THE AWAKENING

CHAPTER SIX

Ava’s POV

The air between us was heavy. Sage's eyes, still glowing faintly with that threatening golden hue, bore into mine as silence stretched long and sharp between us. I stood pinned to the wall, my chest heaving, every nerve in my body strung tight like a bowstring.

His earlier accusation hung in the air like a curse.

“You don't get to accuse me of what you’re guilty of,” I had said. The words echoed in my ears, venomous and reckless.

Sage’s lips parted slightly, his brows furrowing with confusion and something else—fear, maybe.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat dried up instantly. The implication of what I had said settled over me like a stone. I hadn’t meant to say it. Not yet. Not like that.

I swallowed hard, breaking our stare.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I said quickly.

“I was upset. That’s all.” My tone was clipped, defensive.

He tilted his head, his gaze narrowing. “Then what did you mean, Ava?”

"I mean…you don’t trust me."

"You never have."

"You always jump to conclusions," I said, brushing past him as I walked toward the door. “I’m not in the mood to argue, Sage.”

“Ava—”

“I said drop it!” I snapped, not daring to glance back.

“I’m going home.”

I walked out, my legs trembling beneath me.

The ride home was a blur. The forest trees zipped by like shadows, whispering things I didn’t want to hear. My wolf was quiet—too quiet—as if even she couldn’t decide what to feel.

When I finally reached home, I slammed the door shut behind me and leaned against it. The silence was deafening. I could still feel Diego’s lips on my neck, still hear his husky whisper: “I can’t get enough of you.”

I touched my neck, warmth lingering in the places he kissed. And gods, I hated how badly I wanted more.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” I whispered.

I dragged myself to my room, collapsing onto the bed without bothering to remove my boots. The ceiling spun slowly above me as my thoughts tangled around each other.

"He’s your fated mate," my wolf whispered.

But he also rejected me earlier today.

Still, the way he looked at me in that kitchen…like I was the only thing he had ever craved in his life.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to find peace.

It didn’t last.

The bedroom door slammed open. I sat up with a start.

My mother stormed in first, followed by my father—his face thunderous—and behind them, as smug as sin, stood Sage.

“Ava!” my mother barked. “What in the goddess’ name do you think you’re doing?!”

“What—?”

“Don’t you ‘what’ me!” my father cut in, pointing a shaking finger at me.

“We just heard from Sage what’s been going on between you and the Alpha King.”

I stood up slowly. “You didn’t even ask for my side—”

“Your side?” Mother hissed.

"What side is there when you’ve been throwing yourself at a man cursed by the goddess herself?"

"Do you have any idea what kind of danger you’re putting yourself in?"

“I didn’t—!”

“Enough!” my father roared. "You will not see him again, Ava."

"Do you hear me? The King’s bloodline is cursed! Everyone knows what happened to his last mate. She died screaming his name, blood dripping from her eyes!"

My heart thundered in my chest. “You believe that nonsense? It’s just a story.”

“He is dangerous!” my mother snapped. “And if you continue this madness, we will force you to stay away.”

Behind them, Sage didn’t say a word, but his smug grin said everything. He had planned this.

I glared at him. “You told them.”

“I had no choice,” he said with false sincerity. "You’ve been acting irrationally."

"I had to protect you…from yourself."

“You don’t give a damn about me,” I spat.

My father raised his hand to silence me. “This conversation is over. If I see you near the Alpha King again, I’ll personally bind your wolf and keep you locked in the cellar until you come to your senses.”

I gasped. My wolf growled low in my chest.

“You wouldn’t dare,” I whispered.

“Try us,” my mother said coldly.

Then they turned and walked out, Sage giving me one final victorious look before shutting the door behind him.

The moment they left, I collapsed onto the bed, trembling with fury. My body was numb, but inside I was burning. How dare they? How dare they treat me like some disobedient child?

I could barely breathe. Diego’s name clawed at the back of my throat, but I swallowed it down.

Later that night, when the house had gone quiet and shadows pooled along the corners of the hallway, I crept from my room. Sleep was impossible. Every fiber of me screamed in frustration, confusion and something else. Curiosity.

I hadn’t seen Alvin all day. My twin. The one person who was supposed to have my back no matter what, someone I had trusted my whole life and the same person who was trying to destroy me. He had been quiet, a little too quiet.

Something wasn’t right.

My instincts led me down the hallway, barefoot and careful not to make the floors creak. A faint sound drifted from the east wing of the house—the old sun-room that no one used anymore. Just murmurs at first. Then low voices.

I crept toward it, ducking low when I saw the light beneath the door.

Two voices.

Sage.

And Alvin.

How they looked at each other was something I only noticed after I died, rather than after they killed me.

A thick knot formed in my gut.

I knew about them. The lingering touches, the glances, the late-night disappearances. But I hadn’t confronted them—not because I was afraid, but because a part of me didn’t want it to be over just yet. I wanted revenge, to find out more about why they were doing this to me.

But now I couldn’t look away.

I crouched near the door, peering through the narrow slit of wood.

They were sitting close. Too close. Sage’s hand was on Alvin’s thigh, his thumb moving in slow, lazy circles. But what caught me off guard wasn’t the touch. That was the tone of their conversation.

“He’s getting close to her,” Sage murmured.

“I saw it in the kitchen. She looked like she would’ve let him take her right there.”

Alvin scoffed. “Then maybe it’s time we move things forward.”

Sage raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"The plan was to keep her occupied for now—not destroy her yet."

"She’s becoming a liability," Sage said.

"You said so yourself," Alvin whispered.

“If she finds out what we did—about the signet ring—”

My heart stopped.

The ring of Werewolf ownership?

"You think Diego will protect her if he learns she was involved, even unknowingly?"

"He’ll rip her apart." Alvin’s voice was low, deliberate.

“I thought we would only do that after the marriage. If we do it now, things can get chaotic.”

“Then put her in check, or I will.”

Silence stretched between them. Then Sage leaned in, kissing Alvin’s jaw softly.

“Then we’ll do what we have to do,” he whispered. “Before she ruins everything, I'll handle it.”

My lungs refused to work. My fingers trembled against the wall.

What ring? What about Diego? What the hell were they talking about?

I took a step back—

CRACK.

The wood beneath my heel snapped.

The sound echoed.

Both heads turned toward the door.

Sage’s eyes narrowed.

Alvin stood slowly.

Footsteps. Heavy. Approaching.

I turned to run—but a shadow moved behind me.

A presence.

A hand gripped my wrist.

And a voice—familiar and terrifying—whispered behind me,

“Well, well… look what we have here.”