MasukAvaThe 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
SusanThe first subtle signs had started right after Evelyn mated with Damon. A tremor here. A fever there. Nothing anyone else would notice, but I knew what they meant. I'd seen them in Grandmother before she got bad.I needed to act fast. I needed resources, protection, a position that would guara
This was different from the other episodes. Worse. My right leg was trying to bend backward at the knee like a wolf's hind leg while my left stayed human but grew three inches longer. My ribs pushed outward on one side, creating a lopsided barrel chest, while the other side caved inward until the bo
Evelyn"Take me to them now."I wasn't here for small talk. Not for pleasantries about the drive or questions about Wood Pack. Every second we wasted standing in this parking lot was another second Ava stayed—no. I wouldn't think that word. If there was even the slightest chance I could save my daug
Her voice was flat, certain. She turned back to me. "It can't be a coincidence. We're being punished. If the Luna looks like that, it has to—""No." I cut her off. "Stop it."I moved to the side and leaned against the wall, suddenly exhausted. "This has nothing to do with curses or punishment.""How







