lower lip to control her tears.


    "I am sorry for everything that I have done with you. I am sorry for every single time when I could not realize how important you are to me. I am sorry for not acknowledging this love before you. I am sorry for every second you were around me and I failed to notice the girl who would be the only girl in my heart. I am sorry for everything, my love."


    Ava''s hands trembled as she slowly lifted them to ept the bouquet.


    Whenn saw her holding the flower and bringing it closer to her nose to smell the roses, he grinned.


    But it was not the end.


    She had not epted his proposal yet, and neither was he done.


    Ava smiled atn, but her expression froze again when he reached into his pocket and took out a ck velvet box.


    He opened the box right in front of her.


    The screams from the girls around them could be heard.


    Ava''s eyes shifted to the ring inside the box. The size of the stone was not so big,


    but surely it was a diamond, glistening under the sunlight.


    "I didn''t buy the ring with my dad''s money. I bought it with the money I earned from the car races I have won."


    People around them gasped.


    "He is so caring!"


    "Oh my god!"


    "I can''t believen Dawson actually loves someone this much!"


    "People say right. When a bad boy falls in love, he bes the best lover for his girl."


    "I can''t ept that he loves someone else."


    "What about us?"


    "Does that mean we won''t get an opportunity?"


    "Look at him. He looks so serious about her."


    150


    "Yes, I also don''t think he thinks of her as Nova."


    "Remember how he broke up with Nova because he said he never loved her."


    "He said he loves Ava. So it''s the love he had been searching for?"


    "Who thought this girl would be this lucky?"


    People started gossiping. They could not believe in their eyes and ears.


    Then Dawson they knew was someone very arrogant and dominant. They could not believen got on his knees and apologized to the girl, told her he loved her, and proposed to her with a ring he bought with his own money.


    Ava was frozen in her state after hearingn until she heard Abigal''s loud voice.


    "COME ON, AVA."


    She blinked and moved her gaze from the ring to look atn.


    "Will you be my girlfriend?"


    His voice was so calm yet pleasing as if he were waiting for this day only.


    Ava could not help but sob. She covered her mouth to control more tears to flow out.


    Man''s expression changed as it turned from happy to worried.


    He thought he had done something wrong, and that was why she was crying.


    He was about to get on his feet, but Ronald walked toward him and put his hand on his shoulder to make him get on his knee


    again.


    "Stay like that. She is just getting emotional," Ronald muttered to tan.


    Ronald was shocked that his best friend had turned to a guy who was madly in love with a girl. He could not even look tears in Ava''s eyes for a moment. That was why he forgot about the proposal and wanted to ask her why she was crying.


    Stephen and their other friends chuckled atn.


    Ronald moved back and said,


    "Ava, reply in a hurry. My best friend is a little impatient."


    Ava broke into a softugh. She wiped her tears with her hands and nodded her head.


    She extended her left hand and said,


    "I will be your girlfriend,n Dawson."


    He pulled out the ring and threw the box aside.


    His friendsughed when they noticed how desperate he was. On the other hand,


    Ava''s friends were relieved thatn really loved their friend.


    fan held Ava''s hand softly and put the ring on her ring finger.


    Everyone around them cheered for them, except for the girls who were envious of Ava. However, whenrf''s friends gazed at them, they faked their smiles and cheered forn and Ava like others.


    It was like a dream that she had ben''s girlfriend.


    150


    Jan moved his head lowered and kissed her cheek while hugging her


    She blushed and tightened her arms around his torso.


    "Look at there,¡±n said, pointing in a direction.


    Ava broke the hug and looked at it.


    When some students moved aside to reveal a wall covered in flower


    Something was written there beautifully and that was,


    "I Love you,


    Ava."


    Ava got so emotional that she huggedn again.


    "I love you too,n. am sorry for yesterday."


    He rubbed his palm against her hair and said,


    "It''s okay, baby. By the way, you can apologize to me in another wa means of


    escape."


    150


    She blushed and tightened her arms around his torso.


    "Look at there,"n said, pointing in a direction.


    Ava broke the hug and looked at it.


    When some students moved aside to reveal a wall covered in flowers, she was


    astounded.


    Something was written there beautifully and that was,


    "I Love you, Ava."


    Ava got so emotional that she huggedn again.


    "I love you too,n. Lam sorry for yesterday."


    He rubbed his palm against her hair and said,


    "It''s okay, baby. By the way, you can apologize to me in another way. Now I am


    your boyfriend. You are aware that you have no means of escape."


    151

 Oh Really 151

    151


    Sitting on a bench near the basketball court, Ava was staring at the boy who was ying basketball.


    He was not in his jersey but in his usual t-shirt and jeans. But still, passion was y visible in his eyes.


    As the afternoon sunset, the sky painted itself in hues of red and purple. The reddish light fell on the boy, kissing his skin.


    Ava felt blissful just looking at him.


    As he approached the basket, he aimed to throw the ball. When he sessfully put the ball inside from a quiet distance, Ava got to her feet with a p.


    The boy turned his head to her and smirked at her.


    "Wanna y?"


    Ava was stunned as she walked over to him. She stopped in front of her and said,


    "Ian, I can''t y. I know nothing about basketball."


    She hurriedly grabbed it. The whole court was empty.


    "Lemme teach you then," Ian said, moving toward her.


    Ava nodded her head with a smile. However, whenn walked past her side and turned to stand behind her, she gulped.


    He moved closer and lifted his hand to hold her hands that were holding the ball.


    He pulled her back against his chest, causing her to hold her breath


    "You have to hold the ball like this," Ian said, moving her hands to hold the ball in a different position.


    He leaned down to her ear and said,


    "Focus on the aim."


    She took a shaky breath. Thoughn was talking like he was very serious about teaching her, she could feel how he was getting


    closer to her.


    It''s been a few days sincen proposed to her as his girlfriend.


    From that day on, they were getting closer slowly every day. However, he did not kiss her.


    He told her that he wanted her to initiate kissing him. She was too shy to do that. She felt like he was testing her.


    However, she was the one who ended up testing his patience.


    Despite the fact that he would not kiss her, he always teased her by getting close to her.


    "Raise your hands."


    She listened to him and raised her hands. When he removed his hands from hers


    and told her to throw the ball, she failed to hit the target.


    After doing it a few times, she felt tired. She huffed and shook her head.


    n, I can''t."


    He was watching her as he stood next to her. His eyes were always on her every


    move.


    "Come here."


    She moved close to him and tried to hand the ball.


    Instead of grabbing the ball, he grabbed her forearm and turned her around. Her back pressed against his hard chest. With her hands holding the ball, he raised his hands while holding hers. He turned his head to look at her face.


    Then he threw the ball without looking at the basket.


    Ava''s eyes widened when she realized that he did not even have to look at the aim. But the fact that she was the one holding the ball made her happy.


    She jumped in content andhugged him.


    "Yes!"


    Her breath hitched when she broke the hug and raised her head. Her eyes locked his. His eyes were looking at her intensely.


    "I am still waiting for your move, baby," he muttered, shifting his gaze at her lips. Ava''s lips trembled with his gaze.


    He moved his hand and reached to her lips. He ced his thumb and rubbed her lips with it.


    "When?"


    His question was clear to her. However, because of his touch, she was frozen. She was nervous too. While her lips pressed against his thumb, she was taking deep breaths.


    He leaned down to her face. She closed her eyes, thinking that his patience was broken and now he would kiss her.


    But she was wrong.


    He was a man of words.


    He tilted his head and pressed his lips against her ear.


    She tightened her fists on her dress to keep herself from letting out a moan.


    "The more you make me wait, the more I will be eager to lose my patience."


    Ava remained silent, losing her mind in his words. He swept his thumb away over her lips and backed away.


    He ran his fingers through his hair and muttered,


    "Waiting for your next move."


    After saying that, he turned around and left her on the basketball court.


    She got back to her breathing when she realized that he had left. She exhaled


    deeply, moving her fingers to touch her lips.


    She turned around and left the campus to return home with a smile


    Days were moving like this by teasingn.


    It was a night when Stephen nned for a movie night. Since all of his friends were inside the house, he was thoughtful enough to call Ava''s friends as well.


    Abigail and Debra were there. Stephen did not call Luke sincen would not like it. Though Luke had already talked ton and solved the problem between them for the sake of Ava, Stephen did not want another misunderstanding.


    Seeing Abigail and Debra, Ava was really happy. She thanked Stephen. She introduced her friends to Stephen''s other friends.


    151


    Paul''s girlfriend, Lily was also present there.


    All of them sat on the big couch in the living room. The lights were immed, and the


    big screen TV was in front of them.


    As the maids set all the snacks and popcorn, including beverages on the coffee table near the couches, Stephen turned the lights in the living room off. He told the maids to leave and let them enjoy their movie night.


    Ava wanted to be with her friends since they hade to her house for a night stay.


    But Stephen took a ce between Abigail and Debra. So Ava could only sit next to Debra, andn was sitting at her side.


    Ava blushed whenn ced his arm behind the headrest while rubbing against


    her neck.


    "So what type of movie are we going to watch?" Abigail asked excitedly.


    3


    152

 Oh Really 152

    152


    The movie began, and everyone focused on the screen.


    It was a dark fantasy. Ava was shocked when she realized how many hot scenes the movie had. She blinked her eyes when the hero pulled the heroin over himself and started to make out inside the car.


    "Remember something?"


    Ava''s body jolted when she heardn''s voice.


    Debra tumed her head at her and whispered,


    "What happened?"


    Ava shook her head in response. Then she turned her head to look atn, who was sitting beside her.


    "Remember what?" she whispered to him.


    "We were in the car, and I told you something."


    It seemed like he recalled something when the car scene appeared in the movie.


    Ava''s lips parted when she remembered what he was talking about He once told her that he would not let her leave the car one day.


    She shyly lowered her head without replying to him.


    The sounds of moans from the soundbox were echoing in the living room.


    She scolded the person who chose the movie to watch.


    As the scene passed, she felt relieved and continued to watch the movie.


    When the interval passed, the scenes turned more intimate.


    Debra moved to Ava''s ear and said,


    "Come on, babe. Enjoy the movie. Your dreamy boy is here next to you. Lean your head on his shoulder. Go closer."


    Ava chuckled as she listened to Debra''s tips to get close ton. She nced at Debra and noticed how Stephen was looking at Debra with an irritated face. It looked like he had heard her suggestions.


    Ava''s eyes slowly moved from Stephen and fell on Abigail. She noticed that Abigail was not watching the movie. In fact, she was looking at something else.


    Ava raised a brow when she followed Abigail''s gaze and found her staring at Ronald.


    She frowned, trying to understand Abigail''s gaze.


    Why was she looking at Ronald?


    Ronald did not notice it, as he and Cyrus were busy drinking beer while watching


    the movie. Next to them were Paul and Lily.


    Ava was surprised to see them kissing each other.


    No one cared about it since it was dark. If anyone had focused on someone


    carefully, they would have noticed what they were doing.


    Ava blinked her eyes and moved her eyes back to the movie.


    She tried to pay attention to the movie. However, her breath stopped when she


    felt fan''s hand moving from behind.


    He slowly moved his hand down and wrapped it around her waist


    In one pull, her body moved her closer to him.


    She blushed because of his actions. Her body was wrapped around a nket,


    and he was not covered with any. He gently lifted her nket and covered himself with it.


    Feeling him this close, she gulped.


    No one noticed them as they were getting sleepy while focusing on the movie.


    Inside the nket,n''s hand started to move. Ava felt him rubbing his finger on her sides.


    She could not focus on the movie. Her mind messed with his touches.


    When the movie was closer to the end, Ava saw everyone dozed off.


    Only Paul and his girlfriend were awake. They held each other''s hands and went to the room where Paul was staying


    Ava bit her bottom lip when she realized that no one was awake there except her andn.


    "Are you punishing me, baby?"


    Ava''s heartbeat began to run faster. She tried to push his arm, saying,


    n, they will wake up."


    "So?"


    He asked while rubbing his nose behind her ear. She felt a shiver on her body.


    n..."


    She paused when his hand that cupped her cheek moved down to her corbone.


    It was as if he did not have to kiss her. Touching her was also a pleasure to him.


    She shut her eyes tightly, trying to adapt with his touches.


    But when his hand moved to her breasts, she immediately shoved his hand.


    Ava realized that she had pushed him hard. She quickly looked at him and tried to apologize.


    "I am so-"


    He looked at her with his eyes turned darker.


    "I didn''t mean to push you. I am sorry. I was afraid that they would''


    "It''s okay. You always care about others. You don''t care about me.


    Ava was startled by his cold tone. He turned around to leave the living room but stopped and turned his head at her.


    "I am sorry. I shouldn''t have touched you. I didn''t know I was not allowed to touch my own girlfriend."


    After saying that, he headed to his bedroom, which was downstairs in the left corner.


    Ava stared at his back until he left the living room. She felt guilty, but she was scared to lose him too. She thought giving in so


    152


    early would lose his interest in her.


    Was she thinking too much?


    She trusted him and his love, so she should not make their rtionship too difficult.


    Ava let out a sigh and rose up from the couch. She patted Debra''s and Abigail''s shoulders to wake them up.


    They told them to go to her bedroom and sleep. They were sleepy, so they hugged her before going to bed, thinking that she would join them soon.


    But Ava turned her way as she nced at his brother and others who drank a lot and slept in a deep sleep.


    She turned around and made her way to the left corner, wheren''s bedroom


    was.


    As she stepped toward his bedroom, her heart was beating rapidly.


    She was about to knock on the door but found the door unlocked. She opened the


    door and foundn near the window.


    She stepped inside his bedroom and closed the door behind her.


    She made her way to him and hugged him from behind.


    His body stiffened by her touch.


    He unwrapped her hands and turned to face her. With arching brows, he spoke,


    "Why are you here? You don''t have to exin anythi¡ª"


    Ava cut him off as she raised on top of her toes and kissed on his lips.


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    153


    Though her lips were on his lips for only a few seconds, he felt it ignited his body.


    Ava looked at him and said with a pleading tone,


    "Please don''t get mad. Please?"


    31


    His eyes met hers. "You know what this kiss meant, right? It was aboundary for


    me to get close to you. You opened it by yourself.


    She bit her lower lip while nodding her head. "Yeah, I know."


    He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his body.


    "You should not havee to my bedroom at this time. I was indeed mad at you. But now it''s difficult for me to let you go."


    Ava lowered hershes and mumbled,


    "I can stay here lo-"


    He did not let herplete it as he turned her body around and pressed it against the wall next to the window.


    Before she could understand anything, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.


    Ava felt her whole body jolting inside by the kiss.


    She was wearing pajama shorts so his hands could caress her bare legs easily.


    Her body moved with his touches. She moaned in the kiss. She felt it was too much for her.


    His lips and his hands were both moving together.


    He broke the kiss. His forehead rested against hers. He whispered with a raspy voice.


    "You can''t take my touches and lips right now. How will you take it when I eat you and push my fingers inside you at the same


    time?"


    Ava was already breathless. His words caused her eyes to widen. She rubbed her thighs together to control the heat increasing in


    her core.


    "You don''t know what I want to do with you, Ava. I am afraid you will lose yourself in my den."


    It became difficult for her to take a deep breath. His voice, tone, word, and lips¡ª all of them were making everything hard for


    her.


    When he moved away from her neck, she thought he would move back.


    But he lifted her in his arms. She gasped and wrapped her hands around his neck.


    While moving toward the bed, his eyes were on her.


    She found them very intense. She felt shy, hiding her head in his neck.


    Heid her on the bed gently and climbed on her. His every move was slow, raising her nervousness in her heart.


    153


    n"


    "Shhhh"


    He pressed his finger against her lips and said,


    "I won''t do something you won''t like."


    After saying that, he moved his mouth to her neck.


    Her breath hitched when he started kissing her neck roughly. It turned her on even


    more.


    She felt him giving some of the weight of his body to her.


    "Aahh!"


    She moaned when he bit on her corbone and then nibbled her skin. She raised her hands and stroked his soft locks.


    She gasped when she found something hard, like a rod rubbing against her thigh.


    "In.."


    "Yes, baby," he murmured, moving to look at her face.


    "Y-You are-"


    She was too shy to say that. She nced at his pants and then moved her gaze away immediately.


    He kissed her chin and whispered,


    "You have awakened my inner beast by moaning. Now it won''t sleep


    until


    it devours inside you."


    Ava blushed, realizing what he was saying.


    "But I am not ready," she whispered.


    He stared at her for a long time without moving.


    But then he let out a deep breath and replied,


    "It''s okay. I will wait for the time when you will be ready."


    Ava''s eyes lit up. She realized how deep his love was for her.


    She wanted to give her body to him just like she gave her heart to him. However,


    it would be her first time. She was not ready right now.


    She was taken aback. But the next moment, he leaned into another kiss.


    She returned the kiss and tried to move her lips with the rhythm of his lips.


    He pushed his tongue inside, eating her mouth as if it were their first kiss.


    Ava felt every time they kissed, it was just like the first time.


    He moved to her neck and left love bites. She moaned her name as her skin was


    so sensitive to his touches.


    He wondered how she would react when he would take her. It was almost impossible for him to control himself, but because he loved her, he clenched his teeth and tried to calm himself down.


    When he moved away from her, he told her that he was going to the bathroom.


    163


    Ava sat up on the bed, waiting for him.


    He came out of the bathroom after quite some time.


    Ava saw he changed his clothes. His hair was damp and wet.


    "D-Did you take a shower?" she asked.


    With a warm smile, he gave her a nod. "Yeah, cold shower."


    She was shocked. The weather was chilly outside, and he took a


    She rushed out of the bed and grabbed a towel that was lying "Come to bed. Let me help you dry your hair."


    cold shower.


    on the couch. She walked toward him and held his hand.


    His eyes looked fascinated by her sweet gesture. He went to the bed and sat


    down.


    She stood between his legs and began to wipe his hair. He hugged her waist and


    said,


    "If you keep being this sweet to me, I will die in love."


    "Don''t say that."


    He raised his head and asked,


    "How much do you love me?"


    She paused and looked down at him. "Much more than you thought."


    He gave it a thought and asked,


    "What if someonees between us?"


    She shook her head and replied,


    "From my side, it won''t happen. I can bet on this."

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    154


    154


    The day when Gamma Harper and Ang were expected to arrived finallye, Everyone moved out of Stephen''s house. It was not like they stayed there all day. They only came to stay at night.


    But they had made the house their own while Stephen''s parents were away.


    After the movie night, he made amitment to himself that he would refrain from touching Ava''s body until she was prepared.


    That night he wanted to ho her in his arms and sleep with her. But her soft voice and calm nature would have turned him on again, so he had to let her go.


    Today, when Stephen got a call from his father, he told Tan about first, then went to Ava.


    "They areing today!"


    Ava jumped out of the bed.


    "Yes, Ava,"


    Stephen''s voice was filled with joy. Ava hurriedly reached him and asked,


    "Is that mean.... Dad..."


    "Yes! He is fine now. He is healed."


    Hearing Stephen, Ava hugged him tightly. She was worried that Gamma Harper would lose his health because of his disease. But with all the prayers, he was saved.


    "All thanks to Mom," Stephen muttered while holding Ava.


    Ava broke the hug and smiled at Stephen.


    "Dad is a gentleman. Mom can do anything for her. She loves him.


    Stephen gave her a nod and hugged her again.


    The love between the siblings was witnessed byn as he was standing outside the room.


    He was sad that he would have to move. But looking at Ava''s happy face, he felt rxed.


    ''One day I will take you away from your parents and hold you in my arms forever. That time, no one would have to move. We will not have to separate like this,'' he thought with a smile.


    In his mind, he had already made her his Luna.


    He felt lucky that he found a girl who had never been involved with any other boy.


    It was kind of lucky that he was her first love. He decided to be herst one.


    Ava nced atn and broke the hug. Stephen turned his head to look atn.


    "Done?" Stephen asked him about his luggage.


    "Yeah,"n replied to Stephen, but his eyes were on Ava.


    Ava blushed at the wayn''s eyes did not move from her. Stephen left the room, giving them some private time.


    "I am sorry that you have to move."


    154


    "It''s okay, I am going to meet you on campus. And the bed in my room is not asfortable as my own bedroom, so I am happy


    anyway.


    For a moment, Ava was stunned. Ian used to say that he had a wish to stay here like this with her,


    When Ava realized thatn was just saying those things now because he did not want to upset her, she got on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.


    He grinned and grabbed her waist to pull her closer.


    "I see, my nerd is getting braver day by day."


    Ava hit his chest lightly. She looked into his eyes and mumbled,


    "Thank you for loving me,n. You understand me and never try to force me for anything."


    He tilted his head and gave a wet kiss on her cheek.


    "That''s called love. If I won''t understand you, then who will?"


    Ava hugged him and said I love you to him.


    They went to the university together.


    Ava and her friends were gossiping about how their final exams wereing. They would have to focus on their studies more than their real lives.


    Luke became calmer than before. But as if he finally understood that he was not made for Ava, he put himself in the right ce and tried to be a good friend to her.


    Ava and her friends went to theirst ss. They were early for the ss. However, they took thest seats.


    Ava sat alone and Abigail sat with Debra in the front seat of hers.


    Since the final exams wereing, all the students came to the sses attentively.


    A boy came to sit next to Ava since she was sitting alone.


    Ava gave him a smile. He noticed her sweet gesture and gave her a mod with a ''Hello''.


    When the professor entered the ss, Ava focused on the ss.


    "Today, you will get thest assignment. It is really important, and you have to give your best on it. It''s because it will greatly affect your results."


    Ava was listening to the professor. She made up her mind to give her best in her studies. Just because she became the Gamma''s daughter, she could not lose in her studies.


    "I believe you are sitting with your friends, which is convenient for you all to choose with your partiter. I don''t have to go on marks. You can partner with your seatmate."


    Everyone looked happy and cheered as they indeed sat with their friends, and it would be easy for them to study.


    It was an excellent technique for teachers to pique students'' interest in their studies.


    Debra and Abigail were at ease. They became partners in their studies.


    However, Ava was worried. She slowly turned her head and looked at the boy.


    The boy scratched the back of his neck and muttered,


    "I guess I will be your partner for the next few days."


    154


    Ava blinked and looked away. She did not say anything and nodded her head in response.


    She did not know him much. How would she study with him on an important assignment?


    The boy was the same age as her. He looked calm and soft. He did not look like the boys who gave negative vibes.


    With a gentle tone, he said,


    "It''s okay. You don''t have to feel bothered. I can talk to the professor about it."


    Ava turned to him and shook her head. "It''s okay."


    He grinned and looked rxed.


    "Then can we be friends? It will make it easier for us to study together."


    Ava nced at his hand that reached out for her.


    She smiled at him and epted it. 1


    "Sure, friends."


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    155


    After the ss, Ava and her friends walked out of the ss.


    "Hey! Ava."


    Ava turned around when she heard someone calling her.


    She saw Robining towards her.


    "Oh, the cute boy who has be your partner," Debra said.


    Ava smiled at Robin as he approached her.


    "I was wondering if you have some time so we can discuss our project."


    He nced at Abignd Debra before returning his gaze to Ava again.


    00


    "Bro, you are rude. You didn''t even say hi to us. I almost thought about our da-¡±


    Abigail interrupted Debra by pinching her waist.


    "Ouch!"


    "Don''t mind her," Abigail said with a chuckle.


    Avaughed as she saw Debra ring at Abigail for interrupting her from flirting with the boy.


    Ava nced at her phone to check the time and gave it a thought.


    "Actually, my parents areing back today. So I am a little busy today. Can we talk about it tomorrow?" Ava said with an apologetic tone.


    Robin raised his brows as he asked,


    "Your parents are out of the pack?"


    Ava realized that it was confidential to everyone that Gamma Harper was out of the pack. Her family decided not to talk to anyone about his disease except their close friends.


    "Yeah, they went on a vacation for a few days."


    "Oh, I see. No worries."


    Robin walked past her after giving a nod. Abigail and Debra turned their heads as they watched the boy.


    "He has some guts, bro. He knows you aren Dawson''s girlfriend. Still, he talks to you," Debra said.


    Ava rolled her eyes. "Ian is not a monster;e on."


    Abigail smirked at her. "Yeah yeah. He is a sweet and soft baby boy for you."


    Aya blushed and looked away from her friends.


    "Stop teasing me."


    She started to walk with a red face. Her friends never stopped from her teasing.


    The girls looked at her with envious eyes; however, they were afraid that if they somehow offended her,n go.


    ''d not let them


    When Ava came to the lobby, she noticed Stephen andn were talking while leaning againstn''s car.


    Ava walked to them. Seeing hering,n stood straight.


    155


    "Going home?" He asked her.


    "Yeah."


    "You look happy. It suits you. Always keep smiling like this,"n said with a deep tone.


    Stephen cleared his throat and said,


    "Bro, I am in front of you both. Stop being so cheesy."


    about the people around me."


    Avaughed as she saw their bickering.


    "She is going with today."


    "Why?"n asked with a frown.


    "I know if you take her with you, she won''t reach home early. Let us have some family time today."


    Ian thought for a moment, then gazed at Ava.


    Ava had no say in this. If she would say something, either Stephen, her brother, would mind orn, her boyfriend, would get


    mad.


    So she stood there, folding her arms against her chest.


    "Okay."


    He pulled Ava into a hug and kissed her cheek. "Bye, baby."


    "Bye," Ava whispered.


    Stephen walked over to his car, and Ava followed him after waving atn.


    She headed home with Stephen. On their way, they stopped by a mall and bought some essories to decorate their living room for their parents'' arrival.


    When it was evening, they started to decorate the living room. Maids helped them.


    They made sure to give it a weing look with a big balloon''s saying,


    "Wee Home"


    Ava could not stop smiling, thinking that her parents were returning.


    At night, Gamma Harper and Ang returned home.


    Ava and Stephen rushed toward them. Ava hugged them, feeling rxed.


    She realized that she had missed them a lot, especially her mother. She had


    never stayed away from her for this long.


    "How are you, my baby?" Ang asked Ava.


    Ava kissed her cheek and replied,


    "I am totally fine, Mom."


    She smiled and thought,


    ''Mom, everything changed in these two weeks. I got my love, the person you have been waiting for to settle with me in my life.''


    155


    She wantedn to meet her mother as her boyfriend. She had been waiting for the day for a long time. The day woulde soon when they would reveal their rtionship to their parents.


    The four of them had their dinner while talking about how they passed their days. Ang told the two children how brave Gamma Harper was. He had to endure pain during the healing process for his wolf. But he showed bravery, and the cure eventually healed his wolf.


    Ava and Stephen went to sleep in their roomste at night after talking with their parents for a long time.


    As Ang saw them go upstairs, all the color in Ang''s face drained.


    Harper held her hand, and they went to their bedroom


    He made Ang sit on the bed, and he sat next to her.


    Harper noticed Ang''s nervous face. He grasped her hand and rubbed the back


    of it.


    "Ang, don''t be concerned. Asy you can see, Ava ispletely fine "


    Ang turned her head to gaze at him.


    "Harper, you know why I am worried, right?"


    He nodded his head. "It''s because we met the Alpha of the Thunder Howl Pack." 1


    Ang felt a shiver when she heard about the young man. She could still


    remember his dark brown eyes.


    "But he didn''t recognize you. There is nothing to worry about."


    She shook her head. Her voice trembled a little as she said,


    "But what if he finds out about Ava? She told me she met some members of that


    pack."


    Harper reassured his wife by giving her a hug and a pat on the back


    "He won''t find out. Everything will be fine once she finds her mate"


    Ang hugged him back and said,


    "You are right. This is the reason I want Ava to find her mate as soon as possible. She doesn''t know about it. But she is not like us. She is different; she is special."

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    156


    With every passing day,n was proving how much he loved Ava. They became a hot topic around campus.


    Everyone started to call Ava their future Lama secretly. They were amazed by the wayn showed his love for Ava. No matter where she was, his eyes were always on her. It caused others not to approach Ava,


    On the other hand, Ava became really busy studying. Ian was also focusing on the studies for their uing exams. It would be hisst exam before graduation. After this, he would have to focus on his throne to be the head Alpha.


    Ava was having breakfast with her friends in the


    teria when suddenly the whole cafeteria became silent.


    Ava turned her head and noticedn entering the cafeteria. Once he walked past the people, they began to do what they were doing.


    "Your boyfriend ising toward our table!" Debra said with a singing tone to tease Ava.


    "I think he wants to sit with her. Let''s move," Abigail said to Debra


    Ava turned to them with a look. "Why do you both have to move? I think he-"


    She paused when the chair next to her pulled out. The next moment,n sat down beside her.


    "Hello, my girlfriend''s friends,¡± he greeted Abigail and Debra.


    They gave him awkward smiles. Ian did not talk to them much, although they always stayed with Ava. He was kind of a person who reserved himself for his friends and now for Ava.


    "You can sit; we were just going to our sses, "Abigail said, standing up.


    Abigail was stunned as well as Debra. They shook their heads. Debra grabbed Abigail''s hand and pulled her back to sit on the chair.


    "We thought to give you some privacy, you know," Abigail mumbled with a chuckle.


    He grabbed her chair and pulled it toward his chair.


    Ava was blushed when her arm brushed against his. He had already pulled her closer to him.


    ¡°There is no need for privacy, which will drive you all out. I make it on my own,"n said to Ava''s friends, but his eyes were on Ava.


    Ava looked away fromn. Her cheeks were reddened.


    Abigail and Debra were amazed. They felt thatn was a perfect lover.


    "Have you had your breakfast?" Ava askedn.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied, resting his chin on her shoulder.


    4


    His action caused the two other girls to blush. They were witnessing their romance with awe in their eyes. In fact, all the people around them nced at them.


    Ava grabbed the spoon and brought it up to his mouth.


    He nced at the food, then at her. He opened his mouth, and she fed him.


    "How sweet!"


    "What a couple!"


    156


    Abigail and Debra started to praise them as a couple.


    Ava nced at others. Her eyes fell on Robin, who was sitting at another table.


    He looked at her and gave her a nod.


    Ava smiled at him and returned the nod.


    It did not go unnoticed byn. He leaned to her car and whispered)


    "Who is that bastard? Saw you a few times with him these days."


    Ava gulped when his breath and deep tone suddenly touched her ear.


    She turned to her gaze at him and said,


    n, I told you. Donly abuse others like that."


    "Okay, my baby. Then tell me who that gentleman is."


    His mocking tone caused the two other girls tough.


    Ava gave them a nce, indicating that they should notugh. They shut their


    mouths and focused on their food.


    "He is my friend," Ava replied.


    "Close?"n asked, gazing at Robin with his scrutinizing eyes.


    "Not that close. But he is a good guy," Ava replied as she thought how fast they became friends.


    She and Robin were in the same year. What caught Ava''s attention was Robin''s past, which was kind of the same as hers. His father was a pack fighter. He died when Robin was a child. But his mother died a few years ago.


    She felt sympathy and realized that she was the happiest person, living the fullest life. People like Robin were living a painful life without both of their parents.


    "Don''t worry,n. I am going to hit on him," Debra said, ncing at Robin.


    Ava rolled her eyes. He looked at him carefully and asked,


    "You came here to set it up, right?"


    Ava chuckled and shook her head. "You don''t trust me, do you?"


    "I will not ask anything again about anyone. Don''t say that ever again. Because I put all of my trust in you."


    Ava''s friends nced at Ava andn, thinking that he might have ended up kissing her in front of them..


    It was not like they would not like to watch kissing. They were excited.


    However,n got up on his feet and stroked Ava''s hair.


    "See youter."


    Ava saw him leaving the cafeteria.


    "Why did you ask him about trust issues? Every lover has trust issues. It shows


    their love," Abigail said to Ava.


    156


    "Really? I thought trust was the main thing in a rtionship," Avanumbled.


    "He is just jealous, babe. It''s fun to watch him react like that," Debra said with a


    On the other hand,


    Whenn walked out of the cafeteria, he got a call.


    He nced at the caller. His father was calling him.


    His brows arched a little. It was extremely rare for his father to call him.


    He swept his thumb over the green circle, receiving the call.


    As soon as he brought the phone closer to his ear, he heard his father''s angry


    tone.


    "Where are you?"


    "Campus."


    formality. He then said,


    His father did not wait for a second, as if asking the question was just a "We have


    an urgent pack meeting. Prepare to go out of the pack tomorrow.''


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    157


    The whole ss was silent as the professor began to scold a girl.


    Ava lowered her head, hiding her face with the book to ignore the professor''s angry face. She was afraid that she would be his


    next target.


    She paused when she heard a chuckle from next to her.


    She turned her head and looked at Robin, who was sitting beside her.


    "What''s so funny?" she asked.


    "Why are you hiding, Ava?" he asked.


    He was a little gentle when he talked to her. Ava always felt that he was a calm boy who only liked to study like her. Because whenever they talked, they only talked about studying.


    "We haven''t finished our assignment yet. The deadline ising Have you forgotten that?"


    Her question was obvious because, though thest few days they worked on it a lot, they had to focus on other subjects too. So they could notplete the assignment yet.


    "Don''t worry. We willplete it in two or three days."


    "Really?"


    Robin smiled at her and replied,


    "Trust me."


    Ava let out a sigh of relief. Robin grabbed the book and moved it away from her face.


    "Now stop hiding," he said with augh.


    Ava shook her head with a chuckle. The ss continued, and Robin talked about how he wanted to go abroad.


    "But you are currently studying at the best university."


    "Yeah. But as I told you, I had a dream to settle outside. I have memories of my parents here, so I don''t want to stay here anymore. Those are all bitter memories. I want to go outside and start a new life."


    Hearing Robin, Ava realized that his life was kind of the same as hers.


    Indeed, changing the ce could help people to move on in their lives. Just like how she and her mother escape from their old pack, ''The Thunder Howl Pack''.


    Suddenly she remembered how her mother always alerted her to stay away from that pack''s people.


    Sometimes she wondered how that pack looked now. She had faint memories of that pack. Because she was only a child when she left the pack.


    "Do you know anything about the Thunder Howl Pack?"


    "What?"


    Robin''s surprised voice caused her toe back to reality from her thoughts. She realized that she unconsciously asked him about that pack.


    Robin tilted his head to look at her face. "Why did you suddenly ask about that pack?"


    Ava looked at him and asked,


    "Why not?"


    157


    Robin nced at the professor and muttered,


    "I know many things about that pack. Wanna grab some coffee and talk?"


    She frowned at him. He grinned at her.


    She gave it a thought and nodded her head. "Okay,"


    After all the sses were over, Ava took her leave from her friends and met Stephen.


    When she did not seen with him, she asked,


    "Where isn?"


    "He is busy right now. Alpha called him at the pack house so he had to go there,"


    Ava was stunned. "everything alright there?"


    Stephen gave her an assuring nod. "Yeah. Something happened rted to our pack business. Don''t worry I am also heading to the pack house. Alpha called all of us," Stephen said, signaling to all his friends who were talking to each other.


    "Oh," she mumbled.


    Stephen left the campus after talking with her.


    Ava wanted to calln to ask if everything was alright. But she paused and thought that he might be talking with his father.


    He and his father''s rtionship was not that good, so if they got an opportunity to


    talk, she should not disturb their family time, and since Stephen said it was


    urgent, she should wait for him to call herter.


    She was standing out of the university, thinking about these things, when someone patted her shoulder.


    She turned around and found Robin.


    "Forgot about our coffee date?" he asked with a grin.


    "Coffee date?" she asked with a surprised look.


    He let out augh and replied,


    "Just kidding. How can you forget that we nned to go out for coffee?"


    "Oh, yes."


    She recalled telling him that she would go with him.


    Robin led her to a coffee shop that was very close to their university.


    They chose a table near the window and ordered coffee for them.


    "Then tell me what you know about that pack."


    "May I ask why that pack suddenly grabs your attention?"


    "No."


    "That was savage."


    Ava smiled at him, knowing that he was a good guy. So she said,


    n doesn''t like that pack at all, so..."


    "Oh, I see."


    When their coffee arrived, they took a few sips.


    157


    Ava paid her all attention to Robin when he started to speak.


    "If you ask me whyn doesn''t like that pack, then I have something to say, but I think you won''t like it to hear."


    Ava''s brows arched when she heard him. Stephen once told her thatn and the Alpha of that pack had a rivalry when she questioned him about it.


    But still, she asked Robin,


    "Why?"


    He shrugged his shoulders and said,


    "Forget it. Let me tell you about that pack. Their Alpha is the reason that the pack


    has risen to the top. In our modern society, that Alpha is the biggest bad boy. He only cares about business, as he does not believe in mates and all."


    Ava rubbed her forehead as she muttered,


    "What is with everyone''s obsession with bad boys? Is that even a title?"


    Robin shook his head and sipped his coffee again.


    "No. It''s a reputation that stops people from approaching them. It made others believe that they are not easygoing.''


    Ava stared at him for a while, then sighed. "Okay. But what about the war that happened many years ago? Is there any news of them grabbing the old pack members'' families and punishing them?"


    This was the main question Ava wanted to ask from the beginning. Since he knew about that pack, he might have known about it


    too.


    "No way. Why would they even think about the old pack members?


    Robin''s answer caused Ava to feel rxed.


    ''Mom, you were worrying for nothing,'' she thought.


    Suddenly she recalled Robin saying something he knew but would not say.


    "Tell me whyn did not like that pack."


    "Do you really want to know that?" Robin asked carefully.


    "Yeah."


    He averted his gaze away and replied,


    "Ian has a childhood secret lover who belongs to The Thunder Howl Pack."


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    158


    Ava was shocked upon hearing Robin.


    "Childhood lover?" she asked with a stunned look.


    Robin nced at her and nodded his head.


    "I know you would react like that. But I said, secret lover. That''s a secret. I doubted he told you about this because it was about many years ago. As time passed, everyone forgot about it."


    Ava blinked her eyes, not understanding anything. Ian had never talked to her about these things.


    She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.


    ''It must have been a little crush in childhood. That doesn''t matter Ava. He is now your boyfriend; that''s the fact,'' she said to herself and tried to be rxed.


    "Robin, how do you know all of these? Even Stephen never talked about this." Robin leaned his back against the chair and muttered,


    "As I told you, my dad was a pack fighter. He wanted me to be one like him. So, from a young age, I used to go to the pack house for training. I was a child at that time."


    He turned her head out of the window as if memories shed in his head.


    "I can still remember the incident."


    Ava stared at him with all of her focus. She wanted to know aboutn''s childhood, about how he was, and what happened in the


    past.


    "One night, Alpha told my dad and the other pack fighters to stay and continue training. The pack house had some visitors that evening. Since I was a child, Luna noticed me and told me to go and y withn and others."


    Ava blushed when she thought aboutn as a child. He might have been a really handsome kid at that time.


    "I went to the pack house, and the maids told me the children were in the garden. Knowing that there were guests in the living room, I avoided disturbing them and followed the maid straight to the garden. I saw three people were there. Two boys and a girl. The girl was pretty. One of the boys looked really angry. That wasn. He was ring at the other boy, who looked a few years older than him. That was the new prince of the Thunder How Pack."


    Ava felt a little jealous when Robin talked about the little girl. There was no doubt she was pretty enough to catchn''s eye.


    "Ian had a little fight with the other boy. I still remember what the girl said to him, which causedn to push the girl to the floor.


    "1


    "What? He pushed the girl to the floor. Didn''t you say he used to like her?" Ava asked with wide eyes.


    Robin shook his head. "Let me exin. He really liked that girl. Everyone knows that. Because he always wants to y with her. He always told his parents to call the girl to y with him. But whenever she arrived, she was apanied by another boy. So that day in the garden, the other boy toldn to stay away from the little girl and said he would not let the girle here again."


    Ava''s lips parted. "Why?"


    "Because that boy might have liked her too. Whenn said he wouldin to his parents about it, the other boy bullied him, here, the calling him a crybaby who could only rely on his parents for everything. Whenn asked the girl if she wanted to co girl refused and said she wanted to break their friendship. She wanted to be with the other boy because that was w parents told her. Her parents told her that the other boy was stronger thann, so she should only be friends with that boy and


    notn."


    Ava tightened her fists. She got really angry at that girl''s parents.


    er


    158


    "Those parents! How could they do that? They were only children How could they brainwash the kid like that? And that girl! How easily she broke the friendship and said those things to Tan?!


    Robin watched how mad Ava had gotten. Heughed at her reaction


    "I thought you would be happy."


    "What? I mean. I was only thinking about how tan must have felt when the girl said that. Is that why he pushed the girl?"


    Robin nodded her head. "After that push, the girl''s knees hurt and bled a little. It caused chaos, and fan''s parents got mad at him. His dad pped him in front of others and apologized to the guests who were the Alpha and Luna of the Thunder Howl


    Pack at that time."


    Ava lowered her head, thinking that fan might have felt really bad when his father pped him in front of those two kids. However, his father had to bear insults too. The situation was really bad; she could understand.


    "One person was ready happy that night."


    "Who?"


    "Nova and his parents," Robin said andughed.


    Ava''s brows raised as she asked,


    "You know Nova too?"


    Robin''s grin faded as he cleared his throat.


    "Of course. She is the beta''s daughter. I know everyone."


    Ava thought that he was right. He knew many things aboutn''s childhood.


    She thanked him for telling her so many things. Because of him, she got to know aboutn''s childhood. She felt bad for his


    heartbreak.


    She realized that it was the reason why he always waited for his mate to love and give his heart.


    She recalled asking her many times about not cheating on him or letting another mane between them. Finally, she understood the reason behind his question.


    ''I will love you forever,n. I won''t cheat you, never,'' she thought with a smile.


    Ava and Robin walked out of the coffee shop after splitting their bills.


    She was about to say goodbye to Robin when her phone started to ring.


    She saw thatn was calling her.


    Robing held her wrist, causing her to look at him.


    "Don''t tell him you are here with me. He is scary. He can kill me anytime."


    Ava smiled at him and shook her head.


    "Don''t worry, he won''t."


    "Please, Ava."


    Thinking that every boy was afraid ofn, she sighed and gave him an assuring


    nod.


    She received the call, andn''s voice immediately came out of the other end. "Where are you?"


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    159


    159


    "I am outside a coffee shop near our university."


    Ava''s soft voice echoed inn''s car. His dark eyes slowly eased as ey shifted to the girl sitting on the other side of the desk.


    He red at the girl and asked Ava in a soft tone,


    "What are you doing there, baby?"


    Ava was quiet, which caused his brows to arch. The girl sitting near the desk stood up and walked over to him.


    She ced her phone on the desk, signaling him to the screen.


    The girl was none other than Nova.


    He was busy in a discussion with his father when she came with his father to the pack house a few minutes ago.


    He wanted to ignore her, but she said to him in front of everyone that she had something to talk about.


    His parents told him to talk to her. He told her to follow him to his study room.


    From then on, she started to say that Ava was cheating on him. Of course, he did not believe her. It was impossible in his heart. She could never do that.


    She asked him to ask about her whereabouts. He also wanted to talk to Ava, so he called her.


    But when she took a long pause,n frowned.


    Nova tapped her nails on her phone''s screen to grab his attention to her phone.


    He rolled his eyes and lowered his gaze to look at her phone.


    However, the moment he saw the photos in front of his eyes, his eyes darkened.


    It looked like someone was near Ava, paying great attention to her


    But the thing that angeredn was the person Ava was with. He did not like when she was with another boy.


    "W-Where are you,n?" Ava asked without answering his question.


    Nova started to sweep the photos one by one.


    In those pictures, Ava was with that Robin guy. She was paying so much attention


    to him, smiling at him. A picture looked like it was clicked a few minutes ago. That boy was holding her wrist as if to stop her from receiving a call.


    "I asked who are you with?"n asked Ava with a cold tone.


    Ava took another pause, but a brief one. She cleared her throat and said,


    "I came here with a friend."


    His eyes moved from Nova''s phone, and he looked at Nova.


    "So you were with your friend? Okay, have fun then. I will call youter." After saying that,n did not give Ava a chance to speak and cut the call. He tossed his phone to the desk, which caused a loud noise in the room. Nova took a step back by his sudden action. She nced at his phone, which almost broke by the hard toss against the wooden desk.


    159


    Jan raised a brow and gave her a inocking look.


    "She said she is with that guy who is her friend."


    He did not tell Nova that Ava did not tell him about Robin. He did tot want Nova to think that he believed in her


    "But it''s not even a fact."


    "So what is the fact, Nova?" he asked mockingly.


    Nova tightened her fists, grabbed her phone, and went back to sit on the chair she had sat on a while ago.


    "Ian, I just came here to open your eyes. I don''t have any other intentions. She is not good for you."


    29


    Nova lowered her head and mumbled,


    "I know you don''t like me. But I don''t want you to get heartbroken


    She clicked on her phone a few times before showing him something.


    In that video, Ava was talking to someone. It looked like she was talking to him when he had called her. Robin was beside her, and he was shaking his hands, indicating to her not to telln about him. 1


    with Robin.


    He shut his eyes and told himself,


    ''I trust her. He is just her friend. I can''t doubt her. I blindly trust her. She is my girlfriend.''


    He threw Nova''s phone to the floor and rose up from his chair. Nova''s eyes widened when she saw her brand-new phone lying


    on the floor, broken.


    "Leave. I have no time for your nonsense. Stop spying on my girlfriend."


    However, his words did not suit well with Nova. She turned his head to look at him.


    "She is cheating on you,n. In fact, she doesn''t even love you. She just wants the name and fame of your girlfriend. Of course, she wants Luna''s position as well."


    "Will you shut up?"


    "No, I won''t. You are ignoring this fact because you can''t forget your past and are afraid to face the same situation again. You still can''t forget that girl, are you?" 1


    Hearing about the past,n''s eyes turned cold in an instant.


    Nova was stunned by his fierce look. She was about


    "In, I am sorry-"


    say sorry for bringing up the past.


    But before she could fully apologize to him, he rushed toward her and grabbed


    her jaw.


    Her eyes grewrger. She grabbed his wrist to loosen his grip. But he was so strong that it was impossible for her.


    "Stop ying with me."


    159


    "S-Sorry."


    Tan leaned down to look into her eyes and said,


    "I only know and love one girl, who is my girlfriend right now. I trist her blindly, and


    no one can change my mind. The sooner you fix that in your mind, the sooner you will be able to avold death at my hands."


    He pushed her jaw harshly and moved back. Nova''s eyes turned glossy. She regretted her decision toe here to meet fan.


    After getting in his car, he tarned the wheels and headed to Gamma Harper''s house.

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    160


    **Thank you so much, Ava. You saved me today. Otherwise, your boyfriend will kill


    me.


    Ava chuckled at Robin''s words.


    "Robin, I thought you were brave. That''s why we became friends, remember?


    He rubbed his forehead and muttered,


    "Yeah, but I heard he beat Lukest time, and the fight anted for you."


    Ava realized that he was talking about the fight Luke had withn aftern rejected her as his mate.


    "My boyfriend is not that bad. Why would he beat you for nothing? You all are destroying my man''s reputation," she said, shaking her head."


    She remembered how softn was with her. She wondered if everyone had ever seen his that side, they would have never called him a bad boy.


    After talking to Robin for a while, Ava took a cab instead of calling her driver toe to pick her up.


    On the way, she thought about the phone call withn. She bit her bottom lip, thinking the reason whyn sounded first.


    "Is he okay?"


    She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the back seat of the cab. She could not help but wonder what might happen that would ruin Jan''s mood. ''Did he have a verbal fight with his dad?''


    ''Did you have a hard day?''


    As the cab was getting closer to her house, she sat straight, gazing at the window.


    She frowned when she noticed a familiar car standing outside her house. "Stop the car," she said to the cab driver.


    The driver abruptly stopped the cab. She paid the cab driver and got out of the cab.


    As soon as she turned around to look at the familiar car, her eyes fell on the boy leaning against the car.


    n?"


    She mumbled, looking at him.


    While leaning against his car,n was smoking a cigarette.


    Ava nced at the front door of her house; it was closed. She started to move towardn''s car.


    It did not look like he noticed her. Or it was just her assumption.


    n? You are here!"


    She said while approaching him.


    She stopped in front of him. He was not looking at her. His eyes were on the ground as he asked,


    "Who was with you in the coffee shop?"


    Ava was stunned by his question.


    angry at


    160


    "I told you I was with my friend."


    He grabbed her hand and turned her to press her against his car.


    She was stunned by his action. She stared at him with shocked eye


    His eyes were cold; however, as soon as they met hers, the darkness around them began to fade.


    He released her hand and moved it to her cheek.


    "Baby, I don''t want to doubt you."


    Ava let out a deep breath and thought for a moment. She trusted him. He would not do anything to Robin.


    In fact, if she still lied to him, it could cause a misunderstanding between them for


    no reason.


    She lifted her handsend ced them on his shoulders.


    "I was with Robin. He is my friend. He was afraid that you would get mad at him,


    so he was telling me not to say his name. That''s it,n."


    Her voice was soft like honey ton''s ears.


    His heart rxed hearing her answer. His eyes were fixed on hers, not wanting to move at all.


    The eye contact broke whenn hissed. He moved a little back and threw the cigarette bud. He was so engrossed in looking at her that he forgot about his cigarette. It burned his finger.


    Ava immediately grabbed his hand and pulled his finger close to her face to check on it.


    When she saw his finger swollen, she immediately put it in her mouth to stop the burning.


    desire of his beast inside.


    She let go of his finger and looked at it.


    "Why do you smoke? See what has it done to your finger?" she scolded him in a low tone.


    Because the moment their gaze met, he grabbed her arm and opened the front passenger door. He pushed her inside and closed the door, then went to the driver seat.


    Ava was taken aback. But she did not refuse anything. She watched him start the


    car.


    As Ava saw the car driving out of her house area, she turned to him.


    "Where are we going?"


    "I don''t know," he murmured, speeding the car.


    She gulped, not knowing what was on his mind. Her eyes fell on his finger.


    She was concerned for him.


    "Ian," she said in a soft tone.


    The next moment, the car turned left and stopped abruptly.


    Ava realized that he had parked the car to the side on an empty road.


    She turned ton. He sat in silence on his seat.


    160


    She remembered what Robin had said to her aboutn''s past.


    fan''s possessiveness toward her made sense to her. He had a fear that she would


    go with another boy, just like the little girl in his childhood.


    She slowly unfastened her seatbelt and took a deep breath.


    n?"


    The way she called his name made him look at her.


    Ava moved closer to him and kissed his cheek.


    "I know you love me. I love you, too. Don''t worry about anything. I will never leave


    you. No matter who is in front of me, I will always choose you."


    her onto hisp.


    Ava gasped when she found herself sitting on hisp.


    She blushed and lowered her head.


    "Didn''t I tell you that one day I won''t let you go?" he muttered.


    She recalled his words and nced at him.


    n, l-mmnnn"


    He smashed his lips on hers, not letting her say anything else.


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    The car turned heated. Ian pulled Ava closer to him, pressing her breasts against his hard chest.


    The sloppy kiss caused her breath to be hitched. She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him back.


    Breaking the kiss, he moved his mouth to her neck.


    "Ahhh!"


    She moaned as he nibbled on her skin.


    He rubbed his lips against her neck. His wet kisses were more dangerous.


    She was wearing a top over a skirt. The position caused her skirt to roll up.


    He ran his hands on her exposed thighs. His hands moved up as they reached the buttons of her top.


    While kissing her neck, he started to unbutton her top.


    When his eyes fell on her cleavage, he went insane.


    He rubbed his nose over her half-exposed breasts. Rolling his tongue over them, he began to kiss them.


    n!"


    She moaned, pushing his shoulders lightly.


    Grabbing her hands, he pinned them to her back.


    Her upper back was pressed against the steering wheel as he began to kiss on her half exposed breast.


    He grabbed her hands with one hand and moved his other hand to unbutton the whole top.


    When he was about to touch the button to expose her ckce bra, she let out a whimper.


    n, please don''t."


    His hand frozen. He slowly moved his gaze from her breasts to her face.


    Her eyes looked glossy. He immediately let go of her hand and cupped her cheeks.


    "What happened, baby?"


    When He grabbed Nova''s jaw in his study room, her glossy eyes were unable to make any impression on his face. However, this girl was the one he loved. For her, he could do anything.


    "Did I hurt you, baby?" he asked Ava.


    Ava could see the concern in his eyes. She bit her lower lip and hugged his neck.


    "Can we not do that? N-Not here? N-Not now?"


    She did not want to have sex right now. She did not know why, but whenever he wanted to show his desire to have sex, she felt scared. She was not ready yet.


    He rubbed her hair and kissed her neck.


    "I am sorry. It was my fault. I promised you, but still, I always felt like I was on the edge of losing myself."


    Ava broke the hug to look at his face.


    161


    She cupped his cheeks and said, "If it''s tough for you, then I can...


    She wanted to give him pleasure if it had be too much for him to handle his desire.


    But she was too shy to say that.


    "You don''t have to do anything, baby. I don''t see you like other girls to make you pleasure me. You are my love, I want to pleasure you as well. I want to tell you how much I love you by my actions. We will do thatter. I will make our first time special. I will wait until you are ready.¡±


    She flushed when she heard him. She was impressed by how the bad boy who could not spend a single night without having pleasure was now holding his desires for her.


    She leaned to his face and kissed his forehead.


    He closed his eyes when her soft lips touched his face.


    She slowly moved her lips to his eyes, nose, and cheeks. When her lips leaned to


    his sharp jawline, she left butterfly kisses.


    His hands around her waist tightened. He flung his eyes open and grabbed the back of her neck.


    ''At least I can kiss you as much as I want."


    After saying that, he kissed her deeply. His lips were unwilling to let her go.


    He knew his girlfriend was a virgin. He feared losing her innocence. He respected that decision and let her have her time.


    Though he sometimes lost his mind before his desires, he pulled himself back when she stopped him.


    After kissing her for a long time and leaving her breathless, he said,


    "I am going out of the pack tomorrow."


    She looked at him with worried eyes.


    "Why?"


    He stroked her hair and uttered in reply,


    "Dad wants me to attend a pack meeting. Stephen and my other friends are also


    going with me since they will be my officials soon."


    "Oh.


    He wiped her lips with his thumb and asked,


    "Will you miss me?"


    She nodded her head. "I will call you."


    He turned his head to look at the road, then grinned and returned his gaze at her.


    "Then, make video calls."


    "Okay," she replied.


    She thought about something and then asked,


    "For how many days?"


    161


    "Dad says it''s for four or five days."


    "Take care of yourself and don''t smoke too much."


    "Okay, my baby. I will keep that on my mind,"


    She smiled at him. Her warm smile caused him to kiss her again.


    It was supposed to be a kiss for a second, but they ended up kissing for a long


    time again.


    It was like they could not get over themselves. They wapted to be together just like lovebirds.


    After settling down on her seat,n turned the car in the direction of her house.


    She stared at him the whole way while he was driving


    He was driving with one hand while his other hand was holding hers.


    She brought his hand close to her mouth and kissed the back of his hand.


    She felt that she was the luckiest girl in the world to have him in her life. He was a caring and loving boyfriend who no one could


    ever get.


    Her mind was blowing on something. When the car stopped near her house, she


    had finally decided on something.


    Han got out of the car and opened the door for her.


    She got out and looked at him.


    He closed the door and said,


    "I will see you when I get back to the pack. Until then, miss me.


    She lifted her hands and wrapped them around his neck. He nced at her hands


    and smirked.


    "What''s on your mind?"


    She nted a kiss on his lips and mumbled,


    "I thought about it a lot. When you return, there will be no distance between us. I


    will let you have me and make me only yours."


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    Ava was missingn. Last night, she could not sleep because she kept thinking about him.


    She was captivated by his behaviorst night. He was so caring about her. That was the reason why she decided to give in. She would allow him to have her.


    While looking in the mirror, Ava blushed. He was so concerned that he did not even leave any hickeys in her neck. It was because he knew her parents had returned and it would be difficult for her to hide them all the time at home.


    Ava left her room after getting ready to go to her university. Her mother told her that Stephen had also left early in the moming withn.


    Ava tememberedn telling her that her mother would also go with him.


    Ava had her breakfast with Ang and Gamma Harper.


    Ava went to the university and spent the whole day with her friends.


    Something happened that ruined Debra''s mood. When Ava asked about it, she told her and Abigail that she had asked Robin out, but he rejected her. He said he was not interested in her.


    Ava and Abigail both tried to convince Debra that rejection was not a big deal. Debra cursed Robin in front of them, saying she never wanted to see him again.


    Ava could not help but sigh. Robin had now be her friend. She could not even ask him why he did not like Debra. After all, it was his choice.


    Abigail tried to persuade Debra, saying that she would find someone soon.


    After the sses, Ava met Robin for the study purpose. They went to the same coffee shop and worked on their assignment.


    While studying, she got a message fromn. She told Robin to take a break, and he agreed.


    "What are you doing?"


    It wasn''s message. While looking at the text, Ava blushed.


    "I''m studying."


    "Did I disturb you?"


    "No. Have you reached the pack safely?"


    "Yeah. But I don''t want to stay here longer. I am missing you, baby"


    Ava bit her bottom lip and replied to the text.


    "I love you too,n."


    "I can''t wait toe back."


    Her cheeks turned red. She wanted to hide her face in embarrassment. She


    slowly nced around her and found that no one was watching her blush like a sick girl.


    Her gaze met Robin''s. He asked, n?"


    He pointed his eyes at her phone.


    She nodded her head and replied ton hurriedly,


    162


    "Okay, talk to youter."


    She then put the phone inside her bag. She would talk to him at night. She then turned her attention to her studies.


    That was how two days passed.


    Ava did her best to focus on her studies whilen was away. She did not want to waste her time because when fan would return, she wanted to give most of her time to him.


    Two days seemed to her like two years. She was missing him every day. Talking to him was not enough. She wanted to hug him and told him how much she loved her.


    She had a feeling that, even if she reached death, she would choose his life instead of her salvation.


    It was evening.


    Today was thest day ofpleting the assignment. Tomorrow she and Robin would have to submit their assignment to the professor by hook or by crook.


    As Robin told Ava, they were almost done. Now they only needed to add thest two papers before finishing the project.


    Ava was heading out of the campus. She was with Robin in the library the whole day.


    She asked for a break because her head started to ache because of too much pressure from studying.


    Abigail and Debra were not with her because they were not her partners. They had to do their own projects. By the way, Debra did not want to see Robin''s face, so leaving the campus early could be another reason for it.


    Ava was typing on her phone, trying to textn. She had no idea why he stopped sending messages to herst night.


    She called Stephenst night to ask about him andn. He saidn was fine and his phone was also with him.


    Ava was unsure about the reason whyn was ignoring her messages.


    As Ava was about to calln, she got a push from behind.


    She almost flipped on the floor. Luckily, she bnced her steps and stood


    straight. But her phone fell to the floor.


    She turned around to look at the two girls who stared at her.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Ava asked them.


    "Girl, you are an idiot. You stopped in the middle, and we could not stop our


    pace."


    Ava frowned at them. "Are you both cars that you need a brake pedal?"


    The girls rolled their eyes and mumbled,


    "Ian is not here. So don''t expect us to worship you like a queen."


    After saying that, they left. Ava was stunned by their sudden rude behavior. Then


    she realized that they were Nova''s friends.


    What could she expect more from Nova''s friends?


    Ava bent down to grab her phone. She was surprised to discover her phone was


    not switching on.


    "Oh shit!"


    At that time, she heard Robin''s voice from behind.


    "Are you okay?"


    Ava turned around and said,


    162


    "Robin, my phone is broken. I think I have to go to-"


    Before she couldplete it, Robin approached her and grabbed her phone from


    her hand.


    He tilted it left and right and said,


    ¡°No, it''s not broken. I have had the same problem before. I can repair it for you.¡±


    Ava''s eyes lit up. "Really?"


    "Yeah."


    "I need to talk ton. How long will it take?"


    "Only an hour."


    Ava nodded her head with a rxed face.


    "But you have toe to my dorm."


    "Your dorm?" Ava asked.


    "Yeah. I will repair your phone while we discuss our project. Like that, we won''t


    have to waste much time."


    Ava turned her head to nce at the dormitory area. She wanted her phone to be repaired as soon as possible and Robin was her friend, so she agreed.


    "Okay, let''s go."


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    163


    He did not miss to contact Ava. His friends made fun of him there, saying that he had be a lovebird who could not stay away a moment from his pair.


    He took their words aspliments. He did not get mad at them, as he secretly enjoyed it. He indeed was in love, and there was nothing to hide..


    He recalled all the time what Ava had said to her before getting inside her house that night. She said she would remove all the distance between them.


    There was an excitement rushing through his veins. He was thrilled not because he wanted to get her body but because he would make her his.


    He decided to make her first time memorable. He would mark her at their first time if she gave him her permission.


    He love


    He nned to be gentle with her and treat her with love and care. In his eyes, she was not only a virgin but also a fragile flower, which he wanted to bloom.


    Everything was going well until one night, Nova sent him some photos of Ava and Robin.


    wrong.


    However, Nova sent a message, and there was something in it that froze him. "Your girlfriend is sleeping with that Robin."


    her father.


    But as if Nova was very confident about what she was saying, she said,


    "If you don''t trust me, thene to the pack and see what your girlfriend is doing here. She is sleeping with Robin daily. It''s not the first time. She used to sleep around with other boys before. But after bing Stephen''s sister, she stopped her actions for a while. She started it all over again now that you are all gone."


    Her voice did not even shake a little while saying those things. It maden so mad that he threw his phone in anger. But his trust in Ava did not shake. Because of his broken phone, he did not talk to Ava that night.


    He only waited for tomorrow morning.


    He wanted to call out an urgent meeting, telling everyone that he had an emergency and he would have to return his pack as soon as possible.


    His father was there with him. He got mad and scolded him. His father told him that it was impossible to call out a meeting since all the pack''s Alpha had not arrived at the pack yet. There was still one day left for the meeting.


    His father was enraged and called him an irresponsible brat.


    "How dare you n to ruin my reputation like this? Every Alpha ising to this pack to attend the head meeting. They also know that I am going to introduce you to this world of authority. But you are leaving this like that? Shame on you!"


    Something insiden was gnawing at him, even though he trusted Ava. He was anxious because his heart was racing with a sudden fear of losing something. He did not discuss it with anyone not even Stephen, as it would only damage Ava''s reputation.


    163


    He was stire Nova was lying. All fan wanted to do was go back to the Mystic Shadow pack and see Ava


    "I don''t care about the throne. Right now, I have to meet someone


    After saying that to his father, he left the pack.


    His friends were busy with work for the meeting, so he could not waste his time talking to them. He believed they would try to persuade him to stay.


    The way back to the Mystic Shadow Pack was too long.


    Butn himself drove the car to go back. The speed at which he drove the car startled other drivers on the road.


    When he entered the border of his pack, he bought a new phone and installed his SIM card in it. He dialed Ava''s number to tell her that he wasing back to her.


    He had a n to teach Nova a lesson that she would never forget.


    "Why is her phone off?"


    For some reason, his heart started to beat faster.


    What Nova had told him came to his mind.


    But he shook all the negative thoughts away from his head.


    Just when he was about to call Ava again, someone sent a bunch of photos.


    There was no doubt; it was Nova.


    However, as soon as he saw the pictures, his leg pressed on the brakes hard.


    His hand shook when he saw pictures of Ava going to a room with Robin.


    He got so mad that he turned the car and headed to the university.


    When he reached the university, it was already night.


    He stopped the car abruptly and came out of the car. The students of the dormitory were shocked to see him there.


    He took long strides, ignoring the people around him.


    He went to the office. The woman in her head immediately stood up, asking,


    "Ian Dawson, you are here?"


    He inquired about Robin''s room.


    The woman quickly checked and replied to him; fearing to make him wait.


    As soon as he reached the door, his hand trembled. He knocked on the door.


    When no one replied, he began to kick on the,door in anger.


    Still, no one opened the door. He lifted his hand and grabbed the doorknob, thinking to break it.


    But surprisingly, the door was unlocked.


    He slowly twisted the knob and entered the room.


    163


    As soon as he went inside, his ghole body, including his heart, shook


    There before him, he witnessed the most brutal betrayal.


    Avay on the bed, wearing a shirt that belonged to a man. Her while neck was


    full of hickeys. She was sleeping as if she were exhausted from exerting her energy on something


    As he stepped back and his back pressed against the closed door, the vase beside it smashed to the floor, making a loud noise.


    It made Ava''s eyes open. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes, mumbling.


    "Robi


    But she paused when she turned her head and his eyes met hers.


    "Tan?"


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    164


    164


    Ava was surprised to seen there. She lifted her hands and rubbed her eyes to clear her blurry vision.


    n? You are here?"


    The sight ofn''s dark eyes confused her. There was a darkness inside his eyes, which she could not understand. Before leaving the pack, he always gave her a soft look, which never failed to amuse her.


    However, what was wrong with him today?


    And was she dreaming?


    What wasn doing there? Wasn''t he out of the pack and decided to return a few more dayster?


    So many questions rushed into her mind.


    Seeingn''s furious look, she was startled. It was as if something was making him enraged slowly and deeply..


    She could see a tint of sorrow in his enraged eyes.


    n, what''s wro-?"


    She could notplete her sentence as he rushed toward the bed and grabbed her arm.


    It shocked her totally. She hissed in pain in her arm. Ian was holding it too tightly.


    He jerked her out of the bed and pulled her toward the long mirror beside the study desk.


    n, what are you do¡ª"


    She was about to ask what he was doing when her gaze shifted to the mirror in front of her.


    She froze in her ce. Her eyes slowly grewrger as they fell on her neck and her dress.


    No, it was not a dress but a shirt.


    "This is what happened," Ian muttered while ring at her through the mirror.


    She slowly touched her neck and rubbed on the hickeys.


    "H-How?" She mumbled, not knowing what was going on.


    She recalled everything slowly.


    She hade to Robin''s room with him. He told her to sit on the bed after cing the papers that they were working on.


    Ava started to adjust the scattered papers on the bed. Robin went to sit on the


    chair near his desk. While looking at her phone, he said,.


    "You just don''t need to worry about this phone. I will do what is best for it."


    Ava nced at him and nodded her head. But then she thought of something and said,


    "I want to talk ton. Can you give me your phone for a minute?"


    Robin twisted his chair and asked,


    "You love him so much, don''t you?"


    A smile spread on her lips when he asked the question.


    "Love? Yes, I love him a lot. I fell in love with him when he had no idea I existed. I


    always tried to find possibilities to see him with only one nce."


    164


    Robin smirked at her as if he were thinking about something. "Don''t love someone this much. I bet he doesn''t love you like this. His love is only an infatuation. am a boy. I know how other boys fel."


    Ava was stunned. "I-Infatuation? Why did you say that?"


    "He is a bad boy and has a reputation on campus as well as in his mind. As I told you, he had a crush in his childhood, but look at him now. He doesn''t even think about her. Just like that, if you break up with him someday, he won''t remember you either."


    Ava was taken aback. She did not understand why Robin had suddenly started to talk like that.


    "Why would I break up with him?" she asked, sounding angry.


    Robin realized she was getting mad, so he quickly changed his tone and said,


    "I am your friend. I was just concerned about you. Don''t mind me


    Ava''s face slightly eased. She thought that anyone would think like that. In fact, she also thought the same at first and toldn that he was just interested in her and it was not love.


    However,n had proved himself. In the past few days, she realized that no other boy in the world could love her like that.


    Robin changed the topic and began to discuss their project.


    "I asked you about your phone," she reminded him.


    "Oh, yeah."


    Robin pulled out his phone from his pocket and was about to give it to her. But then paused and said,


    "Opps, my phone''s battery is dead."


    Ava blinked her eyes, feeling that today was a really bad day.


    "It''s okay. I am going to charge it now. You can talk ton soon."


    Ava gave him a nod and focused on the assignment. After a while, Robin put


    Ava''s phone on the desk and stood up.


    She raised her head and asked,


    "Done?"


    He shook his head and replied,


    "One hour, I told you."


    With a disappointed face, she turned a few pages to review.


    At that time, she heard a knock on the door.


    "Let me check," Robin said.


    He went to open the door. Ava nced to see who hade. But because of


    Robin standing at the door, she could not see.


    Robin turned around, and her gaze fell on his hands, which were holding two cups


    of coffee.


    "See what hase for you," Robin said as he walked toward Ava


    "Coffee?"


    "Yeah, for you."


    Ava frowned at him and asked,


    "But you said your battery was dead, so how did you order these coffees?"


    164


    As if Robin were taken aback by her question, he paused his steps.


    A female voice came from behind, out of the door.


    "I was passing the room and saw you both. So I thought, Why not deliver you


    some?"


    Ava tilted her head and found an unfamiliar girl waving at her with a smile.


    Ava did not mind and held a cup that Robin handed her.


    While she was drinking the coffee, she tried to pay attention to their assignment.


    But she found the taste of the coffee strange. Robin closed the door and came to


    the bed.


    A few minutester, Robin took a look at the half-cup of coffee Ava had left in the


    cup.


    "Drink it. We can studyter."


    She turned her head at him. "I don''t like the taste."


    "Ava, coffee is good for our mind to focus on our studies."


    By saying this, he convinced her to drink the coffee by slightly pushing her hand.


    A whileter, she began to feel drowsy. She thought about going back to her house. But as soon as she got out of bed, she felt as if everything around her went nk.


    165

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    165


    "So when I was away, you were making fun of my love here?"


    She immediately turned around to face him.


    "In-"


    "IAN WHAT? IS IAN A FOOL? YES, YOU MADE HIM A FOOL."


    He yelled at her, which caused her body to flinch in response.


    She shook her head and tried to say,


    "Ian, listen to me. I don''t know-"


    He did not let her finish as he grabbed her neck and pressed her back against the mirror.


    "Now what will you pretend? You didn''t do anything?"


    A sh of rage swept in his eyes. His face was getting fiercer.


    Ava was startled.


    She held his wrist to remove his hand from her neck. But his eyes shifted to the hickeys on her neck, zing his anger more. His grip tightened around her neck.


    She felt breathless. She parted her lips, but the air was not getting inside her mouth when she tried to inhale. Her eyes almost roll back from the pain in her neck.


    Her eyes welled up with tears, which slowly flowed down her cheeks.


    However,n did not show any mercy to her in his heart.


    "You did not only cheat me but also destroy my love. I have never felt like that what I have felt for you. But you..."


    His nails almost digging on her neck nearly ripped her skin.


    She closed her eyes, thinking that it would be the end for her.


    She shut her eyes tightly and grabbed his hand for thest time to attempt to push him with all of her strength.


    The next moment,n pulled his hand away from her neck with a hiss.


    Hearing his groan, she immediately opened her eyes.


    Though she was in pain, she wanted to see why he had groaned. Did he get hurt?


    Ava tried to reach out her hand to grab him, but he yanked his hand away.


    "DON''T TOUCH ME!"


    Ava froze when she heard him.


    "You are a filthy girl who warms other boys'' beds despite having a boyfriend. I don''t want you to touch me with your dirty hands.


    11


    Ava''s eyes widened as she felt tremble inside. Tears streamed down from her eyes.


    165


    He shook his head furiously. In front of him was a punishment for is trust in her.


    He cursed his heart to love her. She did something that he never le girls do. She broke his heart. It was the reason he had never gotten attached to any girl more than one night.


    But here, he did not sleep with Ava; he put his desire down and had been waiting for her patiently, thinking that love was not about having sex.


    "Sleeping with boys is not the problem. If you were like this, you could have told me. I would have never confessed to you or made myself a fool in love."


    He rushed over to her again and grabbed her jaw.


    "The problem is that you are allowing others to fuck you even though you aremitted to someone. After confessing to you that someone never looked at any other girl; he always tried to make you feel at ease around him; even though he had a bad reputation on campus, he had be a good boy to you. Then why? Why did you do that to me?"


    Ava stared at him. She had nothing to say. No matter how much she tried to exin, he would never believe her.


    He let go of her jaw and grabbed the shirt''s cor and pulled her toward him.


    "If you were really desperate, you should not have pretended to be an innocent girl. I would have treated you in the same way I did other girls. I never thought I would fall for a bitch."


    Ava was stunned. Bitch? Didn call her that?


    Ava could not believe her ears.


    Though she could understand how he was feeling by seeing her like that. But she was also not in her right mind.


    She was too shocked to react at this moment.


    Someone left dirty marks on her neck; someone might have changed her clothes, though she could feel she was still in her underwear inside the shirt.


    She was depressed. At the time, she wanted to hugn and have him by her side.


    However, his usations were making her feel low. She felt disgusted with herself.


    Ifn left her at this moment, she would not take it. She loved him so much that she could not live without him.


    "In, I have no idea what has happened. I don''t know how I got these.


    She was talking about the hickeys but choked on her tears.


    n, please believe me," she said while crying.


    "Believe? I should never have believed you in the first ce."


    He looked away andughed at himself in anger.


    "You thought I was like others, and I..."


    He paused for a moment then uttered, "And I thought you were different from others."


    Ava shook her head. She felt pain in her heart.


    $


    Jan turned around and strode to the door. On the way, he kicked a tall table, breaking it in age


    Ava''s body jerked by the loud noise.


    As soon as she saw him grabbing the doorknob, she felt that something was


    going to empty her beat.


    "Don''te in front of my sight again or 1 will kill you," he muttered.


    Hearing him, she ran to him and held his hand.


    "Please don''t leave me,n. I need you. I love you. Please don''t believe what you


    see, it''s all a mintergatza,


    He slowly turned to look at her. Her hand trembled when she saw his eyes turn darker. He looked Rice he would kill her fight


    now.


    He yanked his hand free from her grip. It forced her to take a few steps back


    "Stay away from me. If you were not my pack''s gamma''s daughter, I would have thrown you out of this pack


    She ignored his cruel words and tried to stop him again. But he had already opened the door to leave.


    To stop him by any means, she got on her knees and hugged his leg


    "Please don''t leave. I love you. I only love you."


    He lowered his head to look at her.


    "I hate you. Maybe hate is a small word to express. You make me feel disgusted.


    It was my fault that I let you sit on my head and crowned you as my girl;


    otherwise, a whore like you is not even worthy of my feet."


    Her hands loosened as she heard him. Her eyes were on the floor. She had tears


    running down her cheeks.


    He snatched his leg from her grip and opened the door wide. Then, with a loud mming of the door, he left her all alone in the


    room.


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    166


    Jan was taking long steps to get out of the campus. The girls he was passing looked terrified of his angry face. Ian was lost in his thoughts as his fists were balled tightly. He did not realize when he bumped into a boy.


    The boy immediately apologized to him.


    Pushing the boy away with his hand, he moved forward.


    Was he not enough? Why did Ava do that to him? Was she seeking vengeance against him for rejecting her the first time? But didn''t he apologize enough? To spare her any suffering, lie even healed her wolf. Then why did she do that?


    If he had not personally witnessed her cheating on him, he would never havee to believe it.


    From the shirt she was wearing, he had detected the scent of another boy. Without a doubt, it was Robin''s scent.


    The mere thought of what they had done in the room made his body shirk. Having fallen in love with a girl like her made him want to punch himself.


    ''How stupid I was! How could I forget there was nothing called love?'' he thought.


    When he reached his car, he got in. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and started his car.


    With a high speed, he turned his car to the pack house.


    His mind was aplete mess.


    "I am fucked up. How could I turn into a fool?"


    He tightened his grip as he remembered all the days he had spent with Ava. She pretended to be innocent in front of him, making him unaware of the game she was ying with him.


    He shut his eyes when he heard a ringtone. He shook his head and nced at his phone.


    His father was calling him.


    He did not want to receive his calls. He only wanted to be alone.


    First, he wanted to kill Robin, who had dared to mess with him by sleeping with


    Ava. Thoughn had broken the rtionship with Ava, he did not want to let go of Robin.


    As his father kept calling him,n grabbed his phone and received the call.


    "Where the hell are you?"


    His father''s irate voice echoed throughout the car via his phone/


    "What do you want?"n asked, letting out a very cold tone.


    His father paused for a moment, as if he were taken aback by his voice.


    n, do you really want to miss this important meeting just to see a girl? Really? I bet that girl will never reach your level. After all, you have no idea what power you possess. They are all interested in your status, not you."


    "You are right. Everyone is after my status. These girls are only interested in being my Luna. All of them are cheap and filthy,"


    166


    he said, gritting his teeth.


    "Ian, there are still some girls who can stand next to you. Give us a chance to find the perfect girl for you. I am sure you will also like it. And it is not just about you; it is also about the future of our pack. You can''t waste your time on some girl like that." Listening to his father, for the first time, he felt he was right.


    "Dad."


    His father appeared to be stunned by his low tone. He was silent as well asn.n took a deep breath and said,


    "You and Mom can choose any girl you think is right for me. I won''t stop you two this time."


    His father was surprised. "That''s good news."


    Before he ended the call, he said,


    "I aming back to the pack to attend the head meeting."


    Ava remained on the floor for a long time, heartbroken. She cried a lot, thinking about how all of that had happened.


    She wanted to go aftern and tried to thest to tell him the truth. 1


    But she failed when she heard the bitterness in his voice and saw the hatred in


    his eyes.


    She was shocked that Robin had done this dirty to her, but she was more upset thatn did not believe her.


    Wasn''t loving someone meant trusting the person?


    How could he not trust her when she needed him the most? 2


    Suddenly her eyes found her dress in the room. Someone seemed to have hidden it under the bed.


    She let out augh in pain.


    She lowered her head and noticed that she was wearing her crop top and shorts inside the shirt. That meant Robin did not strip her naked, but simply changed her dress into his shirt to make it appear as if she had nothing inside.


    "So it was all pre-nned?"


    While mumbling, she slowly got on her feet. Her knees were hurt. She held the wall beside her to take a support,


    She locked the door and ripped the shirt and threw it on the floor in anger. She reached under the bed and took out her dress.


    She put on the dress with trembling hands. She rubbed her neck as she thought about the hickeys. Her nails were digging on her neck, scratching the skin. Blood wasing out of there because of rough scratches.


    She clenched her jaw and looked at Robin''s shirt.


    She became so enraged that she kept staring at the shirt.


    It was as if she was looking at Robin, whom she wanted to kill right now.


    Her eyes turned a different color without her even realizing. It was not blue but a different color. If she were aware of it, she would have been shocked.


    The intensity of her gaze was so deep that the shirt caught fire in the blink of an eye.


    167


    167

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    Ava took a step back in shock. She blinked her eyes a few times, no understanding how the shirt had caught fire.


    In a hurry, she picked up a pillow from the bed and pped it against the shirt to extinguish the me.


    When the fire went out, she breathed a sigh of relief. Till then, her yes also turned back to ck.


    She ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled. She wiped her eyes and moved to the desk.


    She reached for her broken phone. Then she left the room


    People outside the room stared at her. They began to gossip that she had cheated on fan. They judged it based onn''s mood and actions.


    There was no doubt everything was over betweenn and Ava.n was the one who put an end to it.


    Ava walked by the crowd, lowering her head. Her legs were trembling, but she did not want to show them how broken she was.


    Her hair was down, covering her neck. So others did not see her neck and the marks.


    Ava left the campus.


    She did not take a cab. She began to walk down the street.


    Everything was over.


    Her dream, her happiness, her perfect life, and her love were all ruined in a matter of hours.


    Tears rolled down while she thought aboutn.


    His brutal words yed over and over in her mind.


    ''Bitch''


    "Whore''


    His voice rang in her mind. Never in her worst nightmare had she considered these words.


    When the passerby gave her an awkward look, she bit her bottom lip to keep her tears from falling.


    She bit her lip so hard that she could taste blood in her mouth. She wanted to sit on the road and scream in agony from heartbreak.


    Her footsteps became too heavy for her to continue walking. She could not ept everything.


    "He is just mad at me. Maybe he will be fine tomorrow and talk to me," she mumbled to herself.


    She looked like a mad woman, walking on the street without any direction. She looked like she had lost all of her ways.


    She stopped in the middle of the road, thinking where to go.


    It was a trap for her.


    The person would definitely spread it to the whole university to ruin her reputation, which would ultimately destroy her brother''s and her father''s reputation as well.


    "What will I do? Because of me, they will lose their faces."


    At the time, all she could think about was Abigail''s house.


    She hailed a cab and went to Abigail''s house.


    She cried the whole way. When she arrived, there was no one in Abigail''s house except Abigail.


    167


    Abigail was shocked after seeing her best friend in that state. She hugged and cried after learning what had happened to Ava.


    "Ava, why didn''t you telln that Robin had not slept with you? Was it his n to create a misunderstanding between you andn?" Abigail asked.


    Ava lowered her head and sobbed.


    "I tried, Abigail. But he didn''t listen to me. He called me whore."


    She burst into tears. Abigail got mad atn.


    "How can he do that?"


    Ava shook her head. Her love forn was so strong that she continued to defend him.


    "Anyone would do that if they were in his ce."


    "What if he really meant it when he said he did not want to see you again? He can''t break up with you like that."


    "I will talk to him. I believe he loves me a lot. He can wait for me to exin. He said he would never let anyone elsee between us. He only loves me."


    Abigail pulled Ava into her embrace.


    ¡°Ava, you love him so much. After all that has happened to you, you are still thinking about him."


    Ava was traumatized. She kept thinking aboutn. She even tried to calln from Abigail''s phone. But he did pick up any calls.


    Abigail called Ava''s mother and told her she was going to stay overnight at her house.


    When it was morning, Ava left for her home. She was desperate to know aboutn. She knew Gamma Harper was aware ofn''s whereabouts.


    Ang was not at home when Ava returned to her house.


    She noticed Gamma Harper on the phone with someone. When he hung up, he noticed her.


    "Ava, my child."


    "D-Dad, do you know where Stephen is?"


    She did not ask aboutn directly.


    "Stephen? He is out of the pack, preparing for a meeting withn.


    n? He is with him?" she asked with confusion.


    "Yeah? Alpha saidn hade to this pack for a night then went back."


    There was a smile on Gamma Harper''s face, which Ava noticed clearly.


    "Dad, is everything okay?"


    "Yeah. Alpha is very pleased today. He just called to share some good news with me."


    Ava gulped and asked,


    "Good news?"


    He nodded his head and replied,


    "Ian ultimately agreed with Alpha and Luna regarding his Luna''s selection."


    "H-His Luna?"


    167


    "Yeah. I just talked ton, and he said that he was okay with it. He wants to focus on the pack and decides to marry the girl his parents will choose. Alpha has few girls on his mind. All of them are Alphas'' daughters. Ian agreed with him. Maybe very soon we will see him getting engaged with one of them."


    It was as though the sky had fallen on Ava. She could not believe what she heard.


    She expected him to be calm today, but her father spoke with him, and he was perfectly fine?


    How?


    What about her?


    Ava went to her room, not knowing how to endure the pain in her heart.


    Her wolf began to whine, sensing her pain.


    A few days passed, and Ava was lost in sorrow.


    She cried, refused to eat, and struggled to breathe clearly,pletely losing her


    mind.


    It was like a punishment for a crime she had nevermitted.


    She overheard the maids chatting aboutn picking his future Luna when he


    returned to the pack.


    his lifepletely.


    He wasing back to this pack tomorrow.


    Ava was afraid she would not see him with anyone else. She was already


    heartbroken and could not take the pain any longer.


    So, after thinking about herself, she came to a conclusion.


    "You didn''t trust me and broke my heart once again. I don''t want to interrupt your


    royal life anymore. I want to set myself free from this painful love. I will leave your


    pack,n. I don''t want to see you again." 1


    Today''s Bonus Offer

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    168


    168


    Sitting at the airport while waiting for a flight, Ava was looking around her surroundings.


    She had never traveled out of the pack. She was tipping her legs of the floor, watching the people with their families and partners. Either they were going on a vacation or going outside to study or work.


    Her face was pale. Her mind was lost somewhere else despite staring at the people before her


    She felt all alone. Her heart was empty. Her tears had dried and could note out of her eyes anymore.


    She looked tired, weak, and exhausted.


    Asst night she decided to leave the pack, she booked a ticket for Her tonight. She had some savings that her mother had given her before her wedding to Gamma Harper.


    She looked down at the bank card in her hand.


    She had used a lot of that card at her mother''s wedding. She recalled that she had bought a watch fromn on that card as well. It was his birthday present.


    She remembered how they spent the whole day together, andn confessed to her for the first time.


    Ava closed her eyes, realizing thatn was everywhere in her head and heart. Her mind could not work the moment she thought about him.


    She was afraid that his memories would haunt her every night, just like her father''s death. How would she pass her days in another pack?


    Suddenly, she noticed a few girls rushing toward the television installed in the middle of the area.


    She turned her head; her gaze followed them. They gathered around the television, which prevented Ava''s sight from watching what news was going on there. She tilted her head when she heard the sounds of a reporter. 1


    "A serious car ident! It is not an easy one. It is such shocking news that¡ª¡±


    Ava''s attention was drawn away from the news by the loud sounding from the counter''s speaker.


    She realized it was time for her to leave. They were instructing the passengers to board the ne because it was time to take off.


    Ava rose to her feet. She turned around and took onest look around.


    After boarding the ne, she took her seat. This would be her first time boarding. If she had arrived here a few months ago, it would have been exciting for her. But right now, she felt lifeless inside. She did not feel any rush of excitement. Instead, she was heartbroken at leaving her pack and family.


    As she settled into her seat after fastening her seatbelt, she remembered hown used to fasten seatbelts for her whenever she got into his car. He used to use it as an opportunity to tease her and get closer to her.


    She wiped the corners of her eyes, finding it difficult to breathe.


    She felt bad for her family, especially her mother. She did not tell them that she was leaving.


    She only sent them a message, or you could call it a letter.


    In that message, she tried to express her gratitude toward them.


    She checked her phone and nced at the message that she had sent to three different people.


    "Mom, Dad, and Stephen, you three are my family. I love you three a lot. But I apologize for not informing you before making ''such an important decision in my life. I am leaving this pack. I understand it will be difficult for you to ept, but I have to leave. I want to travel and study abroad. I want to live independently and establish myself. Don''t worry, Mom, I am not a kid. So do not


    be concerned about me. I will be file, I promise. Do not worry if you can not reach me at this number. I will contact you soon."


    Ava let out a deep breath. She was using a new phone since herst phone was broken. She did not repair it because it would remind her about that traitor Robin and the incident that had happened to her.


    Everyone said that Robin had fled away from the pack because he was afraid fan would kill him. Ava wanted to kill that boy to ruin her life.


    Ava fell asleep during the flight.


    When her eyes opened, the n was bumping hard.


    "What is going on?" She inquired, her gaze drawn to the passenger seated beside her.


    The woman appeared to be shocked as well.


    Then they heard that the weather was bad, so the nended in aback to wait for it to clear.


    Ava was not concerned. She got off the ne like the other passengers.


    While walking through the airport, she noticed that everything was different there from her pack. The people looked different, especially their eyes. In fact, she sensed a different power emanating from them.


    Their blue and green eyes caught her attention as they reminded her about the blue-eyed boys.


    Ava paused for a moment and asked ady who was about to walk past her.


    "Excuse me?"


    "Yes?" thedy asked.


    "Which pack is this?"


    Her question took thedy by surprise. "You are here, and you don''t know where you are?"


    "Well, my nended here due to bad weather."


    "Oh," thedy said.


    Ava waited for her reply, ncing at the other people. But then she heard thedy''s reply, which shook her from inside.


    "This is the Thunder Howl Pack. I hope you have heard of this pack before."


    Ava''s eyes widened, which confused thedy. But she was in a hurry, so she only gave her a small smile before leaving.


    Ava felt an unknown fear grip her heart unexpectedly.


    She reinembered what her mother had told her about the pack. She bit her bottom lip, pondering how to hide herself. After thinking a lot, she came to a conclusion.


    "No one will recognize me,¡± she said to herself as she began to walk ahead.


    Her gaze was drawn to the food court. She was starving. She paused for a moment and then decided to eat something.


    As her gaze was focused there, she failed to notice someone was walking from the opposite way.


    Ava felt like she had collided with a hard chest.


    She rubbed her forehead.


    However, as her gaze moved up, she came across a pair of dark brown eyes.


    A deep voice shook her from inside.


    368


    Who are you?"


    169

 Oh Really 169

    169


    Those dark brown eyes were so fierce that she forgot to look at the man''s face. When her brow arched slightly, Ava''s gaze shifted to her other facial features.


    He was a young man with good looks.


    "I asked, "Who are you?"


    He asked the question again. This time, his voice was so cold that made her flinch.


    She immediately moved back, almost falling back.


    But a hand grabbed her hand, preventing her from falling.


    Ava gasped when she noticed how close she was to falling. The man pulled her


    up, making her stand straight.


    His hands, which were holding her hand, caught her attention.


    It was full of tattoos.


    For once, her heart shook inside as the tattooed hand reminded her ofn.


    When the man let her go, she lowered her head and said,


    "I am not from this pack. I am sorry. I didn''t mean to..."


    She paused when she thought about why she was giving him so much exnation.


    She looked at the man. In his dark suit, he appeared youthful. But he looked intimidating and unapproachable.


    Her eyes went back to his tattooed hand, and she thought,


    ''Another bad boy! I should stay away from all of them.''


    She took a few steps back.


    As if the young man did not like her actions, he asked,


    "Which pack do you belong to?"


    Her footsteps froze. Her gaze returned to meet his brown eyes.


    She gulped, not knowing if she should reply truly. She cleared her throat.


    "I am going to the City Moon Pack."


    The man raised a brow and said,


    "That''s not the answer I wanted."


    Ava blinked her eyes, trying to find any excuse to cut the question. Her gaze was


    drawn to the woman who was seated next to her on the ne.


    "SISTER!"


    She shouted while looking at the woman.


    The man turned his head to look at the woman.


    The woman saw Ava waving at her. So she waved at her back.


    "I aming, Sister," Ava said quickly, then turned to the young man.


    160


    Excuse me. My sister is waiting for me."


    She hurriedly walked past the man and went to the woman.


    The man turned around and looked at her back for a while. His eye followed her


    until she started talking to the woman.


    At that time, an old man came to him and said,


    "Your flight is ready."


    Without looking at the old man, he replied,


    "Cancel it."


    "W-What?" the old man asked with a shocked face:


    The young man turned his head to the old man. The old man lowered his lead, bowing to him while saying,


    "Alpha."


    The man''s gaze returned to Ava. He moved over and sat down on a bench.


    After crossing his legs, he unlocked his phone. He watched a video and muttered


    to the old man standing beside him


    "I heard someone get into an ident. Is he dead?"


    "No, Alpha."


    "Tsk. What terrible news!" he murmured.


    He concentrated on his phone, ying thetest news.


    "The future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack is in danger. ording to the doctors, his condition is critical. He will be under observation for three days. If he does not awaken, there will be no hope."


    The man let out a deep breath as he locked his phone and put it inside his suit jacket''s pocket.


    "Still weak like before."


    The old man lowered his head and said,


    "Alpha, he likes to go on car races. But tonight, he lost control of his car''s brakes and nearly crashed. As per news, his blood is extremely rare to match. So it took doctors a long time to find his blood. Maybe that is why his condition worsened." "And his dad was expecting him to run his pack? In his dreams," he said mockingly.


    The old man listened to him without letting out anything.


    The young man was none other than the head Alpha of the Thunder Howl Pack.


    His gaze returned to the food court, where it rested on Ava.


    Meanwhile,


    Ava was talking with the woman while selecting something for herself to eat. The woman was from the City Moon Pack. She went to visit the Mystic Shadow Pack to meet his boyfriend. They were in a long-distance rtionship.


    Ava lowered her head, her thoughts drifting to. She remembered how two days were like two years to her whenrs out of the pack. But when he came back, everything changed. His love and her life both changed in one night.


    Ava lost her appetite and thought about buying something to drink


    As she sipped her drink, her gaze moved around until it settled on the young man she had run into.


    *25 BOMUS


    Khe was stunned then clm kaw him tokon


    the hunted bed away and mind,


    "Who the


    Axit the woman heard for peetton, the plead a 1918 tak vet? pauzat?,


    Dita is Dans Erichen, the head Alphs of the


    Ava''s eves grow toger He Is Who?


    "Head Alpha of this pack. Everyone knows him Don''t forge him


    her day and Boutineznan age rat


    boy of this decade. Can''t you see how the girle are stalking him? tek te


    The woman pointed her finger somewhere. But Ava did not dare t? mos het gasa,


    How could she be so stupid to trump into this pack''s Alpha? Did he cognize her as a former member of this perkara lled years ago? Would he kill her? She rubbed her forehead and decided to ignore him. Her gaze mover to where the woman was pointing the sunbred giste staring at the man from a distance. She exhaled as it reminded her of fan and the girls from her park


    Everywhere I go, all I think about is him. I need to stop myself before I lose myself in this painful love," she said, starfi walk away after speaking with the woman for a while.


    After about an hour,


    The weather changed back to normal. The announcement that her ne was about to take off reached Ava''s ears.


    She rushed in the direction of the aircraft. She wanted to leave this pack as soon


    as possible.


    But all of a sudden, someone stopped her by grabbing her hand.


    When she turned around, she was startled to see the familiar boy with the blue eyes standing in front of her.


    "Y-You!"


    The young wizard looked into her eyes and said,


    "You can''t leave this pack. Our Alpha wants to see you."

 Oh Really 170

    170


    FOUR YEARS LATER


    The weather was dull. It was freezing outside. The yellowish orang regrow new leaves.


    leaves were falling from the trees, allowing the trees to


    A young woman sneezed as the air rushed past her. She rubbed her hose, which had turned red. She quickly covered her nose with her thick white scarf.


    Beside her, a young man uttered a mocking utterance.


    "Even after four years of being here, you still can not adapt to the weather in our pack."


    She turned to nce at him. Her soft gaze caused the young man''s mocking on his face to fade.


    "Brother, stop teasing me," she said in a low tone.


    He smiled at her and lifted her hand to rub her head.


    "Ava, it is my duty to look after you. You know that."


    She nodded her head, but then a smile crossed her lips, which he could not notice. As the man stroked her hair, she raised her hand and grabbed his wrist.


    He paused his movement and looked at her. His blue eyes glowed, and he let out a painful hiss. He quickly yanked his hand away from her grip and took a step back. He looked down at his wrists. Though he could not see any signs of pain, he could feel it inside his bone. However, it onlysted a few seconds.


    Ava burst outughing when she saw his reaction.


    "This is what you will get for teasing me, Brother Griffin. And protection? You need protection from me."


    After saying that, she ran forward to get away from him. Sheughed when he started to chase her.


    Griffin Adler was her cousin and the only son of her father''s older brother.


    Ava learned about him aftering to this pack, the Thunder Howl Pack.


    It really had been four years since she started staying in this pack, the Thunder Howl Pack.


    Everything had changed when she realized what her mother had been hiding from hers.


    She found out the truth about the war, her family, and her true identity, which her mother had hidden from her.


    The truth was, she belonged to this pack.


    Her father was not an ordinary pack fighter of this pack, but the royal wizard who also had a wolf inside.


    When she was born, she got the same rank as her father. She was not an ordinary wolf but a hybrid. She was an Omega but a powerful witch as well.


    "You witch! Come here. You hurt your brother. I will teach you a lesson."


    She heard Griffin''s angry voice from behind. Sheughed more and turned to look at him.


    Something, like an invisible bar, seemed to imprison her.


    Her eyes turned from ck to emerald green. Her smile did not fade a little.


    She raised her hand and moved it forward.


    Fire caught on air in a split second, as if burning the invisible bars.


    70


    Griffin''s eyes widened. "Whey did you learn it?"


    Ava winked at him and mumbled,


    "Last night."


    Griffin rested his hands on his waist and shook his head.


    "Day by day, you are getting more skilled and powerful."


    Ava nodded her head. "After all, I am your sister, my royal wizard brother.''


    He had be this pack''s royal wizard two years ago. Despite bely, a werewolf, he preferred to showcase his wizarding abilities. Because this pack was full of them.


    Many years ago, this pack did not have many witches and wizards, but when Alpha Kellen won the pack, he opened the border to shelter them. It became a home for both of the creatures after that


    However, hybrids are rare creatures.


    In this pack, only Ava''s grandfather came from a hybrid bloodline. Both Ava''s father and Griffin''s father inherited the bloodline from their father.


    So at this time, Ava and Griffin were the only hybrids in this pack.


    As Ava was teasing Griffin with her strikes, her phone started to ring.


    She paused for a moment to take out her phone from her bag. Griffin rushed toward her, but she raised her hand to stop him for a second.


    She received the call and said,


    "Mom."


    Griffin realized it was Ava''s mother''s call. So he nodded his head and turned around to leave her alone.


    "Ava, what are you doing?" Ang''s voice came out as sweet as honey.


    "Mom, I am going to my workce. What about you?" Ava said, walking down the street.


    "Stephen and Harper were bickering about something. I was just trying to stop them," she said and chuckled.


    Ava smiled when she heard her mother''s calm and soothing tone. She was d


    her mother was happy in her life.


    Ava let out a sneeze and cleared her throat. She said,


    "It''s good. Who won the bickering?"


    20


    Her mother did not answer her; instead, she asked,


    "Ava, the City Moon Pack must be in the midst of summer. Why are you


    sneezing? Did you catch a cold?"


    Her mother''s worried tone caused Ava to pause.


    She had been lying to her mother and the rest of her family about living in the City Moon Pack. In fact, her mother visited he in the City Moon Pack once. That time, Ava had to travel all the way there and stay for a few days before her mother could visit her. So that she would not doubt her.


    "Yeah, I caught a cold."


    "You need to take care of yourself, my child. This time, when we meet, I will prepare nourishing soup for you."


    "Sure, Mom."


    170


    After talking with her mother. Ava went to her workce, which was the packpany.


    She worked at thepany as a fashion designer. This was a position that she had been working very hard to obtain.


    As she entered thepany, everyone greeted her. She had a great reputation in thepany and in this pack.


    "Hello, Miss Taylor."


    "Hello."


    They were not aware that she was Hector Adler''s daughter. She has her own existence here that she had created for herself. "You are so early today. "Not many people have arrived at the office yet," Cora, one of her colleagues, said.


    "I prefer to work more, so I arrived early."


    "You are so fond of this pack that you are eager to expand its pack business, aren''t you?" She asked Ava with a smile, as everyone knew she hade from another pack.


    Ava inhaled deeply, gazing out the window to observe the bustling daily life. She mumbled,


    "Yes, you are right. I like this pack, this pack''s people, and-"


    Cora interrupted her as she said,


    "And this pack''s Alpha?"

 Oh Really 171

    Ava blinked her eyes a few times when she heard Cora. She turned her head and said,


    "W-What?


    The other women burst intoughter. Coraughed and shook her head.


    "Just kidding. Everyone in our pack likes him. I wondered if you right choose to remain in this pack so you could see him often."


    Ava stared at Cora, not knowing what to reply. Cora was the assistant general manager. She had a solid reputation within thepany.


    Selena, another woman, cleared her throat. She managed advertising. She said,


    "By the way, I have Heard that Alpha Dane has a favorite woman. He is very fond of her."


    Crystal, the brand promotion department''s head, nodded her head to agree with it. "I bet it''s Freya," she muttered.


    Ava returned her gaze out of the window while listening to the women''s gossip.


    Freya has been a popr model in recent years. She used to work as an exclusive model for this packpany. However, for unknown reasons, Alpha Dane Erickson terminated her contract six months ago. Everyone assumed that he gave her the freedom to work as an independent model.


    "Ava, I noticed you went to Alpha Dane''s office a few times after our head meeting.''


    Ava furrowed her brow as she turned around and leaned against the window frame.


    "Me?"


    "Yeah," Selena replied.


    Cora reached out to grab Ava''s arm and wiggled her brows.


    "Tell us something. Does he always speak so coldly? Can you please tell me before you go there? Next time, if you have any work, I can go on your behalf."


    Ava almost rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle.


    "You women! Don''t you have any other work than talking about Alpha Dane?" She asked.


    "We are your seniors. You can''t stop us from gossiping, okay?" Crystal said with a serious tone. But all of them knew she was just joking.


    Ava shook her head and started to speak.


    "I don''t know. He..."


    She paused as she thought about something, then said,


    "He is not that type of man as others say."


    The women''s eyes widened.


    "Come on. You went to his office only a few times."


    "Exactly."


    "That''s why you are saying this."


    0


    As the employees wereing to the floor one by one, Ava told the women that she had work to do. She did not continue the topic anymore.


    Ava went to her office and started to work. She had some importalit projects in her hands, which she had to work on.


    When she came to this pack, she was a dropped-out student who fd left her studies without any certificates. She had to finish her studies here. She graduated from Thunder Howl University about six months ago


    She then started to apply for jobs and got a chance at the packpany. For others, working at Erickson fridustries was a dream, but for her, it was just a job.


    She did not have many dreams. She was simply living her life as other people did. After working untilte hours, Ava left thepany and went to agightclub.


    She went there to meet one of her closest friends, Rina. She was a friend from university. She was a witch-


    After entering the club, Ava took a seat on the couch and looked around the people.


    Boys Were looking at her, eyeing her perfect body.


    -a powerful one.


    It was true that Ava had changed a lot. She was not the shy girl who felt embarrassed to wear revealing dresses or had low self-


    esteem.


    It was a new version of her. She was no longer a girl but rather a woman. Now she had a body that made the models envious of her. She had transformed into a fierce woman who was young, beautiful, and hot. 1


    She noticed a young man winking at her. She raised her hand, signaling him to approach her.


    The man turned to his friends and said something to them. Then he started walking toward Ava.


    He sat next to her, leaning close.


    Ava smirked at him and moved closer to his ear. She asked,


    "Wanna sleep with me?"


    The boy nodded as he looked at her. "Yes, baby." 1


    She whispered in his ear, "Not interested."


    He was stunned. "But why? I have the size to give you pleasure all night long."


    Ava''s gaze shifted from his face to his pants. She frowned at it and mumbled, "But you are so small!"


    "What the hell!"


    He yelled as he got up from the couch.


    Ava gave him an innocent look. "What? Do you want me to yell at you too?"


    "How can you say it''s small? You haven''t seen it yet."


    Ava rolled her eyes and looked away from him. Gulping her drink, she answered,


    "Even if I had seen it, I would have said the same. I heard you slept with one of the waitresses here. She mentioned how small you are."


    The man''s eyes widened. He nced around him at the other men who started to


    A young woman who was watching everything behind the couch let out a loudugh.


    She walked toward Ava and patted her shoulders.


    Ava, this is the ninth time you made these men embarrassed."


    "Rina, they deserved what I did."


    "You heard about these men from Fancy, didn''t you?" Rina asked,


    Fancy was one of Rina''s friends and a waitress at this club as well. Every time Ava came here, she had to wait for Rina to finish her work. Since it was Fancy''s free hour, she spoke with Ava at that time.


    "Oh my god! You talked to them like you were an expert in bed. Sizes and all, huh? But in reality, you never had se


    "Ssshh"


    Ava stopped her. Rina shut her mouth.


    "That''s why I am being strict with them. If they get to know about it, they wille


    after me," Ava said, sipping her drink carelessly.


    But then the drink caught her throat, and she began coughing because Rina whispered to her,


    "If theye after you, I will contact the most powerful man in this pack to rescue


    you."

 Oh Really 172

    172


    After wiping her mouth with a tissue, Ava turned her attention to Bina. Rine gave


    her a sly grin before grabbing a drink from a waiter.


    Rina gave the waiter a friendly smile as he focused his attention on her.


    Ava noticed that and said,


    "Most importantly, you have to save yourself first. I can see what going on between you and Simon."


    Ava was familiar with the majority of the waiters and waitresses working at this club. Because she used to do a job in a restaurant when she was a student. These people were with her in that job.


    Later on, they joined this club as part-timers and began to search for a job that would be ideal for them during the day. To find the job before them, Ava was fortunate enough to find it. She could say it was a miracle


    "You called me. Something must be going through your head right now. Tell me," Ava said,


    Rina paused for a brief moment before taking Ava''s hand in hers.


    "I need your help, Ava."


    "What in help?"


    "My little brother is sick. I need to take a leave and go to him. Can you give me a proxy here in my absence?"


    Ava''s brows rose up. "Why me? You can-


    Rina held her hands tightly. "Pretty please? I am really helpless right now. Since I was unable to inform him earlier, the boss is extremely angry with me. Help me out with this one if you can make some time for two nights, please. I will return in two days, I promise."


    Ava rubbed her head. It was not like she had any problem with being a waitress again. But she had never worked in a nightclub. The ce and the people were different.


    ''It''s okay. I can do that. All I would have to do is serve the people drinks. That''s it.'' Ava thought.


    Rina stared at her with worried eyes. But when she saw Ava smile at her, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    Rina hugged Ava and said,


    "Thanks a lot, baby."


    Rina always reminded her of Abigail and Debra.


    Ava was in contact with them. Sometimes they told her how they were doing in their pack. Ava also lied about her pack. She just did not want anyone from that pack to know where she was.


    When Ava was conversing with Rina, she got a message on her phone.


    She was so engrossed in talking with Rina that she did not notice the message until someone called.


    She noticed her phone light up. She quickly grabbed the phone and took note of the person who had called her.


    "Excuse me."


    "Who is calling, huh?" Rina said while casting a quick nce at Ava''s phone.


    In response, Ava moved the phone and said,


    "Someone from the office."


    Seeing her mysterious behavior, Rina chuckled and let her go to talk.


    ***


    Ava went out of the club and received the call


    Ava


    " Brimo, what''s up?"


    Where are your


    As soon as Ava heard his question, she looked at the entrance to the clubs and then mumbled,


    "I don''t think I need to answer this. It is not the office furs at this time.


    "Alpha wishes to meet you.


    Upon hearing him. Ava took a momentary pause. She was quiet for long time, not answering anything


    She and Beta Bruno did not have a good rtionship. There was something in her that he did not like. Ava did not know what. He always gave her the cold shoulder.


    Sometimes Ava wondered if it was because of Freya. Because Bruro was her brother.


    Ava could not get a chance to work with Freya since Freya''s contract was terminated six months ago before Ava could get the job.


    When she first met Freya, she was good with her. However,ter, Freya started to ignore her, showing a neglected behavior toward her.


    Beta Bruno let out a deep breath after a while and then said,


    "If you don''t want to meet him, then I can tell him that¡ª"


    Ava cut him off as she asked,


    "Right now?"


    "Yes."


    Ava looked down at her wrist to check the time on her watch. It was 9 p.m. She was thinking about how she would go at this time as she tapped her feet on the ground.


    "Well, I am currently at a nightclub and..."


    "Alpha''s driver will pick you up."


    "Okay."


    She cut the call, not waiting to hear anything more from Beta Bruno.


    She then went inside the club and informed Rina that she was leaving. Rina reminded her toe to the club tomorrow night. Ava gave her the assurance that she would definitely show up.


    At the time that Ava returned to the outside, she noticed a shining blue car waiting for her.


    She nced around. When she saw no one there, she quickly got in the car.


    The driver took her to a vi that was located close to the pack house. He got out


    of the car and opened the door for her.


    -N


    "Miss, we have arrived at Alpha Dane''s private vi."


    Ava stepped out of the car and looked at the vi.


    This was not the first time that she had visited this ce.


    She knew every detail of this vi.


    12


    Slowly, she made her way toward the entrance gate of the vi. One of the guards opened the door and uttered,


    Alpha is at the basketball court."


    She gave him a nod and entered the vi. As she made her way toward the location where an open basketball court was located, she walked in that direction.


    As she walked into the court, she was greeted by the resounding sounds of a ball hitting the ground.


    Her steps came to a halt when she saw a young man ying basketball alone. Because of his brown hoodie, his eyes were covered, and only his nose and lips were visible.


    The sleeveless hoodie he was wearing revealed his hands, which were covered in tattoos, and he appeared alluring.


    Ava stood there silently, watching him y.


    All of a sudden, the ball began to roll down toward her. She used her leg to stop


    the ball and then turned her attention back to


    him.


    He raised his hand and removed his hoodie from his head. It was then that his brown eyes met hers.


    A smile began to form on Ava''s lips as she gazed into his eyes. She asked in a


    low tone,


    "What made you want to see me at this hour, Alpha Dane?"


    Alis Tae Author


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