Tangled

10 Ava: Freedom

I make it two days before I give up and call Lisa, ten minutes before her shift. She doesn’t answer the first time, so I call again. This time, she picks up, and her annoyed voice brings tears to my eyes.

“Hello?” that wonderful voice snaps into my ear, suspicious and guarded. She thinks I’m a robocaller.

“Hey, Lise.” Somehow, I manage to sound normal.

“Ava? This isn’t your number. Did you lose your phone?”

I pick at the inseam of my jeans, staring out the train window, focusing on the rolling hills beyond the raindrops splattered against my window. I’ve switched trains a few times and bought multiple tickets at each station, just in case someone figures out how I left the city. In the end, I’ve managed to take an odd, loopy route that has me now in Washington. “Yeah. Look, if anyone from my family tries to contact you… Um. God, this is going to be a lot that I can’t explain before your shift starts, but the main thing is that if my family contacts you, tell them you don’t know anything. Save

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10 Ava: Freedom.

this number under a random name. Call me Ashley or

something.”

“Okay.”

Her instant acceptance warms my heart. My nose tingles as a few tears escape, sliding down my cheeks. It’s enough to take the edge off that pain in my chest that refuses to leave, as though something important is

missing.

It has to just be in my head, though, right…? If he was my fated mate, he would have never looked at me the way he did. I’ve never heard of a fated who hates their mate. Even the abusive ones.

he is. It’s a knowledge deep

Damn it.

they’ll just be happy to get rid of me. That would be nice. I

I’m here. I’m just in shock. I can’t believe you

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10 Ava: Freedom

that’s being insensitive. When will you come back? A

my lip.

“Never?!”

I’ve never told you, and I promise I’ll explain it all. But the first thing is the most important. I’m not human, Lise. Not exactly, anyway. My entire family, we’re shifters. I’m from the Blackwood Pack, and my dad is beta

Blackwoods are the wolf shifters, aren’t they? The ones that rule over the entire area?” Her voice is a higher pitch that

screaming.

she doesn’t want to talk to me anymore? I know I had pre–mourned her several days before, convincing myself that I had to leave her behind for her safety. But

from my phone. “Girl, I

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10 Ava: Freedom

The Blackwoods. No wonder you said you’d never

move

“Mmhmm.”

not

I’m sorry. I ditched my phone and thought

will… Oh, shit, hold on. Fuck, Shelby just poked her head in here and stared at me. I need to clock in. Look, Ave. I’ll save your number, and we are going to talk, okay? Should I get a different phone in case they like, tap mine, or something? Can they

around here.”

have no idea. Oh, God. I hope they can’t. I got a

the store on my way home. Are you safe right now? God, Shelby’s right here. I

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10 Ava: Freedom

she can’t see me. “I’m safe,” I

girl. I’ll call

days, tugs at the corners of my mouth. This is why I gave in. This was what my broken, bleeding heart needed. Love. Not rejection. Not my family. Not him. “I know. I love you,