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
Levi"They got our coordinates," I said, sliding the communication device back into my pocket. "Evelyn's coordinating with Robin's people. Best guess is six hours before they can reach us. Maybe eight."Ava nodded. Falco looked like he wanted to say something but didn't."We stay put until then. Fin
LeviFalco just stared at me. Didn't even blink when I told him I'd kill him. Like I'd told him the sky was blue.I grabbed the device out of his hand. Heavy thing, older than it looked, military grade maybe. My phone was gone—lost it back at the compound somewhere between the blood and the running.
EvelynAva was quiet for what felt like forever.She sat there looking at me, then at Hilda, then down at her hands. I held my breath, waiting for some sign of the daughter I'd raised. Some crack in this perfect, polite facade she'd been wearing.Finally, she opened her mouth to speak."For a very l
Evelyn"Thank you."That's what he said. Like I'd just handed him water instead of kissing him. Like this was relief after years of dying of thirst.I kissed him deeper. If this helped him somehow, if this took away even a fraction of the pain he'd been carrying, then I could do this. I could finall







