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.

cried for hours that day. Hours. Until my parents, tired of my

watching.

Anger surges through me, hot and bitter,

help you. Please." She grabs at my arm again. "We need you to understand us. To speak for

Ah. She needs something.

No wonder she's here.

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 parts of "How did you know I was here?" I step

head. "I am hired

From

Her eyes fill with tears. "Please, Ava. Think of your pack. So many of us are separated now. Taken from our mates. Forced to cut ties with the alpha. Westwood is tearing us apart. They

or anyone else. from that pack. Not after

contorts, her features twisting into an ugly mask of rage. "You

off. Selene stalks into the room, her hackles. raised, teeth bared. She

For a moment, I think she might actually shift

She straightens, smoothing her expression

"We can talk when you've settled in." With that, she turns and flees the room, brushing past

her go, then turns to me, curiosity etched on her face. "Who was

steady my racing heart. "An old neighbor," I

316

From

dawns in Vanessa's eyes, 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

as I tremble, overwhelmed

both physical and emotional. The sinking realization that no one, not even our neighbors, would help me Breathe, Ava,

Fear, anger, betrayal-they swirl

Vanessa's gentle voice breaks through the

breath. A few beats of my heart, slowing down. Meeting her concerned gaze,

something to be ashamed of. If you're interested, just talk to me.

Vanessa leaves, I turn my attention back to Selene, running my fingers through

Ava: From

of my

face that, she says, her voice a gentle caress in my

me. "Strength? I'm shaking

isn't the absence of fear, Ava. It's facing it head-on, even when it terrifies you. And