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, a rare crack

demeanor.

ask, unable to contain my curiosity any

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 concern,” she snaps,

of me refuses to back down. “But she was saying such odd things.” I just want to make sure Mom isn’t going to go telling Alpha

what was said

Mom’s thinking of Phoenix more than she’s thinking of her own status in the pack. If Alpha Renard hears something like that, it doesn’t matter what plan Phoenix

and I wince as she tugs at a lock with more force than necessary. “Enough, Ava. You’re not to

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Sister Miriam

countless

impossible to nod, so I choke out a soft,

***

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

wondering if at any moment

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

spot?

His expression is grim, his brow furrowed with concern. He tosses a burner phone onto my bed, the device bouncing slightly on

wars with caution. “What’s going

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Sister Miriam (II)

ask, heart pounding.

Dad are freaking out about what Sister

in my head.

I’ve eaten from past to future. “Are

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

bear him any kids, considering that he hasn’t had any

Renard is barren.”

has me frowning. “What do you mean?

sagging with the weight of some unseen burden. “Dad and Mom

weren’t biologically

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

shifts his weight rolling his shoulders in

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Ava: Sister Miriam (II)

to the floor off to the side of him. “Mom was his

it up. She told Dad everything.”

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

with

too much to

they weren’t

were weak. Did she mate a

ask, my voice trembling with

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

bed, my mind reeling. How many other secrets are

our pack?

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