Chapter 33 - Traitor
Ava knew Jake wasn't trustworthy. He was a disloyal prick, a greedy bastard, and an all-around terrible person. But for what she needed done, her beloved stepbrother was, unfortunately, the best man for the job. So if she had to kiss his ass, she would. She wasn't going to disappoint Lucas or herself.
As she stepped onto the front porch of what used to be her home, memories hit her. The laughter of her father, the smell of fresh-baked bread from the kitchen, the warmth of knowing she belonged. All of it stolen when her stepmother had kicked her out.
Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and pushed the door open. The air inside was thick with the scent of damp wood and cheap cologne, likely Jake's poor attempt at masking his perpetual stench of irresponsibility. She took in the living room, her fingers trailing over the dusty furniture that once held some meaning. Her hands paused on the armrest of her father's favorite chair. Once a throne of wisdom, now just a sad piece of furniture that probably housed more cockroaches than dignity.
"Look who it is, my dearest sister," a familiar grating voice drawled from the hallway.
Ava turned slowly, already bracing herself for the headache that was Jake. There he stood, looking as foolish as ever. His hair, a mess that somehow managed to be both greasy and dry at the same time, flopped over his forehead. His grin was equal parts smug and clueless, an expression that was almost impressive in its sheer idiocy.
"Good to see you too, Jake," Ava replied, forcing a tight-lipped smile.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were Alpha Raventhorn's slut now," he sneered, flopping onto the couch like a king returning to his throne. His eyes lazily traveled to Zari, raking over her figure in a way that made Ava wish she had a brick handy. Maybe two.
"Yes, yes I am, Jake." Ava's smile tightened. "I actually came for a visit. And Alpha Raventhorn needs a favor. So, naturally, I thought of you."
Jake's ears perked up. "Alpha Raventhorn? The Alpha Raventhorn?"
"Yes. But this has to be kept quiet. No one can know about this."
"Of course," Jake said quickly, then narrowed his eyes. "Wait... Ava, is this a trap?"
Ava sighed. It wasn't an unreasonable assumption. "I promise, it's not. But I will urge you to take advantage of this opportunity. It's time for us to make a name for our family. We need to seize this chance to change our fate, Jake. It's high time we got some power around here, some influence. Don't screw this up."
Jake blinked at her, suspicion and greed battling in his expression. "What are you talking about?"
"I can't go into details here," she said, her voice softening just enough to make it sound like they were on the same team. "But the Wishbones' future whether bleak or beautiful is in your hands now, brother."
She practically had to choke on the word 'brother,' but it had the desired effect. Jake sat up a little straighter, his chest puffing out as if she'd knighted him on the spot. He'd never truly seen her as family, but that single word was enough to make him feel important.
Of course, she would use him for her and Lucas's purpose and drop him along the way, but for now, she'd be as sweet as honey.
Jake scratched his chin. "What do I have to do?"
"I just need you to meet with him. I'll send you details of the meeting, but it can't be here. When we leave, I'll send you a time and place." She smiled, all sugar and deadly arsenic.
Jake nodded, clearly struggling to recognize the woman in front of him. The Ava he remembered was the girl he used to torment, steal from, and abandon at inconvenient times. This Ava? She was something else entirely.
"I'll ask the Luna to send you an invite for dinner tonight," she added smoothly. "I'll introduce you to Alpha Raventhorn."
Jake's jaw practically hit the floor. "Who are you?"
Ava simply smiled and turned toward the door. "I'll see you later, Jake."
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Stepping outside, she exhaled heavily, rubbing her aching face. Now she understood how Lucas felt pretending to smile at people whose guts he truly hated. Her cheek muscles were going to need therapy.
Zari appeared beside her, arms crossed, her expression laced with worry. "Are you sure you can trust him?"
"No, Zari. I don't trust him at all. But I trust his greed and ambition. He's always liked the green on the other side, and he will flip instantly."
Zari nodded, seemingly satisfied with the logic. They wove through town, taking the long way back to Leon's estate as Ava pointed out some of her favorite places. It was a bittersweet walk. Memories tucked into every corner, some warm, some painful.
By the time they arrived at the estate, Ava had shaken off the past. She led Zari to the training pit, where a few wolves were gathered. Some recognized her, some didn't. The ones who did snorted in derision.
Ava stretched her arms. "Well, time to hit something."
Zari chuckled.
Ava cracked her knuckles. "Let's see if I can still remember all of my trainings. Considering I have been missing them a lot these days."
Ava felt the air shift the moment she stepped into the training pit. The atmosphere thickened with judgmental stares and old resentments. It was almost funny how predictable people were. Wolves thrived on gossip, and if there was one thing she had learned from living among them, it was that they would rather chew on drama than an actual meal.
A voice behind her snorted, dripping with contempt. "Ava Wishbone is back for more ass-whooping. Are you thinking of training again? One would think you'd eventually accept your weakness the moment you became a whore."
Ah. The ever-charming Sharon. Ava resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she turned around, a sickly sweet smile plastered on her face.
"Sharon... How lovely to see you again."
Inwardly, Ava dared Sharon to take things further. If the self-proclaimed Queen of Pompous Bitches so much as lifted a finger, Ava was ready to knock her teeth out, one by one. Because this wasn't the same Ava who had once been kicked around. Oh no, this Ava had almost died. This Ava could hold her own now.
"I thought the Luna made herself clear about not wanting to see your pathetic face here again."
Ava cocked her head slightly, amused. It seemed some people hadn't gotten the memo that she was here with Alpha Raventhorn, announced as his Luna to be. How tragic.
"I thought to visit," Ava said, feigning nonchalance. "I've missed it here. Even if... a lot of unwanted bitches from lying, scamming packs seem to have taken over."
Sharon's eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you trying to say something, Ava?"
Ava smirked. "Wouldn't be the first time someone's accused me of a big mouth, now would it?"
Zari, ever the voice of reason, quickly stepped in front of her. "Ava, think about this."
"Ooh, the weakling got herself a bodyguard," Sharon cackled. Her little group of cronies joined in like the sheep they were. The sound grated on Ava's nerves.
"It's okay, Zari. This one, I can handle."
Zari groaned. "Ava, it's not worth it."
Ava sighed dramatically. "Sharon, as you can see, my friend here is trying to reason with me. She wants my visit to be peaceful. And for her sake, I will go back to my room."
She turned to leave, fully expecting Sharon to let it go. But, of course, Sharon had to be Sharon.
"You leave when I say you can," she sneered, grabbing a fistful of Ava's hair and yanking her backward.
The moment Ava's head snapped back, she felt the sting of Sharon's heavy punch across her face. A sharp burst of pain shot through her lip, and she tasted blood.
For a moment, there was silence. Then Ava smiled.
A wicked, gleeful, downright terrifying smile.
"Oh, Sharon," Ava sighed. "I've been waiting for this."
In the blink of an eye, Ava returned the favor. Her fist connected with Sharon's face so hard that the other girl stumbled backward, nearly tripping over herself. A collective gasp rang through the training pit. Apparently, no one had expected Ava to actually fight back.
Not even Ava. She flexed her fingers, marveling at the strength behind her punch. She knew she had been getting stronger ever since her near-death experience, but this... this was something else. This was raw power.
Meanwhile, Zari shot a quick message to Kade about the fight that was happening.
Sharon, on the other hand, was seething. She wiped her mouth, her fingers coming away red. "You BITCH!"
She charged toward Ava, blind with rage, but Ava simply sidestepped, graceful as ever, and threw a well-placed elbow jab right into Sharon's mouth.