Page 86 of Ava: Part Two

His fists clenched as he held Shadow at bay.

“What is the meaning of this?” Alpha Ezra growled.

He didn’t even wait for Derek and Myle’s fathers to walk in behind them before he started laying into him. Zeke shook his head and walked into the living room. Ava's scent still lingered in the air; he knew his father would catch it when he walked in if he hadn’t already.

“The human was in this house?” Alpha Ezra growled.

He turned to face his father as he marched into the room.

“Yes. She lives here,” he answered calmly.

“It’s bad enough that the Council allowed a human here, but you’ve dared to disrespect the whole pack by having her under your roof. I want her out of here, Ezekiel.”

“She’s staying.”

He didn’t even blink an eye as he defied that order. And it was an order. He felt his father’s Alpha tone roll uselessly through the room. Ezra’s eyes glowed blue as his wolf reacted to being defied. The other wolves felt it and lowered their gazes, but he kept his eyes on his father. He knew better than all of them how dangerous this man could be.

“I warned you, Ezek—”

“And now I’m warning you. Don’t give me ultimatums, father.”

He also knew how dangerous Shadow was.

The silence in the room was deafening. He had never openly defied his father. He always controlled himself and did what he was told. The perfect son, the perfect warrior, all with the promise that he would become the Alpha, and any retribution on Jared and his pack would be legal. But he wasn’t likely to become the Alpha now, not when he intended to take his mate and run from the academy.

He’d expected that to sting a little, but he didn’t care about that anymore. All he wanted to do was explain things to Ava and prove he meant what he said.

“Maybe we should sit down and discuss things calmly,” Beta Lawrance suggested. “Then we can catch up before we go and settle down.”

Derek’s father was always the voice of reason. If he became the Alpha one day, he would be better suited to the role than Alpha Ezra.

His father must have realised he wouldn’t win this one, so he readily took up his Beta’s suggestion to save face and led the Midnight Pack’s Alpha’s daughter to one of the seats. He didn’t even remember her name, but she was as strong as he had expected for a future Luna. She would make a fine one, one day. Just not with him.

“We’ll go and get some drinks,” Derek said.

“Don’t you have Omegas for that?” Alpha Ezra snarled.

“It’s... It’s Parents’ Weekend. They’re with their families,” Derek answered.

It was the same bullshit every Parents’ Weekend like Alpha Ezra didn’t remember the rules of the academy anymore.

“They are Omegas; they should know their roles. When important guests visit—”

“Don’t concern yourself with what happens in my house, Father,” he said as he chose the seat opposite him. “Let’s discuss whatever you need to discuss so Derek and Myles can spend time with their fathers.”

His father wouldn’t see that as a dig at his parenting skills.

“What have you done about the vampires?”

Oh, so his father was digging right in. He’d expected this talk just before he left the next day, not right off the bat.

“I’ve become allies with them. I told them the wolf can stay with her true mate, and I’d back them up.”

A huge vein popped out at the side of Alpha Ezra’s head. His eyes glowed again, and his fist clenched in his lap. It was clear his father was on the verge of shifting.

“You did what?”

“I know you heard me, Father. As future Alpha, it was my prerogative to find a peaceful solution, and I did.”

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