Tangled

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158

158 Ava: From the Past

"Ava, is that you?"

The familiar rasp has me frozen, my heart lurching into my throat. Slowly, I turn around, coming face-to-face with a ghost from my

past.

Our neighbor. Margot Mitchell.

Her once vibrant auburn hair is streaked with silver, her face a

roadmap of wrinkles and scars. It's her eyes that haunt me. Piercing green eyes that see everything and do nothing.

"Margot," I greet, my voice tight with caution. "What are you doing

here?"

She limps

toward me, her gait uneven from some injury she incurred long before I was born. I remember asking about it once, and my mother slapped the back of my head, admonishing me for my rudeness. "Oh, Ava. I'm

I tense as she reaches out, half-expecting her to grab me, to drag me back to the hellscape I escaped. But she merely places a hand on my arm, her touch feather-light.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry for everything. For not intervening when..." She trails off, her gaze flickering to the ground.

The shame she tries to portray leaves me feeling dirty. Unclean from her mere presence.

Memories flash through my mind, unbidden. Margot's face in the

$2.00

150 As from the Pant

window, watching as I was taunted and beaten, even by her own son. Listening at the front door as my parents berated me, their voices carrying through the window. Her figure rushing inside. when I tried beggi I was thirteen.

He broke my wrist.

for hours that day. Hours. Until my parents, tired of my whining, finally dragged me to

always watching. Never

"You're sorry?" Anger surges through me, hot and bitter, fueling my words. "Why are you even saying that? What does that do for me

you. Please." She grabs at my arm again. "We need you to

Ah. She needs something.

No wonder she's here.

in my veins, even as my stomach churns. There's a tiny part of me, almost miniscule, that was hopeful her apology was genuine. It's dead now, like so many other little

hired to clean the

From

us are separated now. Taken from our mates. Forced to cut ties with the alpha. Westwood is tearing us apart. They sh "No." My voice is cold as

of helping you or

into an ugly mask of rage. "You ungrateful

room, her hackles. raised, teeth

I think she might actually shift and attack. My heart

Margot's demeanor changes instantly. She straightens, smoothing her expression

find you again later," she says, her tone clipped. "We can talk when you've settled in." With that, she turns and flees the room, brushing past

then turns to me, curiosity etched on her

swallow hard, trying to steady my racing heart. "An old neighbor," I manage, my voice

316

Aws: From the

followed by sympathy. She starts to say something, but I don't hear her. I'm already sinking to my knees, burying my face in Selene's thick

me as I tremble, overwhelmed by the

blows, both physical and emotional. The sinking realization that no

doesn't stop the flood of emotions. Fear, anger, betrayal-they swirl inside me,

breaks through the chaos.

shuddering breath. A few beats of my heart, slowing down. Meeting her concerned gaze, I give the faintest smile.

something to be ashamed of. If you're interested, just talk to me. Everything will be kept be Gratitude wells

running my fingers through her soft

Ava: From

edges of my

she says, her voice a gentle

escapes me. "Strength? I'm shaking

absence of fear, Ava. It's facing it head-on, even when it terrifies