Ava’s POV
I swallow hard as I look up at Cameron.
He has never looked more intimidating.
It was slightly terrifying how he took out that other Lycan like it was nothing. That other Lycan’s blood is still on Cameron’s face and chest, still wet and shining bright red.
The way he is glaring at me right now, towering over me, all bloody, his eyes wolfish…I can’t imagine this is the same man that made sweet, considerate love to me just hours before and I’m kind of frightened of him.
I swallow again.
If he hadn’t arrived when he had…I wouldn’t be here. There is no doubt in my mind that Lycan would have killed me.
I feel pressure behind my eyes, a huge lump in my throat.
Cameron lifts an eyebrow at me, his face hard, unforgiving.
“I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have gone! I just wanted to help the pack, like everyone else is doing. I didn’t think…”
“Damn right you didn’t think!” Cameron yells, his eyes wild. “You nearly died! If I had been one second later, you would have!”
I chew on my lip.
“I know.” My voice is small.
I feel the tears run down my cheek.
Cameron runs his hand through his hair and turns away from me.
“I’m so sorry.” I sniff. “It was so scary. They came out of nowhere…and if it weren’t for you…” I swallow hard again, the tears falling faster.
I see Cameron shake his head, but he still doesn’t turn around.
“I need to go check on the situation. If you try to leave again, I’ll have to start locking you in, for your own safety.” He voice is a harsh growl.
He turns to leave without saying anything else.
As he opens the door, Lily is standing there, her hand raised as if about to knock. She’s wearing a pink satin camisole and matching tiny shorts, with a short pink satin robe tied loosely around her waist. Her pink eye mask is on top of her head and pink fluffy house slippers on her feet.
Her eyes are wide as she looks at Cameron, covered in blood, and then past him to look at me.
“Ava!” She squeals and runs over to me. “Oh my god! I heard that you were in the forest during the attack! I was so worried!” She wraps her thin arms around me and I bury my face into her shoulder to cry.
I hear the door close and know that Cameron is gone, which makes me cry harder knowing how upset he is with me.
“It’s okay!” Lily squeezes me tight. “You’re okay.”
I sniff and pull away, giving her a small smile.
“Thank you, Lily.” I grasp both of her hands. “Thank you for coming to check on me.”
“Of course!” Lily looks up and down at me. Taking in my tousled hair and somewhat bloody clothes from when Cameron carried me.
“I’m glad you are okay.” She bites her lip nervously. “I…I also heard that Ralph was in the forest?” She looks at me earnestly.
Oh.
Oooh.
I look more closely at Lily. She’s not only in her pajamas, but she doesn’t have an ounce of make-up on. Her hair isn’t perfect, but slightly sticking out from the eye mask on top of her head.
She doesn’t even have lip gloss on.
I thought maybe she had dashed up here when she had heard about me…and maybe a part of it was about me…but I have a feeling that an even bigger part, was about Ralph.
Lily would never dare let anyone see her like this, but she risked it for Ralph. I definitely have underestimated their relationship.
“Ralph was there.” I try to be delicate, my stomach going into knots as an image of Ralph, bleeding and slumped over, comes to mind. I swallow hard.
“He…he was attacked…” Lily gasps and pulls her hands away to cover her face, but I continue quickly. “but I think he will be okay. He was being carried out of the forest and he was still conscious. He seemed to put up a good fight.”
She looked at me from in-between her spread fingers.
“You…you think he’s okay?”
I nod, hoping it’s true.
“Should we go visit him in the pack hospital?”
I think about Cameron’s hard face as he loomed over me, threatening to lock me in the room.
“Uh…not now.”
I look at Lily again. She looks so child-like as she holds onto her face.
“We can later, when Caleb or Cameron gets back and can take us.”
Lily bites her lip at the mention of Caleb’s name.
“Caleb went out there too. He woke me up as he was leaving through mindlink, told me there was another attack and he had to go help.”
“I think he will be fine. The attackers had already left. I think they were wounded.”
Lily visibly relaxes.
“Cameron killed one.”
Lily’s eyes go wide.
“He did?”
I nod.
“It was about ready to attack me, it was lounging at me, when Cameron came out of nowhere and fought it off. Ripped his neck out. Like it was nothing.”
Lily stares at me in horror.
“But…but why were you out there?”
I lean over and put my face in my hands. Ugh…I was so stupid! Why did I go out there? Surely, I knew it couldn’t be a good idea! How will Cameron ever trust me again?
I feel fresh waves of shame as I remember how I just crouched in terror as the Lycan came towards me, I didn’t even try to fight!
I won’t cower again. Next time, I’ll fight. I’ll be ready.
“Ava?”
I sit back up.
Lily looks questioningly at me.
I sigh. “I went to patrol duty.”
“Wh-what? Why?”
“I wanted to do my part to help the pack.”
Lily shakes her head as she looks at me.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ava.”
I almost laugh. No duh, Lily.
Then I feel slightly sick as I realize that even Lily thought what I was doing was a bad idea and I still did it.
Cameron is never going to forgive me.