LOGINAvaThe first thing I heard was a low, tired voice, reading words I couldn't quite catch yet. My body felt heavy under the sheets, pinning me to the bed. I could hear the steady rasp of my own breathing. My open eyes blinked dryly in the dim light.I opened my eyes wider. A small, pale room with a c
AvaDad let go of the shackle and sat back, his face relaxing from the concentration. He was quiet for a long moment. Then his eyes met mine."Baby," he said gently, "do you want to know what happened?"Something in his tone made my chest tighten. I had a feeling that this was a truth I wasn't ready
AvaHe stepped out of the blackness, edging closer, until I could finally see him. Unbelievable. He was so young, the age he was when...when he died. His warm brown eyes, both of them, looked at me with a fond smile.I stared, my mouth hanging open, unable to make a sound. My dad. Standing in front
LeviI settled into the chair by her bed and took her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over the back of it. "Hey, Ava. It's Levi," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I just talked to Sofia. We had some things to say to each other."I sat there, rubbing her hand, trying to find the words Maya and
LeviI sat with my father in his room, a week after Hilda's funeral. Some families had already packed up and left the pack after becoming human. Others had stayed, unsure of where else to go.My father wheezed beside me, the hiss of his oxygen tank an ever-present sound now. He was thinner, frail, h
MayaI zipped Sofia's dress as best I could with my good hand. The collar was tricky. I fiddled clumsily with the small metal fastening. "There, perfect," I said, releasing the dress and stepping back.Sofia blinked hard at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was pulled back in a neat bun. The dr
I tried to remember the last thing that had happened.I remembered the party. The greenhouse, and all those people. Seeing her—Miss Hilda—across the crowd. The flash of her hair, the way the world pitched sideways, the static roar in my ears.I remembered running, wind in my face, legs burning as I
Sofia“Hey,” I said, voice so soft it barely registered. “Are you okay?”She didn’t answer.I tried again. “Ava?”She turned her head, slow motion, as if the word had to swim through a mile of static to reach her ears. She looked at me, and her eyes were huge, pupils blown out until the gold was jus
SofiaIt wasn’t a slow thing, or a soft thing. There was no warning. Her lips crashed into mine, teeth scraping, tongue urgent and searching. She grabbed my waist and pulled me closer, skin sliding on skin. The water turned every touch into heat, every friction into fire.I froze. For a second, I th
SofiaI stood there, staring at the closed door, feeling the weight of the next six hours settle on my shoulders. She could turn again. Both you and Maya could be in danger.I let my head tip back, stared at the water stain on the ceiling, and let out a breath so long it emptied me out.“I miss Pari







