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
The crowd erupted again, some shocked by Margaret's outburst, others nodding agreement. The division was clear—some pack members had clearly heard Damon's doubts about Ava's parentage before."That doesn't matter," Cole said firmly. "She's under pack protection.""Protection?" Margaret laughed bitte
"I don't need saving," I said, the words laced with disgust.Damon's head snapped toward me. "What?""I said I don't need you to save me." My voice carried more anger than I'd meant to reveal. "What kind of lesson is this? That we solve problems by breaking people's faces?""He was about to attack y
His expression darkened as his gaze fixed on Margaret."What are you still doing here?" His voice carried a lethal edge that made everyone take a step back. "I ordered you to your quarters."Margaret lifted her chin defiantly. "She threatened—""I gave you a direct order." Damon's Alpha power rolled
Evelyn"Miss Hilda is wrong."Ava looked up at me with those wide eyes, confusion mixing with hope. Like maybe, for once, an adult might tell her something different than what she'd been taught.I finished cleaning the cut on her lip, movements precise despite the fury burning in my chest. Five year







