Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Ava's POV

I stood in front of the river that has become my place of solace and threw pebbles into it. "Are you okay?" I heard Fernandez's voice behind me. I took one sharp look at him and continued throwing pebbles into the river. "Are we still going to continue with this silent treatment? it's been a week, we cannot continue like this." he said.

"What do you want Fernandez?" I asked, my back still turned against him.

"I'm sorry, I truly am." he said apologetically.

"That wasn't the question. What do you want?" I asked again.

"Can we just stop this already?" he said with a pleading voice. "We've been friends since we were toddlers. Are you now going to use the Queen's attitude on me too?" he asked.

I turned sharply at him. "Do not blame me for whatever is going on between us. It is all your fault. You're the reason why I'm acting cold toward you." I said to him letting out the pent up anger inside of me. "I'm sorry I blurted out about you and Skye. I was upset. I was angry. You wouldn't strike the alpha and you had this look I've never seen in your eyes. A look of tenderness towards him and.."

"Stop, stop stop," I said getting irritated. "Just stop it okay?" I raised my hands' mid air and turned to the river. "For goodness sake, I was only paying the alpha back in his own coin. He spared me once and I did the same." I said.

"And the other days?" he questioned raising a brow in skepticism. I turned angry eyes at him.

"What is it with you and the blood moon alpha?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "The blood alpha is.." he began.

"I don't want to hear it." I said cutting him short. "Are you here to apologize or you're here to give me a lecture?" I asked.

"I'm not here for lectures. I'm here to apologize." he said.

I looked away from him. "It's fine." I said facing the river. Suddenly, I felt hands wrapped around me from behind and lips kissing my cheek repeatedly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, Ava. You don't have an idea how happy I am right now." he said to me and I chuckled. "Enough now Fernandez." I said to him but he wouldn't stop. "I've missed you so much." I heard him whisper in my ears, his arms still wrapped around me.

I laughed and rested my hands on his. "Me too." I said as we kept standing in front of the river. I turned in his arms. "Come to think of it best friend, you have not told me who that lucky girl who took your heart is." I said to him.

He smiled. "Believe me I'll tell you when the timing is right." he said to me.

.....................

Skye's POV

Robin and I walked into town after he came over with a message that the people in the city were having suspicions about the happenings in the forest. Some had even started telling tales about having encounters with wolves becoming humans at night. If such rumors kept spreading about the reality of us, sooner than later, we'll get discovered. I had made sure my pack's hunting grounds were far from the townspeople to avoid issues like this. It was left to me to find out who was careless enough to reveal their identity.

Earlier on, I had sent a message across to the other packs in the city for a meeting with a few humans who had knowledge about us. These humans were people who had become mates to werewolves and were at high ranks of offices in the city. It was our duty to ensure that such tales were not to be told and peradventure it was, there should be no evidence to support it. Therefore remaining a myth. We walked down a street and saw the people holding sticks and lit torches.

Straining my eyes further, I realized a girl was in their midst and she looked little. "Let's burn her!" some people kept yelling. Others threw different fruits and pebbles at her. "What's going on here?" I demanded as I got closer to them. They stopped throwing things at her. "She's a witch!" they yelled. "And deserves to be burnt!" they added.

"Enough!" I said in a growl that made them stop and took steps backward as they stared at me in fear and astonishment. I pulled the young girl up. She looked unkempt and tattered. "Who said she's a witch?" I asked the mob. "I did," A young man signified and I singled him out of the crowd. "I saw her practicing witchcraft." he said and the mob began yelling again. One threw a tomato right on her face and she broke into tears again. "Enough!" I bellowed at them and they stopped looking shaken. "Any witnesses?" I asked. He nodded. "My friends saw her too." he said pointing at his friends who nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll take this witch from here and give her the punishment that she deserves." I said. "Let's kill her here and now! she doesn't deserve to live!" they yelled. I tried my best to keep my temper in check and not flare up. "I've made the decision already and you all will heed to it." I said to them with authority evident in my voice. "And who are you to tell us what to do?" The young man who had caught her in the act said. I took a step forward as Eros threatened to surface. The tiny hairs at the nape of my neck sprouted to a stand.

Robin held my shoulder. "Don't Skye." he said. Their annoying demeanor had almost made me lose control and expose myself. That would have been disastrous. "It's Skye." One out of the mob said in realization. Finally, someone could tell it was me. I was quite popular in town, being the son of Nicholas Robert who was a nobleman and well known for his books. I was also popular in my own way. A few structures and buildings the people made use of were constructed by my pack and me. I took a deep breath. "I believe now that I am permitted to take this issue from here." I said and they finally agreed and left one by one. I turned to the girl. "Are you okay?" I asked, noticing a few scratches and bruises on her body. She nodded. "Thank you." she said to me. I turned to Robin. "Take her to the pack house." I said. He nodded and stretched out his hand. "Shall we?" he asked. She placed her hand in his and I watched them walk away.