Mated To The Wrong Alpha
Chapter 40

Rubbing her temples, she tried to organize her thoughts but they kept floating about in her head like bits of paper caught in a whirlwind. No one had told her that an unmedicated heat would leave her brain addled! In frustration, she grabbed a piece of paper and began to write down anything she could think of that she’d heard or seen about Ryne or Marla.

After a few minutes she threw down her pen in disgust. It was all rumour and supposition, random facts and events that may or may not be connected. None of it made any sense.

The phone rang then and she picked it up, pleased to hear Helen’s excited voice. Carrie and John had a son and while there were a few minor complications, mother and child were doing well. Helen wouldn’t be home until late and Ava assured her that was fine. She asked her to pass along best wishes to the new parents and told Helen yet again, that she’d manage to make her own meals. Smiling, she hung up and wandered toward the kitchen all the while thinking about what it would be like to have a pup in the house.

Staring into the fridge, she eyed the various selections. What should she make? It would only be herself and Arthur for dinner; maybe an intimate meal would be a good way to start her confession about Seth. Pleased with the idea that was forming in her mind, she picked up the phone. She’d call Arthur on his cell and see what time he expected to return then plan the meal accordingly.

Arthur answered almost immediately. “Arthur here.”

“Hi, Arthur! It’s Ava. How are things going?”

“Busy. We’ve been out here all day. What about you?”

She hesitated. She didn’t want to tell Arthur over the phone, nor worry him. “Not bad. I really want to talk to you though.” “I miss you, too.”

Well, he’d misinterpreted that, but now wasn’t the time to explain. “Oh, John and Carrie had a baby boy.”

“Really? That’s great!” She could hear the excitement in his voice. He partially covered the phone and called out the news to the others before turning his attention back to her. “Give them all my best and tell them that I’ll stop by to see them as soon as I can.”

“When do you think you’ll be home?”

He sighed heavily. “I can’t say for sure. Probably not until late. Don’t wait up for me.”

Darn! There went her plans. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t really have time to explain right now. I’ll fill you in when I get back. Listen, I’ve got to go. Take care.”

“Sure. You too.” She slowly hung up the phone. So much for a romantic meal followed by a heartfelt discussion. Suddenly eating wasn’t overly appealing and she settled for heating up a can of soup instead.

The night dragged on, the Alpha house seeming to be overly large and very lonely. She was inexplicably restless and unable to settle down. Half-heartedly she looked at the list she started earlier but couldn’t concentrate. Grabbing the remote, she tried to lose herself in a romantic comedy, but found herself becoming too worked up over the love scenes. When the male lead kissed his partner, her own desire skyrocketed and her heart started racing.

Leaping up, she began to pace the room, desperately looking out the window for any sign that Arthur was coming. Running her hands through her hair, she then wiped the sweat from her upper l*p and tugged irritably at her clothes. They felt tight, uncomfortable, and the tag at the back was suddenly irritating her endlessly.

Heading upstairs, she stripped off her clothing, threw on a light cotton nightgown, and turned to look out the bedroom window. Arthur was somewhere out there, and she needed him now. A growl rumbled up from her chest as her frustration mounted. She spun away from the window and paced the room, halting when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her pupils were dilated making her eyes seem almost black and her face was flushed.

That’s when it dawned on her. Her cycle had started and Arthur was nowhere in sight. A sudden pain in her palms had her realizing that her fists were clenched, her nails digging into her flesh. She felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin if she didn’t get some relief soon. This was not how it was supposed to be. When she’d decided to go drug free this time, she’d assumed Arthur would be around. A growl formed in her throat. How dare he leave her at a time like this!

What to do? What to do? She paced the room, chewing on her thumbnail. Helen had said it was waves not constant, so maybe she could ride it out without going insane. How had females ever survived this before the advent of drugs?

Heat—what a great name. It was so apropos. She felt like she was burning up. Maybe the age-old remedy of a cold shower might help. Peeling off her nightgown, she headed for the bathroom.

Half an hour later, she emerged shivering, but more in control. She hoped Arthur would be home for the next wave, because that feeling of overwhelming need was definitely not something to experience by oneself. Crawling into bed, she pulled the covers up and closed her eyes willing Arthur to return as soon as possible.