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)

Sister Miriam has left her visibly unsettled,

demeanor.

prophet?” I ask, unable

hands freeze mid–motion, her fingers tangled in my hair. She meets my gaze in the mirror, her eyes narrowing. “I told you, it’s none of your

me refuses to back down. “But she was saying such odd things.”

was said

in the pack. If Alpha Renard hears something like that, it doesn’t matter what plan Phoenix has in

grip on my hair tightens, 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

choke out a soft, “Yes,” hoping I

***

a thousand thoughts and a thousand more worries as I pace back and forth in the cramped space of my bedroom, having skipped dinner with the family. Seeing their

to choke down any food, wondering if at any moment they’d start talking about Sister

the power I can’t access? And are her words a vision of the future, or just some cryptic

spot?

entering the room. His expression is grim, his brow

caution. “What’s

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Ava Sister Miriam (II)

ask, heart pounding.

are freaking out about what Sister Miriam said,” he explains, his grim tone

bells in my head.

stomach twists, and I want to vomit all the food I’ve eaten from past to future. “Are they going to

won’t,” he assures me,

that you would truly be able to bear him any kids, considering that he hasn’t had

Renard is barren.”

has me frowning. “What do you mean? How do you

sighs, his shoulders sagging with the weight of some unseen burden. “Dad and Mom

kids weren’t

can’t be true. “How

rolling his shoulders in

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Sister

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

best friend. She helped cover it

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

with other

too much

because they weren’t alpha heirs

Did she mate

my voice trembling with a

It’s always about power in a pack. She didn’t want to

mind reeling. How

our pack?

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