Chapter 51: Your mate is coming.
Ava’s POV
Anastasia emerged from the balcony, carrying Gwen in her arms like she weighed nothing. At first glance, anyone would have thought the sight was ridiculous, Gwen’s curvy, thick frame draped over Anastasia’s slender, almost delicate build.
Anastasia looked like a twig that could snap at the slightest pressure, yet here she was, moving with strength and ease. I wasn’t expecting to see her carry Gwen like that, but knowing someone as strong as Anastasia, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Whatever training she’d gone through to make her this strong had to have been horrific.
“Is she alright?” I asked, stepping forward. From this distance, I couldn’t tell much, but as she moved into the light, I saw that Gwen looked peaceful, almost as if she were asleep.
Anastasia glanced at me sharply. “You’re still here?” Her tone was laced with irritation and just a hint of something colder.
“Yes and no,” I replied, keeping my voice even. “I came back to check on her.”
“Why?” she shot back, her tone mocking. “You think I was going to eat her?”
Her audacity!
'She’s jealous,' Maya’s voice whispered in my mind.
Jealous? Why would she be jealous of me?
“Gwen is my friend!” I snapped, refusing to let her tone slide. “I’ve been taking care of her for as long as I can remember, since I came here.”
Anastasia’s lips curled in a bitter smile. “Your friend?” she said, her words dripping with venom. “Well, she’s legally my wife now.”
Maya was right, this girl was jealous.
Anastasia didn’t wait for a response. She walked past me like I was nothing, her movements graceful but dismissive. She didn’t even glance at the onlookers staring or whispering as she carried Gwen through the corridor. It was as if their opinions didn’t matter, as if they didn’t even exist.
She headed toward the training lodge, her steps confident and purposeful. But did she even know where Gwen’s room was? I frowned, debating for a moment before deciding to follow her. Better safe than sorry.
To my surprise, Anastasia went straight to Gwen’s room, as if she knew exactly where it was. I leaned against the wall, waiting for her to come back out. It took her a few minutes, but she finally came out, closing the door softly behind her.
“You’re still here?” she said, her voice as cold and cutting as before.
“What if I am?” I snapped back, crossing my arms. Her attitude was grating on my nerves, and I was done trying to be civil.
“Don’t raise your voice,” she said, stepping closer. Her tone was icy but quiet, her eyes narrowing into slits. “Gwendolyn can’t sleep when there’s noise.”
The nerve of her!
I squared my shoulders, refusing to back down. “I don’t care how you twist things in your mind. Gwen is my friend, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, even from you, if I find out she is at risk with you.”
Her eyes flashed with something unreadable, maybe anger? Amusement? It was hard to tell. But then, just as quickly, her expression hardened again.
“She doesn’t need protection,” Anastasia said coolly. “Especially not from you. You could hardly protect yourself during the competition."
She turned without another word, leaving me standing there, fuming. Was this why she stopped fighting? So she could taunt me with it? I would have won! It would have been a difficult battle, but I would have won.
What is even the problem with her? I thought, my fists clenching at my sides, I tried to calm myself.
'She’s territorial,' Maya said calmly. ' She probably sees you as a threat to her relationship with Gwen, she is acting cute.'
Territorial or not, this wasn’t funny at all. Anastasia might have her titles, her strength, and her icy confidence, but I wasn’t backing down. Not when it came to Gwen. She is my friend, except, she says, she doesn't want me around. Until then, I am never leaving her.
I can't believe Maya finds her stupid antics to be cute. Lady is acting like I am going to steal Gwen away from her, when she has been the one that has been acting as if Gwen wasn't existing.
I tried going into Gwen's room to check on her again, only to find the door locked with her magic. She was mad. I wanted to scream. Furious, I stormed out of the training lodge, my emotions boiling over. I didn’t want to see Raphael right now; just thinking about her fueled my frustration. I needed space, so I headed to my room.
When I entered, I froze. Drakon was there, sitting on the edge of my bed, waiting for me. The chaos of the day had completely pushed him from my mind. Guilt hit me like a tidal wave.
“Hi, Ava,” he greeted softly, his golden eyes glowing with warmth. “You look radiant in that dress.” His smile was gentle, effortlessly disarming.
Drakon was breathtaking. Almost every man in this realm possessed otherworldly beauty, as if plucked from the pages of a storybook.
“I’m so sorry,” I blurted, guilt weighing heavily in my chest. “I should’ve come to see you earlier.” I couldn’t shake the regret. Without him, I might not have made it through the competition. Gemma’s training had been a joke, and we both knew it. If I had depended on her training alone, I would have been kicked out from the beginning of the competition.
“You don’t need to apologize,” he said, his smile steadying me. “I’m just happy you won.”
His words washed over me, soothing the tension in my body.
“Thank you, Drakon,” I said, though my voice faltered. “But it wasn’t really a victory. Anastasia let me win. She gave up too easily.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he replied, his tone light and reassuring. “You won. And now, you’ll receive your reward.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so,” he said confidently. Then, his smile shifted, more knowing this time. “I should leave now. Your mate is coming.”
“My what?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” With that mysterious statement, he vanished, dissolving into thin air as though he’d never been there at all.
Before I could process his words, there was a knock at the door.
“Ava, are you in there?” Raphael’s voice called out from the other side.
My stomach dropped.
No, no, no. Goddess, not now. Please don’t do this to me.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
