Ava
By L.G. Savage
Free Chapters
Chapter 1
The woods were scary, but she had to be brave. It was long past her bedtime, so it was dark. She had been fast asleep in the back of the car when she woke up to the loud bang. Then she saw them. The monsters. The monsters standing over her father’s body. She did what her father had taught her to do in this situation. She quietly slipped out of the car and started running. “Hey! Someone’s seen us!” It didn’t take long for the loud footsteps to follow her through the trees. The darkness and shadows cast by the full moon looked like predators ready to pounce on her, but she couldn’t close her eyes to make them go away. She had to survive. She tried to stay quiet as her dad had taught her. Step lightly. Change direction. Try not to leave too many tracks. But their long strides were fast, quickly catching up to her little ones. The forest was eerily quiet. All she could hear was her thundering heartbeat, harsh breaths, and the monsters behind her. It was like everything in the forest already knew what her fate would be. But she would fight that fate. She didn’t want to disappoint her daddy. Someone yanked her braid from behind, and she screamed in pain as she was thrown against the trunk of a tree. Her head hurt, and she felt pain in her arm as she rolled over and tried to stand. “It’s just a kid, Mike,” she heard one of the voices say. “She’s seen us, and now you said my fucking name,” another growled. The one called Mike grabbed her again, pulling her painful arm. She screamed again and called out for her daddy. But she knew he would never come again now. She was all alone. “Just do it quickly, and let’s get the hell out of here. She’s making too much noise.” Mike shoved her to her knees, and she heard the cocking sound of a gun. With a silent cry, she looked up at the sky, peeking through the tall trees, and saw the clouds part to reveal the moon. Her daddy always told her that the Moon Goddess would always watch out for her, even if he couldn’t. Closing her eyes, she gave a final prayer. She was not mad that this was how it ended. Her parents were waiting for her on the other side. “I can’t do it. I can’t have the murder of an innocent child on my conscience. You do it yourself.” She heard their quiet arguing as the moon’s rays shone on her face, filling her with calm. And then she felt it. It was a warm feeling touching every part of her, and she knew she would never be alone again. Maybe it was the Goddess’ touch. But the most terrifying growl she had ever heard filled her ears. It took her a moment to realise it had come from her. “She’s a fucking monster! Shoot her!” Then there were screams. And so much blood. The screams kept repeating in her ears, and the begging, the tears. But she didn’t stop. That one scene repeated over and over again. Screams. Blood. The crunching sounds. Screams. Blood. The crunching sounds. Ava Morgan shot up in bed, sweat drenching her pyjamas and her heart pounding. Her hand shook as she reached for the water bottle on her side table, and most of it ended up down her pyjama top instead of in her mouth. It had been a while since she’d had that nightmare, but she knew what had triggered it. She threw the empty water bottle into her trashcan and then squeezed her eyes shut as if that would make the images in her head disappear. It never worked. She always heard the screams long after she’d woken up. She always saw the blood. The broken bones. Ava lay back on her bed with a tired sigh as she tried to calm her breathing and heartbeat. The time on her clock said it was only three in the morning, but she knew she wasn’t going back to sleep again. In a few hours, she had to leave home and start a real-life nightmare that would last for four years. Four years! She had to give up four more years of her life before she could finally be free. The full moon’s rays filtered through her curtains and illuminated her room. She turned her head and saw her packed bags waiting by the door. Her chest squeezed painfully, and she had to train her breathing to stop the looming panic attack. “It will be over in no time, Ava. Breathe. Just breathe,” she whispered to herself. An hour later, she felt calm enough to get ready. She put her bedside lamp on and sighed as she pushed the covers off her body. She trod quietly, as she had learned to do her whole life, making sure she wouldn’t wake the others. Then she walked to the adjoining bathroom to take a quick shower and brush her teeth. When she finished, she walked to her wardrobe. The first thing she saw was the horrid uniform. She had never worn a school uniform in her life, and now, as an adult, she was expected to conform. Who forced people to wear uniforms at a university? She ignored it and pulled out a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. When she was dressed, she quietly left her room to head to the kitchen. The light was on as she approached, and the smell of fresh coffee hit her nose. She found Alpha Roland hunched over a cup, staring at it as if it would give him the answer to all of their problems. “I didn’t wake you, did I?” she asked as she kissed his cheek and walked over to the cupboards to pull a mug out. “I don’t think I slept,” Alpha Roland grunted. She felt a pang because she knew she was the cause of this. “I’ll be fine, Dad,” she said gently as she took her cup to sit beside him. She had been calling him dad since he found her in a foster home. It seemed like forever since then. “If there is any sign of trouble, anything at all, call me, and I will come and get you.” “I thought this was a rite of passage for every wolf,” she teased. She didn’t want to point out that trouble would probably be all she would get. He was worried enough. Besides, she was sure they would have her out of there when they realised she was human. This was a colossal mistake, and someone would fix it. “I’ve already taught you everything you need to know,” Alpha grumbled again. “If that stupid Council weren’t so stuck in their antiquated ways, there would be no need for all this.” “The rules are the rules, Dad. You can’t break them, even for me.” She had brought enough trouble to him over the years for the things she could not control—the calls from school, the hospital visits, and the way her mouth sometimes worked before she could stop it. But she could control the outcome of this. She could follow the rules, keep her head down, and let the Council come to the right decision themselves. Alpha Roland sighed and hugged her to his side before he kissed the top of her head. He was a huge man, like most werewolves, even her peers. It was another reason she believed she was not one of them, no matter what she imagined had happened years ago. “Make sure you keep standing up for yourself. Don’t let anyone break your spirit,” he whispered. “I’m the ruthless Alpha Roland’s daughter. No one will ever break me,” she said with a sad smile. She blinked back some tears as she pulled away. “I’m going to make us all a huge breakfast so you can all celebrate kicking me out of the house for four years,” she said as she stood. “I’m going to miss your cooking. Every time Caleb cooks, it tastes like he shit in it,” her dad grunted. Ava laughed as she pulled ingredients out of the fridge. She had to. She couldn’t let the man who raised her know how completely terrified she was of the journey she was about to start. By the time she was almost finished, her brothers found their way downstairs to the kitchen one by one, despite the very early hour. Caleb ruffled her hair before he went to pour himself some coffee. Nate went straight for a piece of bacon before planking himself down at the table. The twins, Alex and Nick, were the last down. She hadn’t thought she would see them until long after the sun had risen, but they came and kissed a cheek each before they went to sit at their kitchen table, too. They all tried to keep the usual cheerful mood, but she could tell they were forcing it. Of all of them, Caleb was the oldest and had already completed his four years. She had seen how much he changed every time he came home, and the sadness in his eyes every time he looked at her now made her worry the most. But he couldn’t tell her what to expect, just like she couldn’t tell Nate and the twins when it was their turn. “So, remember the rules,” Nate said after they finished eating. “No boys. No thinking about boys. No speaking to boys. No parties. Nothing.” “No fun. Got it, Dad,” she snorted. “This isn’t a fucking joke, Ava,” Caleb snapped. “For once in your life, do as you’re told.” She stopped piling the plates and looked at her big brother in shock. Caleb looked away and started fiddling with his coffee mug. “I’m sorry. It’s just very important that you follow their rules,” he said gruffly. She couldn’t stop the anxiety that trickled through. Her father and Caleb were the most worried about her because they knew what it would be like. And if two men with Alpha blood were worried, how could she not be scared? “Why don’t you go for a run before we drive Ava to the airport?” their dad suggested. With the way Caleb lowered his head, she knew that had been a command. He rose quickly and then dropped a kiss on the top of her head before he used the back door to leave the house. She sighed as she turned back to the rest of the family. “I’ll be fine,” she said with a little smile. “Yes, you will,” Alpha Roland replied with a smile of his own. As she left her brothers to tidy up the kitchen, she couldn’t help the dread that settled in her stomach again and the bad feeling that told her that, no, she would not be fine.
Chapter 2
Ava tried to suppress the dread filling her as she sat in the back of the taxi, but she was failing miserably. The taxi driver was some sort of supernatural, so he could probably sense everything. She knew that not because she had suddenly developed any enhanced senses overnight but because they were the only ones allowed to ferry the new students from the airport. Phoenix Academy was in some super-secret location that humans were not allowed to enter. She almost snorted at that. If that was true, they should never have insisted on her attendance. She should have been allowed to go to a regular college like any other nineteen-year-old human who’d survive the torture of high school. But no, she had to attend this place with all sorts of supernatural species who could kill her without a second thought if it wasn’t for the fact that it was forbidden. There were several branches of the academy all over the world to accommodate all of them, and she still didn’t know which one she had come to. A private plane had picked her and a few others from a small airport in Arizona, and then they had made several stops along the way to refuel and pick up more students. She had been travelling for a whole day and felt tired to the bone. Not knowing where she was made the entire situation worse. They seemed to have been driving for hours, but every time she looked at the time on her phone, it barely moved. They had driven through the mountains, and then the taxi entered a dark forest that brought her nightmares back to the forefront. She could hardly see anything through her window even though it was still daylight, and even from the safety of the taxi, she could feel that this was somewhere she wouldn’t want to find herself alone. There was such a heavy feeling in the air, as if the darkness could consume her the moment she exposed herself. She looked away and found her gaze on the driver’s eyes in the mirror. He had a frown on his face as if he disapproved of her emotions—or her, in general. It was probably the latter, as everyone else. There was nothing she could do about anyone else’s opinion of her. She was who she was, and no amount of crying or hoping would change that. She looked at her phone again and typed quick messages to her family just in case they would be the last ones. Her dad had already warned her that no matter which campus she ended up on, there would be no outside networks, and she would only be allowed to call from the school phones on weekends. This was a deprivation of liberty, no doubt about it. How anyone felt they had the right to do that to adults was beyond her. But then again, she had been in their world for thirteen years. None of it surprised her anymore. She almost teared up when she read her dad’s message. ‘Remember your name. Stand tall.’ She squared her shoulders and repeated what he had taught her from the moment they had realised she was not one of them. She was Ava Morgan, daughter of Alpha Roland Morgan, and she didn’t take shit from anybody. If only that were true. Her shoulders sagged again as her mind tried to pull her back to the torturous years she had endured living among the wolves. Even the Alpha and his four sons had failed to keep her safe from that. Her phone signal disappeared; her only link to her safe haven was gone. She blinked back tears as she switched her phone off and put it in her handbag. As the Alpha of their small pack, no one had ever dared question her dad about his decision to take her in. But that hadn’t stopped the abuse when the Alpha or her brothers had not been around. School had always been the worst time for her, but at least she had always gone home at the end of the day and found comfort in her family. Now, she was out here all alone. She could only hope that, as college students, everyone was too mature to do what they used to do to her in her isolated pack. Supernatural beings from all over the world attended this school; she had to hope that they weren’t all ignorant turds like the ones she had left behind in New Mexico. They came out of the forest and into the sunlight again, and it felt like she had entered another world. Even the majestic beauty of the vast forest she had called home most of her life didn't compare to this. The grass seemed greener there, and tall trees lined up perfectly on either side of the road, with their branches forming an arch. Even the atmosphere felt different. If she had felt uneasy in the forest, it was worse on the other side. She felt like a little lamb being driven into a den of predators. She tried to put it down to nerves because of leaving her pack territory for the first time in her life, but she couldn't lie to herself for too long. She felt danger everywhere, and they hadn’t even arrived yet. Tall, imposing gates loomed in the distance, and giant birds, which she assumed were phoenixes, were on the posts on either side. Her anxiety notched up again. Once this taxi drove back, there would be no way to leave this place. She would be stuck there for months before they would allow parents and guardians to visit on Parents’ Day. She wished she could turn back, but defying an order from the Council would bring the greatest shame to her dad. That was something she never wanted to do. The gates slid open, and her jaw dropped when she saw the vast grounds. There was so much space she wondered if she’d ever have to go from one end to another for her lessons. If that were the case, she would never get there, not with her human speed. The buildings came closer, and she noticed they were all four storeys and looked like fancy mansions, complete with driveways that had expensive cars parked at the front. She had never gone hungry a day in her life. She and her dad and brothers were not filthy rich; they were comfortable. But with the types of cars she saw, she realised this was a whole different ball game. The taxi eventually slowed as it drove around a huge fountain and then stopped at the entrance of a big, imposing building. It looked like it had been built in a different time with its stone walls and spires, like it was the original building that had served the many generations of supernatural beings that came through there. Its rich history was something that would have fascinated Ava any other day, but today, she had too many knots in her stomach. She had received specific instructions to stop at the reception first, so she assumed this was the main building where it was. “We’re here, Miss.” She was startled when she heard the driver’s voice and realised she had just been sitting and staring like an idiot. “Sorry. Thank you,” she mumbled, grabbing her handbag as she got out. There were students everywhere in the same uniform that she wore: black pleated skirts for the ladies and black trousers for the guys, white shirts, and they all had maroon blazers. She noticed, though, that the others had different-coloured trimmings around the lower sleeves of the blazers. The trunk slammed behind her, and she was startled again until she realised the driver had just taken her bags out of his trunk. And her little gasp seemed to bring everyone’s attention to her. If she hadn’t known about this world already, she would have known they were all otherworldly just by looking at them. These were some damn good-looking people. And to top it all off, they were all perfectly made up. They could have stepped off a runway. They didn’t look like they had spent hours on a plane and tried to freshen up in its cramped bathroom. She pushed her hair behind her ear and felt self-conscious as she picked up the handle of her luggage and started walking towards the entrance. She had dull red hair, ordinary blue eyes, freckles, and skin that burnt easily in the sun. There was nothing sparkly, shiny, or airbrushed about her—just ordinary. She had felt that in high school, but even those people wouldn’t hold a candle to anyone here. As she walked past them, she saw several of them sniff the air. She kept her heart calm, as she had learned to do over the years, but this was when they would know what she was. And they would know that she didn’t belong here. “Is she human?” someone asked. She ignored the rest of the whispers as she finally stepped inside. It was worse there. More people stood around with their bags, and it looked like she had to stand in a queue to get further instructions. The others looked like they already knew each other, judging by how they talked in groups. Their conversations were lively, but they all stopped talking the moment she stopped in one of the lines. She kept her eyes down, knowing she could control her emotions better if she didn’t make eye contact with anyone. She didn’t even try to look around the interior of the building that had fascinated her so much from the outside. “You’re in the wrong queue. The donors don’t come through this building.” She looked at the boy who had said that and refrained from making a snarky comment. This was not the place to let her mouth get her into trouble. The boy had to be her age if he was in this queue. Like the rest, his silky blond hair and blue eyes could have made him a movie star. “I’m not a doner. But thanks,” she answered with a tight smile. “Wait. You’re actually enrolled here?” the man asked incredulously. “Did someone prank you?” “How?” she asked with a frown. The invitations were always delivered to the intended person using magic; only they could read the details. The instructions had been very clear. “I’m sorry. I just thought they couldn’t have humans enrolled here,” the boy said, and then he turned back around. She had as well. She kept her fingers and toes crossed that they would tell her this had been a huge misunderstanding and send her back home. This was not the place for her.