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.

hours that day. Hours. Until my parents,

always watching. Never

me, hot and bitter, fueling my words. "Why are you

You have to understand, none of us could help you. Please." She grabs at my arm again. "We need you to understand

Ah. She needs something.

No wonder she's here.

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

"I am hired to

From the

our mates. Forced to cut ties with the alpha. Westwood is tearing us apart. They sh "No." My voice is cold as I take

have no intention of helping you or anyone else. from that

an ugly

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

I think she might actually shift and attack. My heart pounds against my

instantly. She straightens, smoothing her expression into

she says, her tone clipped. "We can talk when you've settled in." With

watches her go, then turns to me, curiosity etched

steady my racing heart. "An old neighbor,"

316

Aws: From

I don't hear her. I'm

me as I tremble, overwhelmed by the

sinking realization that no one, not

she's right, but it doesn't stop the flood of emotions. Fear, anger, betrayal-they

through

shuddering breath. A few beats of my heart, slowing down.

pauses, then adds, "Therapy isn't something to be ashamed of. If you're interested, just talk to me. Everything will

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

From

of my

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

laugh escapes me. "Strength? I'm

head-on, even when it terrifies you. And that's exactly what you