Emma's Mate (Book 1)

Chapter 35

Ashton Williams

I took the clothes from Ethan, my eyes never leaving Ava. Her audacious stare lingered on my naked body, making my skin crawl. The lust in her eyes—after everything she had done—felt like a slap in the face, a mockery of the agony she had caused Emma and me. How dare she? After attacking Emma, after nearly taking her from me, she still had the nerve to look at me like that?

Disgust and rage churned inside me like a storm, twisting tighter and tighter. My hands trembled as I hastily dressed, my movements sharp and fueled by fury. Lucas, my wolf, was clawing at me from the inside, ready to tear Ava apart. The bond between Emma and me pulsed with a burning fury, and Lucas demanded retribution.

She deserves nothing less. Her actions demanded blood.

But before I could act, a hand gripped my shoulder, grounding me. I snarled, spinning around, teeth bared, ready to strike. It was Ethan. His expression was filled with a quiet pleading, his eyes a storm of concern.

“Not this time, Ethan.” My voice was low, a growl of warning as I shrugged off his grip. He wouldn’t stop me. Not now. The weight of everything Ava had done was too much to bear. She would pay.

I turned back to Ava, the rage inside me like wildfire, but before I could lunge, Abigail stepped between us, her athletic frame blocking my path. Lucas surged within me, pushing harder. The urge to tear apart the obstacle in my way—both Ava and Abigail—was unbearable.

“Move,” I warned, my voice dangerous and full of the promise of violence. The air between us crackled with tension, the beast inside me barely restrained.

Abigail flinched but stood firm. Her resolve flickered in the face of my rage but didn’t waver. “Ash, look at Em,” she whispered, her voice trembling with urgency. Her words cut through the haze of fury in my mind. “She needs you,” she added, her eyes flicking to Emma’s limp form on the ground, pale and still.

Emma. The sound of her name brought my anger crashing down, my focus shifting to her lifeless body. There, lying so still and fragile, was my best friend, my mate, my responsibility, my Luna. My heart clenched painfully as the weight of Abigail’s words settled deep inside me.

She’s the priority.

The storm inside me began to ebb, and I inhaled sharply, forcing the rage back down, shoving Lucas’ snarls into the dark corners of my mind. There was no time for vengeance—not now. “Take her to the cells,” I ordered Abigail, my voice cold and steady, though it took every ounce of my strength to maintain control. “That’s an Alpha’s order,” I added, shooting a hard glance at Ethan. He had to know I meant it—there would be no more chances for Ava.

Ava’s voice sliced through the air, shrill and desperate, her words thick with obsession and venom. “No, Ashton, please! Don’t let them take me. I know you love me! Not her! Not that bitch!” Her voice was a poisonous echo of the delusions she had clung to for so long, the same twisted thoughts that had poisoned everything.

My hands clenched into fists as I fought to keep control. She’s nothing to me. Ava had pushed too far, and there was no going back from what she had done. Without sparing her another glance, I turned my back on her and walked toward Emma.

The Warlock, who had already done what he could to heal Emma’s wounds, stepped forward again, offering to teleport us back to the pack house. The urgency in his voice didn’t matter—I was singularly focused on Emma. His magic promised a faster journey than any other means of travel, and I didn’t care how we got there. We just needed to move.

“Do it,” I commanded.

Before the portal opened, Abigail and Allison secured Ava, who was still bound by the Warlock’s magical ropes. I lifted Emma into my arms, her body far too light. She shouldn’t feel like this—so fragile, so broken.