Chapter 4 The Mysterious Mate and a Family Crisis Unleashed

Mark's POV

I was in class when Brittany called, but I rejected her call. She kept calling persistently, so I excused myself and went outside to take the call.

"Hello," I answered.

"Mark, Evangeline fainted, and she's in the infirmary now," Brittany said urgently.

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"I don't know what happened, but I saw that boy from the seven brothers standing in front of her when she fainted," Brittany explained. I hung up the phone and immediately rushed towards the infirmary.

As I entered, I noticed Ryder standing beside the door, but I ignored him and hurried inside to see what had happened to Evangeline.

"Mark, you can't come in. Please wait outside," the doctor said firmly.

"Doctor Natalie, she's my sister, and I need to know what happened to her," I pleaded, overwhelmed with worry.

"We are examining her. Please go out now," the doctor replied. As much as I wanted to stay, I also needed to know what had happened, so I reluctantly left the room.

Outside, I saw Brittany talking to Ryder, and she appeared frightened. Without a second thought, I approached them and pulled Brittany back.

"How dare you scare my friend?" I asked angrily.

"I didn't do anything. I was just asking her about class routines because, you know, I haven't been in college for a long time," Ryder replied defensively.

Before I could respond, the doctor emerged from the room looking nervous.

"What happened? Why are you so nervous?" I inquired anxiously.

"Y-your sister ran away," she stammered, causing me to gasp in shock.

"What?!" I shouted.

"She told me to meet her at your training spot," the doctor explained. Without wasting another moment, I left the infirmary in a rush.

But as I exited the college, I noticed Ryder following me, which made me suspicious of his intentions. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, I tapped into my powers and disappeared, vanishing from sight.

When I arrived at our training spot, I found Ava wearing her training suit, running as if she were preparing for a marathon.

"Ava, stop!" I called out, causing her to halt and sit down on a nearby bench.

I approached her and took a seat beside her, and she leaned on my shoulder.

"Why, out of all the people in the world, did he have to be my mate?" she questioned, sounding sad and troubled.

"What? You've found your mate?" I asked, shocked by the revelation.

"Yes, and I don't know if he's good or bad," she replied with uncertainty.

"But Ava, who is your mate? Tell me, and I'll gather all the information about him," I offered.

"He's a vampire," she confessed.

"Is he the boy who was standing in front of you when you fainted?" I inquired.

She sighed and leaned on my shoulder. "Who is he, and why does he have to be my mate in this whole world?" she wondered aloud, clearly distressed.

"Ava, are you scared of him? Did he hurt you?" I asked, deeply concerned.

"No, big brother, he didn't do anything. He was just standing in front of me. I fainted because I gained a new power, and I tried to control it from manifesting in front of everyone," she explained, shocking me.

"Ava, what is your..." I couldn't finish my sentence as I received a voice note from Uncle Joseph.

"Ava, we need to go. Mom fell down the stairs, and she's in the hospital," the message said.

Without a second thought, we rushed to the hospital, and when we saw Mom, she had a plaster on her foot. We ran towards her and embraced her tightly. Ava was the first to speak up.

"Mom, how did you get hurt, and where were all the servants?" she asked in concern.

I chimed in, "Mom, what happened? How did you fall?"

"Shhh, Ava and Mark, both of you just stop worrying. I'm fine. I tripped over your skateboard, Mark," Mom explained. Upon hearing that, Ava punched me in the face.

"Ouch! What was that for?" I exclaimed.

"I always told you to keep your things in place, but you never listen to me. Now look, Mom is hurt," Ava scolded, almost hitting me again.

"Look at you both, still fighting like children," Mom intervened, putting an end to our squabble.

"But, Mom, she..." I started to say, but I noticed the nervous expression on Ava's face.

"What happened, Ava?" Dad asked, curious about her sudden change in demeanor.

Ava turned around, looking at the door. We followed her gaze and saw Ryder standing there. Dad, who was always fiercely protective, never allowed boys near Ava, and he was now glaring at Ryder.

"How dare you stare at my daughter?" Dad shouted.

"Your daughter is my mate, and I have every right to look at her, Alpha King," Ryder retorted, leaving us all stunned.

"I will never allow a vampire to be my daughter's mate!" Dad declared. Enraged, Ryder made a move to punch Dad, but Ava stepped in between them and took the blow.

I sprinted towards Ava, who had fainted and fallen to the floor. I sat beside her, gripping her hand tightly as I caressed her face gently. Time seemed to slow down as I witnessed my unconscious sister before me. The pain of seeing her in such a state made my fists clench. I felt shaken to the core.

Turning towards our enemy, who stood smirking sadistically, I could no longer contain my rage. This person, who happened to be Ava's mate, had repeatedly harmed her. A twisted smile appeared on my face as my fist shot towards his smug face. The sound of bones cracking filled the air as my punch connected. I grinned wider upon hearing him groan in pain. No one should ever hurt my sister, and whoever dared to do so would pay the price. My eyes turned bloodshot, and my thoughts became consumed by anger.

Raising my fist once more, I aimed for the downed figure who now lay on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth. I prepared to strike again when I suddenly halted.

Instead, I ran towards Ava and urgently asked my father, "Dad, get some water!" After a while, Ava regained consciousness and sat beside Dad. I stood up, ready to pummel Ryder, but Uncle Joseph stepped in to stop me.

"I'm sorry, Mark, but you can't hit our Alpha," Uncle Joseph explained.

Before I could respond, a man barged into the scene and shouted, "Ryder Jarvis is here!"

Upon hearing that name, Uncle Joseph shouted, "Mark, hide Ava, and John, take Anna out of here now!"

I knew that Jarvis was the person we had been hiding from for the past 18 years. I grabbed Ava's hand, but she pulled away and exclaimed, "Enough! I'm tired of running. I don't want to run anymore. I want to face my problems."

"Ava, dear, you will fight, but not now. It's not the right time," Uncle Joseph reasoned.

"I am not leaving here!" Ava screamed, her voice filled with determination.

"What's going on? Why do you want her to escape, Beta Joseph?" Ryder asked, confused.

However, Joseph couldn't provide an answer. His duty was to protect the Alpha family, and he was forbidden from disclosing the identity of the Alpha's blessed daughter.

How would he explain this to his Alpha King?