Life’s Mysteries

AVA

Abel and I have been sharing a home for a week now. He’s often away at his coven, leaving me to manage the house and prepare our meals.

My health is improving. A few bruises linger on my arms, but my wounds are nearly healed and the pain in my head has subsided.

I should be ready to leave soon, but Abel gets upset whenever I bring it up. So, I don’t.

I haven’t felt the pull of my mate bond in a few days. I know it’s still there, but I suspect Alpha Black hasn’t been with anyone since he sensed me with Abel.

Lyra is on edge. She doesn’t interact much with Abel, fearing he might turn against us. She’s eager to escape as soon as possible.

My days are filled with training. I wake up, tidy our room, make breakfast, and then start my day with a light workout of sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups on the door frame. Once I’m done, I prepare lunch and start getting dinner ready for Abel.

Then, I work out again, focusing on my lower body with squats, bicycle crunches, and resistance band donkey kicks.

At the end of the day, I shower and go to bed, waking up when Abel returns home. I usually end up tucking him in after he’s dozed off on the couch and cleaning up the last of the dishes before heading back to bed.

^TWO WEEKS LATER^

I’ve been living with Abel for nearly a month now. Not much has changed. He usually leaves early in the morning, leaving me alone in the apartment.

I feel like I’ve imposed on Abel long enough, so I’ve been scouting the city for an opportunity to leave. I watch from the bedroom window, noting when the area is typically empty.

I plan to leave tomorrow. I’ve put on weight, and my body finally looks healthy. Abel has provided me with a few outfits and some personal items.

I should have gone into heat by now, but I guess it’s understandable that I haven’t since I’m a runt. Lyra has become very quiet again.

There’s a knock on the door.

“Ava, can I come in?”

“Of course,” I respond, dusting myself off but remaining seated on the floor.

Abel enters quietly and sits on the edge of the bed, just watching me as I gaze out the window. Then I hear someone else enter the room. Another vampire. I can smell him.

He stays by the door. I don’t move, just place my hands on my lap and watch as two little girls run down the street playing tag, their laughter filling the air. I smile at the sight and ignore the two men behind me.

“So, this is the wolf you’ve taken a liking to,” the man says.

“I’m in the room. It’s very rude to speak as if I were deaf,” I say, still looking outside. The man scoffs at my response, and Abel just sighs deeply.

“Abel, would it be okay if I went for a run tonight?” I ask calmly. “I’ll be careful.”

“As long as you stay close. Those wolves are still hunting for rogues,” Abel says, his voice shaky.

I turn to look at Abel. He looks devastated, and I know what ~that~ means—I need to leave. I’ve overstayed my welcome.

I stand up, run my hand through Abel’s hair, and squat in front of him. He avoids my gaze. I kiss his cheek and stand back up.

“Well, little pup,” the man says, “I need to speak with you. Abel here has mentioned that you’re an alpha’s child and mated with another alpha. Can we go somewhere to talk?” As he looks at me, his eyes flicker to black.

“That’s fine. Where would you like to go?” I say, bowing my head.

“How about we go to the coven land?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I don’t mean to offend you, but my wolf might be hurt if I do so. I’m not naive. Just because I don’t bear any ill will toward your kind, doesn’t mean you feel the same about me.”

“What if Abel comes along?” the man asks, sounding irritated. “He wouldn’t let anyone harm you. If you want him to, that is.”

Abel looks at me, worry in his eyes, but remains silent.

~“Abel, what’s the matter?”~ I ask him through our mental connection. I nibble on my lip, anxiety mounting. I can sense Lyra’s fear.

~“He’s the head of our coven. I tried to keep him away from you, but I wasn’t vigilant enough. He wants to assess if you’re worth keeping—or if you pose a threat to us.”~ Abel communicates to me through our link.

I inhale deeply, then declare with confidence, “I’ll go with you. Abel can stay here if he prefers. I don’t require protection. If you mean no harm, neither do I.”

The man regards me with a fresh respect, then offers me his jacket. “Put this on so no one detects your scent.”

Abel drapes his jacket over me and throws back the leader’s jacket. He wants me to carry ~his~ scent.

~“Reach out if you need me,”~ Abel communicates to me through our link.

I pivot towards him and loop my arms around his neck, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck and gazing into his eyes. They’re a vibrant red. I draw him into a kiss, indifferent to the man behind me.

Abel seizes my waist and pulls me close to him. I part my lips, allowing his tongue to explore my mouth.

The man coughs behind us, but I don’t want Abel to let go yet. Instead, I release my wolf scent, causing Abel to grip me tighter and deepen the kiss with fervor.

After a moment, I pull away and rest my forehead against his while he remains stooped to my height.

~“I’ll be fine,”~ I assure him through the link. ~“Don’t fret. Nothing will happen. I can defend myself if necessary. I’m tough, and it’ll take more than words to break me.”~

“Are you finished now?” the man interrupts. “We need to leave.”

I roll my eyes, let go of Abel, and turn to confront the man.

“You’re quite impolite, did you realize that?” I retort, laughing at the man’s impatience. “At least give me a name to call you—unless you’re okay with me referring to you as ~old man~.” Abel chuckles behind me.

The man sighs. “It’s Dominic. Now, let’s go, little pup.”

“Alright, Mr. Vamp,” I respond, skipping out of the room towards the front door.

DOMINIC

“I understand why you’re fond of this wolf. She’s naive and full of spirit,” I comment as Abel tightens his jaw, clearly upset.

He’s spent too long trying to keep her hidden from me, this wolf who is defying her nature and cohabiting with a vampire. But I can see that she cares for him romantically. And that he’s reciprocated her feelings.

It’s not against our rules to love a wolf, but it ~is~ looked down upon. Though it’s never occurred like this, with a wolf actually showing interest. Usually, it’s a result of suppressed aggression that leads to sex.

As I prepare to exit the room, I hear Abel mutter a curse, which makes me chuckle to myself as I join the petite pup.

She observes me with a smile on her face, her hands running through her hair. She doesn’t resemble most wolves.

Her red hair is long, thick, and wavy, and her eyes are a gentle lilac hue. Her skin is pale with freckles dotting her nose. Her cheeks are defined and her lips are plump, both tinted a natural rose pink.

“Are you done admiring me?” she asks, laughing and fluttering her long eyelashes.

“Not admiring, ~observing~,” I correct her, rolling my eyes, which makes her laugh again.

“Let’s go,” I suggest, holding the door open for her.

We drive for about an hour until we reach my coven’s territory, Mystic Lands. The wolf has been quiet during the drive, just gazing out the window, wrapped in Abel’s oversized jacket.

He wants her to be enveloped in his scent. I can’t fault him for that.

Once we arrive at the coven’s main house, I walk to her side and unbuckle her seat belt, then take her hand and assist her out of the car. Her eyes follow my every move. I hold onto her hand as I shut the door.

AVA

As we pull up to the coven house, Dominic assists me out of the car, his hand steady on my arm. We step inside, and a striking vampire with cropped blonde hair approaches us.

Her eyes are the typical vampire red. Her complexion is sun-kissed, a tiny mole adorning her mouth, but her face is heavily made up and her lips exaggeratedly outlined.

She shoots me a look that I’ve seen too many times—contempt. I brush it off, releasing Dominic’s hand to smooth out my clothes, which have crumpled during the ride.

“Why is this filthy little wolf here? I thought she was supposed to be dead?” Her voice drips with malice.

I simply roll my eyes at her. They might want me gone, but I won’t go down without a fight.

~“Ava, be careful! We don’t know if they’ll hurt us,”~ Lyra warns.

“Enough, Carly,” Dominic snaps. “I brought her here for Abel. He wants her safe. I know you want him, but you can smell him all over her.”

I raise a hand. “You don’t need to defend me. As I said before we came, I mean no harm. She might not like me, but that’s not my problem.” I pause. “But thank you.”

“As you wish, pup.” Dominic turns to Carly. “You need to leave while she’s here.” He motions for me to follow him, leading me to what I assume is his office.

The room is spacious, with a black wooden desk facing a row of windows and a smaller matching desk beside it. Red chairs are positioned in front of both desks.

The windows are obscured by heavy red curtains, allowing only a sliver of light to filter in. The walls are a soft cream, contrasting with the dark wooden floor.

A couch is situated near the door, and bookshelves line the walls.

“Have a seat.” He gestures towards the chairs in front of the desks.

Instead, I choose the gray couch, tucking my feet under me as I sit a few feet away from him, waiting for him to speak. He shakes his head, pulls a chair in front of the couch, and sits down.

“Tell me about yourself. All I know is that you’re a rogue that Abel took in. He hasn’t told me much.” His red eyes bore into my purple ones.

“There’s not much to tell,” I reply, shrugging. “I’m a runt, I left my pack, and now I’m here.”

“Alright. How about your life before you left? What was it like?” His gaze remains fixed on mine.

I lean back on the couch and recount the same story I told Abel. I keep my eyes on the floor, struggling to keep my voice steady and hold back the tears. I’m ashamed of what I let happen.

“You have alpha blood but were treated like an omega? Why would they do that?” He looks puzzled.

“I never understood why they did what they did. It started after my eighth birthday and never stopped. I had to leave or they would have killed me.” I look up at the vampire before me, finding neither judgment nor pity in his eyes.

“When my mate showed up at my pack house, a wolf who had attacked me tried to claim me. I panicked and rejected both my mate and the other wolf—and fought against my sister and my mate.

“I crossed a line, rejecting my blood, the alpha, and my pack. I ran and hid in the trees to escape.” I rest my head on the arm of the couch, my hand tucked underneath.

“Who is your mate?” Dominic demands, his voice filled with anger.

“Alpha Black of the Treetop Pack. I ran this way because his pack is in the opposite direction.” I shrug.

“I thought mates were supposed to protect each other. Are you ~sure~ he’s your mate?” he asks, his eyes locked on mine again.

“Our mate bond was complete the moment I touched him. Besides, I’ve felt him with other wolves over the years.” I stare at the wall, trying to avoid his gaze.

“Then explain to me,” he says, concern creeping into his voice, “why are you drawn to Abel?”

“Yes, I have feelings for him. It doesn’t matter to me what a creature is—every species has its own monsters. But up until now, I’ve only encountered wolves as those monsters.

“I had my first encounter with vampires when I was thirteen. They visited my pack’s territory and signed a peace treaty with my father. They wanted to take me with them for my safety, but my father refused.”

I shift uncomfortably, my gaze still fixed on the wall.

“That must have been Abel and me when you were a child. We have a peace agreement with Red Claw because they kept intruding on our territory to hunt.” He rests his hands on his lap.

“This is quite unusual, little one…” His eyes darken to black. “But Abel and I have considered inviting you to join our coven for your protection. You won’t be a lone wolf anymore, and you’ll be less likely to be targeted.”

A loud knock echoes from the door.

“What’s up?” Dominic asks, rising from his chair to answer the door.

“Apologies for the interruption, but Red Claw is here. They’re requesting to speak with you,” the girl from earlier informs him.

“Tell them I’m occupied at the moment, but if it’s urgent, they can wait for me. I need to gather the others.” His tone is firm. The girl nods and exits the room promptly.

He closes the door and retakes his seat. “I understand your worries, but they won’t harm you while you’re under our roof. I can keep you hidden from them until you decide whether to join us or not.”

I study the man before me. He’s offering me safety, but at what price?

~“Ava! We need to think this through,”~ Lyra warns.

“What do you expect from me if I decide to join the coven?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

“You’ll have to be turned. You’ll become a hybrid. It’s not unheard of and is safe as long as it’s done correctly. You won’t crave blood, but your human form will resemble ours more.”

“What about my wolf? Will I lose her?” I inquire.

He shifts to sit closer to me. “No. You’ll be a vampire in human form, but you’ll still have your wolf. You’ll retain your ability to shift, but you’ll need to learn to control both aspects of your nature.”

~“If it ensures our safety and we won’t have a mate anymore, it’s a fair trade, Ava,”~ Lyra consoles.

I notice Dominic holding his breath. “There’s more to it, isn’t there?” I probe.

“Yes. You’ll lose your mate or any potential mate. We vampires don’t have mates. We can, however, find someone to love. Usually, it’s another vampire,” he admits, his tone icy.

“I don’t care about my mate, so that’s not an issue. But what does this mean for Abel and me?” I ask, apprehensive.

“Abel can’t be yours. Not for now. He’s highly esteemed in our society, and the coven must approve of both of you before you can resume your relationship. You’ll live with me and train under my guidance.”

He gazes at me earnestly. “It’s possible that you’ll still have feelings for him, but you might find that things change once you’re turned.”