She belongs to me

Ava didn't stop running until she was deep within the mystical Everwood Forest, her lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. Her wolf, Luna, was furious. Luna had been hesitant about Jaxon at first, but eventually, she was won over, believing he was their mate too. While Ava was heartbroken and fighting back tears, Luna was seething with rage. Ava closed her eyes and allowed Luna to take over, making her promise not to hunt Jaxon down. Luna carried them farther into the woods, and Ava allowed herself to sink into the furthest depths of her mind, trying to turn everything off for a few moments. She couldn't handle the pain. Hours passed, but Ava hardly noticed. She drifted off as Luna hunted and continued running. Finally, Ava came to her senses when soft moss tickled her bare back. The familiar scent of herbs filled the air – rosemary, lavender, and sage invaded her nose, soothing her aching heart. "Ava, dear? Is that you?" A withered voice called out, and Ava felt her heart jump. "You brought me here?" She asked Luna in surprise. "We need her. We're not going back," Luna growled, resenting Ava for thwarting her plans to attack Jaxon. "Grandma Willow?" Ava's voice cracked, and she sat up from the moss. It was nearing dawn, the sun just beginning to rise, casting orange hues along Grandma Willow's small cottage. Her herb gardens swayed gently in the breeze. Ava had always loved coming to her grandmother's place. Her mother had forbidden her and her brother from visiting, holding a grudge against Grandma Willow for years. The story of her mother's mate was not one Ava liked to talk about. Her parents were not mates. Her mother had rejected her true mate when she was younger, seeking out Ava's father when she realized her mate had passed away. Grandma Willow had always resented her daughter for throwing away the sacred mate bond. "Ava, what on earth are you doing here?" Grandma Willow exclaimed, wrapping a woven shawl around Ava's exposed body. She pulled her into a hug, and Ava felt herself break down at the familiar scent and touch of her grandmother. Grandma Willow had a quality that made everyone love her. She was nearly impossible not to get along with. Standing at only 5'2", with long silver hair and laugh lines circling her mouth and eyes, she had never looked better to Ava. "I missed you so much," Ava cried into her shoulder, remembering how her grandmother smelled of herbs and wildflowers. "What's got you all worked up, Ava?" Grandma Willow frowned. "Is it that boy you're dating?" Grandma Willow had always been supportive of Ava's choices, but she constantly reminded her to think things through. Grandma led Ava into her cozy cottage and sat her by the fireplace, placing a fresh set of clothes in her lap. "Tell me, what happened?" she said, sitting next to Ava. And Ava did. She poured her heart out for what seemed like hours. Her grandmother never once threw her mistake back in her face, unlike her mother would have. "I don't want to go back, Grandma. I can't face them," Ava sniffled. "Then you won't go back. You'll stay here with me," Grandma Willow nodded with finality, a determined look on her face that said nobody would stand in her way. "What about Mom and Dad?" Ava sighed, knowing a huge fight between them was brewing. "You let me deal with your parents," Grandma Willow shook her head, placing a cup of tea in Ava's hands. One Year Later "Haha!" Ava laughed, launching herself through the air, maneuvering around the muscular arms that reached out to grab her. She dropped to the ground, dodging limbs and landing her own blows as she went. "Good, Ava, don't let me land any blows," Chris's weary voice yelled out. "Just a few more seconds. He's getting tired," Luna coached her. Ava continued to dodge each move Chris made while landing her own in the process. She could feel him breaking down, growing tired as he threw everything he had at her. "Now!" Luna yelled in her head. Ava leaped at Chris suddenly, his eyes widening in shock before he could defend himself. He turned away, as if he were going to run. Ava landed on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck, putting pressure on his windpipe. After a second or two of holding it there, she jumped off his back and beamed up at him. "That was some good work, kid," Chris nodded appreciatively. "Thanks," Ava smirked, finally having gotten the upper hand on him. Chris rolled his eyes and frowned at her. "Don't go getting cocky now. You still need to work on building your strength." "I know, I know. Just let me have this win," Ava sighed, smiling at Grandma Willow as she came out of the cottage with food and drinks. Ava had been living with her grandmother for almost a year, only talking to her parents once a week. She had stopped calling her mother after a month, as her mom insisted on giving updates about Jaxon and his mate, Brittany – information Ava didn't want to hear. While the memories of Jaxon shattering my heart were vivid, the frantic run to Grandma Willow's cottage through the forest was a blur. "You ran for five hours straight?" I asked Luna in disbelief. "We needed to get as far away from that place as possible," she grumbled. "And now we're going right back." "We don't have a choice," I sighed. "But we're both different now." "You're damn right we are," Luna growled smugly. We approached the edge of Everwood territory and were quickly escorted off the road by wolves guarding the perimeter. I didn't recognize any of them. They emerged from the trees wearing just loose pants hanging low on their hips. I tried not to stare, but the human side of me couldn't help looking. "State your business," one of the men spoke up, his muscular build accentuated by a long scar running down his bicep.