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.

stronger. I’ll become stronger yet. I’m not going to cry over this.

I ask, my voice hoarse with emotion. “Just sit here

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29

Her Power

figure it out, Selene assures me, her voice filled with a quiet confidence. You’re not alone in this, Ava. You

I whisper, my voice barely audible. “I want to be able to live my life without constantly looking over my shoulder, without wondering if the next person I meet is going to try

kill me.”

like

her arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a tight hug. “I know, sweetie. But you’re not alone in this. We’ll

strength from her presence. It’s a small comfort,

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

powers.

mentioned feeling

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Hor Power

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

once more.

take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. “It was… intense,” I begin, my voice barely above a whisper. “I died, over and

alive, drowned, buried, and suffocated. Each time, it

were, Selene says, her voice echoing in my mind. Your consciousness was trapped in the place between worlds, where Lycan souls

her expression shifts from shock

tone. A place where the souls of our kind go when

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Ava. Her Power

on my shoulders. “So, I

between life and death. I could sense your presence there, could feel your fear

realization dawning on me. Of course she was. Who else would be in my

back.”

Selene says, her voice soft and soothing. I couldn’t bear to see you suffer, to watch as your soul was torn apart by the elements.

I blink them back, swallowing past the lump in my throat.

assures me, her voice filled with a quiet conviction. Stronger than you know. You would have found your

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Ava: Her

help.

that, but I appreciate her faith in me nonetheless. It’s a small comfort, knowing that I have someone in my corner,