Chapter 43. Better watch your back, Max


    Avalyn


    Max''s house wasn''t as big as ours. But it had a warm vibe that I loved. It had a round driveway in the


    front and the mansion was beige in colour with brown roofs. It was surrounded by many trees and gave


    a woodsy feel.


    "Nice ce." Niki said as we walked to the door which opened to the hallway meeting the living


    room. It really was. It was a mixture of modern, ssic and woodsy interior which surprisingly mixed


    well.


    "Thanks." Max smiled, looking truly proud.


    Nat gave me a mischievous grin before he ran and jumped on Max''s back, her arms around his neck


    and legs around his waist.


    "I choose an obnoxious monkey." Nat giggled in his ears.


    He put his arms immediately came around her legs to support her. "I''ll be your?daddy?monkey then."


    Max chuckled and carried her inside.


    Iughed at their antics. I was happy for Nat. She looked happier than ever and Max was good for her.


    "Save the forey from the bedroom, Max." Nik rolled his eyes at them.


    "Oh, if you saw the forey, you''d?know."?Nat winked at him, making everyone else except himugh.


    "Why do I even try?" Nik grumbled and grabbed my hand, dragging me inside.


    On cue, theirugh rang louder.


    Nat pressed a yellow and a red button as soon as she got off in the main living room.


    "I''m hungry." She exined.


    Two girls came in the living room. "Serve dinner for four." Nat instructed them.


    "Three." Max corrected her.


    They bowed and left quickly after that.


    "Come, I''ll show you to your room." Nat offered.


    "Yes, thank you." I smiled.


    "Are you okay?"?Nik mind-linked me.


    "Yes."?I replied softly. I knew he was referring to the revtions in the office. And I understood where


    he wasing from. As much as it pained me, I was selfish to want to spend eternity with him, even if


    it meant we wouldn''t have children.


    "So this is your room." Nat opened the door and motioned us inside. "The bathroom is through that


    door," she pointed at the door the left, "and I''ll have have fresh towels and everything sent to you in


    some time. Get fresh, and meet us downstairs for dinner?"


    "Yes, of course. Thank you." I smiled at her.


    "Anytime." She smiled back and left, closing the door behind her.


    "Are you really okay? Talk to me, Ava." Nik asked.


    "I''m upset but I understand. I wanted to have your pup and give you the joy of being a father. But I


    understand why you said no. And selfishly, I want to spend all the time I can with you. I don''t want to


    die. I haven''t spent nearly enough time with you." I ced my palm on his beating chest.


    He was alive and well. We both our. Thats all we need. Each other. No one and nothing else.


    Her circled his arms around my waist. "I love you. And you are amazing. Have I told you that?" He


    asked.


    "I love you too. And I''m not sure if I remember properly." I smiled, looking up at him.


    "Then I''ll just have to tell you again and again." He kissed my lips.


    "That sounds like a nice idea but we should go down, they must be waiting for us." I said against his


    lips.


    Nik only smiled and opened the door behind me.


    We walked out to see Nat and Max step out of a room. We followed them to the dining room and saw


    that everything was already ced.


    We sat on the table and them Max motioned one of his ves to serve us.


    "How is everything in the pack?" Max asked Nik.


    "Its going fine. There are a couple of minor things. But nothing I can''t handle." He replied.


    "Thats, good. I''m happy for you, brother." Max smiled at him in return.


    Max pointed his finger on the floor besides him and looked at one of his ve. She immediately came


    forward and extended her hand. He grabbed it before biting it her wrist and started drinking her blood.


    I could sense that the girl was in pain but as a perfect ve, she remained quiet and still. I wanted to


    say something. Do something to help her. If she just cut her hand and squeezed the blood out into a


    cup, it wouldn''t hurt as much.


    "You will not do anything, Ava. Max has been hospitable enough to invite is into his home. I told you


    how things work in this world. Just ignore it if you don''t like it."?Nik mind linked me.


    I pressed my lips together and did as he said. He was right, as always.


    "Also, Avalyn killed Vasilik. She is the Queen of Mozog now." Nik said conversationally.


    "Killed the centuries old fucker? I''d love to hear what happened." Max looked at me.


    "When I first discovered my magic, we didn''t know what it was. So dimir called Rhazien, a friend of


    his who he thought could help us. So after a couple of days when Nik was away, Vasilik came,


    demanding to know why Rhazien had visited us. When he didn''t get the answers he wanted, he did


    something mentally—"


    "Tried to fry our brains. Literally." Nik added.


    "But for some reason, it didn''t work on me. He had brought his men who tried to capture me but I killed


    them. By this time, Nik came back and Vasilik got him under his control too. He was about to kill Nik." It


    still pissed me off. "It made me very angry and then I used my powers and killed him." I continued,


    trying my best to ignore the girl in pain.


    "Your powers must be really strong to kill such an old vampire. A king at that." He looked amazed.


    "All I knew is that I rather die myself than let anything happen to Nik." I replied and looked at Nik. When


    I saw him in pain, that was all it took for me to loose it.


    "No one''s dying. Especially not you." Nik growled.


    "I''m not going anywhere." I told Nik, my voice soothing. "But we are giving away the kingdom to


    dimir. He is the rightful heir. And its the right thing to do."


    "He was always the uptight one." Max muttered. "But its good. He will finally get the stick out of his


    ass." And then he looked at me. "Are you going to transfer your powers to him?"


    Huh?


    "When you kill a King, their elemental power is shifted to you so you can be stronger than the rest of


    the Kingdom and be their ruler. And since you already are half- Fae, Vasilik''s powers, which are


    mind powers,pliment your mind powers. Shifting of powers can be very painful, especially if you


    aren''t physically and mentally strong.?Extremely strong." Nik exined. "Which is why you passed out I


    guess."


    It made sense.


    "I didn''t know..." Nik didn''t tell me this.


    "I didn''t want them to wait too long. And then it slipped my mindter on with everything going on." He


    smiled and squeezed my hand and then looked at Max and Nat.


    "Oh, by the way, Sofiya is his mate. And they are going to have a baby." Nik grinned, lighting up at the


    thought of having a niece or a nephew. That baby was going to be spoilt by all of us.


    "Shit!" Max''s eyes widened. Nat didn''t look surprised which meant Sofiya had already given her the


    good news.


    "We are going to Mozog in a couple of days. I''d ask you to join us but it would be better for people not


    to see us together. At least until this mission is aplished. You can alwayse visit after though."


    Nik said.


    "Sounds like a n." Max replied and Nat grinned at me widely. We would finally get some girls times.


    After dinner, both of them lent us some clothes for the night as well as tomorrow.


    "Lets go to the garden, we have so much to talk about!" Nat dragged me out at the garden which was


    at the back of the mansion.


    "So how did you meed Max? Tell me everything!" I asked her, excited to know what was had happened


    with her.


    "Well you know that I was kidnapped and Max ended up saving me right?" She asked.


    "Yes, Nik had told me that." I nodded.


    "So after that, we just clicked. I mean I knew him since childhood. Niki and him were the ones who


    saved me, as I told you. And I had spent an entire year crushing on him before... well before things


    went down hill. And now I know why." Her smile dimmed at the end.


    "What had happened?" Is that why Nik was anxious in the office?


    "You better ask Niki about that. But what''s important is that it''s all in the past. Now the only problem


    is the whole training thing." She didn''t look very ecstatic about it. "I hate submitting."


    "Well, after all of this ends, you can always show him who''s the boss." I joked, trying to lighten her


    mood.


    Sheughed at that. "Nice idea."


    "Thanks." I half- smiled. Nat wasn''t a submissive. She was the one who liked to do her own thing. I can


    only imagine what she must be going through.


    "And what about you and Niki? Does he still have his panties in a notch?" She raised her browed.


    More like he has?my?panties in a notch,?always!


    "Aah, I knew I knew something is up. Spill, girl." She poked my ribs.


    "It''s?him?who has?my?panties in a notch." I giggled.


    "How do you actually submit to that grumpy ass?" She asked like it was the most impossible thing in


    the world.


    "At first I did it because I didn''t have enough confidence in myself to make my own choices. But


    because I gave him ultimate control, he turned me into a better and stronger person. Now I do it


    because I want to. I like pleasing him." I replied softly, a smile fitting across my lips at Nik''s thought.


    "But how can you do it so easily? Don''t you feel like doing whatever you want? Or to sometimes even


    hit him across his head if he is being a dick?" She asked me.


    "Is this about me or you and Max?" I raised my brows at her.


    "Me and Max." She whispered back.


    "Thought so." I nodded. I had to make sure to say it right so she understood what I was saying and that


    it would make things easier for her.


    "Try thinking like this. Max is your mate. And at the end of the day, he is the only person in the entire


    world who will have your best interest at heart. He wants you to be the best version of yourself. And he


    will punish you when you make a mistake because he wants to push you and always do better in life.


    And I can tell you with personal experience that punishments may be physical but they are mentally


    more eye opening. He also has more knowledge about most things than you so his decision making


    judgement is better than you. Instead of fighting with him, just do as he says, and if you have a doubt,


    ask him politely. I''m sure he will exin it to you." I exined softly. This is exactly what I thought when


    I was with Nik. I hope this helps.


    "You''re right." She sighed. "I will try thinking like that from now. I think it will really be good for us."


    "Yes, it might help you with all of this." She was doing all of this for me. The least I could do was help


    her in any way I could.


    Nat was looking at me and then her eyes shifted somewhere behind me.


    Her eyes widened and she moved out of the way before Max could touch her.


    "You''re mine, babe." He smirked at her and ran again, catching her in a second.


    I was too busy gawking at their antics to see Nik who was already besides me and then he threw me


    over his shoulder.


    "Maximilian Romano—" Nat shrieked somewhere in the background but I was too busy trying to told on


    to Nik''s waist so he wouldn''t throw me in the pool like Max did to Nat.


    It was a fruitless attempt because he managed to release my hold and throw me in the cold water.


    Nat drowned in the pool beforeing up and gasping, "I can''t swim." And then went underwater


    again and came up, "help!" She yelled. I knew for a fact that she was acting because I had swam with


    her a hundred times and she was a thousand times better and faster than me.


    "I''ve spent a year with you like a decade ago, if you remember. Your trick won''t work on me." Max


    grinned at her mischievously and turned around to leave.


    She pouted and stopped her acting, swimming normally now. Nik and I burst intoughter at both of


    them.


    "I''m going to get back at you for this!" She yelled.


    "Which will earn you a punishment, princess." Max said without turning around.


    "See what I told you about?" Nat asked me. "You''re a dick!" She pointed at him. "And I believe that you


    are what you eat!"


    I gasped.


    "I remember someone else begging for it." Max smirked and paused for Nik to catch up to him.


    "You—you!" Nat turned red.


    "I think we will have to work on your vocabry too. You have to learn five new insults each day." He


    joked before they walked in the house through the windows.


    "We should get out, its cold." I said, hoisting myself out of the pool.


    "That fucking dick." She mumbled under her breath as she followed me back to the house


    "We are going to get back at you!" Nat said pointing her finger at Max and Nik as we climbed the stairs


    together.


    "I''m scared." Nik said with dry voice.


    "And Avalyn and I are having a sleepover." I giggled and Nat''s response. She knew for a fact that Nik


    hated sleeping without me.


    "Fuck no." He growled.


    "That''s her getting back at you." She replied and pulled me upstairs with her quickly


    "You''re better watch your back, Max." Nat mumbled.


    44. I’ll never let that happen


    Avalyn


    "Thank you for having us over." I smiled at Max and Nat. We had a quick breakfast after we woke up


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    and now we were on our way to meet Mary.


    "It was our pleasure." Max smiled back. "I also wanted to give you something." He told Nik.


    He handed the envelope to him.


    "What''s this?" Nik asked, taking it from my hand.


    "It''s a gift from Viktoria. She said to give to you when you meet your mate." Max replied, his tone


    gentle.


    I sucked in a breath.


    "Why did she give it to you? Why not me directly?" He asked, his voice thick.


    "When I asked her to give it to you herself, she just made me promise that I''d give it to you. And that I''ll


    always protect you." There was nothing but love in Max''s eyes for Nik. I bit my lip. At least there was


    someone to truly take care of Nik after what happened to Viktoria.


    "Thanks, brother." Nik hugged him.


    Max hugged me afterwards, surprising me."I''m technically your uncle."


    Iughed. It was weird to even think about it. Adoptive, but uncle. I had already told Nat my goodbyes


    so I just waved at them before we left.


    I looked at the trees pass by fast as we cruised through the roads. Mary is my grandmother. Not really


    but still. Grandmother. I have a family. A living family member. I chewed down on my lip. Will she like


    me? What if she doesn''t like me?


    I realised that she knew my mother the best. After papa, of course. But she knew my mother the


    second best. I could finally get to know more about her.


    That worried me more. What if she hated me? I am the reason my mother is dead.


    Nik grabbed my hand ced our joint hands on hisp as he drove with his other hand. "What''s going


    through your mind, Love?"


    "Meeting Mary." I whispered and squeezed his hand, cravingfort.


    "She will love you. It''s impossible not to fall in love with you, Ava." He nced at me.


    I hope so. I really really hope so.


    Nik pulled up at small cottage type house with a big garden. We got off the car and I stopped him


    before he could walk down the cobblestoned path bordered with bushes.


    "Do you promise she will like me?" I asked him.


    He trailed his hand through my hair and put a lock behind my ear before grabbing my hand tugging me


    to walk down to the door.


    He pressed the doorbell andI waited behind him.


    The door opened in a minute. "Hello, I''m Ni—"


    "Niki Volkov." An old gravelly voice finished. "I do not want to talk to you or help you in any form. You


    can leave." She went to shut the door in his face but Nik put his hand on it.


    "We only want to talk." Nik said quietly.


    "Please." I stepped out from behind him and took my ce besides him.


    The olddy''s eyes widened before they watered. "Valerie." She whispered and pulled me into a bone


    crushing hug.


    I put my arms around her and hugged her back.


    "I''m Avalyn." I said softly after she released me.


    "I figured." She replied and looked at Nik before looking back at me.


    "Pleasee in." She took my hand in her''s and took me to her living room.


    She made me sit besides her on a two- seat couch, making Nik take the couch opposite us.


    That''s when I got to actually look at her. She had shoulder length blond hair that were more white that


    blond because of her old age. She had a rtively round face with brown eyes and thin lips lined with


    red lipstick.


    She looked nothing like me or mom. Of course she didn''t, she wasn''t?actually?my grandmother. Just


    adoptive. But she brought up my mother like her own. I firsthand know that rtionships aren''t just


    formed by blood. She is my grandmother and I''m her granddaughter. If she''d have me.


    "You are mated to him?" Mary asked, giving Nik a snide look.


    "Yes, I love him very much." I replied. She didn''t like him?


    "My poor girl." She said and hugged me again. I hugged her too and looked at Nik over her back,


    raising my eyebrows in question. Why didn''t she like him?


    "She is not poor in any sense. I keep her happy and pampered." Nik said drily. I could feel his


    annoyance through our bond.


    Mary snorted, not deeming him enough for a reply.


    She turned to me. "Tell me how have you been child? I -I thought you were dead." She had tears in her


    eyes again.


    I bit my lip. Should I tell her? She had the right to know. "No. The rogues didn''t attack our pack as was


    told. It was all Emmanuel''s doing. Emilio and him kept me captive in our house as a ve for eight


    years. Nik saved me." I said as I looked at Nik.


    My saviour.


    "Emmanuel?" Mary asked, her voice barely a whisper. She looked shaken.


    "He gave me to his son, Emilio as a gift." I bit my lip. Her chin trembled and tears flowed down her


    cheeks.


    I tightened my hold on her trembling hands. "I''m safe now. I''m happy now grandma. Can I call you


    grandma?" I asked softly.


    "Oh, yes, of course, dearie." She wiped away her cheeks and looked at Niki in a new light. "Thank


    you." She spoke, her voice shaky.


    Nik only nodded. "There is something we need to ask." He spoke.


    Mary looked at him and nodded. "Anything."


    "Max said that Ava is a descendent of Faelern. And Fiona. And that she was cursed that she would die


    giving birth to her child. Is that true?" Nik''s face was nk, his side of the bond closed shut. He was


    shutting himself out. He was hurting too.


    "It is." Mary nodded, wiping more tears. "Fiona came to our dimension, asking Jerome and I for help."


    She looked at me. "We couldn''t have kids. I think, the moon goddess had greater ns for us. Fiona


    begged me to take care of her child after her death. She already knew that we wanted a child and


    weren''t able to have one. And that we would love her child as our own. Maybe thats why she chose


    us." She said, her eyes far away.


    "I remember the day she came to me. She was all skin and bones. And the day she died giving birth to


    Valerie. I had loved that child as my own since she was in Fiona''s belly. And Fiona wanted her kid to


    retain her heritage but also wanted to hide her from Faelern. He was bitter towards his child ever since


    he knew she was pregnant because he knew it would kill Fiona. She told me to name the child Valerie


    Aine James. Valerie means strong. Aine was for her heritage and James was for Jerome and I, so that


    we could tell people that she was ours."


    "Valerie was a lively kid and she was very powerful, just like her parents. There were times when she


    got angry and no one could control her. She used to loose control on them and had hurt a lot of people.


    It started getting difficult for us to control her too. People started noticing she was different. So I used a


    spell on her. It took half of her powers and converted them into a wolf. That way, she would be able to


    have a better control on her powers and when her age came, she would shift and no one could say she


    wasn''t our daughter. She got better at handling her powers and she stayed hidden from Faelern. It was


    two birds with one stone."


    "She grew older and shifted into a beautiful white wolf. All of us were happy. The pack''s spection


    was gone too. But then she met her mate, Javier." There was a slight bitterness to her tone.


    I frowned at that. Papa was the kindest and the best person I knew.


    "Don''t mind me dear. We liked Javier, we really did. But the pack was not very sure about having a


    vampire as their Alpha. But Javier proved all of them wrong and won everyone''s hearts. Its just—we


    told him about the curse. But he still got Valerie pregnant. He should have been more careful. Valerie is


    dead because of his one mistake." Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Not that you are a mistake," she


    quickly added, "but my child could have been here." She cried harder.


    "Papa loved her, you know?" Tears blurred my eyes. "And he missed her everyday. He didn''t talk about


    her a lot because it hurt him but he loved her. I?know?he did." I bit my lip.


    I saw it in his eyes, the love for my mom, how he missed her. His eyes were sad, always sad. He


    smiled and pretended to be normal in front of everyone, in front of me but there was a lingering


    sadness in his eyes that never went away. He had pictures of her all around our home. He wanted me


    to grow up seeing her. Everyday, on my birthday which was also her death anniversary, we would go to


    her grave and give her flowers. He used to bring Emmanuel and Emilio with us too. We thought that


    they were good people and papa thought Emmanuel was his best friend.


    He used to send me back home with them and he used to sit at her grave for hours after that. He used


    to sit there and cry. I know because I snuck out of my home and saw him there like that, shouting at


    God Sol for taking his mate way. I ran to him and hugged him. That was the first time I had seen him


    cry. Over anything. He used to stay back to properly mourn mamma. Because he wanted to stay strong


    in front of me. He wanted to stay strong for me.


    "He didn''t get her pregnant deliberately. It was a mistake." I cried. "I killed her."


    "Valerie loved you, Avalyn. It wasn''t your fault." She was crying too. "You didn''t kill your mother dearie.


    Please never think that."


    Suddenly, Nik had pulled me up, he sat on the couch and made me sit on hisp. His eyes bore into


    mine. "You didn''t kill your mother, Avalyn." His thumb caressed my cheeks, wiping my tears.?But she


    died because of me.


    I took in a deep breath and looked at Grandma. "Papa didn''t kill her either, then." I whispered.


    "I''m sorry I''m just being a protective mother. Jerome and I couldn''t help but feel that way." She looked


    down at herp.


    "It''s alright." It was Nik who said that.?It wasn''t fine. Papa didn''t kill mamma.?"Is there any way we can


    break the curse?" He asked.


    Mary shook her head. "When Valerie got pregnant, I tried each and every spell but nothing worked. It


    was put by a strong Fae. A witch''s power is no match to their magic." She replied. "Are you pregnant?"


    She asked me, her eyes wide.


    "No." Nik replied for me. "And she never will be." He replied firmly. I bit my lip. I wanted a mini version


    of Nik and I. But not like this. Not at the cost of making Nik go through what papa went through. I would


    rather die than cause him even an ounce of pain.


    "Good." Mary said, regaining her strength. "Now, I want to know why are they both still alive?" She


    red at Nik.


    "They won''t be for long." He replied.


    "And how are you going to do it?" She asked him, sounding eager to know. She wanted revenge too.


    "Those are internal matters of my pack. You will know after its done." He replied vaguely.


    She nodded in understanding. Internal matters of a pack was always to be kept secret from outsiders.


    "Do you want to have breakfast?" She asked kindly.


    "No thank you, we have to go." Nik said and we both stood up.?


    "Are you sure? I make the best coffee." She offered.


    "Yes, we are sure, thanks grandma." I nodded in agreement to Nik''s words.


    "Alright. Let me know if you need help with anything. I''ll be very happy to help." She said.


    "Thank you, grandma." I said and hugged heras she squeezed me to her. "I''m so d you are alive


    dearie." She whispered in my ear.


    "And I''m very d I got to know about you." I smiled and released her.


    "You have a home here anytime you want, okay? My doors are always open for you if anything


    happens." She said, giving Nik a suspicious look.


    "Yes, thank you." I smiled.


    "Anytime." She said with a smile and walked us out.


    "How are you feeling, Ava?" Nik asked once we were back in the car.


    "I''m happy I got to know more about my mom." I replied. "But I didn''t like that she thought papa killed


    her." I confessed.


    "I didn''t either." He said. "But I understand where she ising from. If I got you pregnant, I''ll hate


    myself."


    I''ll never let that happen.