“Oh! Veronica, I thought you were still at the entrance!” he exclaimed. He faked his cough as he gazed at his mate to prevent her from exposing what he had told her.
“I was at the entrance but I am still part of this pack so I don't need to be interrogated by our troops,” she answered. She looked at her father, who was avoiding his eyes when she didn't leave her eyes on him. She sighed. Seeing how her father reacted made her think that he might be hiding something from her. “I want to talk to Ava. That's why I came here.”
“I heard she's with Alpha James. I don't know where she is right now. Do you want me to look for her?” her father went towards her. It was strange for her to see how her father reacted as if he wasn't the ruthless Alpha she knew. She didn't say anything when her father pulled her to the table and made her eat with them. “Have you already eaten? Why do you want to talk with your sister? Veronica, I know you are mad about what she has done but I know your sister is only doing that because she wants something best for you. Ava is not too vocal about what she has felt.”
“I'm not here to fight with her. I am here because I finally see Morgan. I want Ava to assign someone who will accompany my son.” she finally announced what the purpose of her sudden visit was. Her father gasped in excitement while her mother almost jumped in joy. “I want to talk to her because I need her to investigate something important.”
“Well, I will ask someone to search. Your sister has been missing a lot of times I don't know what she has been doing. She gets mad at me because I want her to finally wed someone.” Her father wanted to know more about Alpha James which was why he shared what happened to their last conversation with Ava. It was a hidden trap.
Veronica scowled. It was strange to her that her father was pushing Ava to settle down. She could still remember how her father wanted them to focus on making their pack more powerful.
“What's wrong? You can't force her to do it.” She finally wanted to fight for Ava's rights.
“Honey, this is for your sister's good. She's getting old yet she still has not yet seen her mate. I still enjoy how it feels to have a married life.” It was her mother who finally talked with her.
Veronica licked her lips. She didn't know that Ava didn't tell them about Alpha James. It seemed she was the only one who knew about their things. “Just don't pressure her. Ava will get mated if she finally enjoys her youth…”
“But—what about our grandchildren? Veronica, we want to finally experience that!” her father exclaimed. Veronica rolled her eyes. She chuckled at how playful her father was. She finally realized what her father didn't want her to know, it was he wanted to have grandchildren too fast.
“Dad, it is not too easy to conceive a child. Let Ava enjoy how to do something intimate with her mate…”
“Mate? Does it mean she has already seen her mate and she never informed me!”
She gasped when she accidentally uttered the forbidden word. Ava might be hiding about her mate because their father might push her to get mated so fast. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself not to accidentally drop some information.
“Oh, that is why she doesn't like me to choose a man for her. She finally sees her mate. I can't believe my daughter never thought of me!” her father inhaled. He was disappointed. He thought Ava might be mated with Alpha James but it seemed he was wrong.
“Daddy, you don't need to stress yourself about her love life. Ava is not getting younger, and having a grandchild might be exhausting on her part.” Veronica felt tired. She couldn't understand why her father had been acting weird at them.
“She will not get exhausted, we will help her to take care of the baby. Why don't you start having another baby? We are getting older, and we wanted to see our ten grandchildren before we died.” Her father jokingly rebutted. Her mouth hung open when she heard about the ten grandchildren he had been asking her to do. Her father acted as if he was only asking for toys.
“It's better if you talk to Ava right now. I don't want to talk about her status because I don't know about her status with her mate…” she muttered.
“Who is her mate? Did he reject her? Oh my! Your sister is one of the best women here in our pack, it will be his loss if he rejects someone like her!”
~~~
“Ava, we finally see you! Veronica has been looking for you. She is waiting for your presence in the pack house.”
Ava was stunned. She didn't think Veronica would finally want to talk with her. She nodded and sighed when Alpha James came behind her back.
“Oh, Veronica is here? I think it must be so important.” James commented.
“Yeah, why don't you go back in your pack now? I don't want them to see me with you.” Ava became heartless making James feel that he had been used. After he gave his best performance in bed, and now Ava wanted to throw him away like trash.
“Ava, do you forget that I'm your mate? How dare you try to throw me after we have sex?” He clenched his teeth with so much anger. He couldn't understand what he needed to do just to make Ava choose him again. He already regretted what he had done and what he had told her.
“I am not throwing you like trash. There's a rule in our pack, and I am not allowed to have sex with my mate without having my mating ceremony.” Ava explained.
“You are throwing me after what I have done. You are acting as if I do not make you cry or scream in pleasure. Do you even think that you make me feel unwanted, Ava?” His hands turned into a fist but he only glared at her because he did not have the choice to fight for his rights as her mate. He did not like to play with Ava anymore. He wanted something that would be long. He wanted an assurance that he was the one who she would choose.
“Alpha James, I can't understand why you are acting like this. We both want to have sex, right? You do your part, and I do mine. We both make ourselves to be pleased with a short pleasure. Why are you acting as if you are the one who is a virgin?” She became sarcastic when she uttered those words. All her life, she had been excited to meet her mate but after Alpha James broke her heart, she finally realized that she needed to enjoy her life more. Alpha James affected her heart because of the mate bond which was the reason why she wasn't sure she was with him.
“Seriously—”
“Ava, what I have heard? You are sleeping with this man?”
Ava gasped when she heard her father's voice. Her father seemed serious especially when he gave Alpha James a look. He could not believe that his beloved daughter was hiding something from him.
“D-Dad, what are you doing here?” She stepped back with worry. She saw Veronica with their mother, who was following their father. Ava gulped. Her father might be curious why she was with Alpha James. That's why he almost ran to catch them.
“This is my pack, that is why I am here. I can not believe Veronica hid this from me. Alpha James, how dare you take advantage of my daughter? I give you the chance to be here because of my daughter, Veronica. You are the one who trained her, and now I'm hearing you are fucking my daughter?” Her father growled with so much anger making Veronica rush toward their direction.
“Daddy, please it's not what you think it is!”
“Ava! You know we have the rules of this pack. You might be the acting Alpha today but it doesn't give you any special rights to do something which is too forbidden in our pack. You are only allowed to have sex with your mate, what you have with Alpha James is only a friend with benefits!” Her father almost shouted.
“Sir, don't get mad at Ava. She doesn't do anything wrong here. I'm the one who has been pressuring her to have sex with me….”
“Shut up, James!” Ava screamed.
“No, I don't want you to get punished because I am the one who is always seducing you, okay? I know your father is only doing it because it is part of the rules of your pack.”
“There is nothing wrong with it because you are my mate!” Ava yelled, her eyes widened when she finally exposed the secret she had been hiding from her father.