Ava's Mate (3 page)

The most frustrating thing was her wolf wouldn’t shut up. It howled in her head,
Mate. I want our mate. Go find him now. Let’s go get our mate and show him why werewolves are the best.
And so on, repeated in her head twenty-four-seven.

Ava desperately needed to let off some built up tension. But she had a big complication
as she still lived with her werewolf parents who had super hearing, plus the house was full of kids. It was hard because ever since she’d meet Logan her wolf had turned into a bloody hussy. If she sent her any more erotic images of what she and Logan could be like and what she should do to him— grab him, take him to one of the cabins, tie him down, and… She panted, shaking the images out before she had the chance to voice them out loud.

She groaned as her pussy clenched. The smell of her arousal was so strong she got out of the tub and sprayed the room with perfume to mask the scent from the other wolves in the house. Getting back into the tub, she laid her head back on the bath pillow. She really needed to get a house of her own. Sighing, she thought of all the empty houses around town and which would be best for her.

Ava really didn’t know what to do. She’d dreamed since she was a little girl that she’d find a werewolf mate by the time she was in her fifties-sixties. Ava didn’t want to mate too young. She wanted to enjoy herself before she spent two hundred or so years with a man. One thing she’d always been sure about was that she didn’t want a human mate.

Banging her head against the pillow, she wanted to scream at the universe, “I’m not even twenty-one yet.” Well, in a few weeks Eve and her would be, but being mated this young and to a human didn’t fit in with her plans. “Argh. Fuck you, fate. I bet you’re laughing your ass off about this. This is not what I wanted. I had a plan, damn you.”

Ava sank down into the water as her mother Della knocked on the door. “Honey, is everything okay in there? Who are you talking to?”

She came up out of the water on a groan. “No one, Mum, just singing. Um, sorry, I’ll be quieter.”

Listening to her mother’s footsteps walk away, Ava wondered what she should do. She’d planned on living with her parents for a while, helping her Mum out while enjoying all the chaos. She loved the feeling of knowing she was needed, and she enjoyed helping raise children, cooking, and organizing. Ava was good at all that traditional housework stuff, and she loved children.

When she’d been younger, all the other children, including her twin sister, loved to train, and go for runs in wolf form. Ava would beg to get out of doing any of the physical stuff. She stayed back to help with the younger children, cooking, or doing anything else so she didn’t have to practice fighting.

Ava never dreamed of being a doctor, having a military career, being a fashion designer, becoming a scientist, or anything else. She just wanted to be a wife-mate, mother, and all-round help. But now that she’d started working at the military base she loved it, and didn’t want to give it up. Banging her fists on the bathtub, she decided no matter what the future held she wasn’t going to give up her new job.

A smile grew as a positive side about having a human mate came to her—he wouldn’t care if she worked. Her grin got bigger as she thought of all the things a human mate wouldn’t expect her to give up.

If she was really lucky, her mate wouldn’t even claim her, or he would fight it for a couple of years. Ava laughed, feeling happier than she’d felt in a while.

She got out of the bath, grabbed the phone, and called Faith who answered with, “I’m so in. Let’s do Splash first. I have fond memories of there. It’s my good luck club. Then we’ll all go to Danny’s, it’s a good wind down.”

Ava laughed at her sister-in-law. “Faith, you’re getting freakin good with your powers.”

Faith sighed loudly. “I need cheering up, well, really your brother does. But anytime I look at Arden I get so many different futures it’s starting to really piss me off. And don’t even say Remy’s name in his presence.” Faith groaned. “When I get my hands on her…”

Ava wiped a tear from her eye. Her poor brother Arden had come home from leading an away team to meet and help his mate. But as soon as he arrived, Remy ran, and even Faith couldn’t find her at the moment. If it wasn’t for the two minute phone calls she gave them every couple of days—

Faith interrupted her musing. “I stuffed up. And now poor Arden is paying for my mistake. I shouldn’t have rushed the mating. But I wanted her safe and one of the many perks of mating a werewolf is that you become almost…well, unbreakable.”

Ava laughed. “Yeah, well, I suppose you could say that. Faith, you need to stop beating yourself up. You can’t be perfect and right all the time. Give yourself a break. You’re right ninety-eight percent of the time.”

Faith sighed. “Okay, just this once, but has anyone seen Arden today? I saw him yesterday and…” Faith paused.

Ava knew Faith was talking about her brother’s condition. She’d taken breakfast to his house this morning, and she shuddered remembering how he looked like shit with a capital S. He was definitely giving all the movie werewolves a run for their money.

Ava thought about her mate and hoped she could take it if Logan rejected her and ran. She really didn’t know if she could live like her brother.

“No, Ava,” said Faith. “Fate showed me your mating.”

Ava let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

“Call Kirby, Sara, and Sandra, and I’ll call Erin, Amie, Lexie, and Stacy, and we’ll all go out and have some fun. Lexie and Stacy are dying to go out. A girls’ night out, with no boys allowed.”

Ava smiled in anticipation. “Yeah, we all need this. See you tonight.” Ava hung up, shaking her head. She would get dressed and go see Arden, see if she could get him to do something. First though she called Kirby, Sara, and Sandra.

* * * *

Grinning, Logan strapped the ice knife belt to his leathers. He loved his new uniform. He got it the other day after being promoted for his part in saving people and killing the demons and minions in the underground raid.

All the military men had learned the hard way that demon blood fucking hurt. The demons’ sticky, acid blood ate through everything, bar the specially made leather pants, singlets, and jackets he now wore. It was surprisingly easy to maneuver around in them, and he admitted reluctantly that the werewolf women looked hot in theirs. His brother’s new wife… Logan shook his head, not wanting to go down that avenue.

Thinking of his brother, he looked around for him, surprised to find him without his tall, hot blonde new wife shadowing him. Logan debated whether to go over to him. Hayden hadn’t spoken to him since the disastrous day at his sister’s new house, when his parents meet Rane and Sandra, Hayden’s new wife.

Logan walked over to his brother, ignoring how quiet the room became. Everyone knew about the fight they were having, over half the men there had been their friends-associates for years.

“Hayden, where’s your shadow?”

Hayden didn’t answer just continued to get ready.

“It’s like that, is it?” Logan knew he should leave it alone and walk away, but he’d had enough of everything. He was tense, angry, lonely, exhausted, and most of bloody all horny as hell. He was ready to give into one very sexy werewolf if he saw her.

Hayden’s head came up and if looks could kill, he’d be dead. His brother hadn’t spoken to him in over two weeks, and that’s the longest they’d ever gone.

Logan spoke without thinking but he’d had a shit day. “You’re acting like a fucking girl. Not even our sister has stopped talking to me. She can also go out without her dog following her everywhere so he can wipe her arse for her. But I think this is the first time I have seen you without your bitch.” Logan didn’t even see his brother move, just felt the impact as Hayden punched him in the face and kneed him in the chest.

“You’re a fucking asshole, Logan. Because you’re my brother I won’t kill you this time, but if you ever talk about Sandra like that again, to anyone, I will kill you. And just so you know, I love that ‘shadow’ as you refer to Sandra.” Hayden shook his head. “Sandra’s gone out tonight with Kirby and Ava.”

Logan groaned at Ava’s name, going instantly hard. Shit. He’d only just got his boner to stand down.

Hayden looked him up and down, laughing at his state. “It’s priceless. I didn’t believe it when I was told. You and Ava…this is going to be so funny to watch.”

Logan heard a few werewolves growling behind him, and one said, “Oh, this is going to be great. I wonder how long he will hold out.”

Logan frowned, straightening up and turning to see Kane, Rane, Griffin, and Jamie. He thought it was Jamie who’d made the comment, but what the hell was he going on about?

Rane, his sister’s mate, was giving Logan a look that if he was a weaker man, he would have pissed his pants and fled. Crap! What had he done now? He racked his brain thinking of his last conversation with his sister. Nope, nothing. Logan looked at his brother for help. Hayden currently wore a shit-eating grin.

Jamie came over and patted Logan on the back. “I don’t know if you’re the luckiest bastard in the world, or the unluckiest. All I will say is good luck.” Jamie pointed to two men behind him. “Yo. You two are with me tonight. Move your arse. The others are waiting in the van for you.”

Rane growled. “Come on, Browns, you’re both with me tonight, so no more bitching or fighting or I’ll put you on babysitting duty for two months.”

Logan groaned as he followed his brother and Rane out of the compound to the van where four werewolves were sitting. Tristan, Luke, Daniel, and Duke who introduced himself as he was the only one he didn’t recognize or know. Logan had worked with the others a couple of times before, they were the craziest. He’d never worked with all the men together.

Logan looked to Rane. “Where are we heading?”

Rane grinned at him and it made him shiver, taking an involuntary step back. Rane was fucking scary. “Since we don’t have the girls tonight, we’re going to do the restaurants, back alley nightclubs, and bars.” His grin, if possible, got bigger, showing his sharp, lengthened canines. “I hope you weren’t wanting an early night, because tonight’s going to be busy.”

All the werewolves laughed. Logan inwardly groaned. So much for finishing early so he could get laid, or try to. He shrugged and hoped they did in fact have a busy night after all. He might be able to sleep then.

* * * *

Heads turned as they walked into the nightclub. The music was blaring, and Ava, Faith, Stacy, Lexie, Sara, Erin, Amie, Kirby, and Sandra all headed straight for the dance floor. A David Guetta song came on, and they all smiled.

Ava was having a ball, the most fun she’d had since her sister had left. They’d had the best night so far, and it was only one AM. They’d gone to an all-you-can-eat restaurant then chatted at a bar. Girls’ night out needed to become a weekend thing. It was nice to have people close to her age to socialize with. She never really needed anyone else besides Eve, she supposed being a twin had stopped her from making friends her own age.

She smiled as Faith shimmied and spun around, laughing. Ava had been friends with Faith as a child, but Faith always hung out more with Jamie or Kane whenever they were around. With Eve and her little sisters, Ava hadn’t felt she needed anyone else. These last couple of weeks and months she’d had so much fun branching out with new friends who weren’t her siblings.

Spinning, and laughing, they all danced and just had a great time until Faith swore then went into a vision. Ava and Sandra grabbed Faith, and the other girls followed as they took Faith to a corner of the room.

Ava looked at Lexie. “You feel anything? Does the ground feel something?”

Lexie shut her eyes and concentrated. She opened them and her face turned white. “Please tell me you brought your weapons and one of the patrols is close, because something big is coming. All I can feel is the earth is very uneasy. There’s something not far that’s all bad. Somethi—” Before Lexie could say any more Faith’s eyes flashed open.

“We need to get everyone out of here now. Kirby, call Rane, and tell him to get their arses here. I’ll call Kane.”

Kirby got on the phone as Faith continued, “I don’t know if we’ll make it this time if we don’t get everyone out. I saw eight demons, not to mention minions. Please tell me no one forgot their weapons!”

Ava reached down and pulled out a small knife. The end of it had been frozen in a special solution. But Ava wasn’t carrying anywhere near the amount of weapons that Sandra and Faith pulled out from their shirts and boots. Shit, even Kirby, Lexie, Erin, Amie, and Stacy had more knives than her.

Faith raised her eyebrows at her.

“Don’t start, Faith. I’m never going to hear the end of this from my brothers, don’t join their ranks. Anyway, you know I’m a lover not a fighter. I always tried to get out of practicing.” She looked around to make sure Sandra wasn’t close before she whispered, “I sometimes wish I was human.”

Faith’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t worry, I can fight. How long do we have before they get here?”

Faith sighed. “If we’re lucky we have ten minutes to get everyone out of here.”

Sandra grinned and wandered off. A second later the fire alarm rang and sprinklers turned on.

Stacy, who was clutching her knife so hard her knuckles were white, muttered, “They won’t come when the sprinklers are going like this. Can’t we just sneak away now? Everyone else is out, they’ll be safe now.”

Ava sighed. God, she wished they could do that. Ava looked to Faith and groaned as she said to Stacy, “Stay if you want or leave. You’re welcome to do either, but we can’t leave those monsters out there alive to kill and take people. You’re welcome to go, really. I actually advise you to. But I’ll be staying.”

Ava sighed. She hated fighting, but she wouldn’t let the fucking demons win. “You can go, Stacy. I’m staying with Faith, so pass me one of your ice knives, but keep your other ones. If you follow the crowd now you can get out.”

“I’m going to go with Stacy,” Amie added.

Stacy looked at Lexie, who shook her head. “You two go. I’m staying. I need to help.”