Page 6 of Ava: Part Two

She didn’t obey him. Would she be accused of breaking the rules if the Alpha in question was an asshole?

“For fuck’s sake, human, stop and listen to me. I was a dick to you, I know that, but you need to hear what I have to say, or you’ll end up dead like Claire.”

She stopped and turned back to look at Jared. How did he know Claire was dead? The dean had said she was missing, not that they suspected she was dead. Had he seen something? Or was she now just being paranoid about everything?

Jared stopped right in front of her. He didn’t have the easy smile on his face that he had used to suck her in, and he looked tired. But that wasn’t her concern anymore.

“Look, I know you probably feel safer here with a maniac like Zeke watching your back, but you need to know he’s dangerous, especially after being in Isolation for so long. He won't be the same. I don’t know why he’s fixated on you, but you have to get out of that situation before it’s too late.”

Isolation? Was that what they called it? Ezekiel had been gone the whole week. There were some hazy things in her mind that she was still trying to figure out, but she had somehow known he had been in pain. And it must have been terrible because his pack had been worried about him even though they had refused to tell her where he'd been.

What happened in Isolation? Was this what Emily had warned her about? She didn’t want to think they tortured students here, but from everything she had seen...

She brought her attention back to the wolf still talking to her.

“And you care, all of a sudden, Alpha Anderson?” she asked. “You knew Claire was in the woods but led me right to her. And then your whole pack watched while she tried to kill me.”

“Is that what he told you?” Jared said with a snort. “I didn’t know she was there, and Zeke knows damn well why. But if you want to believe him then go right ahead. I tried my best. I can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved.”

“I don’t need anyone to save me, especially not you, Alpha Anderson,” she said through gritted teeth, looking him directly in the eye even though he had warned her not to. “And I know exactly who I can trust here. Me.”

“Well, if you’re all you have to depend on, then good luck, Little Red.”

She watched Jared turn to walk away, and then he stopped because right in front of him was a very angry Alpha.

Ezekiel’s eyes were glowing red as he stood there like his wolf was about to emerge, but he didn’t look like he was struggling to control it. He seemed perfectly calm as he regarded Jared. How long had he been standing there?

Jared took a step back from him. They were both Alphas, but it was clear who the stronger one was.

"Didn't you get my message, Jared?" Ezekiel asked. "I thought I made it very clear."

"You can't do that. She's not even—"

"I can," Ezekiel said. "Besides, I'm sure there are other things you'd much rather be doing with your limited time."

Jared turned away from Ezekiel and walked past her towards the dining hall. She had never seen a wolf look ill before, but Jared looked like he would throw up.

When she looked back at Ezekiel, his eyes were not glowing anymore, but they were burning right through her. Jared was right; something had changed in Ezekiel since he came back. But she knew something had changed in her, too. Something that connected her to this dangerous Alpha who had run into the forest to save her from the darkness.

The Alpha who had become her monster the moment he killed for her.

He had avoided her in the beginning, but now... Now every time she looked at him, she could see how much he wanted her, and it scared the shit out of her. Maybe more than the fact that she had turned him into a murderer.

She turned to walk away from him and was surprised he didn’t follow. But she could feel his gaze on her until she walked into the dining hall.

Chapter 5

ZekewatchedAvawalkinto the dining hall before heading towards the Administration block.

‘He told her to run away from us,’ Shadow pointed out.

“Hmm,” he answered with a frown.

‘He must die.’

He rolled his eyes. Jared would die soon enough. Right now, he had the Council members to deal with. He couldn’t blatantly break the rules just before going to the meeting. But surprisingly, Shadow had been very laid back about that interaction with the bastard. They had followed Ava from when she had left her block and heard the whole conversation, but Shadow hadn’t tried to kill him on the spot.

It was probably true. Jared had been messed up pretty badly after last year’s evaluations and the death of his friend. Jared hadn’t spent nearly as long in Isolation, but it had still fucked him up. Things didn’t always work out for him, as if his wolf senses sometimes failed him. Sometimes he was sure that was the reason he was doing so many fucked up things this semester.

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