Page 6 of Tears of Gold

Ava sails across the green square ahead of me but doesn’t hear me call out. I jog to catch up with her, frowning at the rigid set of her shoulders. She’s supposed to be with Rita, but the elemental snob is nowhere in sight. Just because the assassin is dead doesn’t mean we can disregard Ava’s safety, especially when her memory’s in shambles.

“Ava?”

My heart lurches as she dashes tears off her cheeks before turning. “Hi, Harper.” She smiles as if nothing is wrong, but there’s no fooling me, especially when red rims her cute hazel eyes, which are now puffy.

A hollow ache blooms in my chest. “What’s wrong, babe?”

She avoids meeting my eyes. “Nothing.”

I jam my hands in my pockets to resist the urge to drape an arm over her shoulder. “Uh-huh. And I’m a werewolf, and the sun won’t rise tomorrow.”

She sniffs a laugh. “I thought you were getting hairier.”

I poke at my overgrown curls. I probably should do something about getting a haircut, but it hasn’t seemed important. “Careful, I’ll start howling at the moon.”

She smiles, then tilts her head. “Are wolf shifters real?”

“Yeah, but I’ve never met one, even though there’s some back on Earth. They don’t tend to have much magic, I hear. There are some different kinds of dog shifters out there too.”

She nods and squints at the sun with a wince.

“You okay?”

“My head’s pounding, and my eyes hurt. Happens every time I try to remember.”

“So, don’t try to remember.” Something squirms low in my belly, but I ignore it. I’d like to know more about what the Davinas plan for her, but it’s not worth her discovering everything else. If she remembers she was dating Skye and Erritt, I’ll have no chance.

She scoffs. “Tell that to them.”

The tone in her voice stops me cold. We all agreed not to push Ava to remember since both Vanrey and the medics advised against it, but maybe the bastards aren’t upholding the deal. I spin her to face me, resting my hands on her arms. “What did they do?”

Ava waves a hand. “It’s nothing. I was talking to Skye, and I remembered something, so he took me to see Prince Erritt, and, well, it just got uncomfortable.” She presses her palm against her breast in a way familiar for when she’s stressed.

A chill creeps up my legs. I want to ask exactly what she remembered, but then I’d be just as bad as them. The sensation leaks into my chest and hardens, making me tense all over. Those fucking bastards pressured her, despite Vanrey’s warning about the danger of forcing her when her mind is so bruised.

“Hey!” Ava squeaks as I dig my hands too tight into her arms.

I release her and step back. “I’m sorry! I’m just so—” Something coils through my throat, strangling my words. “It pisses me off!” I grind out. How dare those selfish fuckers endanger her further? I clench my hands into fists.

Ava hugs herself, reaching for the spots I pressed, but I beat her to it, rubbing her skin gently. She feels so soft and delicate beneath my fingers, reminding me what a complex mix of fragility and strength she is. Ava endured mental torture because we couldn’t keep her safe. I have to do better. It might be my fault she’s here, but those entitled pricks keep making it worse.

Ava squeezes her eyes shut and staggers, her face paling beneath her tear stains, and I grit my teeth. “’Scuse me.” I duck under her shoulder, sweep my arm under her knees, and scoop her up against my chest. She’s lighter than when I first hauled her off the street back in Atlanta, which is not surprising considering all she’s been through, but it still makes my innards clench.

Ava instinctively clutches at my neck. “What are you doing?”

“You’re just about to fall over. Close your eyes and let me help.”

Ava stays rigid in my grip. She’s not been keen on touch since she got back, but she feels so good pressed against my chest, her lavender scent hanging like a cloud around her hair just a few inches from my nose.

I take my time walking up the stairs to her dormitory room. “I can’t do all that thought-sensing shit anyway, so you’re safe with me. You can ask the others if you don’t believe me.”

Her fingers around my neck relax, their whisper touch stroking my nape with the movements of each step. Heat flows through my belly and settles in my groin. She’s so damn beautiful, I come alive with every touch.

The counselor in charge of the girls’ dorm clacks down the steps and glares at me. I’ve trodden all over the ‘no boys allowed’ rule, and although she’s tried to keep me out, there’s not much she can do since Erritt assigned me to guard Ava. Thankfully the spitfire, Rita, Ava’s chief bodyguard, backs me up, although I think that’s mostly because she enjoys having a bit of time off duty. And she likes bossing people around.

The woman ignores me and leans closer to Ava, forcing me to stop. “Are you alright, Ava?”

A tremor runs through Ava’s body, translating to my hands. She always seems sensitive to questions about her health, and I think I can guess why when she’s living with a heart condition.