Chapter 3 Second Chapter

**AVA**

I watch as pack members are rushing around to finish getting ready for an entire week of guests. But today isn't just a normal day, today is the day I turn eighteen, and while my wolf has yet to make an appearance, I feel different. Almost like I have an entirely new body, but only this body is filled with unknown powers. In the days leading up to my birthday I've started to plan my escape but without the help of my wolf I wouldn't be able to fulfill anything. I need her wolf abilities to have both the speed and strength to run and jump over the wall that has been holding me captive in this territory.

Happy birthday! I'm your wolf Ember and I am here to help you. My wolf came from the back out of my mind catching me off guard. Embers voice was cheery confident.

Thank you! I'm so happy you're here I really need your help. My brain stopped working as I'm caught off guard as the smell of strawberries dance through the air.

It's our mate, follow that smell. Go to him now. I follow the scent with Ember running circles in the back of my mind almost driving me crazy. The scent leads me to the back of the pack house where I see James looking at me with wide eyes. No, it can't be James My mate? I look around and see no other person, my heart instantly drops. Why in the moon goddess would I be mated with a member of the family that slaughtered my family and pack in cold blood? I go to walk away, I don't want to go through a rejection on my birthday, why is my whole life a joke. I wanted a mate to get me out of here not one that would cause me to get stuck here.

"Ava please come to my office. Please." His face dropped as I turned on my heals and walked away. Not wanting to be rejected on my birthday, why couldn't my mate be the Alpha of another pack? What have I done so wrong to be cursed with James as a mate?

I burst through the doors of the pack house only for James to grab hold of my arm.

"Ava please, just come to my office. Save us both the embarrassment." He says with a hushed voice. Reluctantly I follow James to his office, because he's right save us both the embarrassment, me for being rejected, and him when I use my official title. After all who would be stupid enough to reject a mate from a long line of pure Alpha Bloodline. No human born, no Omega, just generation after generation of wolf born Alphas. It's said that one generation is stronger than the next because something in the wolf DNA alters over time, and it generates the wolfs powers and abilities. I always suspected I would have been stronger then my mother or father.

"Hurry up." James says as he grabs hold of me again and practically drags me up the stairs to his office. James quickly opens the door and pushes me inside his office, more than likely trying to hide the fact he's talking to me and that I am his mate.

As soon as we were in his office, James closed the door and pushes me up against it. I close my eyes expecting him to his me but instead I feel his hand gently brush my hair from my face. I could feel the warmth of James breath against my neck as he places a kiss on my neck and grazes his teeth against the spot he was supposed to mark. As a strange feeling begins to take over my body, I quickly shove him away from me only to find him smirking.

"Don't even think about marking me James I hate you."

"You should be happy I even gave it a thought. I James Quinn of Crescent Moon pack reject you Ava as my mate and Luna." Ember growled in the back of my mind at his rejection.

Calm down Ember, if he didn't reject us, we were going to reject him anyway. If it were tonight, I would have rejected him in front of all his close allies' friends and his family.

**James**

Ava pushes me away from her, and I begin to wonder what's wrong with her? Any other woman would have been quivering and begging for me to have my way with them.

"Don't even think about marking me James I hate you." She snaps and her words begin repeating in the back of my head sending daggers through my heart.

"You should be happy I even gave it a thought. It doesn't matter anyways because, I James Quinn of Crescent Moon pack reject you Ava as my mate and Luna." I snap back at her.

"You would have been a sorry excuse of a Luna anyways." I mutter looking down at my feet. I feel Thane put up a block and it felt like he completely left my body. I feel like I'm almost entirely human, without his support I won't be able to go thru with the first shift. Don't matter adjustments can always be made last minute. Either way this is looked at I am still going to be crowned Alpha of one of the most feared packs in Nova Scotia in just a few short hours regardless of whether I have a mate or Thane comes through.

I look up from the ground expecting to see Ava already leaving, but instead she was still standing in front of me with her head held high, usually females take off running and run away never accepting the rejections.

"Oh ouu ouch I'm hurt. Surprised to see me still standing here? It's because I want to see the look on your greedy face when I reject you. I really wish you would have waited until tonight for this so I could do it in front of all your allies and my old allies but, I digress. I Ava Dariana Stark daughter of Alpha Nathaniel Stark and Heir of Silver Lake pack accept your rejection." I fell back against the edge of my desk, grasping hard enough I think I felt it crack. She was an Alpha by blood more importantly the surviving heir to the Silver Lake pack.

**AVA**

I turned on my heals and high tailed it out of James office not waiting to see the full extent of his reaction. He might try and hide it but, I saw the flicker in James eyes as soon as he rejected me, it's one I only saw once before when I was little, it was the sign of the wolf abandoning their human counter parts. If my theory is correct, he won't go through with his first shift tonight and which unless Luther wants to pass the pack onto a weak Alpha. If it's found out James lost his wolf, Luther won't hand down the title and will be pretty much wasting everyone's time. I let out a loud laugh as James door swings closed. I can't get over the audacity of him to even think about marking me against my will had me steaming. To get over my frustrations I turn my attention to cleaning the guest rooms in preparation for the visiting Alphas and their Betas.

Trying to stay under the radar of James and Luther I swiftly move room to room making sure everything was in perfect order. By the time all the rooms were clean it was hitting one o'clock and the first small group of Alphas were arriving. One by one they filed in thru the door each being greeted by Luther and James who already looks like he's been drained of all his power and energy.

"Karmas a bitch." I mutter underneath my breath with a smirk on my face.

"Ava, be a dear and escort Alpha Ramone to his room." I know it has to be killing Luther over the fact he is practically forced to be nice to me. After all Luther wouldn't want his allies knowing just how big of a jerk he really is now would he?

I recognize Alpha Ramone right off the bat, he was at my old pack house many times for what my father would call a meeting. Sometimes Ramone would bring his family the children and I would play while he and my father seen to business. Which usually consisted of two glasses of brandy and a couple rounds of darts.

"Yes sir." I say as I grab Ramones bags and begin walking toward his guest room. I get the feeling of being watched wash over me as I round the corner to Ramones room. I turn around to find him I could feel him watching me.

"Ava, I can't help but notice you look like my late friend Nathaniel Starks daughter. The resemblance you have to her is uncanny." he says with a tear in his eye.

"I am sorry Alpha I have heard that many times different Alphas over the years." I say as I proceed walking to the door at the far end of the hall way. I stop in front of his room and unlock the door. Stepping inside I place his bags on the floor and extend him his key. Ramone was my father's best friend, and I knew how close the two of them really were. The hurt in his voice when he mentioned me and my father almost brought me to tears. I wanted nothing more than to grab hold of him and tell him it is me and that I am alive, but right now is not the proper time. I was fighting back tears when Ramone put his hand on my shoulder, I got to get out of here before I start crying. Ramone takes the key from my hand and dropped his hands to his side.

"Dinner will be served at seven." I say as I turn and walk away. Once I knew I was out of his line of sight I broke out in a run towards my room, my one place of solitude and only place where I am not hounded to do something.

Once I reach my room I quickly open the door and slip inside undetected and lock it. I drag my feet to my bad and just flop down on my back and bury my face in my pillow.

I wake up to the sound of Luther shouting and banging on my locked door. Before I can could get up to unlock the door Luther rips it clean off its hinges and pulls me out of bed. Luther continues shouting as drags me out of from my room and down the hallway.

"If you think your identity is any secret from me little miss orphan." He begins to mock me "You're horrible mistaken Ava Stark. The only reason and I mean the only reason you are still alive is because the laws prevent me from killing you. Keep disobeying me and I'll send you to join your parents Dariana and Nathaniel." He mutters in a hushed tone so no one but me could hear him, his sharp teeth just inches from my throat.

"Get in there and clean." He snaps as shoves me thru the doors of the dance hall without saying anything else to me. Pack members were rushing around and packing things away and clearing tables. The tables were pretty much already cleared of its contents and the leftover food has been packed away. I pick the job that I suspect is going to take me the longest, wiping down and moving the tables to the edge of the room. As long as I can stay away from any one in Crescent Moon, the better the rest of my birthday will be.

I was moving the last of the table's, as of the Alphas started to make their way into the hallways into the dance hall. All the chatter confirms my earlier suspicion; James will shockingly not shift but would still get the title of Alpha. Using the excuse, he wanted to find his mate and shift with her for the first time when she becomes Luna. So there goes my entire idea of taking off while everyone is on that pack run, oh well I have an entire week plus my wolf to figure something out.

I make my way around the dance hall collecting the discarded glassware. Just over an hour ago handed down the title of Alpha to James and all the Alphas and Betas started mingling, ignoring the new Alpha entirely. There was hushed whispers throughout the night, talks about how I look the daughter of Nathaniel Stark. Each time I hear I look like my father it's a struggle not to break down crying. I miss my mother and father greatly, but they would both want me to stay strong and get myself out of this endeavor alive. I hold back my tears as I walk into the kitchen only to be knocked backwards by the swinging door. I fall to the ground and the champagne glasses I was carrying hit the floor and shatter around me. I look up to see Erica coming out stuffing her face with pretty much an entire cheese plate. Erica looks down at me with a look of utter disgust, almost like I insulted her by her knocking me over. I go to stand up but Erica only shoves me back down to the ground with her foot. My hands land in the pile of glass and I slice the palm of my hand open. The glass digs deeper as I push myself up off the floor. I look at my hands that are now filled with cuts that shout probably be seen to by a medical professional.

"Look what you did!" She snapped at me gesturing towards the glass on the ground. "That was all imported crystal!"

"Yea what I did, you know what else I'm going to do? This!" I say as I slap my bloodied hands against her pale gold dress.

"You...You, bitch!" she says as she stomps her feet and brings her hand up to punch me.

I catch ahold of her wrist before she can connect to my head. A smirk begins to form on my face as I fling her hand back to her side with force. Erica let out a loud frustrated shriek Luther and Madison quickly joined her side. Luther examines Erica's dress that's now stained with my blood and then at my hands.

"Apologize to Erica! Before I...." His eyes begin to go black with anger.

"Before you what kill me? Go ahead kill the daughter of Nathaniel Stark in front of all his friends. Kill me just like you killed my pack!" I shouted at Luther cutting him off. The ears of many guests began to perk up and they slowly began surrounding us.

"How dare you spew that filth in my house!" I see something snap inside Luther as he grabs hold of my throat. I feel his claws beginning to dig into the back of my neck, my vision going black and fuzzy. Luther tosses me to the ground and drags me towards the pond in the back of the pack house. A large group of people followed us outside throwing me on the ground, kneeling beside me and grabs hold of my head, taking in one last breath before Luther shoved my head underwater. Slowly I feel every breath of air leaving my body, my lungs begin to hurt, and soon I find everything turning completely black and silent.

***Unknown***

Finally, that idiot Luther handed down the title of Alpha to his knuckle headed son James and the treaty between is now expired and, I have absolutely zero plans to renew the treaty between my pack and the Crescent Moon. They are nothing but a pack of ruthless murderers, that if killing their own parents meant they'd gain any sort of power they would do it. They will take you for everything your worth until you are no longer worth anything and then they will attack you. Crescent Moon is known for attacking pack regardless of the treaty status and I'm just over it.

I'm making my way through the large sea of people when the smell of cinnamon buns begins dancing through my nose. The scent alone was enough for Kade to start acting like a wild animal. But somethings off about the scent, somethings wrong and the scent is fading as each seconds passes by. I quickly follow the scent as it led me to a large group people that's formed around the small pond around back of the house. I shove members of the group out of my way with force and make my way to the front of the pack, where I see Luther holding a young girls head under the water. The scent leads me right to her side.

That's our mate he's hurting! Let me at him! Kade snarls and snaps as he begs me to let him out.

"Get away from my mate now!" I say as I shove Luther sending him flying forward into the icy water.

"Tyler get the car!" I order as I carefully lift my mate out of the cold water. I check for a pulse and there is a very faint one. I carefully lift my mate in my arms and walk towards the front of the pack house with her in my arms.

"What are you doing? You can't just take her!" James yells at me as he blocks my path.

I completely ignore James as I walk around him, I only have one thing on my mind and that's saving my mate. I can see Tyler pulling up with my car as I am rounding the front of the pack house. When I get to the car Tyler quickly jumps out and opens the door. I carefully lower the frail body I was carrying into the back seat. I cover her with a warm blanket and hold her against me to at least try and keep her warm. Thankfully for Luther's sake she is still breathing, barely but still breathing.

What have I done for the Moon Goddess to give me another chance at having a mate only to take her away again? The questions kept coming to my mind as Tyler came to a stop in front of the pack hospital. As soon I as I walked in thru the doors with my mate in my arms nurses immediately began rushing to my aid.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure she's covered in blood and her head was being held under water when I found her." I couldn't get another word out before the nurses started placing a tube down her throat to assist in her breathing. In the quick drive from the pack house to the hospital her breathing has become extremely faint. Already I can feel the pain of the bond slowly dissipating before its even had a chance to form. I grab hold of her hand as she's poked and prodded with needles. There are lines in her arm to replace the blood their taking and what she's lost, lines giving and taking fluids. Her face is sunken, her rib cage exposed underneath her skin. A line of scars run the length of pretty much her entire body from what I can only suspect was a whip made of silver.

When everyone was gone, and all the tests were complete I look at my mate whose body looks like it is ready to just give up.

"Please hang on My Love I can't lose you too." I kiss the back of her hand as a lone tear slowly begins to fall from the corner of my eye.

"Alpha" I hear as a light knock sounds on the door. I brush the water from my eyes as I look up to see an older gentleman in a white lab coat. I nod for him to come in and he approaches me with an outstretched hand.

"I'm Dr. Hamilton, I'll be over seeing your mates care. I'm not cutting to sugar coat anything I'm not like that. So far the test results that have come back aren't good, they have come back that she's malnourished. All her cell counts are extremely low even for an Omega wolf." He pauses and takes in a deep breath "We are going to keep her overnight. With the extent of her injuries, I do not expect her to wake until morning or even a few days. Do you know her name?" My stomach turned with disgust at every word he said but his question caught me off guard. What kind of doctor don't know the name of a pack member especially one that has scars and cuts with signs of infection?

"You don't know her name?"

"I'm sorry I do not. I have never seen her before I can only assume, she was a rogue Luther brought in and made an Omega. Are you staying here or returning to the Pack house?" He was quick to change the topic, he had the bedside manner of a cuddly porcupine.

"I'll be staying by her side" I say as I sit in the chair at my mate's bedside and look over at Tyler who is standing guard at the door. "No offence Doctor I don't trust anyone in this pack alone with her."

"I understand. I must say I would be the same way if this were my mate. I'll have the porter bring in a cot as soon as she gets a chance." He says with a small smile.

"Thank you" I say as I pull a chair to my mates beside and sit, I fell in love with her the moment I lifted her frail body into my arms. I brush my hand along her swollen check, you the signs neglect and abuse, but she is still beautiful. I lift my gaze to Tyler who is shifting from foot to foot trying to keep himself awake.

"Go grab a coffee." I say to him in a whispered shout and without saying a word he takes off from his post. Poor boy is ready to drop which does not surprise me, we have been awake since 6:30 this morning. I choose to arrive last minute so I didn't have to deal with Luther and James. Now I regret it, had I been here sooner I could have prevented this from happening to her she would already be claimed as my mate. I lean back in my chair and close my eyes. I wake up to the feeling of my mates.' hand being pulled from mine and I instantly snap awake.