Tangled

119 Ava: Her Power

I wish I could share Lisa’s optimism, but the weight of this newfound knowledge settles heavily on my

shoulders. If what Selene says is true, then I’m not just different from other shifters. I’m different from

everyone.

There’s something else you should know, Selene says, her voice taking on a somber note. Your connection to the elements is like a beacon. Other sensitive beings might be able to sense it, to feel the power that lies dormant within you.

My heart sinks at her words. “What does that mean for

me?”

It means that you’ll be in danger if you leave the safety of the Westwood pack lands, Selene replies, her tone grave. There are those who would seek to exploit your power for their own gain, or worse, to eliminate you as a threat. Though most shifters lack any true memory of our time as Great Wolves, as Lycans, the instinct is still there… if they’re strong enough.

I slump back against the couch, my shoulders.

119 Ava Hor Power

drooping under the weight of this revelation. It’s not enough that I’m an outsider among my own kind, or that I’m caught between two powerful alphas—though Clayton has been absurdly kind about giving me the distance I need. Now, I have to worry about being

hunted down by god knows who, all because of some mystical connection to the elements that I never asked

for.

“I can’t even leave?” I whisper, my voice small and broken. “I’m trapped here, like some kind of prisoner?”

Perhaps for now, for your own protection, Selene says, nuzzling her head against my leg in a gesture of

comfort. Until you learn to control your powers, until you can defend yourself, it’s the only way to keep you

safe.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, hot and stinging. I blink them back, refusing to let them fall.

I’m not going

am I supposed to do?” I ask, my voice hoarse with emotion. “Just sit here

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29

Her

You’re not alone in this, Ava. You have me,

my life without constantly looking over my shoulder, without wondering if the next person I meet

kill me.”

sound like

tight hug. “I know, sweetie. But you’re not alone in this. We’ll

It’s a small comfort, but

a quiet determination. I promise you, Ava. We’ll find a way to keep you safe, to help you understand

powers.

coma. You’d mentioned

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Ava Hor

few times. What exactly do you mean by that?” Lisa asks when I

once more.

deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. “It was… intense,” I begin, my voice barely

flooding back with a sickening clarity. “I was burned alive, drowned, buried, and suffocated. Each time, it felt so real. The pain, the fear… it was like I was

her voice echoing in my mind. Your consciousness was trapped in the place between worlds, where

watching as her expression shifts from shock to confusion. “What does

place where the souls of our kind go when they are not bound

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Ava. Her Power

at the thought, the weight of Selene’s words settling heavily on my shoulders. “So, I was basically in some

her voice tinged with sadness. Your soul was lost, trapped between

voice I heard,” I whisper, realization dawning on me. Of course she was. Who else would be in my head? “The one telling me to leave, to

back.”

voice soft and soothing. I couldn’t bear to see you suffer, to watch as your soul was

corners of my eyes, hot and stinging. I blink them back, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “Thank you, Selene. I don’t know what I would have done without

with a quiet conviction. Stronger than

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Ava: Her Power

help.

faith in me nonetheless. It’s a small comfort, knowing that I