Ava’s POV
I chew my lip as I look at Lily.
That is a great question. What is going on? Why did scary guy just say that to me?
My fingers itch for my phone, to call Cameron and tell him right away what happened.
At the same time, it almost feels childish to run and tell Cameron, as if I can’t handle myself.
“Ava!”
Oh!
I look guiltily up at Lily who is tugging nervously on her long, sleek ponytail.
“Was that how training usually is? It seemed so…so violent.” Lily shudders.
I sigh.
“No. Rachel just hates me.”
Ava looks at me in surprise.
“Why would she hate you?”
“Because she was dating Cameron before he mated to me.”
Lily’s eyes go even wider and she covers her mouth with her hand.
“He broke up with her to be with me. She isn’t happy about it. So, she hates me. It was the perfect opportunity for her to get revenge on me.”
Lily lowers her hand.
“Cameron was so mad…he looked scary.”
She is not wrong.
We stand in silence for a moment.
Lily gets a devastated look on her face.
“Is…is that how you felt towards me when I mated with Caleb?”
I feel as if someone squeezes my heart as I look at Lily. She seems truly upset at the thought that I would hate her, and I have to admit, it is a little shocking to me that she would even care. She never seemed to give it a second thought that she took my boyfriend.
Her face seems to get more desperate as I watch, thinking of the right answer.
Do I lie?
I sigh again.
“No, I never hated you, Lily. I couldn’t hate you.”
She still looks worried as she looks at me, waiting for me to go on.
“I was just…just really hurt. I was really…sad. For a long time. But I never hated you. I never even blamed you.”
Lily looks at me hesitantly, then seems to decide that I am telling the truth because her entire body seems to relax.
Then to my horror, a tear escapes down her cheek and she throws her arms around me.
“Oh Ava! Caleb hates me! I just know it! He doesn’t want to be my mate. He never even talks to me, he doesn’t even touch me anymore!”
It takes me a moment to move, lifting my hands and patting Lily awkwardly on her slightly boney back.
Actually, now that I put my arms around her, it does seem like she has gotten a lot thinner.
I rack my mind trying to think of what to say.
Lily never opens about to me. She always keeps things very surface level, or so it seemed.
Do I tell her what Caleb said to me?
No. I cannot do that to her.
“Ava…could you please, please talk to Caleb? Just tell me if he is going to reject me.”
Lily pulls away from me, sniffing and wiping at her cheeks.
I feel frustration building inside of me.
What the hell is Caleb doing? You don’t mess around on your mate!
I nod at Lily.
“Lily, can you put some food together for Cameron and me to have lunch outside, you can join us too, if you like. I am going to go find Caleb right now.”
Lily nods eagerly.
“Thank you, Ava!” She wraps her thin arms around me again. “You are the best sister.”
I feel closer to Lily then ever as I hug her back.
I release her and practically stomp down the hall to Caleb’s office.
I slow down slightly when I get closer to the door and listen to see if there might be other people in the office, but it’s silent. He might not even be in.
I take a deep breath and yank the door open and step inside.
Caleb is sitting at his desk with his elbows on the desk, his head in his hands.
He doesn’t even lift his head to look at me.
“What is it, Ava?”
His voice sounds tired. I feel my anger start to ebb away.
I turn around and shut the door behind me, reminding myself to stay angry, be strong!
I turn back around and walk up to Caleb’s huge desk and put my palms flat on the desk and lean over, staring at the top of Caleb’s head.
He raises his head slowly and I hesitate.
His hair is sticking up all over, as if he has been running his hands through his hair all night. He has dark circles under his eyes too, as if he hasn’t slept in days.
“What is it?”
He repeats.
I mentally shake my head. Focus.
“What are you doing, Caleb? Why aren’t you being with your mate? I am not your mate, remember? Lily is. Stop messing around.”
Caleb looks down at the desk and lets his hands fall in front of him. He doesn’t say anything.
“Caleb!”
He glances up at me.
“I heard you, Ava.”
He runs his hand through his hair, making it stick up even more.
“I just…can’t deal with that right now.”
“What? What do you mean? She is your mate! You have to deal with it. She can help you…”
“No. She cannot help me.”
He pushes his chair back and stands up, his back to me.
“What do you mean? Of course, she can!”
Caleb runs his hands through his hair again and turns around, laying his hands flat on the desk across from me, his eyes looking more awake.
“Ava, do you have any idea what is happening right now? We are under attack. Cameron is planning on going on offense and taking the attack to them. Which means, I am going to have to tell my pack, who are not Lycans, that they have to go find and fight Lycans, which there is no way we will escape from without people dying. MY people dying.”
I stand in shock for a moment.
Cameron…said what?
I swallow.
“You…are going in search of the Red Night pack?” My voice is small and strangled.
He lets out a huge sigh and stands back up.
“That is what the Lycans want to do.”
Why didn’t Cameron tell me this? What if he gets hurt? My stomach clenches at the thought.
Caleb looks at me. “Ah. Sorry Ava. I shouldn’t have put this on you.”
He comes around the desk and wraps his arm around me.
“Wh-when are you planning this attack? How will you even find them?”
Caleb sighs and steps back.
“That is the problem, trying to find them. We’d have to split up, so we will be more vulnerable.”
I think about Eric on the dining hall floor, of Ralph, slumped over Luca’s shoulder, the other Lycan’s head flopping unconsciously. Poor Benny….
“No. You cannot go looking for them!”
I look at Caleb in desperation.
He looks exhausted as he leans against the desk.
“If we don’t, when will the attacks stop? We can’t live in fear all huddled in the safety circle forever.”
I need to see Cameron. I need to talk to him.
I start to leave, but Caleb grabs my hand and raises his eyebrows at me.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to find Cameron.”
“You can’t tell him what I told you, I haven’t shared it with the pack yet. We are still only discussing the plan.”
“So?”
“So? So why would you know the plan then?”
Oh. I see what he means.
“He knows we use to date.”
Caleb’s eyes widen and then a look of understanding covers his face.
“That explains a lot.”
“What do you mean?”
Caleb smiles sarcastically and shakes his head.
“It’s nothing. I just got a sense that he wasn’t too fond of me.”
I chew on my lip.
“Maybe let Cameron tell you the plan on his own time, Ava?”
Caleb stands up and grips my arms.
“No need to tell him we still talk so often.”
“We don’t.”
He raises an eyebrow at me.
“I just wanted to tell you that you are an idiot for not treating your mate better.”
I turn around and leave Caleb at the desk alone.
I need to find Cameron. Now.