( Ava's point of view)
"Ava! Where the hell is she , Ava!" Leo's voice boomed through the house, filled with anger and impatience. "Ava, get down here now!"
I smiled , glancing at my reflection in the mirror. I smoothed my long black hair and walked calmly down the stairs, deliberately ignoring the irritation in his tone.
Leo stood at the foot of the stairs, his blue eyes darker than usual, seething with rage. Beside him stood Jaxon Reid, his beta, holding a huge bouquet of beautifully arranged flowers and shopping bags full of expensive clothes.
"What the hell is this?" Leo snarled, pointing furiously at the gifts. "When is this going to end, Ava? Huh?"
I looked at the bouquet and shopping bag, my eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Uh... is that for me?" I asked innocently.
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls.
We stood there, glaring at each other, tension crackling in the air. Finally, I spoke, my voice cold and calm. "So it's fair for you to dig your face in second-hand vaginas, but me getting gifts is a problem?"
Leo's face twisted in fury and I loved watching every bit of the moment.
"That's not the same thing, Ava."
"Not the same thing?" I shot back. "You change women like you change clothes, without any regard for our three years of marriage. "
Leo had a terrible habit of sleeping with other women in our so called three year old marriage, if it were a disease he would have a severe case fuck-a-slutosis. He would literally fuck any woman right in front of me and sometimes he would force me to watch. And if I refuse, he would threaten to beat me up.
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken words and pent-up emotions. I turned to Jaxon. "Take these things to my room."
"Don't you dare, Jaxon," Leo commanded, his voice a low growl.
I stood my ground. "I'm the Luna, Jaxon. You must obey me."
Leo stepped closer, his presence intimidating Jaxon with his alpha aura. "I'm the Alpha. You obey me."
Jaxon hesitated, torn between us. I sighed. "Fine, I'll take them myself."
Leo's fury intensified. "If you take them into our room, I'm not sleeping there."
I smiled sweetly. "Of course darling, as if I care. You'll just go and sleep with your sluts anyway."
I picked up the flowers, inhaling their fragrance in his face. "Hmmm .... at least the stalker even knows my favorite flowers," I remarked, shooting Leo a pointed look.
With the flowers and bags in hand, I walked past him, my heart pounding. As I made my way to our room.
I was 20 when my father and Leo's father arranged our marriage. Our packs under their leadership were weak, and merging them was a strategic move. Despite not being mates, Leo accepted me and was one of the sweetest and loving guy I had ever met. But everything changed when I came home early from a trip and found him in bed with another woman. Clothes strewn across the passage, the sound of skin slapping accompanied by moans filled the air. I stood there, shattered, as he continued without stopping, even after seeing me.
Since that day, he made it a habit to humiliate me. But he never marked or mated with me, and I thanked the Moon Goddess for that small mercy. The bite mark on my neck was fake, a façade to maintain appearances. I had always wanted revenge, but my plans always failed. Then out of no where the anonymous gifts started arriving, expensive and thoughtful, which only fueled Leo's anger and I enjoyed seeing him like that.
One time, the stalker sent me a very seductive and sexy lingerie. I wore it and asked Leo how I looked. He fumed with jealousy, his reaction was priceless.
Though I hated receiving gifts from the anonymous person, I enjoyed seeing Leo's reaction. I reached my room and placed the flowers and clothes on the bed. Most of the items were my favorites, but I didn't want them. I picked up the note attached to the flowers and read it:
"To my dearest Ava, your beauty outshines even the most exquisite of these gifts. I will always love you and protect you from the shadows.
- yours."
A soft knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. My best friend, Maeve Winters, walked in. With her ginger hair in a messy bun , flawless fair skin, and stunning beauty, she always brought a sense of warmth and comfort.
Maeve laughed, mocking Leo's predictable behavior. "Let me guess, he's angry about the gifts again?"
I nodded, folding the note and tossing it into the bin already full of similar notes. "He can't stand it."
"If I were you I would have left him and married the stalker, he is more romantic and I can tell from the gifts that it's a sexy hunk." She continued to laugh and tease me , " Girl you need to think really hard about who this anonymous person might be," she urged.
"I have no clue, and honestly, I'm not interested," I replied, dismissing the idea.
Maeve sighed, rolling her eyes. "You need to leave Leo, Ava. Move on."
I shook my head, the weight of duty pressing down on me. "It's not that easy Mae , and plus it's my duty. And most of all I can't disappoint my father."
"Your duty?" she scoffed. "Ava, remember all the terrible things Leo has done to you. He You're not even in love with him, and neither does he love you. "
" Mae shut up," I tried to end the topic.
" c'mon you know it's true, you have been married for freaking 3 years and have never been laid , in your entire life....how embarrassing," she exploded in laughter as she started to scan the clothes in the bags.
Her words hung in the air, a stark reminder of the truth I tried to ignore. I looked at the gifts, the clothes, and the flowers, feeling a mix of anger and despair. As much as I hated my situation, I couldn't see a way out. But deep down, I knew Maeve was right. Something had to change, and soon.
I smiled to myself as an idea hatched , "I think I know what to do."