Chapter 188
[ 1,039 words ]
Third-Person pov:
At breakfast, Ava knew exactly how Chris liked his eggs and would sometimes prepare his plate before Angela had even reached for the serving dishes. She knew which foods he disliked, which warriors he’d grown up with, and all sorts of little stories from his childhood.
Chris seemed delighted to have someone around who remembered those days.
One morning, Angela was telling him about a meeting she’d arranged with the pack’s elderly members when Ava interrupted.
“Chris, remember when you fell into the river trying to impress me?”
Chris looked up from his breakfast and started shaking his head. “You promised you’d never bring that up!”
“But you looked so ridiculous!” Ava said, covering her mouth as she laughed.
Chris began explaining the incident, and soon the two were discussing people Angela barely knew.
She waited for a chance to finish what she’d been saying, but by the time breakfast ended, Chris had forgotten about her meeting entirely.
Ava joined them in the evenings, and Chris seemed happy to have her there. He even started taking her around the pack, showing her the training grounds and introducing her to the warriors and other pack members.
Angela was never told she couldn’t join them. Chris assumed she would be busy with her Luna duties. And most of the days, she was.
Ava was supposed to stay for only three to four days, but it had been almost a week, and she showed no signs of leaving.
One evening, Angela returned home earlier than expected after visiting a family whose house had been damaged during a storm.
She found Chris and Ava sitting together in the living room. Ava was telling him something, and Chris was listening with his full attention. When she reached across the table and placed her hand over his, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned closer and gently brushed his knuckles against her cheek, his face far too close to hers for an ordinary conversation.
Angela stopped near the doorway. She couldn’t hear what they were discussing, but she saw Ava wipe her eyes and Chris turn his hand over to hold hers.
It was only when one of the servants greeted Angela that Chris noticed her. “Angela! You’re home early.” Ava immediately withdrew her hand.
“Hmm. The meeting finished sooner than I expected.” Angela said, approaching them.
Before Angela could say anything else, one of the guards appeared at the living room entrance. “Alpha, there’s someone outside who needs to speak with you. It’s about the patrol arrangements.”
Chris looked at Angela apologetically. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, sweetheart.” He excused himself and followed the guard outside.
Angela watched him leave before turning toward Ava, who was already reaching for another cookie from the plate on the table.
Angela recognized the cookies immediately. They were imported from Italy, and her father had always made sure they were available at home because she loved them. After his death, Rick’s father had continued ordering them for her.
Apparently, Chris had brought some for Ava.
Angela took the chair opposite her, feeling exhausted after a long day. For a minute, she simply watched Ava nibble on the cookie.
Over the past week, Angela had noticed something about her husband’s childhood friend. Ava cried easily, especially around Chris. She always seemed helpless, apologizing for the smallest things and behaving as though she couldn’t bear to trouble anyone.
Angela was almost done, trying to be a good host. Ava’s short visit was approaching a full week, and there had been no mention of her leaving.
“Ava, can I ask you something?”
“Of course, Luna.” Ava looked up with a small smile.
Angela chose her next words carefully. She didn’t want to sound rude, but she needed to know. “When are you planning to return to your grandmother?”
Ava stopped chewing. For a moment, she looked genuinely shocked. Then she put the remaining cookie on her plate and leaned back in her chair.
“Why?” she asked with a mocking smile. “Can’t wait to get rid of me?”
Angela frowned. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Or is it because your husband isn’t giving you enough attention?”
Angela looked at her in disbelief. The change was so sudden that she almost wondered whether she’d heard correctly.
Gone was the timid girl who had been crying in Chris’s arms every now and then. Ava was now watching Angela with an amused expression.
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, come on, Luna. You don’t have to pretend with me. I’ve noticed how you look at us whenever Chris and I are together.”
Angela leaned forward, no longer interested in being polite. “Listen carefully, Ava. You came here as a guest, and I’ve treated you with respect. But I am the Luna of this pack, and this is my home. You were supposed to stay for three days, and it’s been almost a week.”
Ava said nothing, but the faint smile on her face didn’t disappear.
“I suggest you make arrangements to return to your grandmother,” Angela continued. “As the pack’s Luna, I don’t want to force you to leave the pack house.” With that, Angela stood and turned toward the stairs.
She had barely taken two steps when she heard Ava behind her. “Luna?” Angela stopped. Ava gave a short laugh. “The title? Is that what makes you feel so important?”
Angela slowly turned around. Ava was still sitting in the chair, looking completely unbothered.
“Just because you’re mated to the Alpha doesn’t mean you’re the woman he loves,” she said with a shrug. “A real Luna is the woman who has a place in her Alpha’s heart.” She picked up another cookie, smiling as she continued. “And that place belongs to me, Angela. Not you.”
It was the first time Ava had addressed her without her title. “You may have his mark and his name,” Ava added, “but I own his heart.”
Angela wanted to believe Ava was bluffing. But later that night, while Chris and Ava thought she was fast asleep, a sharp pain tore through her chest.
And by the time Angela discovered where her husband was, she wished she’d never gotten out of bed.
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