Ava, Part One (Phoenix Academy #1)

58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

W hen Zeke opened his eyes, the first thing he did was look at the little human who was somehow wrapped around him.

Someone had covered both of them. When he carefully pushed the bedding off, he saw no bruises on her arms, and a sniff of the air told him there was no fresh blood or infection. They were both caked with dried blood but healing. He was still weak from the silver but could feel he was over the worst.

He gently pushed Ava’s hair out of her face and saw that her colouring was normal and the cuts were gone. Was the healing potion the doctors pushed into her body at the infirmary the cause of this? Maybe they worked differently on humans. Whatever the reason was, he was grateful.

It was clear to him that their bond had strengthened, for whatever reason. Things had got fucked up too quickly. He had a lot to think about now so he could decide the best thing to do for Ava and himself. Revenge was still number one on his list, but it would never come with this bond in place.

“Are you hungry?”

He looked over at Derek, who seemed to have settled in the chair on the closest side to him. The clock said it was Monday afternoon. Fuck. He had some explaining to do to the dean.

“I’ll eat when she wakes up.”

He watched the way Derek looked at Ava and saw the questions in his eyes. But he wasn’t ready to answer any of them.

“Where’s Myles?”

“Lessons. No point in all of us getting into trouble,” Derek answered. “Plus, he’s been trying to get some answers.”

“About what?”

Derek sighed as he put down the book in his hand and poured a glass of water from the nightstand. Zeke carefully untangled himself from Ava before he accepted the drink. He was parched and starving. A good meal was what he needed to feel himself again. That and a shower.

“Well, Claire and a few of her friends are missing. They went into the village on Saturday and never returned.”

He almost choked on the drink. He set the glass down before he looked down at Ava. She’d had Claire’s blood all over her.

“She’s probably run away. It’s a good thing,” he said as he got off the bed.

He’d wrapped himself up in silver to stop himself from ripping Claire apart. Not seeing her or catching her scent would stop Shadow’s murderous urges. The longer she stayed away, the better.

“Maybe. But Jared and his pack have reported you to the dean for attacking her.”

That made him stop and turn back to Derek. Breaking the rules the packs had set for themselves was not for the academy to deal with. He had been fully prepared to take the punishment for that, but that slimeball had gone all the way to the top instead. That was so fucked up.

“I’ll kill him,” he growled. “Him and all his useless pack.”

“Probably not the right thing to say when they think you killed Claire.”

“I was here—”

“I know that, and you can prove you were on the call most of the morning,” Derek said, “but how the hell would we explain where you were the rest of the day and Sunday and why you’ve suddenly had such important pack business that you couldn’t attend classes today? We’re fucked, Zeke.”

He ground his teeth together. Could it be that little weasel had managed to ruin him after all? Jared knew what was coming the moment he became Alpha, and this was the only way he could take that from him without breaking the rules himself. Once the academy told his father about this, his hopes of becoming the Alpha would be shattered, especially if his father also came over and discovered the basement.

“I need to think. I’m going to shower,” he said, walking into his ensuite.

As he watched all the dirt go down the drain, he knew the most logical thing would be to tell the truth. But that would bring Ava into the spotlight and quite possibly get her carted away. He wasn’t ready to make that decision yet.

He was no closer to a solution when he walked back into his bedroom. Myles was back and rushed over to hug him when he saw him.

“Okay, calm down,” he said as he pushed his friend away and walked to his walk-in wardrobe for some clothes. “I’m okay.”

“You can’t keep doing this to us,” Myles said. “Do you know how hard the entire weekend was? Watching you break the rules and then poison yourself with silver, and then on top of that, run into the forest without even thinking about us?”

“I know. I’m sorry. I know I’d said I wouldn’t ask you to chain me again, but...”

His voice trailed off.

“But the human is your mate.”

When Derek said those words, time stood still. He paused and then slowly pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt without looking back at his packmates.

How had they figured this out? They had never witnessed this before, and it was never taught in the packs. The only information they had about it was what Prince Gideon said at the meeting. Why would they immediately assume Ava was his?

He pulled his clothes on first before he walked back into the room and faced his friends.

“You didn’t seem surprised when the vampires talked about it,” Myles said.

“That, plus the fact that you said she was yours before you passed out,” Derek added.

Now that completely fucked everything.

His friends would be obliged to report this to their Alpha, a man who had already arranged his mating with a wolf and yet seemed to want to hold on to his position longer than necessary. He would be exiled, at best.

“Talk to us, Zeke,” Derek urged.

Zeke looked over at the little human who had caused all his problems, still in her healing sleep, and then back to his friends.

“I can’t,” he answered.

Myles shook his head and started walking out of the bedroom.

“The dean is coming after lessons. He’s heard some concerning reports he wants to speak to you about,” Myles said as he reached the door. “The place reeks of human and blood. I suggest you take care of that before he comes or meet him at his office.”

When Myles was gone, he looked at Derek.

“We’re brothers,” Derek said sadly.

“And I’m not your Alpha. I can’t.”

Derek shook his head as he left the room as well.

He walked back to his bed and covered Ava properly. What the hell was he going to do now?