Chapter 27

Ava's POV:

"No," I repeated for the hundredth time.

"Sweetheart, I'm fine. See." To emphasize his point, he lifted a two-hundred-pound weight with a finger.

While lowering the weight to the gym floor, I could see him grimace, to which he played it off with a smile. I knew that he was still in pain because I could feel it.

"You're going to hurt yourself," I exclaimed, grabbing a hold of the weight and putting it on the floor. I looked up at him with displeasure and worry etched across my face.

"I don't need your help," he snapped, turning away from me.

I knew why he was acting like this. He was the all-mighty alpha, feared by all. He was used to doing everything for himself. I guess he didn't want anyone to see him in pain, or he thought that he was weak. But he had to understand that no matter what, I would be there for him every step of the way.

Plus this was kind of my fault. No, it was entirely my fault.

"You can push me away all you want, but I'm not going anywhere," I murmured with my face pressed up against his bare back and my arms around his sides so that I could press my hands on his chest.

He remained quiet. The only thing that could be heard was my heart thumping loudly in my chest and his ragged breathing.

"I know that this is all my fault, and I'm so very sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you like that, but I just got so frustrated that I couldn't land a hit. I know you might not think that it is a big deal, but it is a big deal to me. I could have lost you today," I murmured, choking on a sob.

By now, I was blinking rapidly to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. After fighting back the tears for a few seconds, I finally let them flow freely, leaning on his back for support, my body racking with sobs.

He was quiet all this time while I poured my heart out to him. This made me cry even harder from his lack of response and acknowledgment. He just stood still and rigid in my grasp while I broke down.

After what felt like hours, he let out a long sigh and turned around. He held me against him while I cried. I felt like I had been doing a lot of this lately, me crying and him consoling me.

"I don't like seeing you cry." He frowned, pulling back from me to look at my face, wiping away a few stray tears.

I gave him a weak smile in response.

He remained quiet after that and just held me at arm’s length. His eyes roamed over inch of my face, squinting every now and then.

He looked away from me and ran a hand through his hair. I couldn't help but trail my eyes along his arm and watch as his muscles flexed with each movement he made.

I heard a chuckle and that was the only time that I moved my eyes away from his arms.

"Like what you see?" he teased. I blushed and looked away, embarrassed that I was caught checking him out. Even after everything we've done, I was still a bit shy around him at times.

"I know that I like what I'm seeing right now," he whispered in my ear in a deep voice and later grabbed my earlobe between his teeth. He pulled back shortly after with a stupid smirk on his handsome face.

"My eyes are up here, buddy," I said in a mocking tone when I realized that his eyes were lingering on my cleavage. He just smirked and continued to shamelessly stare at my cleavage.

He met my eyes with his hooded ones, and I knew what was coming. I wasn't opposed to the idea, but we needed to talk first before anything could happen.

"No, no, no," I rushed out, shaking my head. He looked hurt that I was refusing his invitation.

"We need to talk first," I clarified.

"What's there to talk about? What happened was an accident, and I'm not mad at you or anything," he said, picking me up and walking over to a bench where he sat down with me on his lap and my legs wrapped around his waist.

"But you're hurt."

"Why don't you let me prove to you that I'm okay?" he suggested.

"But in here?" I said, looking around the empty gym.

"There's no one else here," he rasped out, licking my mark, and I moaned at the pleasurable sensation that one simple motion left behind.

With my mind clouded with pleasure, I agreed to his proposal.

*****

"YOU MADE IT!" Elsa exclaimed, throwing her arms around me in a friendly hug.

"About time! Elsa wouldn't let us start the movie until you got here," Mason complained, snuggling up to Katie.

"I'm sorry that I took so long, your highness." I did a fake bow and both Katie and Elsa burst out laughing. Mason didn't look amused at all.

"I thought we were watching the movie together," I whispered in Elsa's ear.

"We are...with company," she smiled guiltily.

There were children littering the ground, facing the huge flat screen on the wall. They all had sleeping bags, blankets, and snacks as they waited for the movie to start.

"Good evening, Luna," they said in unison when they realized that I was in the room.

"Good evening," I said with a polite smile and a little wave.

As my eyes scanned over their excited faces, I could recognize most of them. I have spent a lot of time with the children in the pack, so I was close to them.

I sat on the couch that Katie and Mason occupied, and Elsa soon plopped down beside me with a bowl of popcorn.

The movie started, and I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable when Elsa moved in closer towards me to sniff me.

"Why do you smell like that?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Like what?" I asked with curiosity.

"Sex," she said a bit too loud that Mason had to silence her. He only did that because she was interrupting the movie.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied nervously with my cheeks heating up.

"Is that why you were late? You were too busy screwing your mate to come on time!" she exclaimed.

Her outburst was followed by a round of shushing as the children and Mason grew annoyed with her loud mouth.

"No way," Katie chimed in, leaning in closer to take a whiff on my scent. "She reeks of sex."

"Wait a minute. It was you, wasn't it?" she questioned, leaving me confused.

"Uh…" I opened my mouth.

"You were the girl that Mason and I heard screaming in the gym." After hearing her revelation, my face reddened with embarrassment.

"I—"

"You should have heard her, Elsa. It sounded like she was at church whipping God," Katie giggled. Elsa soon joined Katie as the two girls cackled like maniacs, basking in my discomfort.

'I love it when you worship me,' a voice said in my head. I soon realized that the voice belonged to Jayden and he was communicating with me through the mind link.

'Shut up,' I replied, embarrassed that he heard our conversation.

'You weren't saying that a few minutes ago,' he teased.

'JAYDEN!' I shrieked.

'OK, okay. I'll stop if you agree to a round two later tonight,' he tried to negotiate.

'JAYDEN,' I shrieked once again.

'I think you should save all that screaming for later,' was his cocky reply.

'Oh my God!' I exclaimed and immediately regretted it.

'Don't you dare say it,' I said before he could say anything else.

'I was just going to tell you that I love you,' he said in a gentle, soothing voice.

'I love you too.'

I zoned back into the conversation and realized that everyone was sitting quietly, enjoying the movie. I let out a relieved sigh and turned my attention to the big screen.

"So, were you guys just having mind link sex?" Elsa asked.

"ELSA!" Mason, Katie, and I shouted at the same time.