Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 70 Ava: Sister Miriam (II)

Trepidation and anxiety flow in equal measure through my veins as my mother leans forward, tired of waiting for a clear answer. "Can you sense if Ava is pregnant, Sister Miriam?"

The woman's eyes glaze, her gaze becoming distant as if peering into another realm. Her voice deepens, taking on a strong cadence that seems to vibrate the very air around us. "An ancient power lies dormant, awaiting the weakest to awaken it. Her womb shall house the strongest, who will inherit the legacy of the Lycans."

And just like that, she's back, the energy dispersed in mere seconds. She blinks at me, then toward my mother. "It is uncertain," she answers, still with her eerie smile. "I shall come again before the ceremony. Alpha Renard has chosen well."

"Ah, yes…" My mom's pathetic agreement only cements her disdain toward me. "Thank you for coming, Sister Miriam."

"What are friends for, Grace?"

Sister Miriam's gaze meets mine once again. There's a glint in her eyes that makes me nervous. "If you ever need me, child," she says, her voice low and almost melodic, "simply light a candle and call my name. I'll find you."

I watch Sister Miriam leave, her words lingering in the air like an ominous mist. As the door closes behind her, my mother lets out a shudder, her face twisted. She reaches for a small travel bottle of hand sanitizer on the dresser and rubs the gel over her palms, making sure no amount of skin is untouched, as if trying to scrub away an invisible stain.

"Who is she?" I ask, unable to contain my curiosity despite the strange encounter.

My mother's eyes narrow as she turns to face me. "Stop being so nosy, Ava," she snaps, her voice laced with irritation. "That's none of your concern."

She looks over my body in disgust. "It's unfortunate that we still don't know if you're pregnant, but I guess there's little we can do except wait."

I watch my mother closely as she continues fussing with my hair, her movements stiff and agitated. The encounter with Sister Miriam has left her visibly unsettled, a rare crack in her usually composed demeanor.

"Is she some sort of prophet?" I ask, unable to contain my curiosity any longer.

Mom's hands freeze mid-motion, her fingers tangled in my hair. She meets my gaze in the mirror, her eyes narrowing. "I told you, it's none of your concern," she snaps, her voice laced with irritation. "Don't ask about things that don't involve you."

"But she was saying such odd things." I just want to make sure

Phoenix more than she's thinking of her own status in the pack. If Alpha Renard hears something like that, it

on my hair tightens, and I wince as she tugs at a lock with more force than necessary. "Enough, Ava. You're not to speak of this again, do

so I choke out a soft, "Yes," hoping I look properly

* * *

a thousand thoughts and a thousand more worries as I pace back and forth in the cramped space of my bedroom, having skipped dinner with the family. Seeing their faces would make it impossible to choke down any food, wondering if at any moment they'd start

my head like a haunting melody. How did she know about the power I can't access? And are

the room. His expression is grim, his brow furrowed with concern. He tosses

with caution. "What's going on?" I ask, heart

and Dad are freaking out about what Sister Miriam said," he explains, his grim tone ringing warning

vomit all the food I've eaten from past to future. "Are they going to tell

is laced with uncertainty. "Look, Ava, while Mom and Dad are loyal to Alpha Renard, they never expected that you would truly

you mean? How do you know

sighs, his shoulders sagging with the weight of some unseen burden. "Dad

be true.

in discomfort. His gaze goes over my head, to my desk, then to the floor off to the side of him. "Mom was his wife's best friend. She helped cover it up.

words sink in a little at a time. Alpha Renard, the powerful and feared leader of our pack, has been deceived all this time, his wife bearing children that were not truly his own. They'd been his pride and joy, even if they were weak for alpha-heirs, all of them dying during what would

is almost too

weren't alpha heirs at

Did she

I ask, my voice trembling with

expression hardens. "Power, Ava. It's always about power in a pack. She didn't want to lose her position

How many other secrets are buried beneath the