AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ava, he’s your mate!”
Disbelief heavy in his voice, Riaz’s face twisted as he closed the distance between them and once more opened his arms. He knew she needed the touch, and she accepted it. Contact was a necessity for their breed.
“He’s the one who killed my family, Riaz!” Her voice was hollow. “Remmus is Ciru. His parents were the ones who killed mine, and he watched!”
“How is that even possible?”
“He admitted it to me,” she shouted. Tears tracked down her face and instantly chilled upon her cheeks. “He told me things that only Ciru could’ve heard or seen.”
No stranger to her history, Riaz gaped.
“That can’t be.” But the truth of it was undeniable. “We have to demand an explanation. Fate wouldn’t have linked you to him if he’d wronged you so deeply. We need to go back to the den and figure out what happened.”
They entered the den only ten minutes later, but Ava was numb as she followed Riaz into his office. She stood there, arms coiled protectively around herself, as he dialed Zeke’s cell and put it on speakerphone. Within three rings, the sovereign picked up.
“Now is not a good time, Riaz.”
“We need to speak to Remmus, and his cell phone is still here,” Riaz replied. “We need an explanation.”
“No.”
Riaz’ wolf appeared behind his eyes. “Either we talk to him now, or Ava and I will be driving down with Aidan to demand answers.”
A growl that came through the receiver sounded eerily animalistic. “I’ll teleport you, but if you make one wrong move, I’ll have no hesitation in defending my clan and each one of its members.”
On that ominous note, a dizziness she associated only with teleportation tingled through her. The feeling was odd, different than how Remmus’ power caressed her skin. When her feet hit solid ground, Ava immediately looked around for her mate.
What she found were solemn faces she barely knew, accusing pairs of eyes boring into hers like she was somehow the villain. Ava bristled.
“Where is he?”
She barely recognized her own voice, but the sliver of trepidation that went through their gazes spoke volumes. No one responded, adding to her unease, and Riaz shifted defensively beside her.
Again, she repeated, “Where is Remmus?”
“He’s indisposed,” Zeke said. “What do you need from him? What answer are you seeking?”
Riaz stepped forward, happily going toe to toe with the massive Raeth sovereign. “We’d prefer to do this without an audience.”
“Zeke, Kaien—stay, please. The rest of you, please excuse us.” Nina’s voice rang out from the couch, behind the wall of muscle.
The dismissal sent their audience out the door. Riaz remained unrepentantly beside her as she fought the trepidation that bloomed inside her. A moment after they were left with the smaller group, her alpha spoke up: “Remmus is Ava’s mate.”
For a moment, no one moved.
“You’re Remmus’ mate?” Kaien jolted. “You’re Avelina. Ava. You knew each other as children.”
“Ciru—Remmus—was the one who betrayed me,” Ava spat. “His parents murdered my family, my cousin, my entire village. He’s the one who told his parents where to find us.”
Kaien was already shaking his head. “No. No, that’s not right. He didn’t betray you, Ava. They tore the information out of his head. His parents rooted through his mind without his consent, knowing he’d be unable to do anything about it. He was barely a teenager, and his psychic shielding was still immature. There was no way he could’ve stopped them, even if he wanted to.”
“He was there with them—watching them murder everyone!”
“Tied down, Ava. He was tied so that he couldn’t move, couldn’t even stand up straight. If he could’ve helped any of you, he would’ve. He told me so many times, he relived the pain in front of me, the helplessness and regret. I pledge on my honor that is the truth.”
Nina stirred. “How did you survive when his parents came for the village?”
“I hid beneath a pile of blankets.”
