Chapter 2

AVA

"You can't stay in this house anymore, Ava," Alpha Thomas said. He was standing in my living room. "It's not safe for you to be alone."

I stared at the boxes scattered around the floor. It had been three days since Dad's funeral, and I still couldn't believe he was gone. The house felt empty without his laughter echoing through the rooms.

"I'll be fine here," I said quietly. "I don't need—"

"Your father died protecting me," Alpha Thomas interrupted. His voice was firm but kind. "The least I can do is make sure you're taken care of. You're moving into the pack house today."

My stomach dropped. "The pack house? But that's where..."

"Where my sons live, yes. And before you say anything, they know you're coming. They'll treat you with respect," he interrupted.

I wanted to laugh, but it came out more like a sob. Respect? From the triplets who made my life hell every single day?

Alpha Thomas sat down on the edge of our old coffee table, and when he looked at me, I could see how serious his eyes looked. "Ava, there's something else you need to know. The boys... they don't know about your father's death."

I blinked at him in confusion. "What do you mean? Everyone knows. There were people at the funeral."

"No," he said, shaking his head slowly. "I told them you needed to move into the pack house for other reasons. They think it's because this house is falling apart and you can't afford the repairs. As far as they know, your father is still alive, but he’s just away handling extended patrol shifts in the outer territory of the pack."

"But why?" The question came out as barely a whisper.

Alpha Thomas was quiet for a long moment, and I could see something heavy in his face. "Because if they knew the truth—if they knew your father died saving my life—they would feel obligated to treat you differently. And that wouldn't be real, Ava. Any kindness they show to you would come from duty and guilt, not from who you are."

I stared at him, trying to understand.

"Your father was a proud man," he continued. "He wouldn't want his death to be the reason you finally got respect from people. He would want you to earn it on your own terms. And honestly..." He paused to run a hand through his graying hair. "I'm not sure Zade, Roman, and Axel are ready to handle that kind of guilt. Knowing that someone died because of me, for me... it would change them in ways they're not prepared for. They're still young, so that means they’re still learning what it means to lead."

My chest felt tight. "So their girlfriends don't know either?"

"Nobody knows except the pack elders and me. As far as everyone else is concerned, your father is still alive and working in the outer territory. The funeral was kept quiet. It was attended only by the elders and a few trusted pack members." His eyes met mine. "I need you to keep it that way, Ava. Can you do that for me?"

I nodded slowly, even though my heart was aching. Dad had died a hero, but no one would ever know.

"Alpha Thomas, please let me just stay here. I can take care of myself," I begged.

"The decision is final, Ava. Pack your things."

***

Two hours later, I was standing in the massive entrance hall of the pack house with my pathetic collection of belongings. I had just one small suitcase and a backpack. That was my entire life.

"Your room is on the second floor," Alpha Thomas said, leading me up the grand staircase. "The boys are on the third floor, so you should have plenty of privacy."

Privacy… Right. Like that would stop them.

He showed me to a small room with a single bed, a dresser, and a tiny window. It was actually a lot nicer than my room at home, but it still felt like a prison cell.

"Dinner is at seven," Alpha Thomas said. "You're part of the family now, Ava. Try to remember that."

Family. The word made my chest ache. I had a family, and now he was dead.

After Alpha Thomas left, I unpacked my few clothes and tried not to think about how quiet everything was. At home, I could hear Dad moving around and humming while he cooked or fixed something that was broken. Here, the silence was suffocating.

***

The next morning, I got up early hoping to avoid everyone. I quietly made my way down to the kitchen and made myself some toast, planning to eat it quickly and get out.

"Well, well. Look who's moved in.” Hailey's voice made me freeze.

I turned around to see her standing in the doorway, looking perfect even at seven in the morning. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun that probably took her an hour to achieve, and she was wearing silk pajamas that I was sure cost more than my entire wardrobe.

"Good morning," I said quietly.

"Is it though?" she asked, stepping closer. "I mean, for you? Living here must be so awkward knowing you're only here because you’re a charity case."

Her words hit me like a slap. I could feel tears welling in my eyes, but I refused to cry in front of her.

"That was cruel, even for you," I whispered.

"Oh, honey, that wasn't cruel. This is cruel." She picked up the glass of orange juice sitting on the counter and dumped it all over my shirt.

The cold liquid soaked through my only clean shirt, making me gasp. Orange juice dripped onto the floor as I just stood there in shock.

"Too bad," Hailey said with fake innocence. "How clumsy of me."

"What the hell, Hailey?" Zade's voice made us both turn.

He was standing in the doorway, and his hair was messy from sleep. He looked angry, but I couldn't tell if it was at me or at Hailey.

"She was in my way," Hailey said, sliding her arms around his waist. "I didn't see her there."

Zade looked at me, taking in my soaked shirt and the puddle of orange juice at my feet. For a second, I thought he might actually say something in my defense. But then his expression went cold.

"Clean up this mess," he said to me. "And next time, watch where you're standing."

I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to point out that his girlfriend had done this on purpose. But what was the point? He wouldn't believe me, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

I grabbed some paper towels and started cleaning up the juice while they watched. Hailey was smirking like she had won some kind of prize.

"Come on, babe," she said to Zade. "Let's get breakfast somewhere else that doesn't smell like a wet dog."

They left me there on my hands and knees, wiping orange juice off the kitchen floor. This was my life now.

At school, things got worse. Kylie found me at my locker during lunch break.

"Poor little Ava," she cooed in her fake sweet voice. "You look so tired. Here, I made you some tea. Chamomile. It will help you relax."

She held out a steaming cup that smelled like flowers. I didn't want to take it, but she was being nice for once. So I thought maybe she actually felt bad about everything.

"Thank you," I said as I took the cup from her.

"Drink up," she encouraged, smiling brightly.

The tea tasted weird. It was kind of bitter under the floral flavor. But I drank it anyway because I was thirsty and it was so warm.

Within twenty minutes, I could barely keep my eyes open. My head felt fuzzy, and I kept nodding off in class. Mrs. Peterson had to call my name three times during English, and I nearly fell asleep at my desk.

By the time I got back to the pack house, I could barely walk straight. I stumbled up to my room and passed out on my bed, still in my school clothes.

***

I woke up the next morning feeling groggy and confused. What had gone wrong with me yesterday? I never got that tired, even when I hadn't slept well.

Then I remembered the tea. Kylie's tea that tasted weird and made me feel strange.

She had drugged me. That sweet, innocent act had been just another way to hurt me.

I was still thinking about it when I heard footsteps in the hallway outside my room. Then the footsteps stopped right outside my door.

"I know you're in there.” Michelle's voice was barely above a whisper, but it still made chills run down my spine.

I held my breath, hoping she would just go away.

"I could come in, you know. Your little chair won't stop me. I could cut off all that pretty brown hair of yours while you sleep and make you look as ugly on the outside as you are on the inside."

My hands shook as I pressed them against my mouth to stop myself from making any sound.

"Sweet dreams, Ava," she whispered, and I heard her footsteps moving away.

That night, I didn't just push the dresser in front of my door. I also wedged a chair under the handle and kept a pair of scissors under my pillow. If Michelle wanted to try something, then she would have a fight on her hands.

***

The next few days blurred together. Hailey found new ways to humiliate me. Kylie kept offering me drinks and snacks that I refused to touch. Michelle left little notes in my locker about all the horrible things she wanted to do to me.

And the triplets? They watched it all happen like it was their personal entertainment. Sometimes I caught Zade looking uncomfortable when Hailey was being really cruel, but he never said anything. Roman seemed annoyed, but not at Kylie, just at me, for existing. And Axel just stared at me with those cold blue eyes, like he was studying some kind of interesting insect.

I stopped eating in the pack house kitchen. I stopped drinking anything I didn't get myself. I tried to become invisible, moving through the house like a ghost.

But it was impossible to hide when we all lived under the same roof.

Then, three days before I thought I might actually lose my mind, Alpha Thomas made an announcement at dinner.

"The Rose Moon Ball is this Saturday," he said, looking around the dining room at his family and me. "It's one of our most important traditions. Everyone will attend."

My stomach sank immediately. A ball meant formal clothes I didn't have. It meant being around the whole pack while they stared at the pathetic orphan girl. It meant being trapped in a room with the triplets and their girlfriends with nowhere to run.

"Even me?" I asked quietly.

"Especially you," Alpha Thomas said with a kind smile. "You're part of this family now, Ava. The Rose Moon Ball is where we celebrate our bonds and sometimes discover new ones."

The way he said it made something cold settle in my stomach, but I tried to push it away.

And as I looked around the table at the triplets' cold faces and their girlfriends' cruel smiles, I knew one thing for certain:

Whatever happened at the Rose Moon Ball was going to change everything.