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?”

12:49 O

1/8

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)

visibly unsettled, a rare crack in her

demeanor.

she some sort of prophet?” I ask, unable to contain my curiosity any

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

refuses to back down. “But she was saying such odd things.” I just want to make sure Mom isn’t

what was said here.

Phoenix more than she’s thinking of her own status in the pack. If Alpha Renard hears something like

lock with more force than necessary. “Enough, Ava.

12:49

3/8

Ava: Sister Miriam

I’ve heard countless times

out a

***

as I pace back and forth in the cramped space of my bedroom, having skipped dinner with the family. Seeing their faces

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

can’t access? And are her words a vision of the future, or just some cryptic mumbo–jumbo she spewed on

spot?

and I whirl around to see Phoenix entering the room. His expression is grim, his brow furrowed with concern. He tosses a burner phone onto my bed, the device bouncing slightly

with caution. “What’s going

4/8

Sister Miriam

ask, heart pounding.

grimaces, running a hand through his tousled hair. “Mom and Dad are freaking out about what Sister

in my

vomit all the food I’ve eaten

he assures me, but his tone is laced with uncertainty. “Look, Ava,

and Dad are loyal to Alpha Renard, they never expected that you would truly be able to bear him any kids, considering that he hasn’t had any luck in so long. Even with you being an omega, Alpha

Renard is barren.”

me frowning. “What do you mean? How do you know that?”

shoulders sagging with the weight of some unseen burden. “Dad and Mom said that his

weren’t biologically

true. “How is

his weight rolling his shoulders

12:40

5/8

Ava: Sister Miriam (II)

to my desk, then to the floor off to the side of him. “Mom was his

friend. She helped cover it up. She

sink in a little at a time. Alpha Renard, the powerful and feared leader of our pack, has been deceived all this time, his wife bearing children that were not truly his own. They’d been his pride and joy, even if they were weak for alpha–heirs, all of

skirmishes with other shifters.

too much to

they weren’t

were weak. Did she mate a delta?

do that?” I ask, my voice

want to lose her

sink onto the edge of my bed, my mind reeling. How many other secrets are buried beneath the surface of

our pack?

12:49

8/8