AvaThe morning came far too quickly, the sun barely peeking over the horizon as I stood on the helipad with Chris and Ophelia. The wind from the helicopter’s blades whipped around us, tousling my hair and making my eyes water.Or maybe that was just the tears I was trying to hold back.“It’s only f
And, well… I couldn’t bring myself to force him to wallow.We entered the Packhouse, and I had to suppress a gasp. Even though I had seen the damage before, it was still shocking. The once-beautiful wooden walls were now marred by patches of inky black fungus. In some places, the wood had crumbled e
ChrisThe helicopter ride felt longer than usual, my mind constantly drifting back to Moonstone and Ava. I hated that I was leaving during so much turmoil, hated to say goodbye to Ava, even if only for a few days; but I knew it was necessary.Still, by the time we landed in the city, I was already f
I took a deep breath. This wasn’t part of the plan, but I couldn’t read those notes. ‘Personal matters’ didn’t cut it. Honesty did. That was what we all needed, what we all deserved: the truth.“I’ll be blunt,” I said, pulling my shoulders back and ignoring the terrified looks from my assistants. “M
AvaUnbeknownst to Chris, I wasn’t asleep. In fact, I wasn’t even close.I stood in the doorway, my claws extended and fangs bared at Patrick. My heart was racing, adrenaline pumping through my veins. How did he get in here? What did he want?“Calm down, Ava,” Patrick said, his hands raised in a pla
I felt sick. We had imagined that it would come to this, but hearing it laid out in front of me, seeing the stony truth in Patrick’s face… It was all too much.Without thinking, I crossed over to the sofa and sat, the knife falling slack between my fingers.“What about the blight?” I whispered. “Doe
AvaOf course, I didn’t sleep a wink that night.Rather, I paced back and forth in my living room all night, my mind racing with the information Patrick had shared. The soft ticking of the clock on the wall seemed to mock me as the hours crawled by.Throughout the night, every creak in the house had
To my surprise, Leonard let out a bitter laugh.“Not anymore,” he said, pulling out his phone.My stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”Leonard pulled up a video and handed me his phone. “I’m assuming you missed Chris’s press conference last night, since you were… busy. Just watch.”I pressed play, m
Chris shook his head, rolling his eyes. “Unbelievable,” he hissed as I smirked with satisfaction.The trip to the clinic went by a lot faster on wheels than on foot. Chris remained glued to my side, his hair falling into his eyes as he repeatedly checked on me. I simply smiled in the backseat, and w
Epilogue — Part IIAvaAs the balloon hit me square in the face, I stumbled back, nearly losing my balance. Chris’s strong arm caught me, steadying me as a chorus of “Surprise!” filled the air.Our living room had been transformed, covered with balloons and streamers in shades of blue and silver. A
Her imprisonment in New Moon was coming to an end, and soon she would be returning to Moonstone on parole. The thought filled me with a mixture of apprehension and hope, as it did all of us.But that was not coming for another month.As the Elders filed out, I leaned back in my chair, unable to keep
Before I could comment, the Elders finally filed in, their usual robes swishing around them as they moved. Fatima was now the Eldest since Elise was gone, and so she took the end of the table opposite Chris.Claire hobbled in after her; she had been leaning on a cane lately due to a sudden onset of
Epilogue — Part IAvaMy hand rested on my belly as I waddled through the doors, half-ignoring Chris’s presence. He sighed, letting the door fall shut behind me.“What’s wrong?” he asked, following me to the circular council table in the center of the room.“Nothing.”That was a lie.It was my 40th
For a moment, Chris was silent, his gaze intense as he searched my face. Then, without warning, he dropped to his knees, burying his face in my skirt. His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me close.“Goddess, I can’t wait to marry you,” he murmured, his voice muffled by the fabric.I smiled, run
AvaI found Chris on a balcony overlooking the golden sunset of New Moon mountain. The sky was ablaze with vibrant oranges and pinks, casting a warm glow over the snow-capped peaks. The crisp mountain air carried the scent of pine and distant earth from far below, the scent of autumn.Back in Moonst
“As you should, Alpha Edward,” Chris said, clasping the Alpha’s forearm. “As you should.”It was heartwarming to see how everyone seemed to be thriving. The bonds between the packs were stronger than ever, and there was a palpable sense of hope in the air.Finally, it was time for the meeting to beg
AvaGolden sunlight streamed through the enormous windows, shafts of warmth spreading across the large meeting hall. A fire crackled merrily in the hearth, and a long oak table had been placed at the center of the room. Soft piano music played from a human-made record player in the corner, and counc