Tangled

15 Ava: Settling In (I)

Waking up with a dog is both better and worse than waking to an alarm.

Selene starts with a cute little nose bumping against my hand. Then a head burrowing beneath it. Then her entire body on mine, as her dog breath–which smelled particularly fishy–assaults my nose.

She finishes it off with a low, mournful howl, and I

open my eyes with a groan. “I’m up. I’m up. Come on, Selene. You couldn’t let me sleep for fifteen more

minutes?”

Her huff sounds a lot like you slept for six hours, you’ll

be fine to me, but I rub her ears and roll out of bed anyway, only to screech a few seconds later when something sharp tries to murder my foot.

“Shit! Ow, ow, ow. Fuck. Oh, my God. I’m dying. Holy shit.” I fall back onto the bed and check the bottom of

my foot. Only a little bleeding where something sharp broke the skin, and a nice big scratch. I grab my glasses and peered at the floor, shocked to see a purple crystal there.

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15 Ava Settling in (1)

Selene must have gotten into something overnight, because that was not there last night.

I shoot her a dark look. “This is the thanks I get for giving you a home?”

My sweet little husky just tilts her head, staring at me like I’m stupid, and I sigh, tossing the crystal onto my night stand. For a second, I feel a tingle on my

fingertips, but when I grab it again and hold it in my palm, there’s nothing.

Weird.

seems subdued, almost as if there’s some sort of barrier

heard of crystals having magical properties, but Dad always said

not.

around, lifting it to the light to admire its colors. “Pretty. Think I should get a chain for this?” I ask, as if a husky would care if

neck.

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217

Ava: Settling In

She’s at my door again by the time I dash outside, finishing the messy bun I’d corralled my hair into. I’ve been pondering cutting and dyeing it to help hide my identity, but I figure if

building, and a sign on the door has my pace slowing, before I stop, staring slack–jawed at the message

the door.

to facilitate bonding with your new dog and to rest from your workaholic tendencies. Don’t worry, we’ve got everything covered. HAVE FUN! -Mrs.

yips, and I swear she sounds amused. I’ve learned in these past few days that I can’t stop attributing human emotions to

have their

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Settling

disconnect from that.

as my mouth opens, holding up a hand to stop my torrent of mild outrage. “Don’t even think about it, Ava. Martha agrees. You’re banned. Go home, relax, get to know your new roommate. You haven’t had a day off since she

fish as my mouth opens and closes as all my arguments dissipate in the

my hand, and I glance down to see Selene with her ears back and her eyes twice as large as normal. Or

I sigh.

going to hate every second of my forced

rest.”

possible, grew wider. “We figured. Martha said it’s paid time off, for–um, I think she called

mouth, then close it again. Yup, I’m

face. “Oh.

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Ava. Settling

Like you gave birth or something. But Mrs. Martha says fur babies are still babies, so get

banging doors doesn’t fit a bookstore cafe’s ambience. It’s just the overall sentiment of the

what else am I going to do? I could go hiking, but I don’t know the area. With my luck, I’d get lost in the middle of miles of evergreens, with no access to any of the local rivers, and get eaten by a hungry bear.

me in that moment that I have