By The Full Moon ( A Hunter Novel #1)

Eleven: Smile

Eleven: Smile

Ava

I walked with Adrian, leading him to a room I had walked by at one point. The Alphas walked a respectful distance behind us.

"Unfortunately, until the pack can come to trust you and until the Alphas decide, you will have to be guarded at all times. There will be one right underneath your window and one outside your door." He nodded, then suddenly hugged me.

"Hey!" My Mates yelled.

Just a hug. I said to calm them down. I wrapped my arms around the boy as I felt his body shaking.

"I'm sorry for your loss." I said as he pulled away.

"Thank you, Miss." He said as he turned and went into the room. The guard slid in front of the door, a pack member I hadn't seen before. Average height with military buzzed blond hair. He bowed his had slightly, and I did the same before turning and leaving. My Mates followed me up the stairs silently as I entered 'our' room. My duffel bag sat on the bed and I grabbed it before heading to the shower. I paused and turned. Both Elijah and Emilio stood in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Uh, I-I'm going to shower now." I said. Still they stood there.

"Alone." I pushed my point. The grumbled something incoherent and turned. I promptly shut and locked the door. As soon as my body was sprayed with the hot water I felt my legs give out. I slid down the wall and crumbled into myself. I had taken three lives today, and it had caught up to me now. The realization took my breath away. Even with my day job, I never did more than break somebody's bones. I gagged, bile rising in my throat as I started dry heaving from lack of food in my stomach. I hadn't eaten anything since leaving my pack. I had cooked and made everyone else eat but hadn't eaten myself.

A knock on the door sounded but I didn't answer. I just wanted to be alone. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. If I hadn't killed them, the pups would have died. With that reasoning I forced myself to stand up and attempt to clean the grime off my body. Another knock sounded. I ignored it again.

Ava? Emilio's voice sounded nearly gentle in my mind. Ava, may I come in please? I want to talk to you, I won't try anything. Please? I didn't trust him, but he couldn't build it without an effort from me. I stepped out of the shower, water dripping to the floor and unlocked it.

Wait. I said as I hopped back behind the curtains. Okay, come in. I said. I heard the door creak opened, then close behind him. I began washing my hair, listening for any movements too close to the curtains.

"I wanted to apologize for what I did earlier. You were right, I sometimes can't control my wolf. And when you said that I was just like my father, I became so angry, I couldn't stop myself. I retaliated the easiest way I knew how. With violence. I don't want to do that to you ever again. I can see Elijah and you growing close. I want that too. I'll do anything to prove it to you. I'm sorry." He said, and the door opened once more then closed. Moments went by.

Ava. Elijah's deep voice entered my mind as I started washing my body.

Yes? I asked when I didn't hear anything for a moment.

Emilio, he's a different demon. Elijah started. Our father, he hated him the most between the two of us, because during birth, he was the one that caused complications. Something about being caught up in the wrong tube, I'm not sure. Anyways our father would beat him the worst, I don't know the details, but he would lock him up in small rooms, no food or water, for days. If I tried to help, I'd be thrown in with him. But then something happened when we were seventeen. Something that changed him. He walked out of our father's office bloodied and beaten, and his eyes were dead. That night we killed him. He's gotten better, but he's still not the same person. Please understand this. I realized then that I was holding my breath. I let it out slowly as I turned off the water.

I dried myself off, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, my usual pajamas. I entered the room once more, towel drying my hair. Emilio sat on the bed, head in his hands. Elijah leaned against the wall, waiting. They both looked up when I entered the room.

"I'd like to take the young boy to town tomorrow, get him and I a few things." I said. Elijah nodded, Emilio sat there staring at me.

"You're going to come back right?" Emilio whispered and when I looked into his eyes I saw an emotion I wasn't sure either of them were capable of. Vulnerability.

"Of course, I am." I said as I walked to him and ran my hand through his soft hair. He looked up then, wide eyed. He brought his hand up but just before touching me his hand froze.

"C-can I...." he drifted off. I slipped my arms around his neck and pulled him to me. He didn't seem to even breathe for a few seconds. Then he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and squeezed me to him.

"C-can't breathe." I wheezed out. He quickly let me go.

"S-sorry." He said while rubbing his neck. I chuckled as I turned, only to bump into Elijah. I hadn't even heard him move. A frown marred his handsome face.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He opened his arms wide and I laughed. I wrapped my arms around his waist as he wrapped around me. I pulled back and then jumped into the middle of the bed. I looked up to find a large TV mounted on the wall. I hadn't noticed it before.

"Where's the remote?" I asked. Emilio handed it to me quietly. I turned the TV on to a familiar crime show and began brushing my hair.

"So, I have a question." Elijah started as he rounded the bed and sat on my right. Emilio sat to my immediate left.

"How did you know he lost his Mate? That he wasn't just another Rogue." Emilio asked.

"Easy, remember when I talked about his scent?" they nodded "He didn't have the scent of sour milk, a Rogue's natural scent." They nodded.

"And his eyes?" Elijah asked.

"There was a sadness in them that I have only seen in a wolf that loses their Mate. Like they have no reason to live but does it anyway." They looked down then, thinking about what I'd said.

"And you think he's being truthful?" Emilio asked.

"Only giving him the chance to prove it will tell us." I yawned as I finished braiding my hair.

"I'm sleepy." I said as I looked between the both of them. "Can I trust you guys not to do what you did this morning?" I asked. Emilio nodded frantically. Elijah just huffed.

"Can't help it sometimes. You're gorgeous, our Mate, and we will desire to touch you all the time." Elijah said honestly, and I felt my face go red.

"Well w-what if I let you hold my hand or cuddle up just a little bit for now? I-I'm not ready for the intimate stuff. Though we are Mates, I still don't know you all very well at all. On top of that you guys still want to go after my old pack, so it makes it hard to want to try with you, when I know if it came to picking sides, I would pick my family. Mates or not." I spoke truthfully. Emilio and Elijah looked at each other then back to me.

"What if we didn't want to fight your old pack anymore?" Emilio asked. I looked up at him as a smile appeared.

"Really?" I asked. He nodded.

"I honestly don't remember why we wanted to attack them anymore anyways." Elijah said. I felt a wave of relief flood me as I fell back into the bed. They looked at me as I smiled. I held out both of my hands and each of them took hold of one.

"That makes me so happy." I said as my eyes started drooping down, closing of their own volition.

"So happy." I mumbled as sleep took over me.

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Okay this one kind of was difficult for me, I feel like this chapter was more of a filler, buuuuuuut the story continues. 

What did you think?

Aaaannnnd GO!

J. Vas