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
"Five more minutes?" Ava pleaded, looking back at the examination table. "Dr. Graham was going to show me how to take samples."Before I could respond, Dr. Graham spoke. "Why don't you join us, Alpha? This could be important to pack security, after all."The invitation surprised me. I hesitated, cau
DamonI woke up to screaming.Not the ordinary kind—not the shout of a startled wolf or the cry of a child with a nightmare. This was primal, agonized, the sound of someone being torn apart from within. For a terrifying moment, I wasn’t sure of what was going on, till it clicked.Susan.I was on my
EvelynThe phone rang twice before Damon picked up."What?" His voice was rough with sleep and irritation."There's been an incident at my lab." I tried to keep my voice steady, professional. "Someone tried to kill me."Silence. Then I heard rustling, footsteps, the sound of him moving fast."Are yo
Ava watched intently as I worked, her small face serious. She showed none of the squeamishness I would expect from a five-year-old examining a dead animal. Instead, she observed with clinical detachment that reminded me painfully of myself."Can I touch it?" she asked."Better not. We don't know wha







