(Ava’s POV)
As I looked at the ceiling I could not help but get upset. Sleep eluded me constantly. Since the children were born I was use to getting up a few times during the night or sleeping in the nursery with them. However I was still able to get sleep.
I shifted tossed and turned the entire night. Even with Elijah holding me half the night before he fell into slumber I could not get to sleep. I could feel Elijah’s warmth and power surround me and keep me safe throughout out the night, but it was not enough to lull me to sleep.
The image of the werewolf being shot still haunted my thoughts. Seeing the poor fellow werewolf being forced into transforming and then being slaughtered because of it turned my stomach.
That could have been me, if Elijah and Grayson had not protected me. The Syndicate laced the award with something that caused my transformation. I almost rampaged the city and if anything got worse I would have been killed.
After the new release the video was circulating on every platform on social media. It had over a million views on MeTube. It honestly sickened me that people could watch another living being be chained and locked up like and animal and taken out without hesitation.
Grayson had mentioned earlier that Elijah and the other big wigs would try to get the videos taken down but once something was uploaded it was harder to erase from existence.
I sat up and slid out of bed. I needed air with everything going on. Without thinking I went to the backyard. I had not realized that there was no armed men circling our land anymore.
As I looked up to the moon I wanted to pray to the Moon Goddess. I wanted to beg her for solace and peace in this horrible time. More over I wanted to pray to her and thank her for giving me such an understanding and loving mate.
All of a sudden I felt something draped around me. I opened my eyes and looked down to see a hand resting on my waist. I turned to see Elijah shirtless looking at me with concern.
“Could not sleep,” he said. I knew it was not a question.
I looked at the item he placed on my shoulders to see it was one of the blankets. It was soft and warm, it also brought me peace and solace.
Almost. I stayed silent the entire time. I listened to the winds push against us. I listened to my mate’s heart beat in a rhythm that matched mine.
“Ava I know that you are upset. As your mate I can feel it,” Elijah said.
“I could not sleep. I had a lot on my mind,” I said.
I was upset with everything going on the last thing I wanted was a fellow werewolf to get caught in the crossfire of this mess. My mess.
“Do you want to tell me what is weighing on your mind,” Elijah asked.
“I cannot stop thinking about the footage. How could they do something like that,” I rambled.
“If the people filming the video were all human the werewolf would have taken them all down. So it gave him a huge disadvantage to be caged.
I also think that the drugged him to force the transformation. Because no werewolf would have changed for the public to see especially after what happened to you.”
I thought about the screaming and thrashing the werewolf was doing while he began to transform.
“So the Syndicate is behind the footage,” I asked.
“I don’t doubt it.” Elijah said. “I think they were working on something since before you got here. The attack on my hounds is proof of that.
But I do not want to talk about that right now. You need to comforting not a reminder of everything that is going on.”
I stepped out of his hold and looked up at the sky. I was angry, because I knew this was all my fault.
“Talk to me Ava, you can’t stay in your head for too long,” Elijah said, trying to comfort me.
“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“I cannot guarantee that, love. Times like this humans and werewolves have been at war time after time. The only thing that sometimes helps is when history erases the evidence of the war between the two species.”
“You never told me that we were at war with humans before,” I said curiously. “I only knew about witches and werewolves.”
“Witches and werewolves were at war for the longest time. One of the reasons was illegal spells cast on werewolves and some trying to control us like pets.”
“That explains why a lot of witches like my mother and Shanti went into hiding.”
“The difference between your mother and Shanti is the magic and craft that they practice is not meant to harm but protect those around them. Your magic is similar to theirs too. When werewolves were at war with humans it was because we were could be in the darkness and the light. We were able to blend in with them and it terrified them.”
“What do you mean,” I asked.
“Think about it we can blend in to where we could be their neighbor, their best friend, even a lover if they got close to us. That is the fear that resonates with them.”
“I understand,” I said as Elijah began to lead me back to the house.
He opened the kitchen door and we headed to the living room. He guided me up the stairs and back to our room. I slide into the bed and watched my mate follow suit.
I exhaled as I laid down and faced him.
“Your mind is still so far away,” Elijah whispered. hE kissed my lips and pulled me into his chest.
“Everything from hiding in the human world to finding out who I am has put a lot into perspective. I left one pack because of not being accepted and then I fought to be here with you. I am grateful to the Moon Goddess for bringing you to me,” I said.