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."

such odd things." I just want to make sure Mom

Mom's thinking of Phoenix more than she's thinking of her own status in the pack. If Alpha Renard hears something like that, it doesn't matter what plan Phoenix has in mind—he'll keep trying

"Enough, Ava. You're not to speak of this again, do you understand?" Her

impossible to nod, so I choke out a soft, "Yes,"

* * *

thousand more worries as I pace back and forth in the cramped space of my bedroom, having skipped dinner with

melody. How did she know about the power I can't access? And are her words a vision

see Phoenix entering the room. His expression is grim, his brow furrowed with concern. He tosses a

wars with caution. "What's going on?"

freaking out about what Sister Miriam said," he explains, his grim

vomit all the food I've eaten from

while Mom and Dad are loyal to Alpha Renard, they never expected that you would truly be able to bear him any kids, considering that he hasn't had any luck in so long. Even

me frowning. "What do you mean? How do you

shoulders sagging with the weight of some unseen burden. "Dad and Mom

true. "How is that

rolling his shoulders in discomfort. His gaze goes over my head, to my desk, then to the floor off to the side of him. "Mom was his

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

is almost too

died because they weren't

Did

my voice trembling with a mixture of

Ava. It's always about power in a pack. She didn't

my mind reeling. How many other secrets