Tangled

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?” o

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?”

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70 Avs Ster Miriam (1)

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 Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

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

C

70 Ava: Sister Miriam (II)

left her visibly unsettled, a

demeanor.

I ask, unable

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.”

back down. “But she was saying such odd things.” I just want to make sure Mom

what was said here.

thinking of her own status in the pack. If Alpha Renard hears

and I wince as she tugs at a lock with more force than necessary. “Enough, Ava.

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Ava: Sister Miriam (1)

heard countless times before.

nod, so I choke out a soft, “Yes,” hoping

***

thousand more worries as I pace back and forth in

down any food, wondering if at any moment they’d start talking about Sister Miriam’s words.

my head like a haunting melody. How did she know about the power I can’t access? And are her words a vision of the future, or just some cryptic mumbo–jumbo she spewed on the

spot?

Phoenix entering the room. His expression is grim, his brow furrowed with

“What’s going on?” I

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Sister

ask, heart pounding.

“Mom and Dad are freaking out about what Sister Miriam said,” he explains, his grim tone

bells in my

I want to vomit all the food I’ve eaten

his head. “No, they won’t,” he assures me, but his tone is laced with uncertainty.

you would truly be able to bear him any

Renard is barren.”

frowning. “What do you mean? How do you know

some unseen burden.

kids weren’t biologically his.”

can’t be true. “How is that possible?”

shifts his weight rolling his

12:40

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Sister

head, to my desk, then to the floor off to the side

best friend. She helped cover it

time, his wife bearing children that were not

skirmishes with

almost too

because they weren’t alpha heirs at

she mate a

that?” I ask, my voice trembling with a mixture of

power in a pack. She didn’t want to lose her position as Luna, even if it meant betraying her mate.”

sink onto the edge of my bed, my mind reeling. How

our pack?

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