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)

her visibly unsettled, a rare crack in her usually

demeanor.

ask, unable to contain my curiosity any longer.

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

part of me refuses to back down. “But she was saying such odd

was

she’s thinking of her own status in the pack. If Alpha Renard hears something like that, it doesn’t

wince as she tugs at a lock with more force than necessary. “Enough, Ava. You’re not to speak of this again, do you understand?”

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Sister Miriam

countless

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

***

in the cramped space of my bedroom, having skipped dinner with the family. Seeing their faces

any

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

spot?

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

with caution. “What’s going on?”

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Ava Sister

ask, heart pounding.

a hand through his tousled hair. “Mom and Dad are freaking out about what Sister Miriam said,” he

in my head.

and I want to vomit all the food I’ve eaten from past to

won’t,” he assures me, but his tone is laced with uncertainty. “Look, Ava,

you would truly be able to bear him any kids, considering that he hasn’t had any luck in so long.

Renard is barren.”

you mean? How do

sighs, his shoulders sagging with the weight of some unseen

kids weren’t biologically his.”

“How is that possible?”

his weight rolling his shoulders in

12:40

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Sister Miriam (II)

gaze goes over my head, to my desk, then to the floor off to the side

best friend. She helped cover it

all this time, his wife bearing children

with other shifters.

is almost too much

weren’t alpha heirs

Did she mate a delta?

my voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and fear.

expression hardens. “Power, Ava. It’s always about power in a pack. She didn’t want to lose

reeling. How many other secrets are buried beneath the surface of

our pack?

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