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 the

always watching. Never

my arm away, taking a step back. "You're sorry?" Anger surges through me, hot and bitter, fueling my words. "Why are you even saying that? What does that

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

Ah. She needs something.

No wonder she's here.

to boil 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,

am hired to

Ava From

until I saw you." 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 sh "No." My voice is cold as I take

repeat. "I have no intention of helping you or anyone else. from that pack. Not after everything

twisting into an ugly mask of

hackles. raised, teeth bared. She positions herself between Margot and

moment, I think she might actually shift and attack. My heart pounds against my ribs, adrenaline surging through my

changes instantly. She straightens, smoothing her expression into one

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

turns to me, curiosity etched on

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

316

From

something, but I don't hear her. I'm

whines softly, nuzzling against me as I tremble, overwhelmed

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

stop the flood of emotions. Fear, anger, betrayal-they swirl inside me, a maelstrom threatening to pull me

Vanessa's gentle voice breaks through the chaos. "Are

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

eyes. "I'll be in the other room if you need me." She pauses, then adds, "Therapy isn't something to be ashamed of. If you're interested, just talk to me. Everything will be kept be Gratitude wells up inside me,

my fingers through her soft fur. Her presence is a

Ava: From the

edges of

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

"Strength? I'm shaking

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