ALPHA: Heir Of The Four

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Notes: Ava-Rain's POV

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- '. . .burn everything you love then burn the ashes. . .' -

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The only way that I had managed to make it through life—surviving a painful childhood and rocky upbringing—was by responding to each and every tough situation that had been thrown my way in one of either two ways: fight-or-flight.

To avoid confrontations with my grandmother, I always fled. When I had been attacked by the wolf the night after I first met Caleb, my response was to flee. But when I had stumbled upon Declan and Rickon in wolf form back at the den, my instincts were to fight, just as they were when Declan and I had been attacked by the pure bloods.

     When it came to protecting others, fighting had always been my first instinct. A natural reaction. But it seemed that whenever I was thrusted into a dangerous situation—one that only threatened my survival—my instincts were to run. To find an escape rather than fight for myself.

The only way that I knew how to protect myself was to remove myself from that danger. And although the Hellands were my family—the people that I had loved for over half of my life—and they did not pose a threat to me, learning that they were hunters was not the reason why I felt the need to run. It was simply my desperate last ditch effort to save myself from the world that was quickly crumbling all around me.

"Take me home," I whispered as I pulled my hand out of Caleb's. My eyes drifted over every single Helland, settling lastly on Kasey as I took a step backwards. "Please, take me home," I repeated with a little more urgency.

"Wait, Ava-Rain," Kasey lowered her bow and, as if to combat the step I took back, she took a step forward. "I don't know what he's told you or what you think you know, so will you just allow me to explain? Please?"

Ignoring her, I turned away and moved to open the passenger door of Caleb's car, but only managed to lift the door handle before I was stopped. With a firm hand planted on my waist, Caleb turned me around so that I had no other choice but to face him. "I can't stay here, Caleb. So will you take me back?"

"No," he replied without hesitation.

No? Did he really just refuse me?

If my world hadn't just been shattered by the revelation that my best friend and her family were hunters and a part of a supernatural world I had only just discovered existed, then I might have actually allowed myself to be shocked at my mate's refusal. But because I was still dazed and confused—a result of the explosion from the bomb that had just been dropped—the only emotion I felt over the denial of my request was anger. "No? What do you mean, 'no'?"

"I mean, no, I'm not going to take you home."

Because my body was literally sandwiched between the car and Caleb, there was no place for me to go. I tried to push him away, which only resulted in him gently grabbing my forearms and easily wrestling me into submission. But, still motivated by my bubbling anger and my irrational fear that if I did not leave soon then I would be destroyed along with the world I had tried so hard to preserve and keep intact, I refused to look at him.

"Can you guys give us a minute?"

Although he tried his best to ask politely, I knew Caleb well enough to know that his request was non-negotiable. His question may have been posed for either a 'yes or no' response, but we all knew which one of those answers he hoped to have received. And after a few silent seconds of deliberation, the Hellands began to walk away. They had not gone too far but far enough so that the space between them and us would not permit them to hear our conversation. But despite the distance, Kasey kept her eyes pinned on me. But it wasn't entirely a watchful gaze—I had witnessed and been a recipient of those too many times to count—but a hopeful one, as well.