14. Ava

Wakingup ranks right up there with life's most exasperating annoyances, wedged uncomfortably between unsolicited advice and the relentless buzz of my phone, which, at this ungodly hour, aggressively campaigns for the top spot on my list of pet peeves. I pride myself on being a deep sleeper, deeming it a skill, an art form, and yes, let's go ahead and call it a hobby.

Who's going to challenge me on that?

Today, however, my phone's unyielding insistence slices through my dedication to slumber like unwelcome beams of sunlight piercing through flimsy, bargain bin curtains. I let out a groan that's more of a growl, the sound smothered by my pillow, as I begrudgingly extend an arm, fumbling for the source of my irritation. It's a group video call from the girls, and just like that, I'm mentally arming myself to give Eloise a piece of my mind. She definitely has some explaining to do after last night's drama with the guys.

I swipe to answer, my eagerness tinged with a sprinkle of dread. "What in the world, Eloise?" I grumble, propping my phone against a mountain of pillows to free my hands as I make a half-hearted attempt to scrub the sleep from my eyes.

"Chill, we only did what you would have done in a heartbeat," Eloise retorts, her voice ringing with a mischief that her words try to downplay.

Mia chimes in, her tone holding caution and curiosity. "But did it actually work?"

"Oh, so you're in on this scheme too?" I snap back, catching their sheepish yet defiant gazes. Mia's hair is pulled back so tightly, it seems to be stretching her eyebrows, giving her an expression of perpetual surprise.

Dragging myself up into a sitting position, I let out a heavy sigh. "You two are incorrigible, and now you're accompanying me on my morning hobble to the bathroom." I snatch a crutch and a pair of sweats as I mentally prepare myself to put pressure on my ankle, their chattering voices now a background hum I can easily ignore—a skill I perfected in college. Eloise used to think out loud while studying, Mia somehow aced tests without opening a book, and I…well, I desperately sought a bubble of quiet.

The house is silent as I limp across the hall, the wooden floor cold under my feet. After securing the bathroom door behind me, I'm confronted by my reflection in the mirror—a disheveled, sleepy mess. "Was anyone going to inform me that I look like I just clawed my way out of a grave?"

"We tried," Mia retorts with a hint of acidity, her image squished in the corner of my phone screen, "but you were too busy plotting your grand hospital escape with Eloise's half-baked plan."

A snort escapes me. "Why on earth did you leave that page open on my phone?" My voice softens, a wave of guilt washing over me. "Do you guys realize we only have a month?"

Mia leans in, her eyebrows arching to her hairline. "So it's actually happening?"

"Tell us everything." Eloise's voice crackles through my phone, her image pixelated but unmistakable against the backdrop of my cluttered office. The massive trash bag over the window flutters like a flag of surrender. I can tell she's impatiently waiting for me to go on, even as she squints against the glare of the sun sneaking through my office curtains.

"I said the words that bound us together," I mutter as I finally unearth a tote under the sink filled to the brim with toothbrushes. The minty scent of toothpaste momentarily distracts me, offering a brief respite from telling them exactly what happened.

"Oh shit," Mia exclaims, looking between Eloise and me on the cramped screen of my phone. I can almost picture her, sitting in her overstuffed office chair that's more throne than seat.

"Yeah, well, that's just beginning," I grumble, attacking the toothbrush with a generous dollop of toothpaste. The act feels like a feeble attempt to scrub away the mess I created—a mess that now includes a fated bond I barely understand.

What could go wrong? I question myself.

"How is forming a mating bond with three wolves the least of your worries?" Mia's incredulity comes through loud and clear, even as her voice remains wrapped in the warmth we've all come to associate with our late-night confessions and early morning panic calls.

"My father called," I confess, staring at the blob of toothpaste as if it might hold the answers on how to deal with the overbearing man. The silence that follows is thick, fraught with the weight of years of expectations, disappointments, and the shadow of a night that changed everything.

"What could he possibly want?" Mia's voice sharpens with disdain—a clear reminder of her long-standing mistrust of my father. Her intuition has always been razor-sharp, cutting through fa?ades and revealing truths I've been hesitant to face. "You know I've always said there's something off about him."

For years, I lived in the blissful ignorance of being a daddy's girl, living under the illusion of his unconditional support. He never missed a school event, read every email, and was a pillar of the community, his efforts and donations a testament to his dedication. It was easy to overlook the warnings and uneasy glances exchanged between my friends—until that one night that shattered everything, ripping away the veil and exposing the harsh truth beneath.

Drawing in a deep, steadying breath, I brace myself for the conversation I know we need to have. "Tell me everything you know about Elijah Castellon."

Eloise doesn't miss a beat. "If we were playing fuck, marry, kill, Elijah wouldn't stand a chance."

"Kill him every time." Mia's agreement hums through the phone. "His looks won't save him either."

"And boy, is that man pretty," Eloise adds, her tone light, but I can hear the undercurrent of seriousness. Her words make me pause, toothbrush in hand, as surprise flickers through me.

"A human? Since when do you find human males attractive?" My disbelief is genuine. Eloise has always had a penchant for the more exotic, non-human types—a preference she's never been shy about.

"Girl…" She leans in, the blue in her eyes sparking with the thrill of the forbidden. "He has this whole bad boy allure—the kind that promises adventure but guarantees heartbreak."

"I wouldn't go near him," Mia states, her voice a blend of practicality and wisdom, even as she shuffles papers in the background, always multitasking. "Bad vibes."

I spit the toothpaste into the sink and rise it away. "My father has threatened to marry me off…to him." The mood palpably shifts as I drop the bombshell, my voice barely above a whisper.

Peeling off my shirt, I glance in the mirror and see all the bruises covering my skin from the bookshelf. They're going to take forever to heal.

Silence fills the bathroom as they soak up my words.

"Ava, you're a grown-ass woman." Mia's voice slices through the mist, simmering with a frustration that's totally called for. "Tell him no."

"Twenty-seven and counting," I reply, slipping off my last shred of dignity—my panties—and turning on the water until its hotter than hell. It's scalding, just how I need it to be, but then I place the phone on the tub's edge, debating if I can even manage a soak without making things worse. If I twist and turn just so, maybe I can…

"Don't even think about it," Eloise says over the sound of running water. "Kill the water. You're doing a sponge bath, sweetheart."

Just like that, I'm shutting off the faucet, resigned to sitting here and dipping a rag in the hot water. "My hair could use a wash though," I mutter, missing the simplicity of just dunking under a shower without a care.

"Back up to this whole marrying off fiasco," Mia redirects us, her voice pulling me back into the moment. "Ava, he can't just auction you off. You're not livestock. And again, you can say no."

"Consent is key," Eloise chimes in from my office chair, her concern wrapping around me like a warm hug. "This doesn't sit right with me. Also, it isn't the early eighteen hundreds."

As I start wiping down with the washcloth, their voices blend into a comforting backdrop. They're right of course. But I can't just tell him no. I'd have to meet him first and put my foot down.

"If he is still working with the Puritas Umbra, then you need to stay as far away as possible." Mia's tone has that edge, like she's ready to start a one-woman crusade. And if I'm not careful, she will.

I scrub a little, the warm water cooling quicker than my patience. Catching a glimpse of the bandage on my thigh, a souvenir from a night I'd rather forget, I wince. "Beats me," I say, because really, I have no clue.

"So you're caught between a pack bond and the human equivalent of a landfill fire vying for your affection," Mia summarizes, her dry humor a flicker of light in the gloom.

"Can you bail on your dad?" Eloise asks, looking for an out, but her face falls as she reads my expression through the screen.

"I can, yeah," I mutter and move out of view so they can't see the face I'm making.

"But you won't." Eloise snorts. "Why, Ava? You are a grown woman, with her own business. You can easily go no contact with your dad and call it a day. This is your choice."

"I hear you and your logic," I whisper, knowing what she's saying. "He's my dad—he's all the family I have left."

To Mama, family meant everything, even if she had to leave hers. Family was part of her culture, and it's something I always wanted for myself.

The culture of family.

Deep down, I damn well know that is the reason I hold on so tightly to my dad, and it's probably why he feels entitled to my future.

I was all set to make my great escape from this house, to call these two and have them whisk me away, but then my dad drops this bombshell about marrying Elijah.

"You're considering sticking with the wolves just to spite him," Mia observes, reading me far too well, "and you want to throw it in his face."

"When you put it like that, it sounds terrible," I admit, avoiding their gazes. She's not wrong though. There's more to it than just spite, but that's a big part of it.

"What's on your mind?" Eloise asks, and I swear she's trying to gentle parent me.

I shrug, even though they can't see it. I move back into view of the camera. "How am I supposed to know if what I feel for them is real? Especially after Ethan warned me off last night." Just thinking about him sends a wave of heat crashing through me, his words a whisper in my ear that still unsettle me.

"I know that look," Eloise teases, and Mia lets out an exasperated sigh. "How dirty are we talking?"

"Let's just say he hinted at a whole new level of conversation," I confess, and the memory alone is enough to make me blush. "And yeah, it led to some pretty intense dreams."

"Mm-hmm," Eloise purrs, and even through the phone, I can tell she's all for this gossip. "That's my kind of man."

"There's more to life than just getting off," Mia interjects, ever the voice of reason, "but back to your dad—this is serious, Ava."

"Here we go again," I grumble, but I know she's hitting the nail on the head. She's also like a bulldog—she won't give up until I give in.

"Ava, listen to me." Mia leans in, all business now. "Your dad is not who he says he is."

"He's still my dad, Mia," I protest, picking up the phone to look them dead in the eye. "For better or worse, he's all I have."

That uneasy feeling in my gut won't go away. Yeah, he's my dad, but the older I get, the clearer it becomes that he's not the hero I once thought he was. A good dad, maybe, but a good man? Jury's still out.

"Fine," Mia finally concedes, her tone sharp enough to cut glass. "Go to dinner with him."

"What?" I'm practically screeching now, caught off guard.

"You heard me," she retorts, her sass a clear signal she's done arguing. "When was the last time you actually sat down with him?"

I open my mouth, then close it. When was it? "New Year's Day," I recall. "Pork and sauerkraut."

"Ew." Eloise grimaces, and I can't help but laugh.

"That's my point," Mia presses. "Sit down with him, but this time, try to see him as just another flawed human being, not your dad."

"A very flawed man." Eloise chuckles, her voice wrapping around the words like velvet. I can almost see her grin through the phone, lighting up her face as if she's hoarding a secret stash of sunshine, but she's just off screen, fiddling with something in my office.

"You guys are the worst," I reply, propping my chin in my hands. "Not all of us scored the jackpot with dad material." I toss a mock glare at Eloise as her face pops back on my phone screen, a hint of envy in my gaze.

Her smile blooms wider, a radiant thing that seems to fill the room with a soft, golden glow. Or maybe that's just her. "Well, Darcy and Jer are the best dads a girl could hope for," she boasts, her voice brimming with pride.

"How is our dynamic duo doing?" Mia asks, her voice tinged with a rare excitement that bubbles up at the mention of Eloise's dads.

That's the zinger. Before bumping into Ellie and Mia in college, I was blissfully ignorant, thinking my family was picture-perfect. Mom was still on a pedestal, but Dad? Witnessing the unconditional love in Eloise's family was like flipping on the harsh light of reality, casting long shadows over my once idyllic memories.

"Well…" Eloise beams, her excitement crackling through the phone like a live wire. "I'm driving home this weekend. They have this whole indoor camping retreat cooked up."

"What?" Mia laughs. "How's that going to work?"

"Forts," Eloise declares triumphantly, her smirk almost tangible through the phone. "I'm stoked."

I can't help but throw a playful jab her way. "Just don't spill about your latest app adventures." Yep, I'm outing her to Mia, because honestly, a little part of me delights in stirring the pot.

"Oh, they know," she retorts with an air of nonchalance that leaves us both floored. "Love is love, right?"

Mia shakes her head, her laughter mixing with disbelief. "You're a piece of work."

"And how's your parental front?" Eloise gently steers the conversation toward Mia, her tone softening.

Mia's eyes dart away. Her parents, despite their wealth, often act like Mia's just another item in their portfolio, barely remembered. "Dinner's on the agenda tonight," she reveals, her voice full of anticipation and dread. "They are harping on about me switching careers. Again."

"Again?" My voice spikes, laced with indignation on her behalf. Eloise and I have supported Mia every step of the way on her career choices. Her parents however? They want her to do what they want, despite her desire for a career other than their choosing.

"Again," she confirms, her enthusiasm as dry as desert sand. "We should plan a weekend getaway."

"You miss us, don't you?" Eloise teases, her eyes sparkling with mischief, drawing us closer, even as we're miles apart.

"I'll shoot you the details for a girls' getaway later," Mia replies, disconnecting before her walls can crumble any further. I hate how her parents continue to pressure her. I guess we have that in common.

"Ava." Eloise holds me in the moment a bit longer. "Give them a shot."

Her plea slices through me. "Why?" I whisper, my voice echoing softly against the tiled walls.

"I know you're all about your job, the pups, and yes, that sneaky snake of yours," she reminds me, her words a nudge toward something bigger, something more, "but try something just for you."

It's the idea of forever that continues to hold me up. Before meeting the guys, a relationship didn't have expectations, but now the weight of forever feels suffocating.

"Eloise, they are talking forever," I admit, pulling her closer through the phone, seeking comfort in her virtual presence. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"When we lost your mom," she starts, her voice heavy with a wisdom born from loss, "I realized life's too short to shy away from the unexpected, including forever."

With a click, she's gone, leaving me alone.

My gaze drifts to the door, beyond which wait three men who have unknowingly begun to chip away at the walls I've built around my heart. They came into my life uninvited but not unwelcome, Ethan dubbing me his storm. Am I their tempest, just as they are mine? What happens when two storms collide? Ignoring the pull might be the safer route, but exploring this might be the adventure I didn't know I was searching for.

What if… What if I just get to know them a little?

What could go wrong?