Chapter 31
Mavi wasn't in the mood to play Owen's game anymore. She sat on the bleachers at the back of the hall as the party and festivities were in full swing. Owen and Manya greeted pack members and shook hands with everyone. Yara followed Owen around like a lost puppy.
Mavi rolled her eyes as she watched them. Did she feel jealous? Well yes, of course. But she couldn't bring herself to stop thinking about baby Owen. What kind of father was Ivan? Owen never talked about him.....
"What are you doing here all alone?" Nate stepped in front of Mavi and blocked her view of Yara and Owen.
"Oh, hey," Mavi shook her head. "Nothing, just sitting."
"Mind if I join you?" Nate pointed to the spot next to her.
"It's a free country," Mavi shrugged.
Nate chuckled as he took a seat next to Mavi. He held out the carton of popcorn he held for her and she politely declined.
"So how do you like Juniper?" Nate asked.
"I've only been here half a week," Mavi laughed. "But I like it. It's quiet, I think I really needed that."
"You must miss the palace life," Nate assumed.
Mavi thought about his statement for a second, "No....not really. I mean I miss my family and my best friend....but not the palace."
"How come?"
Mavi didn't know how to answer his question. She wasn't in the habit of complaining about her privileged life to people who usually wish they were in her place.
"It must be awesome to have everything you want," Nate laughed. "I bet you have people do everything for you."
Mavi looked away to her feet and smiled, "Yeah, it's great."
"I'll be honest, I didn't expect you to be so down to earth," Nate confessed. "Before you came, I saw all the news about you going out partying and buying all those cool cars. I kind of jumped the gun and thought you were one of those girls."
Mavi shook her head, cringing, "Don't remind me, please."
Nate let out another hearty laugh, "You do that around here and people will be talking about you for centuries."
Just then, Mavi felt her mind-link open. Her eyes immediately went to Owen, who stood across the hall watching her over Frank's shoulder.
Radacovick 12, Princess 9
Mavi rolled her eyes. I'm not playing anymore, Owen.
Why? Because you're losing? Mavi could hear the smirk in his voice.
No.....Mavi sighed. Because I don't want to anymore.
Just then, Yara walked up to Owen and placed her hand on his arm as she laughed at something Frank was saying. Owen looked down at her hand and then back up at Mavi to make sure she saw.
Mavi narrowed her eyes and frowned.
Radacovick 13, Princess still 9. Owen tried to keep a straight face.
Stop it, Owen.
Owen turned his attention to Yara and smiled down at her. Mavi watched as leaned down to her ear and whispered something, making the girl giggle and smack his arm playfully.
Mavi's heart twisted in an ugly way. When Owen looked back at her, she held his gaze as the frown on her face deepened.
Nate followed Mavi's gaze to where Owen and Yara stood, "They look good together, don't they?"
Irritation sparked in Mavi's head, "What?"
"Yara and Owen," Nate motioned towards them. "They make a cute couple."
Suddenly, Nate was the last person Mavi wanted to be around. She shifted uncomfortably as the man continued.
"Everyone in town wanted them together," Nate said. "Everyone wanted to be them. But when Owen joined the King's guards, it was as if he broke everyone's dream in this town."
"Oh," Mavi said.
"Yeah, but thanks to you, people have some hope again," Nate smiled at her brightly.
"Me?" Mavi asked.
"Well yeah," Nate laughed. "You made him your Beta. He's no longer bound to the rules of the King's guards. He and Yara can get married if they want. Granted, he won't ever find his mate. But he'll have Yara."
Mavi's head began to spin. Her chest tightened as her lungs failed to take in any air. She felt her knees buckle as she stood up with shaky legs and numb fingers.
He'll have Yara....he and Yara can get married.....Owen and Yara.....
The words spun around Mavi's head like a hurricane.
Thanks to you people have some hope again....
Mavi's chest heaved as she wondered what she had done. Nate was right, he was absolutely right. Owen was no longer bound by the King's guards. He could get married and start a family. But he would never pick her.
Because everyone was so hell bent on her finding her mate. Even Owen......and after finding out about his real mother, it all made sense. He didn't want to end up like his mother..... He would never accept to be with Mavi because he would always be in fear of the day she would find her mate.
Mavi felt Nate stand up next to her and ask her something, but she didn't hear him. Her ears were ringing and all she could hear was the pounding of her chest and her shallow breaths. Her eyes darted to Owen and Yara laughing across the hall and she felt her blood boil and chill at the same time.
Yara....Owen would pick someone like her. She was well put together, mature, liked by everyone, and as much as Mavi hated to admit it, the girl was actually very sweet.
The realization pained Mavi to tears. She felt her eyes heavy with the waterworks as she stumbled down from the bleachers with Nate behind her.
As she watched with a broken heart, Yara reached up to her tippy toes and pressed a playful kiss on Owen's cheek.
Radacovick 14, Princess -
Owen froze when he saw the look on Mavi's face from across the hall. She had tears in her eyes and her skin was deadly pale. His heart began to twist and tumble as he pulled away from Yara and began to walk towards Mavi. His eyes narrowed as Nate reached out for her arm and held her back.
Mavi looked as if she didn't even register what Nate was saying. The hurt expression on her face worried Owen to his core. He rushed through the crowd and arrived in front of her just as the first tear fell from her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Owen asked her, swearing her face. He looked up at Nate in furry, "What did you do?"
"Nothing!" Nate took a step back. "We were just talking."
"What did you say-" Owen started but he was cut off by Mavi's small voice.
"Go back," she said.
"What?" Owen leaned forward to hear her better over the music.
"Go back," Mavi said again. "Go back to your Yara."
"Mavi -" Owen looked down at her with concern and shook his head. Did he push this game a little too far, he wondered.
"I need air," Mavi pushed Owen's arms away when he tried to reach out for her.
"Okay, okay," Owen said. "I'll go with you."
"No!" Mavi shrieked, shaking her head. "No. Go away."
"Mavi," Owen lowered his voice and took a step closer to her. Nate watched them for a brief second before he excused himself and walked away. Neither of them even noticed when he disappeared.
"What's going on?" Owen asked, all playfulness gone from his voice.
"You're....you're going to pick her," Mavi's bottom lip trembled.
"What?" Owen searched her eyes.
"Yara," Mavi said. "You're going to pick Yara or someone like her.....you can get married now and have a family. You'll pick her...... you'll never pick me."
"You're not making any sense right now," Owen said sternly. "I am not picking anyone."
"You will," Mavi looked away from his face. She looked around the hall at the smiling faces and dancing bodies. She felt the walls close in around her. She needed to get out.
Pushing away from Owen, Mavi headed for the back doors. When Owen tried to follow her, she stopped him.
"No, please," Mavi held up her hand. "I just need some air."
Owen looked as if he wanted to argue with her. He ran a hand through his hair and groaned.
"What is going on with you?" He demanded to know but Mavi began to back away. As much as he wanted to go after her, he knew she wouldn't let him.Owen stood helplessly at the door as Mavi stepped outside.
Mavi took long deep breaths to calm herself. She could feel a panic attack coming on as the pressure in her chest increased. She looked around at the lingering pack members drinking around the fire.
They all wanted Owen and Yara together, Mavi thought as she began to choke on her tears. She needed to get out of here. She needed to get him out of here. Even if he would never pick her, she wouldn't let him pick another.
Mavi opened her mind-link to Xavier.
Daddy, I want to come home. Please dad, I need to come home.
Xavier didn't open his link, but Mavi knew there was no way he wasn't listening to his daughter. Once she was done, she opened her link to her mother.
Mom, I want to come home. Please, mom, I can't be here another second long. I need to be home with you and dad.
Exton was next.
Eggs, please come get me. I want to go home.
As Mavi mind-linked everyone she could possibly think of back home, her breathing slowed and she began to fill her lungs with the cold Juniper air. She sank down onto one of the cut tree stumps and wrapped her arms around her legs. Her eyes bounced around from person to person as they all laughed and had a merry time, completely unaware of the storm breaking her heart.
As Mavi watched the group of people by the fire, her eyes caught the figure of a small child by the edge of the woods. She watched him poke at the frozen ground with the long stick he held in his hands. When he had dug up enough soil, he began to kick it around.
Mavi kept her eyes on the little boy as her breathing slowed. She realized she missed being a child. It was easier, you didn't get your heart broken and every things always seemed to work out at the end.
As Mavi watched, the little boy dropped his stick and began walking into the wood. She got up from her stump and took a step forward.
"Hey!" she called out to the boy. Some of the people around the campfire turned towards her.
"That little boy is going into the woods alone," Mavi told them. They all turned their heads towards the woods and shrugged. From where they stood, they couldn't see the boy's dark figure in between the trees.
Mavi groaned and began marching after the kid, "Hey, kid."
The boy didn't stop. He kept walking deeper and deeper into the wood.
"Stop!" Mavi hollered after him. "Where are your parents? Where are you going?"
The boy suddenly picked up speed and began to run. Mavi ran after him through the narrow trail. She ducked low hanging branches, cobwebs and fallen trees as the boy took her deeper and deeper into the woods.
Then suddenly he was gone.
Mavi stopped dead in her tracks and looked around frantically. He was right in front of her just a second ago.
Just then, she felt the presence of someone behind her. Mavi turned to find the little boy watching her.
"Kid," Mavi said breathlessly. "What are you doing?"
The boy jumped forward and pushed Mavi with all his might. Her foot slipped on the ice and she went tumbling down the hill behind her. Mavi's head smacked against the bolder as she rolled down through the dead leaves and the broken branches. She tried to grab on to something to stop herself, but she felt as if something was pulling her downwards.
Then suddenly, the hill gave away to hard ice cold grounds. Mavi's head bounced painfully against the floor as she came to a stop.
Her cheeks began to burn from how cold the ground was beneath her. She had left her jacket inside the hall. Her thin sweater didn't do much to keep her warm as she felt sharp winds slice over her body.
Mavi peered her eyes open and groaned. Nothing was broken, but she definitely felt cuts and bruises everywhere. But as she picked up her head and looked around, the cuts were all forgotten.
A terrifying scream left Mavi's lips as she realized what she had rolled into.
A frozen lake.
Owen! Mavi screamed through her link. Help me!
Back at the hall, Owen jumped up from where he was sitting waiting for Mavi in a panic.
What's wrong? Where are you? He asked as he ran outside.
I don't know, Mavi tried not to cry as fear began to weigh her down. I fell, I'm on a lake. Owen, I can't swim!
I'm coming, Owen ran for the wood as his nose picked up her scent. Stay still, don't move.
Hurry! Mavi cried. She held perfectly still on the ice as she waited for Owen with a pounding heart. She wasn't too far from the shore. Maybe if she just inched a little closer she could make it back onto solid ground.
But even before Mavi could finish her thought, she felt something wrap around her ankle. She turned her head and found nothing. But the unmistakable feeling of a warm hand wrapped around her exposed ankle was hard to not notice.
Owen.....Mavi said slowly through her mind-link.
Hang on, I'm almost there princess.
There's someone here, Mavi tried to keep herself calm. She knew she could defend herself very well.....but the only problem was, she didn't see anyone or anything.
Who? Owen demanded as he ran through the wood. The tremble in Mavi's voice made him move faster. He arrived at the bank of the frozen lake and looked out. The full moon overhead lit the ice like a spotlight. His eyes caught Mavi's figure lying face down on the ice at the other side of the lake.
"Mavi!" he called out. The wind carried his voice over to her and she picked up her head.
But just then, Owen watched horrified as one of Mavi's legs lifted off the ice and she began to be dragged to the center of the lake.
Mavi screamed as her nails tried to claw onto the ice to stop whatever force was dragging her. She used her free leg to kick out, but all she hit was air.
"NOOO!" Owen screamed as he ran into the ice towards Mavi.
"Owen!" Mavi screamed his name as she left her sweater ride up her stomach, exposing her skin to the sharp ice.
Owen kept his eyes glued on Mavi as his feet slipped and slid on the ice. He was so close to her when the ice underneath her suddenly cracked open and swallowed her whole.
"Fuck!" He screamed as his feet slipped and he went tumbling down. He got right back up and ran towards her.
She can't swim, she can't swim, she can't swim
Owen's mind went haywire as he saw Mavi's hands, the only thing visible, slip under the water.
When he finally reached her, he plunged his arm into the icy water and searched desperately for his girl. When he caught Mavi's wrist, his fingers wrapped around it and he began to pull her up.
Mavi's lungs filled with the frozen water as she felt Owen pull her up. But her heart sank when she felt the familiar warm hand wrap around her ankle once more. She wanted to scream but the horror she was in froze her.
As Owen pulled her up, the invisible force pulled her down. Mavi's head was barely above water for more than a few seconds at a time. Not enough at all for her lungs to get any kind of water.
Owen began to panic as he felt Mavi's body slowly begin to go limp. He knew her lungs were drowning and the icy water wasn't helping her either. Desperately, with all his might, he pulled her.
It was an endless struggle until finally, he felt something snap and her body began to rise onto the ice as he pulled.
"Mavi?" Owen pulled her into his arms and turned her around. Her lips were blue and her skin was pale as paper. Her dark hair was plastered around her face as she lay motionless in Owen's arms.
Owen shook her face, "Mavi?"
When she didn't answer, he picked her up quickly and hurried off the ice. Once his feet touched solid ground, he laid Mavi down on the ground and got ready to give her chest compression.
She was barely breathing as Owen pressed his hands over the bottom of her ribs and began compression. When he had done enough, he moved to her head.
Owen pinched Mavi's nose close, opened her mouth and tilted her head back slightly. He brought his mouth down to hers and gave her mouth to mouth. He then went back to giving her chest compression.
After his second round of mouth to mouth, Mavi finally gasped for air on her own. Her eyes flew open as she began to cough up the water she had swallowed. Owen turned her over to her side so she could spit out the water without choking on it again.
As Mavi stopped and began to take long deep breaths, Owen rubbed her back.
"You're okay, You're okay," he told her. "I got you."
Mavi pushed off the ground as tears began to gather in her eyes. She was shaking from the cold, the fear and the trauma of it all.
She turned around slowly to face Owen as tears ran down her wet cheeks.
"Mavi," Owen said breathlessly.
Mavi looked up slowly and her eyes connected with Owen in the moonlight.
Despite her wet clothes and her shivering body, Mavi felt a flame kindle in her chest.
Both Owen and Mavi gasped as a voice clear as day rang out in their minds.
Mate.
Okay, go wild!
Hehehe :P
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW???