Free Ava's Mate by Hazel Gower Page B

thought back to how it had all gone down as she got ready for the romantic dinner she’d prepared.
     
    “Hey, sis, how are the barracks coming along?” Rane asked. “I have the men all squashed into what they have now and complaining, although they don’t to our faces, but…well, more are arriving tomorrow, so we need more barracks.”
    Pissed that she’d only just learnt that more men were arriving tomorrow, and that none of her brothers or the men had told her anything about it, Ava growled at her brothers and stomped out of her office. They followed behind as she went straight to the gym, yelling, “Out. I want everyone outside now, waiting for me to talk to you all.”
    She left her brothers to organize the solders and went from building to building yelling at everyone to congregate outside the gym.
    Finally she came to the training course and saw Sebastian fighting Logan while talking to ten men who watched. “Now I’m going to change and Logan has to get around me and jump on my back. This is important, because in order to cut a demon’s head off, you need to climb up his back. You will all need to practice getting around them.”
    She walked slower and watched as Logan ran and slipped around Sebastian then climbed up his back. Some of the men cheered while others glared. Ava took mental note of the ones who glared, and when she walked up to Sebastian instead of telling this group to meet up with everyone else she smiled and patted Sebastian’s back. “How’s it coming along? Do you think they could win a fight against me yet?”
    Sebastian’s eyebrows rose and he stared down at her, confused as he knew she wasn’t one to fight and the last couple of days was the first time she’d done training with the women in years. She nodded to him and stared him down until he finally shrugged his shoulders.
    “Okay, let’s see what they’ve got.”
    She butted in before he could choose an opponent for her. She picked the three men her wolf insisted were the culprits of Logan’s bruises the other day. The three men came forward with nasty grins on their faces.
    Sebastian pulled her aside to whisper, “Are you sure you can handle three?”
    “Oh, trust me, me and my wolf are pissed with those ones. I’m going to have to hold her in check so she doesn’t kill them.”
    She watched as Sebastian’s eyes flicked to Logan. She nodded and he sighed and mumbled, “Fine. Just don’t kill them.”
    She smiled at everyone. “Hi. In case you don’t know me, I’m Ava Wolfen.” She shot a glance at Logan who she could see was gritting his teeth and his fists were clenched. “I will show you why you need to be quick. I’m even going to do these guys a favor by not half-changing.”
    When she started to take her black work skirt and white top off, Logan took a step toward her. Sebastian grabbed him before he got too far, but not before he punched a guy who said, “Holy shit, I’d fuck a werewolf if she looked like that. Fuck, I’d even marry her so I could go all—”
    He didn’t finish as Logan’s fist met his face and he growled to everyone, “Close your fucking eyes, or turn away.” She grinned his way, and her super werewolf hearing caught him muttering, “You’re in trouble, wait until I get home.”
    Her heart had soared that he’d called their place “home” and that he cared enough to tell his friends off.
    Focusing on the three men whose eyes kept looking her up and down, she continued. “The reason I’m only in my bra and undies is to help my mobility. You can all come at me now.”
    The three men did as she thought they would, one came at her front, the other two on either side, leaving her back free. They all came at her at once, which was the stupidest move ever.
    Just as they were a hair’s breadth away she stepped back, kicked to the side, punched the man coming at her, and head butted him. Then she pushed him into his friends.
    “Sebastian just told you, and Logan just showed you,