The Unfortunates | COMPLETED

Part 66

The wait was more agonising than the entrance.

Avery tapped her heeled foot against the tiled floor as she sat on the stone bench outside of the arena.

Mitch scowls over at her, and Hayden puts his hand on her leg, forcing her to stop tapping.

The silence is too much, and Avery abruptly stands up and begins pacing up and down the hall.

"Ave, sit down, you'll wear yourself out," Mitch orders, and Avery glares at him, rubbing her neck.

"I'm too warm, I feel dizzy," she complains, unbuttoning the final two buttons of her shirt.

Both men stay focused on her face, shaking their heads at her.

Avery's phone buzzes and she pulls it out anxiously.

It's a good luck text from her sister, rife with emoticons and thumbs-up.

A small, wary smile makes its way onto her lips, and she sends back some heart emojis.

Louisa was on the other side of the door.

She had to appear because she was the only Wilcott left to hold the position temporarily if Avery was penalised.

She didn't want that; in fact, Louisa would rather die than actually have to have that much responsibility.

Richard and Marie hurry by, and Richard grabs his daughter's hands briefly, squeezing.

"Good luck, sweetheart, it'll all be okay," he whispers, kissing her knuckles before the two sprint down the hallway and into the conference call.

Other former Alphas hurry by, avoiding eye contact with Avery.

Some of her allies won't even look her in the eyes, and she's making a note of who is too afraid to speak to her.

She'll be less kind and inviting when their renewal for contracts comes around - she'll definitely play favourites this year.

Zephyr walks down the corridor blankly, his eyes landing on Avery.

She has to hide her horror at his appearance, gazing at his pale complexion.

He looks grey, and his eyes are bloodshot. His usually pristine clothes look crumpled as if he slept in them or picked them off the floor before he left.

"Hey, Zephy," Avery whispers, drawing him into a gentle hug.

He embraces her tightly, inhaling her scent.

"How are you?" She murmurs, and Mitch and Hayden turn away to give them some privacy.

"I haven't heard my wolf in three days," he barely gets out, and Avery grimaces.

"I'll get my healer to send you some medicines, they'll support him while you ride this out," she vows, mindlinking her healer immediately.

"I'd appreciate that," he mumbles, "are you ready for this?"

Avery shrugs, gnawing on her lip, "it can't be that bad."

Zephyr disappears into the arena soon after, and a bell rings.

Avery fidgets with her phone, and a guard steps forward, trying to take it out of her hands.

She steps back in disgust, scowling at him.

"No, I'm an Alpha until they say otherwise," she snarls.

Only Alphas are allowed to have cellphones in Council buildings, and Avery knows the laws.