Chapter 1 " Execute her - she tried to kill me ! " Serina's scream echoed through the packhouse as Ava sat in chains , blood still fresh under her fingernails . Not Serina's - her own , from clawing at the silver cuffs that burned like acid against her skin . ] Three hours later , they were still trying to break her . " Did you slash Serina's back ? Admit it ! " [] Clint slammed his fist on the table , and Ava fought the urge to laugh . After everything she'd done for this pack - healing their wounds , stopping their wars - this was how it ended . This was the third time they'd grilled her , third time she'd told them the truth : she didn't do it . [ ] But Serina was the Beta female . Ava was just the " jealous ex - Seer . " Guess who they believed ? [ ] " Look at this . " Greg slid a photo across the scratched metal . Four claw marks , deep and angry against pale skin . " Recognize your work ? " ] " Not mine . " She looked at their sweating , snarling faces and said with perfect calm . ] As a shifter , though she had been trapped in this little box for hours , endured hours of the same questions , same accusations , she had fought hard to keep her pacing wolf from losing her shit . And fought hard to suppress the memories of the last time she'd felt so trapped . " Do you have any idea how bad this could get for you , Ava ? " Clint leaned in close enough that she could smell his morning coffee . " You're facing an execution here . Tell us the truth , and we can help you . We'll reduce the penalty to banishment from the pack . " ] She snorted . Help ? Just a lie . They had already made up their minds that she was guilty ; what they wanted was a confession . [] " Continuing to maintain your innocence is pointless , " stated Clint , rising from his seat . " We have evidence " -no , they didn't- " and we have witnesses . " [ ] " You said those eight boys made a mess in your home . " Eight kids . Right . Eight kids who worshipped Serina like she was their personal goddess . Eight kids who'd swear the sky was purple if she told them to . [ ] And personAva , she wouldn't call breaking her furniture , slashing her clothes , spray - painting insults on her walls , smashing her TV , and slinging the contents of the refrigerator around her home a mess . " But according to the eight youths , they were just hanging around , minding their own business , when you came at them and accused them of breaking into your cabin . " " They insist that you refused to listen , that you persisted in accusing them of breaking into your home at Serina's request . Then you snarled , ' I'm going to kill her ! ' before running off . " [ ] Wow . Just more perfect bullshit . They're lying . " " All of them ? " Greg's voice turned harder , louder , browbeating . " Just admit it , Ava . " " You were so jealous because you lost Zarek to her . And you thought that if she was out of the picture , you would get him back . So your racked her down and attacked her from behind , slashing her back , giving her no chance to defend herself . " He slowly stalked to Ava's other side as he continued , " She quickly righted herself and whirled on you , didn't she ? That was when you sucker punched her , knocking her out , and ran like the coward you are . " Clint's allegation couldn't be more pathetic . And because Ava had a terrible habit of accidentAva speaking her thoughts aloud , she mocked , " Wow , you cracked this case wide open But the truth ? The truth was if she wanted Serina dead , she'd have gone at her from the front . And she'd have made sure she finished the job . Since she'd joined the Grunthorn Pack two years ago , Ava had only been involved in two duels . Both times , Ava had won . She fought hard and dirty , but she never attacked from behind . And she never ran off like a coward The past few months had sucked big time . It had been a blow when her boyfriend found his true mate , but Ava was happy for Zarek . [ ] Unfortunately , her intuition had told her that Serina Lavin was going to be trouble ... and it had been right . [ ] Despite Zarek not hesitating to claim Serina as his mate , the female had immediately embarked on a hate campaign with Ava as the target . [ ] Ava had been shocked when Zarek berated her a few months ago for supposedly insulting his mate , Confused and riled , she'd sought out Serina ... playing right into the woman's hands , she later realized . Everyone had witnessed her yelling at the Beta female , who had remained calm and cool as she rebuked Ava and gave her pitying looks for her " jealousy . " My Mate ? He Calls Me His Doom - but I Am Hus Last Chance 0.0 % Chapter 1 That was when the " Ava's jealous " tripe had started . And she had quickly found that there wasn't a good defense against that seventh - grade insult . If Ava ignored it , she was jealous . If she responded with a smart comeback , she was jealous . If she got pissed and told them to go eat shit , she was not only jealous but bitter too . Shortly after that incident , her pack mates had slowly but surely pulled away from Ava . In the time she'd been part of the Grimthorn Pack , she'd healed several of them and had twice saved the pack from conflict through her visions ... but all of that had ceased to mean anything . In their defense , Serina was a very convincing liar . She'd made Ava an outsider in her own pack . And thanks to the heifer's latest stunt , Ava might be cast out . " And we have a witness who claims they saw you attack Serina . " ] " I doubt that . " Clint straightened . " Oh , really ? Why ? " " One , because the assault didn't happen . Two , because if you did have a witness , you wouldn't need a confession . As you said , it's currently my word against Serina's . People might trust her and like her , but that's not enough to justify an execution . Particularly since there are some gaping holes in Serina's little tale . " ] ] " Such as ? " " Why would someone who wanted to kill her run away while she was unconscious ? Wouldn't they take advantage of that moment in which she was totAva helpless and deliver a killing blow , considering they were a ' coward ' and all ? " ] Clint was quiet for a moment . " Maybe you heard someone coming . Or maybe you noticed someone was watching . " [ ] " Or maybe Serina's just talking out of her ass . " Again . " You know what I think , Ava ? " asked Greg . " Oh , this is going to be good , " she muttered sardonically . [ ] " I think that you didn't really want to kill Serina . I think you just lost your temper at a weak moment . We've all acted impulsively with anger at some point , right ? " [] " I think that you might have genuinely believed Serina had ordered the boys to trash your cabin . You were already very upset with her for taking Zarek from you . You've been feeling lost and alone . Jealousy has often gotten the better of you lately , and who could blame you for that ? " Greg actually patted her hand . [ ] Oh , for Christ's sake , was she really supposed to buy this oh - so - caring act ? ] " When you walked into the cabin and saw the chaos , it was the icing on the cake . You did what anybody would do in that situation . You snapped , and you tracked down -the person you convinced yourself was responsible . That was why you fled the scene after attacking Serina . Once you saw her unconscious on the ground , your anger dimmed and you felt bad for what you did . " " It's either that, " began Clint , " or you went after Serina with the intention of killing her but then lost your confidence at the last moment . Which is it ? " ] ] " Just admit , " encouraged Greg . " Make things easier on yourself . As soon as you confess , this will all be over . Don't you want this to be over ? " Yeah , she damn well did . Frick and Frack had kept her in this tiny room for over two hours , and her wolf was at serious risk of losing it . But making a false confession wasn't on her list of things to do . " I've already told you what happened . I have nothing more to say . " ] Clint sighed . " Fine , if that's how you want to play it . " He looked at Greg . " Call Matt . Maybe he'll do the execution right here , right now . " Hearing that , she gave a theatrical gasp . " What ? Now ? But the night is young , boys . " ] " Ava , " Clint gritted out . " Bring out the cuffs , let's have some fun . " She threw up her arms . " All right , I confess ... I ransacked my apartment for fun, falsely accused a bunch of well - meaning youths , attacked my Beta female , and then stuck around long enough to be detained and possibly executed . " She shrugged . " It seemed like a good idea at the time . " ] ] e. " D Clint's face flushed again - most likely because when she put it like that , it became clear just how pitiful their argument really was . " Don't get smart with me ." She snickered . " Are you sure you'd know if I did ? " I'd say it's time we- Greg paused , his face flushing red with rage . " You know what ? I'm done with this shit . " [] He lunged forward , silver cuffs glinting in his hand . " Maybe some real fear will loosen your tongue . " [] Ava's wolf snarled as she jerked back , but there was nowhere to go . Greg's fingers caught the collar of her shirt , and for the first time in hours , real fear spiked through her The door beland her slammed open ( Discover our latest featured short drama reel. 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