Chapter 5

~Ava

The darkness hung heavily around me as I reached the pack’s border, the weight of the night pressing down on my chest. Nimueh, my wolf, ran tirelessly beneath me, her paws pounding the earth with a steady rhythm. But even she, with all her strength, was beginning to slow as the distance wore on. When we neared the edge of the pack’s territory, she breathed heavily, her body trembling with exhaustion. 

I could see the house in the distance, its outline faint in the dim light of dawn. I felt a brief wave of relief—home. But it quickly faded, replaced by the sharp sting of fear. I made a mindlink to Aiden, but there was only silence. "Open the gate, Aiden. I’m home." 

Nothing.

I frowned, trying again. Was he sleeping? Aiden never ignored my calls, not even in the dead of night. His wolf, Caleb, would have stirred to acknowledge Nimueh. But there was nothing.

Nimueh, I called again. Try Caleb. Maybe he’ll respond to you. 

She grumbled, exhausted. What now, Ava? You made me run us home. I’m tired, just let me sleep.  

I need to get inside before Aunt Maria finds out I was gone.  

Her response was nothing more than silence. I could feel her pulling away, shutting me out. Typical, I thought bitterly. When Nimueh didn’t get her way, she retreated into silence. But I couldn’t afford that now.

I scanned the gates, realizing they were locked tight. Panic surged in my chest. I couldn’t wake anyone, not without risking Aunt Maria’s wrath. My mind raced, searching for a solution. Then, like a faint memory, it hit me—the back entrance. Aiden and I used to sneak in through it when we stayed out late as kids. 

I moved quickly, slipping into the shadows, dodging the motion sensors with practiced ease. My heart pounded as I crept inside, my movements careful and quiet. The house was eerily still, too still. The silence pressed down on me like a heavy weight.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

When I reached the stairs, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. Aunt Maria had no idea I was gone, and I intended to keep it that way. Gently, I pushed open the door to the room Aiden and I shared. The sight of him slumped over the desk hit me like a punch to the gut. His head was resting on folded arms, a plate of food untouched beside him. 

I frowned, a wave of unease washing over me. Why was he sleeping there? Aiden never left his plate out, never fell asleep mid-meal.

"Aiden," I whispered, stepping closer. "Aiden, wake up."

No response. My heart clenched painfully in my chest. 

I shook him lightly. "Come on, Aiden. Get up." 

His body gave way, slumping sideways and hitting the floor with a sickening thud. My breath caught in my throat. "Aiden?" I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips. My voice trembled, as if it couldn’t believe what it was saying. 

Nimueh’s voice sliced through my panic. Something’s wrong, Ava. What’s wrong with him?

I dropped to my knees beside him, my hands trembling as I touched his cold arm. Cold? The chill of his skin sent a shock through me. Too cold. 

"No," I whispered, tears welling up. "Aiden, no, you can’t... you can’t do this to me." 

I pressed my fingers to his neck, desperately searching for a pulse. There was nothing. No steady thrum beneath my fingertips. 

Nimueh’s voice broke through my panic. He’s gone, Ava.

"No!" I cried, my voice breaking, desperation clawing at me. "He can’t be! He was fine the last time I saw him! He’s just sick, or something. He can’t... he can’t be gone!"

Tears flowed freely now, hot and fast, but I couldn’t stop. I shook him harder, hoping, praying for him to wake up, for him to answer me. But there was nothing.

In a blur of motion, I stood and ran toward the door. I needed help. Someone had to help him. Please, someone help my brother.

I flung open the door, nearly crashing into two men standing in the hallway. 

"Who are you?" My voice was frantic, panic seeping into every word. "My brother—he needs help!"

They didn’t answer, just grabbed my arms, pulling me away from Aiden. 

"What are you doing?" I screamed, struggling in their grip. "Let me go! I need to help him!"

Uncle Peter, Aunt Maria, and Riley were standing there, staring, as I was being taken away.

"What’s happening?" I demanded, my voice trembling. “Something is wrong with Aiden, please someone needs to help him, "I pleaded to them, as tears streamed down my face.

Aunt Maria stepped forward, her face twisted in anger. Without warning, she spat at me. "You’re cursed," she hissed. "How could you kill your own brother?"

The words hit me like a slap, the sting of them sinking deep. "What?" I choked, unable to understand. "I didn’t—he was already—"

"You have no excuse!" Riley sneered, his words cutting through the room. "Finally, you’ll pay for your sins. How could you kill Aiden?"

"I didn’t do anything! I found him like that!" I pleaded, my voice breaking with the weight of my grief. "Please, believe me!"

But they didn’t care. Uncle Peter’s cold voice cut through everything. "No mercy. She doesn’t deserve it."

They dragged me away, out the door, and shoved me into a car. My protests, my cries for help, fell on deaf ears as the car sped toward the Alpha’s home.

When we arrived, the house was silent. The Alpha and Luna were away, leaving Liam—the future Alpha—in charge. 

I had hoped, prayed that Liam would listen to me. That he would believe me, that he would see I could never hurt Aiden. But when I looked at him, his face was blank. He didn’t even spare me a glance.

"Lock her in the dungeons," he said, his voice like ice. "We’ll wait for my parents to return and decide her punishment."

Tears welled in my eyes as they dragged me away. "Liam, please!" I cried. "You know me! You know how much I loved Aiden. I would never hurt him!"

But he didn’t respond. He didn’t care.

The dungeon was cold, damp, and smelled of mildew. I was left alone, my grief consuming me. I cried until I had no tears left, my body wracked with sobs.

Five days later, the Alpha and Luna returned. Their verdict was swift and final: banishment.

And now, here I was. Wandering the streets of Texas. Alone.

The rain fell in sheets, soaking me to the bone. My stomach growled, empty from days of no food. My body felt weak, my mind numb. 

Aiden, my only family, was gone. My pack had turned on me. And Liam... Liam had betrayed me.

The rain didn’t matter as I trudged forward, my tears mixing with the water that poured from the sky.

And then, I noticed a flash of light. I raised my hands instinctively to shield my eyes, but before I could react, something slammed into me.

Pain exploded in my body, and then... everything went black.