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.

day. Hours. Until my parents, tired of my whining, finally dragged me

watching. Never

surges through me, hot and bitter, fueling my

you. Please." She grabs at

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, like so many other little parts of "How did you know I was here?" I step back, avoiding her grip, and she

head. "I am hired to clean the

Ava From the

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 another

of helping you or anyone else. from that

twisting into an ugly mask of rage. "You ungrateful

the room, her hackles. raised, teeth bared. She positions herself between

For a moment, I think she might actually shift and attack. My heart pounds

Vanessa walks in, and Margot's demeanor changes instantly. She straightens, smoothing her

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

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

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

316

Aws: From the

dawns in Vanessa's eyes, followed by sympathy. She starts to say something, but I don't hear her.

I tremble, overwhelmed by the unexpected

The sinking realization that no one,

Fear, anger, betrayal-they swirl inside

gentle voice breaks through the chaos.

few beats of my heart, slowing down.

the other room if you need me." She pauses, then adds, "Therapy isn't something to be ashamed of. If

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

From

edges of

gentle caress in my mind.

me. "Strength? I'm shaking

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