Chapter 80 A strange man

Chapter 80 A strange man
Ava POV
Ava had always liked the quiet of the gardens at night. There was something calming about the way the moonlight spilled over the leaves, the faint rustle of wind through the trees, and the subtle hum of life that carried on even when the rest of the pack had gone to sleep. Tonight, she was crouched low among the herbs, plugging fresh leaves into the soil, her hands moving almost automatically, when a soft voice cut through the silence.
“Ava?”
She looked up sharply. Emma stood at the edge of the garden, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Ava straightened, wiping dirt from her hands.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked, already wary. “Shouldn’t you be in your chambers?”
Emma hesitated, then stepped closer. “Someone… someone was looking for you.”
Ava’s brow furrowed. “Looking for me?” She narrowed her eyes, the kind of suspicion that had kept her alive more than once. “You’re lying.”
Emma shook her head, her dark hair falling over her shoulders. “I’m not. I speak the truth.”
Ava let out a soft, humorless laugh, though there was tension in it. “You expect me to believe that?”
Emma met her gaze, unwavering. “I do.”
Something in Emma’s voice made Ava pause. There was fear there, yes, but also certainty. Ava’s fingers itched to grab her small weapon, but she restrained herself. Sometimes instinct wasn’t enough; sometimes it was better to see for yourself.
“I’ll check,” Ava said finally, her tone clipped but calm.
She left the garden, careful to move silently. The moonlight stretched shadows across the ground, and near the back fence, she spotted him. A young man, standing just out of sight behind the shrubs, waiting. His posture was patient, deliberate. Curious, Ava stepped closer.
“You’re the one looking for me?” she asked, voice low, cautious.
The man didn’t flinch. He looked her directly in the eye, and there was a steady confidence in him that made Ava take a step back. “I am. I wish to join the alpha’s personal guard. I need your help. You—” He hesitated, then nodded toward her. “You’re the one who can speak to the alpha on my behalf.”
Ava studied him. There was something off about him, a story she couldn’t read yet. “Why me?” she asked finally.
“Because I know you can, you’re the alpha’s mate,” he said simply. Then, as if reading her doubt, he added, “But don’t speak yet. Not until you’ve seen me fight. You’ll know then if I’m worthy.”
Ava’s lips quirked into a half-smile, though her eyes never left him. “And when do I get this little demonstration?”
“Tomorrow night,” he said. “Same place. I’ll be waiting.”
Ava considered him for a moment, weighing the truth in his words against the instinct that told her to turn and run. Finally, she nodded. “Fine. Tomorrow night. But if you try anything…” Her voice hardened, sharp as a whip. “You’ll regret it.”
He gave a small, almost imperceptible smile, and then he slipped back into the shadows before Ava could say another word.
She turned back toward the garden and noticed Emma standing quietly in a corner, hands clenched at her sides. Ava didn’t acknowledge her. There was no need. Her attention was elsewhere, focused on the young man who had disappeared so easily into the darkness.
“Who was that?” she whispered to herself as she walked back to the chambers. But the question didn’t have an answer, and she let it fade as sleep pulled her under.
—
Morning came quickly, the sun spilling gold over the pack’s territory. Ava rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched, noticing immediately that Cain wasn’t in their chamber. Frowning, she made her way to the throne room, her steps measured, quiet.
Cain was there, seated behind the massive desk, but something was different. His shoulders were rigid, his gaze cold, his usual warmth absent. Ava’s stomach tightened.
“Cain,” she said softly. “How are you?”
He looked up at her, eyes sharp and distant. “Fine,” he said flatly, almost too cold for the word.
Ava’s chest tightened at the edge of something unspoken. Fine, he said. But she knew him. She knew the weight behind the words he didn’t say. She didn’t press him further. Some walls couldn’t be broken in a single morning.
Instead, she left the throne room, heading for the garden. There was work to do, herbs to tend for the pack hospital. Every plant, every leaf, every root could make the difference between life and death in the hands of those who knew how to use them. She wanted to get it all ready, every corner cleaned, every batch packed, so she could focus on the young man tonight.
The hours dragged by, filled with the quiet, methodical work of gardening. Ava moved from patch to patch, inspecting, planting, and harvesting. Every so often, her thoughts drifted to the man from last night, wondering who he was, what kind of fighter he might be, and if he could truly be trusted.
Night came slowly. The sky turned dark, stars blinking faintly above. Ava gathered her herbs from the pack hospital, tying them carefully into bundles. She checked the path behind the hospital, making sure it was clear. Her heart beat a little faster, anticipation prickling her skin.
She moved with the practiced stealth of someone used to danger, each step measured. The shadows stretched and shifted around her, the garden silent except for the soft rustle of leaves beneath her feet.
Ahead, the young man waited again, just as he had promised. His figure was almost perfectly still, every muscle coiled as if ready to spring. Ava approached slowly, her eyes sharp, noting every detail, the set of his jaw, the tension in his arms, the way his eyes never left hers.