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
Hilda's face had gone pale. She was still staring at me with that look. Like she was seeing a ghost.I sighed and walked back toward her. "Let's just forget about it."I was turning to leave the kitchen when someone knocked on the door.Both of us froze.Hilda's head turned toward the door. She snif
AvaNobody moved.The silence pressed down on all of us. Heavy and suffocating.Then slowly, Hilda's face shifted. Her frown deepening. She looked down at me. "Where did you hear that word?"I stopped. My mind went blank. Shit. I'd cursed. Out loud. As a five-year-old.It was hard keeping this up. A
“One of the few gifts life offered me,” I said, gesturing to the chair. “Thrilling, isn’t it?”“You’re still as wise as when I left you,” she said.I caught the subtext. I looked at Cole. He’d clearly been talking to his wife. I knew Cole was loyal—he was Damon’s Beta once, and he felt the weight of
The pancakes were stacked up on the plate, one after another. When there were enough, Hilda turned off the stove and carried the plate to the table near the window. I climbed into my usual chair while she got syrup from the pantry."Eat," she said, putting two pancakes on a smaller plate for me.I p







