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.

that ever–present aching pain in my chest seems subdued, almost as if there’s some sort

properties, but Dad always

not.

gold encasing one tip of the long crystal, as if it is meant to hang off a chain. I spin the crystal around, lifting it to the light to admire its colors.

neck.

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Ava: Settling In

place to potty as I get dressed in record time. She’s at my door again by the time I dash outside, finishing the messy bun I’d corralled

the side of The Novel Grind’s building, and a sign on the

the door.

the next 48 hours. This is 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. Elkins

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

raised with wolf shifters. They do have their human emotions

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Ava: Settling

disconnect from that.

of mild outrage. “Don’t

closes as all my arguments dissipate in the face of his loony smile and reasonable

to see Selene with her ears back and her eyes twice as large as normal. Or

I sigh.

hate

rest.”

if possible, grew wider. “We figured. Martha said it’s paid time off,

it again.

face. “Oh.

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Ava. Settling in (1)

Like you gave birth or something. But Mrs. Martha says fur babies are still babies, so get out.” He winks before slamming the door

a built–in soft close, because banging doors doesn’t fit a bookstore cafe’s ambience. It’s just the overall sentiment

going to do? I could go hiking, but I don’t know the area.

in that moment that