Theirs Fatal Attraction Novel – Ava’s POV It’s been five whole years since my whole world came crashing down on me. I lost the people closest to me. My quadruplet step-brothers and my best friend Harper. It still felt like a bad dream I wished I would be able to wake up from. I never knew who my parents were because they had abandoned me at birth. I still had no idea what their reasons were. But luckily I got adopted by Alpha Logan and Luna Charlotte of Nightshade pack. They treated me just like their biological daughter. I gained four stepbrothers from then.
Fin, Ian, Julian and Dylan. Our relationship was a bit strained at the beginning. We never got along and they used to bully me a lot but after their 18th birthday, they changed and began to protect me against those who tried to belittle me. But then, I began to harbor feelings for them. All I could do was bury that special love deep in my heart because I knew they were my stepbrothers and they only saw me as their stepsister. Sometimes it felt like they knew about the love I had for them. If they did, why wouldn’t they ask me about it? My best friend Harper whom I confided in about my love for them but then she told me to abandon my silly love because it was only a fantasy that was never going to come through.
I didn’t know why until I caught them making out with her, smooching her like she was the only person that mattered. All these turned out to be wishful thinking. My heart was shattered into a million pieces. How silly. I knew I would never be able to bear seeing them together. After that night, I applied to attend a Supernatural Academy, farthest from our home in Nightshade which was located in the south. My stepbrothers and Harper didn’t make any effort to stop me from leaving and we had no contact over the last five years. Harper didn’t render any apology to me whatsoever, even though she knew that I had seen the smooching scene. But over the past five years, I had often been in contact with another good friend of mine Lily, as well as her parents. I learned from my mother that my father hasn’t been in good health for the past few years. It felt like I had been punched in the gut when I heard about it. My adopted Father who had raised me was ill.
He had been my confidant and everything else to me. It still left a bitter taste in my throat whenever I thought about it. I should be there for him because he was there for me when nobody else was. “Go, Ava! You can do this!” Liam cheered excitedly breaking me from my reverie. The noises and cheers resounded in my ears once again as I moved around the court with the hall in my hands. I was participating in a werewolf dodgeball in my academy and Liam who was my boyfriend was watching the game and so were a hundred other students. I dodged the balls that were sent flying my way as I ran glancing around the court. Adrenaline rushed through my veins which prompted me to throw the ball towards our PE teacher, Mr Hattie who was also participating in the game. He stumbled backward and almost fell. He stared at me in surprise.
“Yes!” Liam cheered again. The game ended and my team came out victorious. My teammates picked me up as the audience erupted into applause. We celebrated our win for a while before Liam came rushing into the court. “Beautiful flowers for my beautiful girlfriend,” he declared revealing the flowers which were hidden safely behind him and presenting them to me. “Red roses?” I mumbled. “Yes, aren’t they beautiful? It suits you perfectly,” he replied beaming from ear to ear. The truth was that I disliked red roses. No, I had come to hate them because Harper was holding them when she was making out with my stepbrothers. They probably must have gifted it to her. I couldn’t stand red roses after that.
But yet for Liam’s sake, I forced a smile. “They are beautiful indeed. Thank you,” I responded leaning in for a smooch. He wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me closer deepening the smooch. I felt nothing. My heart didn’t flutter and there were no butterflies in my belly. I felt completely numb. It must be because I wasn’t used to it yet. He looked so happy and I didn’t want to ruin that. He pulled away and smiled at me. “Ava?” Mr Hattie called out to me. I tilted my head towards the direction of his voice. “Great job on today’s game. Your performance was quite impressive.”he complimented me even though he wasn’t the type to always compliment people. He had always thought I was a weak wolf and this game had changed his attitude towards me. “Thank you,” I replied politely. “You should come to the dodgeball team celebration party.
After all, you are one of us,” he suggested. I took a look at the large audience who were still celebrating our win. I disliked crowded places and that party was going to be attended by a lot of people. I linked my arm with Liam’s and offered him a small smile. “I’m sorry but I won’t be able to make it. I have plans with Liam tonight.” “That’s fine. I’m sure you will be able to join us next time. Keep up the good work,” he replied before walking away. I turned my attention towards Liam with a relieved sigh but he was grinning at me. I narrowed my eyes. “What? Why are you staring at me like that?” “It’s okay Ava. You don’t need to hide it anymore. You can tell me about it,” he urged. I frowned because I had no idea what he was talking about.
“You don’t need to be upset because I found out about your surprise. You were never the type to be able to keep a secret anyway,” he added. At this point, I was genuinely confused. “What surprise?” “Today’s my birthday remember? I thought you had a surprise for me because you refused Mr Hattie’s offer and hinted at spending the rest of the day with me,” he explained. My eyes widened in surprise. Today was Liam’s birthday and I didn’t plan anything. Not only that, I completely forgot! “Was I wrong? If I was then it’s fine. I probably got too ahead of myself…” “I’m so sorry Liam. It totally skipped my mind. How could I have been so forgetful?” I asked running my hands through my hair out of frustration. He had always remembered mine but I had forgotten his. “It’s fine. No need to beat yourself up over it,” he assured me.
“It’s not fine Liam. Today is your birthday and I forgot again…” He placed a smooch on my temple cutting me off. He then gave me a warm smile. “It is and I get to spend the day with my beautiful girlfriend. That’s enough gift for me. I’m fine with it.” I looked up at him as he smiled down at me feeling awful. Five years had passed and Liam was the most suitable person I had met. He was from the Silvermist Pack and was a future gamma. It was just highly unfortunate that there was no bond between us. Liam was a gentleman, he never asked or forced me to do anything I didn’t like. He fully supported me in whatever decision I took. Perhaps if it weren’t for my stepbrothers, I might be able to love Liam with all my heart. I shook my head refusing to think about my stepbrothers anymore. After graduating from college, I planned to stay in the South because I never wanted to return to the pack and meet them again. There would be no future for us, for my silly unrequited love.
That was the only possible solution. I glanced around when it felt like someone was watching me but I saw no one except for the few students who were walking out of the hall. “Is there something wrong babe?” Liam asked curiously. I shook my head. “No. Nothing’s wrong,” I assured even though I felt quite the opposite. I had been feeling as if someone had been watching me for a while but every time I checked, I found no one. Liam tucked my hair behind my ear and began to say something which sounded like plans but I wasn’t paying any attention. It might sound like I was being paranoid but I had this feeling that I was being watched or was I wrong? Ava’s POV “You don’t have to do this, I know you are tired and you should rest,” Liam insisted as I tugged his arm. “I have to, it’s your birthday and there’s nothing more special than that,” I beamed with excitement as I led Liam into the restaurant, determined to make up for my earlier forgetfulness.
“I’m so sorry again, Liam! I feel like the worst girlfriend ever!” Liam chuckled and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay! I forget my own birthday sometimes too. Today’s about your dodgeball game, not my birthday. I don’t want you to feel bad about it.” I sighed, “You are too sweet Liam, it makes me feel more guilty,” feeling a warmth in my chest at his understanding. “You’re the best!”I always felt that Liam was very empathetic, sometimes even gentler than I, as a girl, could ever. “Ava!” he chuckled and we sat down at our table. The waitstaff came in a while later to take our order and we sat down quietly to eat when our meal got delivered. “So tell me do you have plans for tomorrow?” he asked trying to start up a conversation and I dropped my cutlery.
“Not really…is there anything you want us to do?”I inquired “Not really.”he smiled and we kept on eating silently, i sudddnly felt pressed and I needed to use to the restroom, “I’m sorry Liam, I want to use the restroom, I will be back soon,” I muttered and he nodded. I excused myself to use the restroom. I noticed a group of quadruplets who looked eerily familiar while I walked to the restroom. One of them, with brown hair and a suit, reminded me of Finn at first glance, but upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn’t him. Finn always wore suits and glasses, looking so mature and put-together. I used to tease him by hiding his glasses at home, and he’d chase me around the house to get them back. I couldn’t help but think about Ian too, his golden hair and lively personality were hard to miss, and I remembered the nickname he had given me – “Sunshine.”
He was a playboy, always charming and flirtatious, but I knew he had a soft spot for me. Julian, with his white hair and eccentric personality, was always a mystery to me. He’d often disappear for hours, only to return with a mischievous grin and a trail of secrets. I’d catch him gazing at me with an intensity that made my skin crawl, but he’d just wink and say, “Little sister, you’re so predictable.” Dylan, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. His brown hair and good-boy demeanor made him seem like the perfect son, but I knew better. The four have the same faces but different personalities. Julian and Dylan were harder to read. I could still remember one of these days when I was trying to grab a drink from the fridge, they had helped me with it and Ian had stood behind me, so close that I was hardly able to think.
“We can help you with anything sister, don’t ever hesitate” They winked, and even though it was supposed to be a simple statement, I couldn’t help but think about the underlying meaning of it and I spent days thinking about it. I shivered at the memory, thinking about them would do me no good so I pushed the thought aside as I settled back into my seat, feeling a mix of emotions. “Are you thinking about returning to the Nightshade?” Liam gently teased and I looked up at him with a faint smile. I didn’t hide anything from Liam, I told him everything about my past and I was grateful for Liam’s acceptance and support, knowing he didn’t judge me for my complicated history with the Nightshade pack. “Do you know why cats had nine lives?”Liam suddenly asked and I chuckled “Please don’t start,” I said in between laughter. “I have a new trick under my sleeve now, so you just have to listen…” Just as Liam began to tell me a joke, my phone rang.
“I’m sorry, I have to take this,” I apologized as I pulled out the phone and it was Charlotte my adopted mother. I excused myself and picked up the call immediately, expecting a routine call from my mother. But Charlotte’s sobbing on the other end of the line instantly alerted me that something was wrong. “Mom, what’s happening?” I asked, my heart racing. “Ava, sweetie…Logan passed away today,” Charlotte said between sobs. My world stopped. Logan, my stepfather, was gone? The news felt like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless and reeling. “What…how?” I stuttered, trying to process this sudden loss. “It was… I can’t believe it either,” Charlotte said, her voice cracking. I felt numb like I was in a dream.
This couldn’t be happening. Logan, the man who had been like a father to me, was gone? Liam’s hand on my arm brought me back to reality. I didn’t realize when he had joined me. “Ava, what’s wrong?” he asked softly. I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. “My stepfather…he passed away,” I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. Liam’s expression turned somber, and he pulled me into a gentle hug. “I’m so sorry, Ava. I’m here for you.” As I held onto him, my mother’s last words on the phone registered. “Ava, you need to come home tomorrow. The coronation ceremony for your stepbrothers is in two days…and you need to be there.” I never planned to go back home but I had no choice now, maybe it was time to face the past. Ava POV Tears streamed down my face even though I tried so hard not to cry since we were in public, it was hard not to regard the kind of person he was to me, I didn’t expect to hear the news of his death anytime soon.
“We should leave,” Liam muttered and held my hand, we walked out of the restaurant, and before I could move any further I burst into tears. Liam’s concerned expression was the last thing I saw before I buried my face in my hands and let out a sob. “Ava, I know this is hard for you, I know how much he means to you and you told me everything about it so please, stop crying, I don’t want to see you in tears,” Liam said, his voice soft and gentle. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t form words. All I could do was cry, mourning the loss of my adoptive father. The man who had taken me in, who had raised me as his own, was gone. And I hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye. I can’t believe the last time I saw him five years ago will truly be the last time I see him in this life. Liam suddenly wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as I wept.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here for you. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together. I don’t want to see you cry, I hate it when you’re sad and I hate it more when I can’t do anything to help you.” The passing of my adoptive father was undoubtedly crucial for the wolf pack; nothing was more important than seeing my father now. Fortunately, my stepbrothers had long been groomed to become the next Alphas. Maybe they had long forgotten me. At that time, my departure didn’t affect them or Harper, as if I was just an insignificant person. I clung to him, feeling a bit of comfort and security in his embrace. But even as I cried, I knew I had to confront my past. I had to face the family I had left behind, the family that had once been my everything, I had to face my quadruplet brothers even though I yearned to stay far away from them. I pulled away from Liam, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. “Liam, I have to go back,” I said finally, my voice shaking.
Liam cupped my face, looking at me with understanding eyes. “I know. I’ll come with you.” I nodded, feeling a surge of gratitude towards him. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” “We’ll face this together, Ava,” Liam said gently. “We’ll get through this, side by side. So we have to go back and make preparations, okay?” I nodded. We spent the rest of the evening making arrangements, buying train tickets, and packing our bags. Liam had left me alone when the time was late and told me he needed to meet with his family. “I will be back as soon as I am done talking to them, they need to know I will be leaving the school premises” “Take care of yourself” I mumbled and he smooched the top of my head before he left. I walked out of the room with the intention of getting permission from my teacher before leaving the school premises, I had left with my already packed bag, and I texted Liam to meet me at the train station before I walked to the staff office.
I met Mrs. Johnson, she was busy talking to one of the students, I waited until she was done before I moved closer to her. “Is everything alright Ava?” She asked, focusing on the papers she was holding. “Mrs. Johnson, can I talk to you for a minute?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. She looked up from her papers, concern etched on her face. “Of course, Ava. What’s going on?” I took another deep breath before blurting out the news. “My father passed away earlier, I was informed by my mom. I need to go back home for the funeral and to be with my family.” Mrs. Johnson’s expression turned sympathetic. “Oh, Ava, I’m so sorry to hear that. You must be devastated.” I nodded, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “I am. I needed your permission before leaving the school premises.” Mrs. Johnson nodded understandingly.
“Okay, Ava. Take all the time you need. We’ll excuse your absence for the next few days. My condolences are with you and your family.” “Thank you so much. Thank you for understanding.” With that, I left the school and made my way to the train station. My mind was jumbled with thoughts as I walked, I was still trying to process my father was gone, I would never get to see his kind smile again, I would never get to hear his fatherly voice. I gulped trying to control my tears. As soon as I arrived at the train station I noticed that Liam was already there, waiting for me with a huge backpack slung over his shoulder. “Hey,” he said, his eyes soft with concern. “How are you doing?” I shrugged, feeling a mix of emotions. “I’m okay, I guess. Just trying to process everything.” Liam nodded and handed me a bag filled with goodies from his family, my eyes widened in shock. “My family wanted to make sure you had some comfort food on the journey.
They had sent their condolences and hoped you and your family recover from the shock soon.” I smiled, I was grateful to him and his family, for their support and kindness. “Thank you, Liam. That’s so sweet of them. I can’t thank them enough.” “You don’t have to, okay? We should go enter the train, the train will be leaving soon,” he held my hand and started moving, I felt a pang of sadness, knowing that Liam wasn’t my mate. Liam is so perfect and I know with him I have nothing to worry about, it saddens my heart that I could never reciprocate his feelings just the way he loved me, I blinked severally trying to clear the thoughts from my head. We boarded the train and I sat close to the window side, I watched as the train started moving and I didn’t know what to feel, I didn’t know how to react when I finally arrived at the pack knowing I was away for so long. “Is everything alright?” Liam jolted me from my reverie. “Yes,” I smiled faintly, looking at the train heading north.
Ava POV The first ray of sunlight woke me up from sleep, I wasn’t aware of when I slept throughout the night, there was a sudden honk on the train and it came to a stop. I stretched my body while Liam stood up. “We should get down,” he muttered and I noticed every other person was getting down from the train. We finally arrived at the border of the Nightshade territory after the long train ride. Liam and I got off the train and took a walk to the customs checkpoint. As we presented our identification to the border officer, he barely glanced at Liam’s ID before waving us through. “Welcome back, Ava,” he said with a nod. “It’s been a while.” I smiled weakly, feeling a mix of emotions. It was good to be back, but I was also nervous about meeting everyone. “Thank you,” I replied The officer nodded and handed me back my ID. “Sorry to hear about alpha Logan. He was a good man.” I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Ava!”I suddenly heard a family voice call and I tilted my head to look at Lily, she stepped out of the car that pulled up alongside us and jumped out, her gothic style unchanged since I last saw her. She was the only person in nightshade that had kept contact with me and we often video call. My face slowly widened into a smile as she ran over to embrace me. “It’s so good to see you! Luna Charlotte asked me to pick you up.” “Thank you. It’s been five years Lily, it’s so good to see you again,” I hugged her back, feeling a bit of comfort in her familiar embrace. “It’s great to see you too. I’ve missed you.” “I have missed you so much, Nightshade wasn’t the same again without you.” “I wish! You haven’t changed a bit” I observed and I noticed her gaze was on Liam. “Oh, this is Liam my boyfriend, and Liam this is Lily, a good friend of mine.” Liam smiled and greeted Lily, “It’s nice to finally meet you, I have heard a lot about you.” “Of course, likewise. Welcome to Nightshade,” Lily said and turned her attention to me. “I can’t believe you’re finally here,” Lily said, her eyes shining with excitement. “We’ve all missed you so much.”
I smiled weakly, feeling a pang of guilt. “I’ve missed you all too. But I had to leave, Lily. I couldn’t stay after what happened.” Lily nodded understandingly. “I know, Ava. We all do. But we’re glad you’re back now. Come, let me drive you to the pack house.” “Okay” I replied and we all got to the car. As we drove through the checkpoint, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. I hadn’t been back to the Nightshade territory in years, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. “So.. how is my mom?” I asked my heart constricted at the thought of how she might feel right now, losing one’s mate is crucifying. “Luna Charlotte is weak and lying in bed. She hadn’t stepped out at all. Your stepbrothers have been up for a whole day and night, this isn’t an easy time at all.” I felt a pang of nervousness at the mention of my stepbrothers, Lily noticed my unsettling feeling and understood immediately, so she decided to change the topic by filling me in on the latest news.
“That reminds me… Harper found her mate…” she said, but I interrupted her. “Oh… that’s good for her,” I stated dismissively looking through the window. I don’t want to hear it, I don’t want to know if she’s mated to my quadruplet brother, and If it’s true, I’ll give them my blessing, but right now knowing the details might cause more harm than good. Lily continued to fill me in on the developments in the wolf pack over the past few years, and how advanced the pack has turned out to be, I was barely listening to what she was saying and all I did was nod along, I was trying not to think about the fact Harper might be mated to my brothers. We finally arrived at the place I have called my home for years, I stepped out of the car and looked at the building. “We should go inside,” Lily mumbled and we walked inside. I couldn’t help but feel restless as I walked inside the building. My wolf was stirring, sensing the familiar scents of the territory. I could smell several different scents, and my wolf grew more agitated. I didn’t understand what was happening, but I ignored the growing restlessness and went to Charlotte’s chamber.
“Mom!”I called and she stood up from the bed immediately she heard me call her, she rushed over and was enveloped in a warm embrace, she burst into tears as soon as we hugged and I couldn’t help but cry along. “It must have been hard on you Mother, I am so sorry I wasn’t here when it all happened.” “Oh it’s totally fine, I am so glad to have you back. We have missed you so much, Ava, my dear, your brothers have missed you so much,” she pulled away from the hug, wiping her tears. I pulled back a bit, feeling a pang of skepticism. They haven’t contacted me in years. I doubt they’ve missed me that much. Charlotte’s expression turned to Liam and she had a small smile on her face. “Bad of me!” I cleared my throat, “Mom this is Liam, the man I told you about, and Liam this is my mom,” I introduced Liam to her.
“Oh, my dear! Thank you for coming. Ava told me how great you are to he,” Charlotte said and Liam smiled “I’m faltered Luna Charlotte, thank you for welcoming me to your home.” “How is school? I heard exams will be approaching soon” Charlotte said and Liam smiled “Of course ma’am, we are preparing for it.” “That’s great. How are your parents? I should personally thank them for allowing you to visit with Ava,” Liam chuckled a bit. “You don’t have to and they send their condolences.” We chatted for a bit before I heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
The four different scents grew stronger, and my wolf became restless and agitated again, which left me wondering what was going odd. I could hardly concentrate on what they were saying anymore as the scent had fully caught my attention and grew much stronger. I couldn’t help it but lifted my head, I was curious to know where the scent was coming from, and my eyes met those of my stepbrothers as they approached us. My breath caught up in my chest immediately I realized those tantalizing scent belongs to them, and then they growled in unison, “Mine.”