Ethan quickly pulled her into his arms, looking confused and worried.
And Ava wept bitterly. Her shoulders shook as tears streamed down her face.
"Shh, it is okay, my beloved. Whatever it is, we can fix it together." He whispered, stroking her hair gently.
However, Ava suddenly pulled away from his embrace, shaking her head violently.
"No, no, we can't." She mumbled.
"What do you mean? What is wrong?" Ethan inquired with urgency to know.
Fresh tears spilled from Ava's eyes as she backed away from him.
"This won't work. None of this will work." She maintained firmly.
"What won't work? Is this because of your mother? Did she say something to you?" Ethan asked, stepping closer to her, his heart pounding.
Ava opened her mouth to speak, but only a choked sob came out. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to hold herself together.
"Please, you need to leave." She finally managed, her voice breaking.
"What?" Ethan felt like he had been punched in the gut.
"No, I'm not leaving until you tell me what is going on." He maintained firmly.
"I can't!" Ava whispered, her eyes flashing with pain and guilt.
"Why..." Ethan was going to protest but she interrupted him.
"I can't do this! Please, just go!" She was screaming then and Ethan was dumbfounded.
Before he could react, Ava was pushing him toward the window, her strength and determination surprising him.
"What went wrong?" He thought to himself.
"Ava, stop! Did I do something wrong? Please, talk to me... Let's talk about whatever it is!" Ethan protested as he tried to resist, but she was relentless.
"There is nothing to talk about!" She maintained firmly and with one final push, she got him through the window.
Ethan watched helplessly as she slammed it shut and drew the curtains.
Through the thin fabric, he could see her figure sink to the floor.
"What is going on?" He wondered dejectedly.
Outside her door, Sophia heard her daughter's heart-wrenching sobs. She pressed her forehead against the wood, a heavy sigh escaping her lips.
"I'm sorry." She whispered sullenly, knowing it wasn't enough.
"I'm so sorry." She kept whispering and tears welled up in her eyes.
~~~~~~~~~
The following morning, Sophia knocked on Ava's door. When no answer came, she pushed it open immediately, and her heart nearly stopped at what she found.
The door opened to reveal a cold, empty room.
"Nobody slept in this room last night?" Sophia produced more like a statement than question as she discovered that Ava's scent had faded in the room.
Looking at the small basket where Ava used to keep the few clothes she owned, Sophia was certain that her daughter had left home.
"No, no... Please Moon Goddess, let this not be true!" Sophia whispered and started breathing heavily as if she was having a panic attack.
That was when she saw the note on the bed with Ava's hurried handwriting.
'Mother,
Don't look for me. I can't face any of this right now. I need to figure out who I am, and I can't do that here.'
Sophia sank onto the floor after reading the note.
"This is all my fault..." She wept bitterly.
~~~~~~~~
Later that day, the guards at the Alpha's manor were startled by an Omega woman marching up to the gates.
"I need to see Alpha Jenkins. Now!" Sophia demanded firmly.
"You know better, woman. You can't barge in here to see the Alpha like this. You have to follow proper procedure." One of the guards replied her.
"Then I will wait here till he comes out!" Sophia replied sharply.
"Well, you can't do that here! Now leave, woman." Another guard snapped at her, feeling irritated.
"I would love to see you make me!" Sophia scoffed then started yelling for the Alpha at the top of her voice.
"Are you out of your mind?" The guard yelled.
The commotion drew Ethan out of his wing and his eyes widened when he saw Sophia.
"Silence!" Ethan snapped at the guards then faced Sophia gently.
"What is going on, Mrs Wells?" He asked as he approached her carefully.
"I must see the Alpha... It is about Ava." Sophia informed him, her voice breaking.
At the mention of Ava's name, Ethan's face hardened.
"Let her through." He commanded the guards.
With that, Ethan led Sophia to the Alpha Jenkins's study, where the man himself sat behind his massive desk.
He narrowed his eyes when he saw her.
"What brings you here, Sophia?" Alpha Jenkins blurted out coldly then before the woman could respond, he turned to Ethan.
"Give us privacy." He ordered.
Ethan hesitated but eventually backed out, closing the door behind him. But Instead of walking away, he pressed himself against the wall beside the door.
Back inside, Sophia's composure finally broke.
"She is gone. She ran away." She choked out.
Alpha Jenkins's flat expression didn't change at the announcement.
"And why should that concern me?" He asked coldly.
"Because she is your daughter! She ran away after finding out the truth about her father!" Sophia snapped, almost exploding with anger.
"What?" Through the door, Ethan felt his world crumble.
"Lower your voice." Alpha Jenkins growled at Sophia inside.
"No! I kept quiet for seventeen years because I knew how cruel you were, how obsessed with your status. I knew you would never acknowledge an Omega's child as your own. I ruined my daughter's life to protect your precious reputation!" She yelled angrily.
"What exactly do you want from me?" The Alpha inquired nonchalantly.
"Find her! You have the resources, the power. Find our daughter!" Sophia demanded.
"And if I refuse?" He deadpanned.
Sophia's voice turned dangerously low.
"Then I will tell everyone. The whole pack will know how their mighty Alpha knocked up an Omega and abandoned his own child." She threatened.
A tense silence followed that.
"Fine. I will find her." Alpha Jenkins finally said.
Sophia turned and yanked open the door, coming face to face with a very shocked Ethan. Their eyes met for a long moment, but neither spoke.
She pushed past him and walked away.
Inside his study, Alpha Jenkins waited until Sophia's footsteps faded away. Afterwards, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Find the runaway Omega, but don't bring her back alive. Make it look like an accident." He ordered, his voice cold and calculating.