Bound To My Sister's Mate

AVA'S POV

I couldn’t believe Luna was doing this. Of all the places, she was sneaking into the forbidden territory near the waterfall. She knew the rules, she knew the danger—so why was she being so reckless? My heart raced, and I couldn’t help but stare at her silhouette disappearing into the trees, heading straight toward where the older teens always went to picnic.

Luna, my older sister by just one year, was always the adventurous one. But tonight... tonight felt different. She wasn’t just sneaking out to meet her friends. She was sneaking off with Jake—the future Alpha, the one who everyone respected... and feared. Jake was sixteen, and I could never understand why Luna always seemed to want his attention. It was like she didn’t care about the rules at all.

I shook my head. This is insane. What if something happens to her?

I wasn’t supposed to go near the forbidden territory, not at my age, but I couldn’t just sit back and let Luna make this huge mistake. I had to follow her. I had to make sure she didn’t get into trouble, no matter how much trouble I’d get into myself. My heart pounded as I crept behind her, staying hidden in the shadows of the trees, but there was no way I’d let her go alone. Not with Jake around.

I took another step forward, my eyes fixed on Luna’s disappearing figure, when—ouch—something grabbed my wrist. My body tensed up, panic setting in. I whipped around, ready to scream, but stopped myself when I saw who it was.

Liam.

Liam, Jake’s twin brother.

He was standing there, his eyes narrowing at me, his hand still holding my wrist with surprising strength. My breath caught in my throat. I wasn’t expecting him—how was he even here? I’d always noticed him before, the way his messy dark hair fell into his intense eyes, the way his presence seemed to command attention, but he’d never really noticed me.

But now? Now, he was standing in front of me, his grip firm but not painful.

“What do you think you're doing, Ava?” His voice was deep and low, with a hint of frustration, like he knew exactly what I was up to but wasn’t sure if he should stop me.

“I’m going to follow Luna!” I blurted, trying to pull my arm away. “She’s going to do something stupid, and I need to make sure she’s okay!” My words came out rushed, desperate.

Liam’s face darkened. “You shouldn’t be here,” he muttered. “It’s dangerous, Ava. Do you even understand how dangerous it is?”

I didn’t want to hear him tell me that I wasn’t allowed to be here. I didn’t care if it was dangerous. Luna was my sister, and I had to make sure she was alright.

“You’re not the boss of me!” I snapped, my voice a little shaky, but louder than I expected. “I don’t need you to tell me what to do!”

Liam’s grip tightened for a moment, and I could see his jaw clenching. He looked down at me, his eyes unreadable. “Ava, I’m serious. Go back home. Now.”

“No!” I yanked my wrist out of his grasp, but he grabbed it again almost immediately. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. His hands were so big, his fingers wrapped around my small wrist like they could crush me if he wanted to. “Let go!” I shouted, trying to break free.

“I’m not going to let you get yourself in trouble.” Liam’s tone was sharp, his eyes flashing with something like concern, but it didn’t make me feel better. If anything, it made me feel worse. Why did he care so much? He barely even knew I existed, right?

His grip was like steel, and I could feel the frustration building in my chest. “I need to go! You don’t understand!” I yelled, trying to pull away. But Liam was too strong, and I was just... small. “Liam, let me go!”

But he wasn’t listening. “Ava, don’t make me—”

Before he could finish his sentence, my eyes darted to his hand, still gripping my wrist tightly. In a flash of pure desperation, I bit him. Hard.

“OW!” Liam yelped, pulling his hand back, clearly stunned. But I didn’t wait for him to react.

I sprinted.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, pushing through the trees, ignoring the sharp branches that scraped at my face and arms. My heart was pounding, my mind racing with fear and adrenaline. Behind me, I heard Liam shout my name, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

“You’re the big bad wolf, Liam!” I shouted over my shoulder, my voice full of frustration. “I don’t need your help! You’re just trying to stop me!”

I didn’t know why I said that. It wasn’t like he was really a wolf. I didn’t care that he was Jake’s brother. He was just being annoying. But in that moment, with him trying to stop me, he felt like the big bad wolf—the one who wanted to keep me locked up, safe and sound, while Luna did whatever she wanted.

I could feel tears stinging my eyes as I kept running, the guilt twisting in my stomach. What if I was making a huge mistake? But I couldn’t turn back now. I had to get to Luna. I had to make sure she didn’t do something stupid.

But in my heart, I knew Liam would be following me—he would never just let me get away with this. And I hated that I knew that for sure.

I could hear Liam’s footsteps pounding behind me, getting closer with every second. He was fast, like he always was, and my lungs burned as I pushed myself to run faster. Why couldn’t he just leave me alone? Why did he have to be such a pain? Didn’t he get it? Luna was making a huge mistake, and I had to stop her.

My heart raced as the trees around me blurred into a greenish haze. I couldn’t even focus on where I was going, I just kept moving forward, hoping I’d catch up with Luna before it was too late. But with every step, I felt Liam closing in.

“Ava!” Liam shouted again, his voice a little more urgent now, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

I thought I was being smart, being brave, but the further I ran, the more I realized how stupid this was. My legs were getting tired, and my breath was coming in gasps. The forbidden territory wasn’t just a few trees away—it stretched for miles. And Luna? She was probably already near the waterfall by now, maybe with Jake, maybe doing something even worse than I thought.

I turned a corner around a cluster of trees, almost running into a thick patch of brambles. But I didn’t stop. I pushed through, ignoring the sharp thorns that scraped across my skin. Pain was nothing right now. I just had to make sure Luna didn’t do something that could mess everything up.

I heard Liam’s voice again, this time more determined. "Ava, stop!" He was close now, too close. And before I could even process it, his hand grabbed my arm—yanking me back with a force that sent me stumbling.

“You really want to make me carry you back, huh?” Liam growled, his breath ragged in my ear. “You’re not going anywhere, Ava.”

I whipped around, glaring up at him, tears of frustration filling my eyes. “Let go of me!” I shouted, kicking at his legs, trying to break free. “I’m not going back! You can’t stop me!”

Liam’s grip tightened, and his expression hardened. “You think I want to stop you just for fun?” His voice was low and tense. “You’re making a mistake, Ava. And I’m not going to let you get hurt.”

I could see the concern in his eyes, the way his brow furrowed, but it didn’t make me feel any better. All it did was make me angrier. “I don’t need you to protect me!” I yelled, stomping my foot. “I’m not a little kid anymore!”

He let out a frustrated sigh, his fingers still gripping my arm tightly, but not enough to hurt me. “You don’t get it, do you?” Liam’s voice softened, though his tone was still firm. “It’s not about you being a little kid. It’s about you being in over your head.”

I could feel my chest tightening. “I can handle it,” I muttered, glaring at the ground, still pulling against his hold.

“No, you can’t.” Liam’s voice dropped even lower. “Luna’s already made her choice, and I’m not going to let you get dragged into it. This isn’t some game, Ava. It’s dangerous. And if you don’t stop, I will make you stop.”

I froze. His words hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn’t realized how deep this was. I hadn’t thought about the consequences, not really. I was just so focused on stopping Luna, making sure she didn’t do something reckless, that I never considered that I was walking right into the same mess she was.

My heart sank, and I felt an overwhelming mix of guilt and confusion wash over me. Was I really doing the right thing? Was following Luna really the best decision?

But before I could say anything, before I could ask him why he cared so much, Liam pulled me closer. His grip on my arm softened, just a little, but enough for me to feel the tension in his hand. “Ava,” he said quietly, his voice barely a whisper now. “Just listen to me. Please.”