Jayden's jaw tightened, his chest rising and falling as he stared at Ava. Her smirk never faltered, her eyes glowing faintly with that dangerous blue.
He scoffed, feigning calm. "You're wrong. I don't know what you think you saw, but I'm human. Just human."
Ava tilted her head, her lips curving wider as if she were toying with him. "Don't even think of trying that." Her tone sharpened, cutting through the snowy silence. "I saw your eyes before the explosion. Golden, pulsing, primal. And it's more than just the eyes..." she stepped closer, her aura brushing against him like static.
"I can feel your energy. Even through this ga, it bleeds through. That's not human energy. Don't test ."
Jayden's throat went dry. For once, he didn't have a quip ready. He stood frozen, silent, mind racing in a thousand directions.
He considered brushing her off, ignoring her, maybe even logging out right there. But then sothing struck him. "Wait! She knows lycans exist."
That wasn't random guessing. She had spoken it with certainty. Which ant she wasn't just guessing... she was connected sohow.
Instead of denying again, he narrowed his eyes and twisted the question. "And how co you know lycans exist?"
Ava chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Because, just like you, love..." she leaned in, her voice low and deliberate. "I'm not human."
Jayden's eyes widened before he caught himself, quickly schooling his face back into calm. "So what are you then?"
She scoffed, flicking her hair back with effortless arrogance. "You seriously expect to just tell you what I am?"
Jayden shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I an, you already know what I am. So it's only fair."
Ava wagged a finger. "No, darling. See, I figured out what you are. You didn't tell . There's a difference." She smirked knowingly before her tone shifted, casual but piercing. "And besides, what kind of lycan are you anyway?"
Jayden blinked, caught off guard. "Kind?"
Ava gave him a "well, duh" look. "Yeah, like... what species of were-people do you fall under?"
Jayden eyes bulged. His jaw went slack. "Wait! There's... different species of lycans?"
Ava scoffed, her tone dripping disbelief. "Of course. We've got werewolves, werecoyotes, werefoxes, and a whole bunch of subspecies of werecats. You really didn't know that?" she asked, her brows raised.
Jayden stared at her, utterly stunned. He shook his head lightly. "No. That's... very new information." He made a ntal note right then to confront Luna about this later.
Ava folded her arms, brow raised. "Hm. What sub-pack do you belong to?"
Jayden smiled wryly, scratching the back of his neck. "Um... I don't really know what that ans."
She sighed like a teacher losing patience with a slow student. "What's your family na?"
"Oh." Jayden nodded in understanding. He hesitated for a mont, furrowing his brows. He didn't know Ava well, and giving up too much wasn't smart. Still, a na couldn't hurt.. at least, he thought not.
"Lunaria," he said finally.
Ava's eyes widened briefly, then narrowed with suspicion. "So... Jay Lunaria, huh? That's weird. I know the Lunaria family well, but I've never heard of you." Her tone was sharp, probing.
Jayden didn't flinch. He shrugged with practiced nonchalance. "Well, not all of us like to draw attention and socialize."
She studied him in silence for a long mont, her expression unreadable. Then finally she nodded. "I guess you're right." Her smirk returned. "So that ans you're a werewolf?"
Jayden inclined his head. "Yes. But dare I ask... how do you know so much about lycans? Are you perhaps one?"
Ava chuckled darkly. "Not exactly. But you could say I have lycan blood in ." she said slyly.
Jayden frowned. "I don't follow."
She sighed, brushing frost from her sleeve. "Fine, I'll tell you. I am what the ancients once called a Battle Angel. Or Shieldmaiden."
Jayden's brow arched. "Shieldmaiden? As in Odin's maidens? The choosers of the slain?"
Ava looked impressed. Her lips curled into a proud smile. "Wow, you know your myths well. But yes... I am a Valkyrie."
Jayden's chest tightened in shock. Another real mythological being. A concerning thought suddenly hit him. "Wait... does this an everything in the myths are real?" he murmured to himself, his mind buzzing.
Ava chuckled at his expression. "You look stunned."
Jayden grinned faintly. "Maybe it's because I just found out I've been fighting an angel this whole ti."
Ava giggled, a sound light but dangerous. "I'm not an angel. Just a pretty girl with wings."
He chuckled. "I still can't believe I'm eting another mythological being."
Her smirk deepened. "Oh, trust . There are way more shocking beings out there besides Valkyries."
Jayden leaned in, voice low. "You an like the oneiri?"
Ava shook her head. "I an like the gods."
Jayden's eyes widened slightly. "The gods are real? Like the actual gods? Zeus, Hera, Odin? Those gods?"
Ava shrugged casually. "You're a werewolf and you find that hard to believe?"
Jayden shook his head slowly. "No, it's just... I've studied myths all my life, and I didn't think they were all real."
"Not all of them are," Ava said matter-of-factly. "Take us Valkyries, for example. We exist, yes, but we're not Odin's servants like the myths say. We're more of an independent nation. In fact, Asgard doesn't even exist anymore."
Jayden caught onto her slip. "Wait. You said 'nation'.. like a kingdom? A planet?"
Ava smiled knowingly. "Yeah. But we're much more than a kingdom, love. We're an empire. The largest in the universe."
"Wow." Jayden's voice was low, full of genuine awe. But in the back of his mind another thought burned: just how many empires are out there?
He knew of extraterrestrials.. aliens were a fact of life. The other planets were teeming with them. Humans even interacted with them in the intergalactic system, though Earth remained cut off because of the EVA's paranoia.
But to hear her claim "the largest empire in the universe" sent a chill down his spine.
"So how did you end up on Earth?" he asked.
Ava smirked. "Oh, I'm here on an undercover mission to figure out Earth's strengths and weaknesses. See if humans are a threat." Her tone turned playful.
Jayden raised a brow. "Really? That's... nice."
She laughed, shaking her head. "I'm kidding. I'm just here on a very long vacation. Like... very long." She winked.
Jayden smiled faintly. "I see."
Ava dropped to sit on the snow, crossing her legs gracefully. "I know I don't need to ask what you're doing on Earth. But... I figured you'd be on Beta. Since, y'know, your family's there."
Jayden blinked. She seed to know a lot about the Lunaria family. He tucked that away as ammunition.
"Well, like I said, I prefer to keep a low profile. What better place than the mud ball?" He sat down too, brushing snow from his boots.
She chuckled. "Fair. But... for what it's worth, I'm sorry about what happened to your people. I'm sorry we couldn't help either."
Jayden stiffened. What happened to my people? He had no idea what she ant. But he forced a nod, playing along. "Yeah. It's okay. But you seem really close to the Lunaria family... well, my family."
Ava smiled faintly. "Yeah. Your family and mine have history. I also used to be friends with the Lycan princess."
Jayden's brow furrowed. "Lycan princess?"
Her expression dimd. "Yeah. We were close. But... she's dead now."
Jayden's eyes softened. "Oh. I see."
Ava studied him closely. "How co you don't know all this? You live in a forest or sothing?" she chuckled.
He chuckled dryly. "No. I just... cut myself off from everything."
She tilted her head, amused. "So you cut yourself off from even your family?"
Jayden nodded. "Yes. Even my family."
Ava shook her head in disbelief. "Wow. That's... daring. I'm lightyears away from ho, but my mom still calls twice a week." she smiled wryly.
Jayden smiled faintly. "She sounds great."
Ava's lips softened. "She is. But it's hard not to be when you're the ruler of the greatest empire in the universe."
Jayden blinked. His tone dropped playful. "Wow. I didn't know I was talking to a princess. Forgive , your highness." he chuckled.
Ava laughed, the sound light and bright. "Fine. Since you're so adorable, I'll pardon you this once. But next ti, I won't be so rciful."
Jayden bowed his head dramatically. "You're too kind, princess."
They both laughed, the sound echoing in the frozen silence.
When it faded, Jayden tilted his head. "So... what's it like? Being a princess?"
Ava sighed, shoulders slumping. "Honestly? Intense. It's like carrying the expectations of not just my mom, but billions of other people."
"Sounds exhausting." Jayden said.
Ava exhaled deeply. "It is. At first, it felt good.. being royalty. But after years? It got boring. That's why I ca here. To breathe. To be free of it all."
Jayden t her eyes, voice low. "Freedom feels good, doesn't it?"
She smiled softly. "It does. I an... I miss ho, but I'm not leaving Earth anyti soon."
Jayden chuckled. "That's good to hear."
They sat in silence for a mont, snowflakes drifting around them, until Jayden broke it. "So, you said you were close with the Lunarias. That ans you know Castor Lunaria?"
Ava nodded casually. "Yes. We've t a couple of tis."
Jayden leaned forward. "What's he like to you?"
Ava frowned, her brows raised in suspicion. "What do you an?"
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