Tangled

158

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

always watching. Never

"You're sorry?" Anger surges through me, hot and bitter, fueling my words.

understand, none of us could help you. Please." She grabs

Ah. She needs something.

No wonder she's here.

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 parts

hired to

Ava From

from our mates.

helping you or anyone else. from that pack.

an ugly mask of rage. "You ungrateful

her hackles. raised, teeth bared.

her eyes flashing amber. For a moment, I think she might actually shift and attack. My

changes instantly. She straightens, smoothing her expression into one of neutral

tone clipped. "We can talk when you've settled in."

her go, then turns to me, curiosity etched on her

swallow hard, trying to steady my racing heart. "An old

316

From

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

tremble, overwhelmed by

pain of their blows, both physical and emotional. The sinking realization that no one, not even our neighbors, would help me Breathe, Ava, Selene murmurs in my mind. You're safe now. She can't hurt you

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

through the chaos.

heart, slowing down. Meeting her concerned gaze, I give the faintest smile. "I'm

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

Selene, running my

From

edges of

to face that, she says, her voice a gentle caress in my mind. But you handled it with

me. "Strength?

Ava. It's facing it head-on, even when