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)

unsettled, a rare

demeanor.

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

told you,

part of me refuses to back down. “But she was saying such odd things.” I just

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 has in mind–he’ll

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

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Sister Miriam

countless

so I choke out a soft, “Yes,” hoping

***

back and forth in the cramped space of my bedroom, having skipped dinner with the family.

food, wondering if at any moment they’d start

head like a haunting melody. How did she know about the power I can’t

spot?

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,

caution. “What’s going on?” I

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Ava Sister Miriam

ask, heart pounding.

Dad are freaking

in my

stomach twists, and I want to vomit all the food I’ve eaten

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

Alpha Renard, they never expected that you would truly be able to bear him any

Renard is barren.”

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

shoulders sagging with the weight of some

weren’t

be true. “How is that

weight rolling his shoulders

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Sister Miriam (II)

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

it up. She told

time. Alpha Renard, the powerful and feared leader of our pack, has been deceived all this time, his wife bearing children that

skirmishes with

almost too much

weren’t alpha heirs at all.

Did she mate a delta?

why would they do that?” I ask, my voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and

a pack. She didn’t want to lose

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

our pack?

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