Chapter 16
AVA FELL ASLEEP IN his arms again, so Max was a good mate and tucked her in as soon as they made it back home. He joined her of course. He was exhausted after everything that had transpired. It was good to sleep next to her again, to have her body pressed against his all night.
He woke up early the next morning, and his mate was still fast asleep. She worked harder than anyone last night, so sleep was exactly what he was going to let her do. He pressed his lips to her forehead. His touch was extremely light because he didn’t want to chance waking her up, but he couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her either. It worked out. His mate gave him a little smile in her sleep, but she continued breathing deep and her eyes didn’t open.
“Sleep until I get back,” he whispered.
He got out of bed and quickly threw on some presentable clothes. Ava proved herself yesterday. Like, he’d bite the shit out of anyone who said his Ava wasn’t good. She saved them. She did it basically single-handedly. She was kind of terrifying, in a sexy, always-have-a-boner sort of way. God, he couldn’t stop beating himself up over getting in her way like that, though. He almost got himself killed when Ava didn’t need his help at all. He made it so she couldn’t attack. He wasn’t conscious for the last part of the fight, but nobody would stop talking about it, how Ava took Beatrice down without a fight. Derek ripped into him for being an idiot, too. “Being wild is fine and all, and you’re strong as fuck, but your girl is gonna be the one protecting you. Accept it now,” he said. He could admit Ava was stronger than he was, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t protect her, too. They were a package deal.
Max slipped outside into the snow-covered world and shut the door quietly behind him. He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and made his way to the Alpha Den. There had to be a way to convince Nick to stop Trinity from taking Ava. Trinity seemed like a trustworthy organization, a trustworthy name, but what would they do to Ava? If this was anything like human politics, she would at least be sentenced to time in jail. Too much time. This was bullshit. Ava didn’t deserve that.
He was too late. A glossy black Porsche was parked outside of the mansion. Isabelle. Max bit his lip in frustration, but then the car door clicked open and Isabelle emerged. She was dressed in a slick black dress that glittered like her many accessories. She wore a puffy black coat to match. Her straight black hair was streaked with gleaming silver. She was the only crow shifter Max had ever met, but she sure had a thing for whatever sparkled. And heels. She liked high heels. She must have just arrived. That meant she hadn’t gone in to talk to Nick yet. Maybe Max could talk her out of it.
“Isabelle,” he called her name before she reached the portico. “What’re you doing here? We took care of everything.”
She turned to him with eyes dark and all black like a crow’s. “You have one of the witches responsible for hurting and destroying the lives of hundreds of shifters. Nick told me the other one responsible was killed, so that can’t be helped, but Ava has to answer for what she’s done.”
“She has!” Max growled.
Nick slammed open one of the double-doors. “Stop yelling in front of my house. My mate needs her rest.”
Gwen was standing right beside him. She had her arms folded and rolled her eyes at his comment. “I’m pregnant. It’s not like I fought by your side last night.” She seemed bitter about that fact. “You’re the one who’s tired.” She wrapped her arm around her mate and poked at the bags under his eyes with her free hand. He did look a bit haggard. She shook her head. “Both of you come inside. We’ve been waiting.”
Isabelle walked in first. “Thank you for calling and updating me last night,” she said. “I’m happy to tell you that Bruiser and Rogue are awake and recovering quickly. All the shifters at that safe house in Texas have been found and taken care of as well.”
“That’s good to hear,” Nick replied as he led the way through the grand foyer and into the sitting room.
Gwen gestured for everyone to take a seat, but Max waited a moment. He stared at Nick until he finally looked back at him. He hadn’t pledged to Nick, but he was his Alpha. He was the one in charge. He took care of his wolves. Max pleaded with him silently to take care of Ava, too. She wasn’t a wolf, but she was his mate. Nick was open to all kinds of shifters now, so what about witches too?
Nick gave him a hard look. “Take a seat, Max.”
Begrudgingly, Max did as he was told.
“I’m not really equipped to transfer Black Witches here and there. I’m just here to check things out for myself and because Nick asked me to come,” Isabelle said. “It’s kind of what I do for Trinity, you know. Move around, lurk, gather information, call things in, give the green or red lights.”
Nick nodded.
“Then don’t take Ava. Tell Trinity she’s fine,” Max blurted.
“It’s not that simple,” Nick said. “As far as I’m concerned, Ava has cleared herself of all past wrongs, but I’m not the one experienced with Black Witches or Black Magic or White Witches or White Magic. I trust Trinity. If Ava went with them, maybe it would be good for her.”
“Good how?! What are they going to do to her?”
Nick looked at Isabelle. “Trinity won’t hurt Ava. I’m going to back her up. You will too, and so will anyone else in Moonwatch who feels the same. Ava saved us all last night, and I’m not going to repay her by getting her hurt. I’ll do everything in my power to protect her because as far as I’m concerned, she’s already a part of the pack.”
Max was stunned to silence. He wanted to pledge to Nick right now. If he was going to live this wolf life, if he was going to have a pack, Nick would be his Alpha. No one else would do.
“That’s my mate,” Gwen said with an approving nod of her head.
Isabelle’s painted lips curved upward into a smile. “You’re such a noble Alpha, Nickolas Sipe. I’m glad I got to meet Casey’s wolf pack. It never ceases to be interesting. As for Trinity, if your Ava is as good and true as you all believe, I don’t think you’ll have any reason to worry.”
Max wasn’t so sure. As much as he appreciated Nick, his pack was small compared to all of Trinity. He didn’t know how many shifters were allied with it, but Moonwatch was primarily a wolf pack and its numbers were maybe three hundred total. It didn’t take a genius to know that Trinity was many times larger.
Maybe the best thing Max could do for Ava was to run away with her.
“Trust me,” Nick said. He was looking right at Max again. He could probably sense his doubt.
Max forced a nod. “I do trust you. I’m just worried. I want Ava to be safe. I want her to be happy. I’m going to fight for her.”
“Is it true then?” Isabelle asked. “Is Ava your Fated Mate?”
“Yes.”
She smiled again, wider this time. Her eyes were sparkling with a calculated interest, like she was trying to dissect them by merely looking. “So many Fated Mates somehow connected to Blue Pack. Do you have any idea how rare it is to have a Fated Mate?”
“Of course,” Nick replied. “I didn’t even believe they were real until I met Gwen.”
“Fated Mates exist for all shifters. All are rare. However, only the Moon marks Fated Mates. The Moon is the most romantic of the Celestial Trinity. On occasion, the Moon will mark those outside of its jurisdiction as Fated Mates, too. I’ve seen it mark humans a few times. Casey’s mate Karol is one of those cases. But I’ve never see the Moon mark a witch.”
“It marked her,” Max said resolutely.
“How do Earth and Sun Shifters know they’ve found their Fated Mates if their gods don’t mark them?” Nick asked.
“For the Earth and Sun, it’s more of a suggestion. Strong feelings. They aren’t so controlling when it comes to love perhaps. Besides, it’s not as if the Earth and Sun mark their shifters with a reflection of themselves. They work differently.”
Max, Nick, and Gwen all frowned. It was obvious none of them felt like the Moon had forced them into their situations. They loved their mates unconditionally.
Isabelle smirked. “There’s some other force out there that none of us know. It’s the power behind our birth, our creation. Some people are made for each other. It’s as simple as that. Soulmates exist. That’s why the Moon extends its reach to those who aren’t its shifters. Not everyone’s Soulmate is going to be from the same mold. In fact, I think that happens quite often.”
“What about all the people without a Soulmate? If Fated Mates are so rare, that means Soulmates are rare, right?” Gwen asked.
“Good questions, but I don’t have the answers. All I know is you don’t need your Fated Mate to find True Love. It can happen for anyone.”
“Isabelle, I want to ally Blue Pack with Trinity,” Nick said. “Officially. I’ve been considering it since the Erin Smith fiasco. There’s a lot of shit you guys know that I don’t know anything about. I hate being an incompetent Alpha. Trinity has to pass one more test, though.”
Isabelle looked like she was about to laugh at the concept of Trinity having to pass a test, but she reined it in. “And?”
Nick didn’t waver. “I want to see how they handle Ava. That will make my decision. Thanks for coming out by yourself to speak with me first.”
Isabelle nodded. “I can call in a private jet to transfer everyone, including anyone you’re planning on taking with you to Ava’s trial. Try not to bring more than ten, though. It’s overkill.” She waved one of her bejeweled hands. “The sooner we leave the better. It’ll look good for Ava since it would help show her willingness to set things right.”
“Where are we heading?” Max asked.
“Talepeaks, Washington. Land in the mountains owned exclusively by Trinity and the place Trinity is the most concentrated. The Celestial Alphas spend most of their time at headquarters. They are the ones who will check Ava out. She’s in good hands, the very heart of Trinity.”
“Good,” Nick said. “Max, get Ava and get ready to go. Meet back here.”
Max was reluctant, but he replied, “Got it.”
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Gwen offered.
Max didn’t need an escort, but whatever. She was the Alpha’s mate. She could do whatever she wanted. She led the way, her every step sure and graceful. Her stomach was getting bigger little bit by little bit every day. Max wondered what that felt like. She was growing a new life inside of her body. Whenever he took a moment to really think about that stuff, it amazed him. God gave all the creatures on the Earth a way to create more. The Moon, Sun, and Earth may have been gods in their own right, but Max was convinced a different god started creation, the god he had believed in his entire life. Shifters were held in favor of the Celestial Trinity, but humans weren’t. Witches weren’t. Who was their god? Were the Celestial Trinity really gods or more like demigods with limited power? He wondered.
“Everything is going to be okay,” Gwen said as she opened one of the double-doors in the grand foyer.
Max contemplated responding. He wasn’t sure if she said that for his benefit or for her own, but then something caught his eye. Cedric was walking up the steps to the door. He was wearing a light sweater and his fingers were resting loosely in the belt loops of his jeans. He had a limp. Max’s hackles rose at the sight of him. His lips were curling back to show his teeth. The last time he saw this sorry bastard was when he was flying away after the fight. He hurt Ava and almost ruined everything. They were lucky no one got killed because of him.
“What do you want?” Max growled.
Cedric didn’t react to Max’s hostility. His eyes stayed their normal human color, hazel. He tilted his head down in a way that was submissive, not quite wolf, but like it was a learned behavior after living with a pack of wolves for a month. This made Max pause.
“I’m still angry,” Cedric said.
Gwen shuffled closer to Max by small increments. Her hand was a live wire at her side, like she was ready to jump onto him and hold him back if he decided to lunge for the snowy owl shifter.
“You don’t know what it was like. Or maybe you do. You were hit with that fiery stuff, Black Magic. It just didn’t last long,” Cedric continued. He clenched his fists at his sides. “But I can also see when I’m wrong. I fucked up back there. I almost got everyone killed. I thought… I thought Ava was going to blast you all with her magic. Didn’t matter that she had a plan, that she told you all to stay clear so you’d be safe. I wasn’t convinced. When I hit her and she didn’t fight back, I went into a frenzy.” He shook he head. “I think it’s time for me to leave.”
“There’s something you can do first.” Nick was suddenly behind Max and Gwen. “Come inside and talk, Cedric.”
Max stepped aside for Cedric to pass. He didn’t have anything to say to the birdbrain, but he did give him a little nod. He acknowledged what he said and appreciated it. Maybe Cedric wasn’t a complete douche.
On his way back to the motel, back to Ava, Max contemplated how he should wake his sleeping angel. He loathed to do it at all after what she went through last night, and he didn’t want her on trial. Sighing, he let himself inside of their room. He was quiet as he crept to her still sleeping form. She had the blankets all gathered around her now like a messy cocoon. The bed was probably a few degrees colder since he left. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gingerly touched her cheek, grazing the faded cuts Cedric had marked her with. For a short period of time, Ava healed insanely fast, so they were more like remnants of cuts, shiny scars. Apparently, the wolf inside of her granted her this last gift before leaving. Because his Ava was amazing and even a wolf torn from the other half of her mind and body was able to forgive her and see her truth.
God, he loved her.
“Ava,” he whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek. “Time to wake up, angel.”
She stirred and let out a tired groan as she stretched herself awake. She grabbed hold of him a moment later and made room for him on the bed. He lay down beside her and gathered her in his arms.
“Where’d you go?” she asked.
“To talk to Nick.”
She ran her fingers through his hair, and he closed his eyes so he could get lost in the sensation. He breathed her in, her delicious scent. He wanted to keep her in bed. His cock was half at attention, but he didn’t know that Ava was up to it. And they were supposed to go back to the Alpha Den ASAP.
“Why are you sad, Max?” she whispered.
He couldn’t hide anything from her. He frowned and opened his eyes. She was gazing at him with her dark brown, almost black eyes, endless love pouring into him. His mate. His to protect.
“A representative from Trinity is here. She’s going to take us to Trinity Headquarters for a trial.”
To his surprise, the soft look in Ava’s eyes didn’t waver. There was a smile on her face, too. He could sense the peace inside of her. She was prepared for this.
“I don’t want to do this,” Max said, voice breaking.
“It’s going to be okay.” Ava pressed her forehead to his.
“How do you know that?” He would do everything to protect her, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew he was one wolf against a whole mess of powerful shifters.
“Because I have you, because you love me.”
“I love you,” he said to reaffirm her words, so that there was absolutely no doubt in them.
“I’m going to fight for you, Max. I want to stay with you no matter what.”
“Me too. I’m going to fight for you, too. Now and forever, Ava. You’re mine.”
“And you’re mine,” she agreed. Then she kissed him.