Ava's Pov

　　"Ava, we shouldn't be here. If your father finds out, he'll be extremely angry," Mia declares apprehensively within me.

　　My wolf is far too fearful for my liking. Always worried about getting caught and punished. That has never happened and it won't happen now.

　　"Calm down, Mia. No one will see us here!" I reassure her as I observe the meeting in the conference hall.

　　The environment exudes a sense of opulence and power, with light white curtains framing the tall windows and heavy oak doors that make the room harmonious here at the resort.

　　It wasn't difficult to sneak into this meeting at the resort. I told Dad I was sleeping over at a friend's house last night and would return only later today. I booked a room here at the resort and was surprised to see that Matthew and Emma had been here since yesterday.

　　Emma looked pretty decent. The outfit she wore made her look much older, but I can't say she looked too bad.

　　She has a stage presence, very well-articulated, I admit. But no one actually wants the peace treaty. War is always much more profitable, according to my father, Alpha Tim Davis.

　　I stay hidden at the back of the room, near the open curtains, only here because I want to see Matthew. My heart races at the thought of his beauty, the way he smiles, and how attentive he was to me when I was still the disgusting Emily.

　　I remember the first time I saw him at my door, with Emma. His smile captured my heart. I fell in love at that moment and haven't stopped since.

　　Alpha Matthew is so handsome, strong, and hot, and I bet he fucks well. Emma is lucky to have snagged him, but not for long. He will be mine, no matter how or when, but Alpha Matthew Anderson will be mine for sure.

　　The meeting takes an unexpected turn that surprises and even pleases me. Peace, then, is an option. Will my father sign the treaty? Emma said everyone would receive a copy of the treaty to be signed.

　　I weave through the people in the hall, always keeping a reasonable distance from my father, Emma, and Matthew. Even though my greatest desire is to be by his side, kissing him, touching him, and doing all the sinful things I had planned since I went to the Night Howlers Pack.

　　But that annoying Emma ruined everything! She disrupted my magical moment with Matthew. He looked so handsome, defenseless in that way on the bed, needing care, love, and attention.

　　I can give him that. Much more than Emma, I'm sure of it. I would be a faithful, loyal, loving Luna, doing everything Matthew asked without hesitation.

　　I observe from a few meters away as Matthew hugs Emma and kisses her politely on the cheek before offering her the glass he was holding. The two don't match, it's so obvious!

　　Why does Matthew want to marry Emma? She doesn't have what it takes to make him happy; I do, I'm sure of it.

　　She should have chosen the other guy, Alpha Peter Garcia's son.

　　"Daniel, his name is Daniel. And you can't have Matthew, Ava. He is not our destined mate, he is Emma's!" Mia responds urgently and annoyingly.

　　"No. Emma was promised to my brother. She is his! We all know that. She matched with Michael, they were good together," I retort irritably, shaking my head at my wolf's words.

　　"You forget that your brother rejected Emma when he thought she had killed you. He was cruel to her, very cruel," Mia defends Emma, and it irritates me.

　　"My brother did nothing wrong, Mia! He thought she had killed me, can you blame him for rejecting her because of that? Of course not! But we are both fine, we are alive! And we deserve to have Matthew for ourselves. He saved us, rescued us, and took care of us, besides being an alpha. We deserve an alpha, Mia!" I argue seriously, focusing all my attention on Matthew. "We deserve to have him just for us, and I will make that happen."

　　I return home after a few hours of circling Matthew with Emma, the way the two of them together makes me jealous and angry. I don't want to feel angry at my alpha; he doesn't know what he's doing with Emma. It's only a matter of time until it's me in his arms.

　　The house is shrouded in a heavy silence, broken only by the ticking of the wall clock in the living room. The soft lighting from the lamps creates dancing shadows on the dark wood furniture, giving the place an aura of mystery. The familiar scent of pine and lavender is the result of the recent cleaning our servants did. It bothers me a bit, but not as much as the emotional weight I carry within me. The weight of longing to see Matthew.

　　"How was the sleepover at your friend's?" Michael asks suddenly, bringing me back to reality and to my little lie.