Chapter 2: TWO

Runaway mate 2 Ava knows very well what she's supposed to do, but she never expected it to be today, she never thought she’d be this unprepared, and she certainly wasn’t ready to reject her mate now.

She saw that Lucas was almost close to them; he had paused for a bit when he saw her running away.

“Let's just go, please we'll talk about this outside,” Ava persuaded. She didn’t wait for Nicole to respond, instead she turned around, her eyes searching and looking for another way to exit the large restaurant.

“Even if you want to leave, where will you pass? There’s only one exit and he’s in the way of it you know, you'll still bump into him.”

Just then Ava’s eyes caught the waiter who had disappeared into the door behind the marbled counter, she grabbed Nicole’s hand again and started in that direction. Entering the kitchen, she saw the waiter giving an order to the chef.

“You’re not supposed to be here ma’am, this area is restricted to staff only,” the cook turned to her with a frown.

“We are really sorry,” Ava muttered. “It’s an emergency,” not even waiting to hear a response, she pushed away the waiter blocking her way and rushed out through the kitchen door that led to the back exit, she had to leave this place as fast as possible.

Both friends ran out of the restaurant and into Nicole’s car that was parked at the front, she sat in front at the passenger’s seat beside Nicole.

“Drive!”

“Are you seriously going to run away from him? Is that what a Luna does? Running away from what she’s supposed to do???” Nicole snared.

Those words sent daggers into Ava’s heart, pricking her guilt. She knew the right thing to do but she chose to ignore it instead; she knew she was ignoring her responsibility by running away and worse, she was doing it in front of a witness, her best friend. But she didn't have much of a choice; this was too much for her, too unexpected, she needed some time and space to process all this.

Lucas had just come out of the restaurant; his eyes were looking around and Ava knew it wouldn't take long before he found them in this car.

“I beg you in the name of the moon goddess,” Ava put her two hands together to show her desperation to Nicole. “Please, just take me away from here.”

“I don't think you know what you're doing Ava.”

Ava wanted to slump in frustration, why did Nicole have to be like this? Why did this friend of hers have to be so difficult at times?

Nicole then started the car and began to reverse much to her relief, from the car window, she looked at her mate whose eyes where still searching, he had spotted her in the car at that moment and their eyes met again, before Nicole drove her out of the scene, she never turned her eyes away from his, not until he completely faded out of sight.

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“You owe me one!” Nicole snapped as she drove away.

“Thank you so much,” Ava could breathe now, she didn’t know what would have happened if she had to look at that handsome devil right in the eye and watch his heart shatter into pieces. Why would the moon goddess have to mate her with someone so attractive? Did the goddess not consider that she had duties to fulfill? And those duties involved rejecting her mate?

Just then, Nicole received a phone call.

She was still deep in her thoughts when Nicole snapped her out of it.

“Jiro just called me now, he wants me to pick up some things for the party on the way, and sorry, you can’t be there.”

Jiro was Nicole’s mate, she thought her friend lucky that she’d been mated to someone from within the pack, it would have been much easier for Ava if the moon goddess mated her with a moonlighter.

Whoever he was, he’d understand that as the future Luna, she had duties to fulfill and he’d respectfully accept her rejection and look for another mate. But with the man she saw today, she wasn’t so sure.

“Hello!” Nicole snapped her fingers in her face again.

“Sorry, but why can’t I come? I mean its just a few hours to the party.”

“You know your Alpha; he doesn’t want you to be there when we’re planning anything for you.”

“Ughhh!” Ava hated all these surprises, sometimes she just wished Ray would let her plan her birthday with him just once without any surprises, but no, he wouldn’t hear of it.

“So, if I can’t be there when you’re shopping for supplies and I can’t go home now either, where will I go?” She’d gone out with Nicole today to while away time before the celebration in the midnight, and now that Nicole’s services were needed, where would she go and how would she while away the remaining time?

“I’m sorry bun, but you know Ray, and you know he wouldn’t be pleased to see you back at the house when it’s not yet time. You can take a walk or something or let Layla play.”

Layla howled within her; she always loved the idea of coming out to play.

“Fine, you can drop me off at the next bus stop.”

“Ok dear, I’m really sorry about this.”

“No, its fine.” She just hoped that whatever surprise Ray had planned this year, she wouldn’t hate it like she’d hated the previous ones.

Nicole drove until she reached the bus stop and parked.

“Are you sure you'll be ok?” Nicole wanted clarity. “You know I can just call him and tell him I won’t be able to do it.”

“No. I'll find somewhere to spend the time, don't worry about me,” Ava said.

“And what about him?”

When she mentioned “him,” Ava knew she was referring to the one she’d just scampered away from, she shouldn’t worry too much about that; the distance Nicole had driven them was so far away from the restaurant, he’d be crazy if he thought of following them here, she should be safe from him for now; or so she thought.