Page 146 of Second Chance Mates

“Do you have a session with Gemma today?” I ask.

Ava remains silent, completely on-responsive to my voice. I frown.

My throat clears. “Ava?”

“Huh?”

She snaps her attention to me, her eyes wide like she’s been caught red handed doing something bad.

“Do you have a session with Gemma today?”

“Uhh.” She pauses and runs a hand down her face. “Yeah. In thirty minutes. I moved it forward.”

“Everything okay?” I ask without trying to sound too weary.

Ava nods once and flashes me a smile that is the epitome of forced. “Yeah. I just spaced out. Sorry.”

“Thinking about anything in particular?”

She runs a finger over her lip as I plate up our lunch. “Just about that night with Julia. What I can piece together anyway.”

I hum softly. “You think of anything new?”

“No,” she exhales.

Her body language is odd, and her face is struck with emptiness. I know she’s beating herself up about what happened, and I don’t know why. “Do you remember me telling you that when we arrived, there were deceased wolves in the building? They’d been killed and ripped apart.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you know what happened to them? Did Julia do something to them? Did she demonstrate what she’d do to us?”

Ava stares at the wall. Hard. “No.” Her voice is a whisper. “I don’t remember anything apart from her words. I can’t even remember her face. I don’t remember waking up. I don’t remember her hurting me. None of it.”

I didn’t have much time to look at the monstrous scene, but afterwards, Kayden explained the dead wolves didn’t make sense. Either something went wrong and Julia slaughtered them or someone else was there when it happened. The hairs on the back of my neck stand. I’ve had the house and our territory doubled with guards. I had my wolves search the surrounding area for anything they deem suspicious.

We sit and eat our lunch together. Ava’s distracted mind pains me to watch. Even her mental walls are sky high, and there isn’t a chance of seeing in. But I know to respect her boundaries.

Ava offers me a sweet smile. “Thanks for lunch. I should go see Gemma now. I don’t want to be late.”

I hop off the chair. “I’ll walk you there.”

Our fingers lace together as I walk through the pack house and down to Gemma’s office. As we turn the corner, my eyes collide with Evan. “Ava,” he calls out with a relieved grin. “How are you?”

“Hi, Evan.” She drops my hand to give him a hug. “I’m okay. Taking it slow.”

“Good. You should be resting. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.” He gives her a once-over with his soft eyes, and now I believe that he truly cares for her. “Alpha Jaxon and I were talking. He said he’ll officially let me into the pack.”

Ava’s eyes light up with joy. “Really?” She glances at me in surprise. “Oh. That’s amazing. I’m so happy to have you here. We’re so happy to have you here.”

He glances between us and nods. “I’m very happy to be here, too.”

Once Evan dismisses himself and I slip my arm over Ava’s shoulders, she smiles up at me. “You have a soft spot for him,” she murmurs.

I snort quietly. “Soft spot is an exaggeration. He wanted to prove himself by getting you back home safely. He listened to Kayden’s orders and showed his bravery. He stuck to the rules and acted accordingly, and I trust he will work hard within this pack. He needs a lot of training and one-on-one sessions, but I’m sure he’ll get there with time.”

Ava snuggles closer into my side. “Thank you for welcoming him into your pack, Jax. It means a lot to me.”

“Our pack, baby. It’s ours.”

---