Tangled

194

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194 Ava: Garden Visit

"Are you okay?"

Vanessa pops into my field of view with a steaming cup of what smells like hot chocolate.

Much better than coffee.

"I'm okay."

The steam from the mug assaults my face with humidity and heat, reminding me that summer is over.

The weather isn't chilly enough for hot cocoa to be a regular occurrence, and the wind is a little too warm against my skin, but the rich chocolate flavor that coats my tongue brings comfort.

It's a small thing, but it helps ground my racing thoughts as Vanessa settles beside me on the bench.

Out here, in the small garden behind the alpha lodge, there's only peace under the vast expanse of darkness and stars. Selene

slumbers peacefully a few feet away, her silver fur almost glowing in the moonlight.

There are, of course, the ever-present guards stationed around us. Four of them, at least.

But at least they're giving me this time out here, instead of leaving me to my misery indoors.

"How are you holding up this week Ava? Since we last talked... A lot seems to have changed. You look different. You sound different." Vanessa's gentle question pulls me from my thoughts.

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194 Ava: Garden Visit

Thinking about this past week is much better than thinking about Mom, and how quickly her life had slipped away in front of me.

I stare into the depths of my mug, as if the answers might be found swirling in the chocolate. "It's been

hard," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "Mostly, it feels like I'm stumbling in the dark, unsure of which direction to take. And I don't like the person I see in my memories. I've been cringing at a lot of thin Vanessa's hand rests on my arm, a reassuring touch. "Don't overthink it. Trust in those around you. We're here to support you."

Her words are meant to comfort, but they remind me of the tensions within the pack. Another distraction I grab onto gratefully. "What about Jericho? Lucas and Kellan don't

seem to listen to him much, even though they seem to respect him."

"One of the worst epidemics among

of their wolf legacy, I'm afraid. It's hard to

try to puzzle through

just being idiots, but pairing the word idiot with alpha isn't

over, many of the previous alpha's

That explains a lot. I wondered why all

of them twitch

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194 Ava: Garden Visit

can hear

been alpha for as long as I can remember, so I've never seen it happen

forward to rest her elbows on

the previous alpha and his Luna. It's a stigma he's never been able to fully shake in Lucas' mind, even with all of his hard work raising Kellan to

Stupid? Absolutely asinine? I

sound halfway between a laugh and a gasp comes out of me as I glance

there are only the guards

about Lucas like that." I pause. "Can

her hand, she watches Selene, who's still sleeping. "They're used to it. I've said far

made it out to be. You'll hear about it soon enough,

There isn't

changed how they think of Jericho, I'm never going to get the pack to see me as Luna material after the massa "You will.

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194 Ava: Garden Visit

was older, and now his son is alpha." Crossing my arms over my abdomen, I refrain from pointing out that

Selene whispers. Clearly,

all your time feeling bad, wondering how to make

not looking at me. She's just casually perched there, looking ahead of her,

Jericho keeps telling me to stop wallowing and feeling sorry for myself and start acting, but I don't..." Flapping my

sentence.

know what to

"Yeah."

no easy fix, Ava. You just have to move forward trying to make better choices than the day before. Apologize to those you've wronged. Take responsibility for your actions. And

a little too simplistic of a world view

"I'm trying."

"I know."

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194 Ava: Garden Visit

her side profile again, I can see

that you lose sight of who you are. Making mistake-even a