Escaping Fate

AVA

I approach Alpha Black, my head bowed low. He chuckles, a sound filled with victory, and scoops me up into his arms, pressing me against his chest before his lips crash onto mine. The bond between us ignites my body, a sensation I despise.

His tongue forces its way into my mouth. My fingers curl around his thick neck while my other hand tangles in his hair. I can feel the tension radiating from Abel and Dominic. I let out a moan, feigning pleasure.

Alpha Black pulls back, his eyes meeting mine as he growls, asserting his dominance. His eyes darken, the bond between us tugging at him.

I press my lips back onto his, my legs wrapping around his waist. I grind against him, eliciting a low growl of pleasure from him.

Seizing the moment, I yank his hair and bite down on his lip, tasting his blood in my mouth and feeling it smear across my face.

I drop down, the sudden shift in weight causing Black to stumble onto his knees. I kick him in the ribs, the sound of a satisfying crack filling the air. I crouch down in front of him, giggling at the sight of blood pouring from his mouth.

He reaches out to grab me, but I spit his blood back at him. He retaliates by pushing me to the ground and pinning me there.

I flash him a defiant grin as he slaps me. I can taste the blood in my mouth from the impact and spit it out onto the ground. His gaze is a mix of anger and desire.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Abel leading my brother and father out of the room. The only ones left are Dominic and Beta Louis, who watches us with a scowl.

“Why don’t you take what you want?” I suggest, my voice dripping with false flirtation. “I know you’re curious about the effects of our bond.” Alpha Black’s eyes light up—he knows exactly what I’m implying. As the tension escalates, Louis leaves the room.

“My feisty little wolf, you seem to enjoy our battles. Are you sure it’s not you who desires me? I could claim you right here and no one would intervene. Even that vampire you’re fond of would be forced to watch as I take what he covets.”

His words are harsh, yet filled with longing. I glance at Dominic, who remains in the room, observing the unfolding drama from behind his desk.

“You have no idea what I desire. It could be you, your beta, the second grand elder, or even Grand Elder Dominic for all you know.” I hear Dominic chuckle at my words, while Black growls in response.

“Did I upset you? After all, you’re the one who maintains our bond, not me. I know you felt my rejection a few weeks ago…for hours. You can’t possibly think I’d want you after that,” I retort, a smile playing on my lips.

I shove Alpha Black off me and return to Dominic’s side.

“It seems the lady is done with you,” Dominic comments. “Your companions have already left. I suggest you follow suit.” With a final growl, Alpha Black storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

I turn to Dominic, who looks rather pleased. I touch my mouth, trying to wipe away Alpha Black’s blood. Dominic’s gaze lands on my mouth, and he takes a deep breath before wiping the blood away with his finger and licking it off.

His eyes darken to a deep mahogany, and I lean in to kiss him, allowing him to feed on my wound. His hand threads through my hair, the other resting on the small of my back.

We stay like this for a few minutes, my blood flowing from my mouth into his. His tongue explores my mouth as he drinks from me.

He sucks on my lip for a moment before nicking his own fang with his tongue, causing it to bleed. He smears his blood onto my lip, healing it almost instantly, then licks the remaining blood off my face and neck, eliciting a moan from me.

The door opens and Abel rushes in, pulling me away from Dominic.

“What the hell are you doing?” Abel shouts at him. Still on edge, I wrap my arms around Abel and attempt to kiss him, but he just stares at my swollen mouth.

“You fed on her! She’s mine—we agreed,” Abel accuses Dominic, holding me close as I continue to kiss his neck. Then it hits me.

“Guys, please stop arguing. We have a bigger issue. I’m in heat,” I confess, burying my face into Abel’s neck.

Dominic laughs. “That doesn’t seem like a problem. Just go fuck Abel and it will pass.” Abel runs a hand through his messy blue hair.

“The issue is,” I murmur, my voice a whisper of its usual self, “Abel isn’t my mate. This means it’s going to be a relentless cycle until my heat ends. Basically, my body will crave sex nonstop.

“Only my mate could satisfy it in one go.”

Abel gazes down at me, his brow furrowed, as he rubs the back of his neck.

“So, what’s your plan?” Dominic asks. “I could give Abel some time off, but I’m not sure how that would work…”

“Could I stay with you, Dominic? Perhaps if I’m away from Abel, I can force my body to calm down. My wolf is too drawn to him. If I’m near him, she’ll keep trying to mate, to quench the desire.

“I realize it’s a hassle, but it would help,” I suggest, stepping away from Abel and moving towards Dominic.

Abel sinks into one of the chairs facing Dominic’s desk. “Ava, you want to stay with another man while you’re in heat?”

His voice is laced with fury. “What’s to stop you from sleeping with him if I’m not around? I mean, you two were kissing when I walked in.”

“Listen, I’m not saying I won’t be tempted, Abel. All I can promise is that I’ll resist. I can’t keep you in bed for days. I know it’s not fair to you, but I can’t think of another solution.

“If I’m at your place, Lyra will be pleading for you to take us. You’ve heard her when she’s not in heat, can you imagine how she’ll be when my heat fully kicks in?” I ask, my voice trembling.

“She’ll be okay here,” Dominic assures. “I can control myself around her. I know you care for her, but remember, when she joins the coven, you both have to separate so the coven can adjust to her.”

Dominic fixes Abel with a stern look. “This is what you both need. Truly.”

Abel storms out of the room, leaving me alone with Dominic.

This might be my first heat, but I can already sense it’s going to be chaotic.

Abel’s the one Lyra would choose, but I need to get through this quickly, which means I need physical contact. I don’t want to have to sleep with someone every time I touch them.

“Are you sure you want me around during your heat?” Dominic questions. I nod and stretch out on the couch, trying to unwind. This is just the start of my heat. I’m going to need a lot of support.

I drift off while Dominic carries on with his meetings. I hear people wondering why there’s a wolf in heat on his couch, and he simply replies that it’s what I wanted.

They usually don’t probe further, but if they do, it’s about why I’m at the coven house to begin with.

Dominic does his best to let me sleep, but I feel him occasionally covering me with a blanket or shifting me so he can sit by my head.

I wake up twice because my body is convulsing terribly and I can’t stop whimpering in pain. He just sits there, stroking my head as I try to fall back asleep, then resumes whatever he was doing.