{~~Avery Sterling~~}The teddy bears were adorable, and the one I’d picked out relaxed me. As I’d said, Logan bought me a few other things too. I’m pretty sure he’ll go back to not caring about me tomorrow morning, but he seemed sincerely sorry that he’d thrown something at me. I’m guessing he draws the line at physical abuse, but blackmail and sexually starving someone is okay in his books. As well as verbal abuse.Focus on the teddy. This polar bear is going to be my new friend. My own person since I have no one. I do have Aisha but if she ever visited me here she’d end up in prison for attempting to murder the pack’s medic alpha.I could speak to Ryan but I don’t think I ever want to discuss any of things unless I’m talking to a fucking therapist. My eyes shot a glance towards the window, and my jaw dropped. They still have it. The Fushi Festival. Fushi is still the pack mascot. It’s like a giant sushi roll. Our pack originally belonged to a clan of wolves from East Asia. But they
{~~Logan Grey~~}Sherman Woods, committed suicide in the fall of- fuck, she was telling the truth. The article says that the person responsible for making up such a lie shall not be named. The pack protected Ava from being slandered. So many people commented under the article that they should not protect whoever did this. Sherman’s parents refused to make a comment. They only post about their son each year on his birthday with the caption ‘We couldn’t protect you’.My stomach was queasy, I felt sick. How could I not know about this? I never did any research on her. I love her. I know I do, but I loved a version of her and not the real one. She not only left me, but she’d been lying to me for years.Avery was playing every game she could get her hands on, while I stewed in the background doing my research. She seems so honest. She was right about me not knowing her name until recently. Ava used to just call her Shadow. But if you type Ava sterling on the search engine you find nothing
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I awoke feeling free and happy, I quickly shut those emotions down. It’s the next morning, who knows what horrors are waiting for me. If after telling Logan that his girlfriend played a role in someone’s suicide, and he’s still in love with her then I have no chance. His wound is still fresh, he needs some time. So right now, I have to just play it cool. I have so many Ava horror stories so the second he changes his mind I can tell him as much as I want.I saw my room littered with gifts and teddy bears. I won some of these like the stuffed bunny that is occupying one corner of my room. It’s like a cushion, how did it fit in the car? And I’m surprised that Logan didn’t burn them. He actually brought me to my room. He was nice last night, he reminded me too much of the version he’d been when we first met.I should thank him. I’ll shower, and make breakfast. I stepped into the bathroom and started my routine. I made sure to take my time with it. The sun wasn’t out y
{~~Avery Sterling~~}A Marriage Binding Contract.That is what this is. He even added rules, and he has decided he’ll wear a ring too. Change his social media profile. He’s willing to play this out... in hopes of drawing her out so they could talk. Logan still wants her, but he wants true honesty, he doesn’t want to be lied to. He is under the impression that my sister is capable of changing.He is more naive than I am. I read through the whole contract, he even added rules and conditions. Consequences if one of us breaks the rules. Can I say I was humiliated by this? Rules, as though I’m a child that needs to be stirred right. I was in my office at work, staring at the contract in pure shock as I tried to make sense of it.Not all of it was bad, but I’ll summarize the basics of the rules. And how much he plans to pay my parents every three months to ensure that for the two years we’re together, they never have to worry about money. Two years, you might ask. Yes, the contract states
{~~Logan Sterling~~}“- the point of the fundraiser is not to raise money for Heart Inc. We bring in a yearly quota that keeps us as the top hospital franchise in the world at the moment. No, it’s to raise money to spread awareness for certain illnesses affecting the several shifters.” the CMO droned on. This was a meeting for the board of directors. The only reason I’m here is because as medic alpha my opinion is very important and valuable to all of them.If not, they’d have excluded me like they did to the rest of the staff who will find out about the event through an emailed invitation.“The importance of spreading awareness and spreading the word, helps us set up smaller factions in places where people can’t have hospitals. Most wolf packs suffer from illnesses, that they think are common for our species. Having no clue that they’re being tricked. That there are cures, and symptoms to look out for. And in the process of not knowing the cause of their illness, they start to derive
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I helped my last patient of the day back into bed, his stitches had ripped twice to the point that the CMO had to scold the doctor and call for logan. But I told him he didn’t need to disturb the medic alpha. I did the stitches myself, and they haven’t ripped since. The patient is stubborn, grumpy, and every bit sour to be around. But when I work, I don’t care for their personalities.My job is to save their lives. Not to like them. I pulled the sheets over his body and made sure he was comfortable. I was about to turn around and leave when his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. Yanking me forcefully onto his body. I pushed back, and a snapping sound had me screaming as I fell to the ground. My wrist had twisted in the process.He looked at me and laughed. “That must have hurt.”“You son of a bitch. Why would you do that?!” Another nurse burst into the room, she gasped as she stared at where I was on the floor. Holding on to my bruised numb hand.“This nurse trie
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I know myself more than anyone else. So when something in my body, my consciousness goes off, i can feel it. Bad dreams are omens, warning signs for me.This is another nightmare. I could tell. The storm, the strewn-up trees, they were the signs I'm about to have a terrible dream. The howling wind screamed through the forest, whipping the branches into a frenzy and sending leaves swirling around me like a cyclone. The sky above was an angry, churning mass of dark clouds, illuminated sporadically by flashes of lightning that cast eerie, fleeting shadows on the ground. Each thunderclap was a deafening roar, shaking the very earth beneath my feet.The forest was alive with the sound of the storm, but it was a hostile, menacing life. The trees, gnarled and twisted, loomed over me like the skeletal fingers of some ancient giant, their bark rough and blackened as if scorched by some forgotten fire. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, a pu
{Third Person Point Of View}In another state, far away from Avery and the nightmares that plagued her. There was another girl pacing about deep in thought and confusion. In the house she had grown to call home, and a room she spent every night in. Sometimes she didn’t leave the room at all.The room was shrouded in darkness as she stepped cautiously forward, her breath shallow and quick, each exhalation a quiet puff in the still air. Her eyes strained against the blackness, every corner and shadow blending into a uniform void. She paused, holding her breath, listening intently for any sound that might indicate another presence. There was nothing. The silence was thick, almost tangible, and it brought a small measure of relief. No footsteps, no whispers, no signs of life besides her own. The absence of noise eased the tight knot of anxiety that had been building in her chest. She always did feel safe when she stayed by herself.Her surroundings, however, did little to soothe her. To h
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The waterfall is majestic and stunning. Logan suggested we go in naked since we’re the only ones here. I’ll admit, trusting a radically vegan hippie to plan my honeymoon was a bold and disturbing choice. Third year in college she lugged me off to the rain forest where we camped for six weeks so we could connect with the gods who brought us here.It was my worst summer vacation. Six long weeks. But I got so much work done that I felt like I came back even smarter. I love Agatha, but my goodness, her ideas of fun are always nature-like. The lack of wifi is going to kill me, but thank god I got another honeymoon present from Logan’s parents as an apology for the way they acted at the start of my marriage to their son.And that one is for two months on a cruise. We’ll be leaving for that after a week of getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.The water is cold, and the view is even better. I talk alot of crap about Agatha but the woman is far more connected to this world t
{~~Logan Grey~~}My honeymoon is not at all what I expected. It’s one of those situations where you step back and think, How did I not see this coming? But I guess that’s what happens when you go with the flow and don’t plan out every last detail, just trusting that things will fall into place. We decided not to bring Hope with us, even though part of me wanted her to be here. She’s spending the week with my parents—her grandparents—which feels like a huge milestone, not just for her, but for me too. Avery and I wanted this time to ourselves, to really celebrate our marriage without any distractions, to focus on us for a change.We’re an odd pair to most people, and I know some didn’t expect us to last, but we’ve made it work in ways that surprise even me sometimes. Over the last year, we’ve settled into this rhythm that’s become second nature. It’s a good rhythm, one that’s brought us closer, and made us stronger. It’s funny—when you think about it, but it feels like so much longer.
\One Year Later/{~~Avery Sterling~~}So, you know how little girls always dream about their wedding day? It’s supposed to be this big, magical event, where everything falls perfectly into place, and for some, it’s the pinnacle of their dreams, right? But not me. I never had those kinds of dreams. You know how my life was, how crappy my sister and parents treated me. There was never much room in my head for fantasies like that. Growing up, I couldn’t even imagine what marriage would feel like because I was too busy surviving and getting through the mess of my family. But, okay, maybe deep down, I had some dreams. Everyone does, right? I just never thought they’d come true.And marrying Logan Grey—that’s a whole different thing altogether. I mean, when we started planning the wedding, I was so overwhelmed. There were just so many details, and so many decisions, and with everything I’ve been through, I just didn’t have the energy to care about floral arrangements or seating charts. So, I
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The almost-car accident shakes me up more than I expected, but Logan is fine, and I’m fine. It all happened so fast, and yet I can still feel the pulse of my heartbeat in my throat when I think about it. That truck had come out of nowhere. The driver didn’t even slow down. Had I not tripped over that stone while I was looking for a signal on my phone and he’d come to check on me... logan would have died a painful death before my eyes.So of course I was a fucking mess. That driver is crazy. Did he not see the car? Why did the car even stop? What was wrong with the engine? I have like six million questions!He called Ryan to come get us. I was in his arms on the side of the road, watching as other cars drove around the wreckage. They don’t stop but look on surprised at the mess. Whoever that driver was I hope to god his truck breaks down and he’s fired. Because what the hell?He should have at least stopped. Panic fills me but so does anger. The panic wins though.
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Logan and I had left Hope in the hospital. The tiny bundle of life—so fragile, yet resilient—was resting safely in the nursery, surrounded by the quiet hum of machines and the gentle presence of nurses. We’d return tomorrow, once we were sure they’d had time to scan her brain and ensure she was truly safe for release. My heart ached to leave her, but it was necessary. Thank goodness she was a baby, still too young to understand fear in the way that we did. She wouldn’t know the anxiety, the sleepless nights, the never-ending worry. All she knew was warmth and the safety of sleep, cocooned in blankets too big for her tiny form.The snow had started falling again, soft and silent, covering the world in a layer of purity that felt both soothing and unsettling. Logan drove carefully through the winding streets, the heater on low, warming our chilled fingers. We didn’t speak much, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that sat between two peo
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I’m back in this beautiful pack, surrounded by familiar faces, and yet it feels so foreign after everything we’ve been through. the rain stopped while I was away and now we have a new season. The landscape is stunning, especially now, with the first snowfall of the season transforming the dense forest and the lake into a quiet, white wonderland. The snow blankets the ground in thick, untouched layers, making the whole world seem calm and serene, but cold—bitingly cold. It's as if the snow carries the weight of my worries. The weather has shifted dramatically over the past few days, moving from endless, gloomy rain to this sudden onset of winter. So, congratulations on freezing my butt off, even with all the layers I'm bundled in.Logan and I had spent last night at the lake house, a place of solace for us, trying to reconnect after everything that’s been thrown at us. It was bittersweet, those quiet moments by the fire, the crackling logs filling the air with warm
{~~Logan Grey~~}Avery is coming home today. Avery is coming home today. I’ve been repeating that sentence in my head for the past 48 hours, counting down the seconds like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. The excitement, the anticipation—it’s all bubbling up inside me, and I can barely sit still. I glance at the clock on my phone for what feels like the hundredth time, knowing it hasn't moved much since the last time I looked but somehow hoping the hands of time have sped up. It's been far too long since I’ve seen her.The air in the terminal is thick with the usual airport chaos—people rushing by, announcements echoing through the speakers, kids whining in the background—but it all fades into the background noise. I’m laser-focused, my heart pounding in sync with the roaring engines of planes outside. She’s been gone for weeks, and though it wasn’t that long, it feels like an eternity. We’ve been working tirelessly on the cure—sleepless nights, constant research, trial and error.
{~~Avery Sterling~~}Agatha and I had been at it for hours, possibly days, though the passage of time had become something of a blur in the dim, candlelit room. The air was thick with the scent of dried herbs and burning incense, their heady aromas mixing in a way that both calmed and invigorated me. I had never spent so much time in the presence of a witch doctor before—not like this, not in such an intimate setting where every movement, every word, every breath was part of a delicate and complex dance of life and death.I’d seen witchcraft before. In university, we had a professor who dabbled in the ancient arts, using it to enhance her knowledge of medicinal plants and natural remedies. It’s why i wished I’d been chosen to be a doctor, it would be so nice to be able to do so much than what a nurse can. But even she had never worked with the sheer precision and raw power that Agatha wielded. It was... mesmerizing. I couldn’t help but be drawn in, watching her every move, the way her
{~~Logan Grey~~}Two days without Avery isn't an eternity, but it sure feels like a long time. I’m surviving, or at least I think I am. Tonight, I’m having dinner at my parents' place, and the whole family is here to celebrate the newborns. Felix’s child, Marley, and my daughter, Hope. It feels good to be around everyone, even if my mind keeps drifting to Avery. The house is buzzing with laughter and chatter. The babies are in their playpen, tapping at toys, oblivious to the joyful chaos around them. My parents are practically glowing as they fawn over their grandkids, doting on every little coo and babbling like they’re treasures.I sit back in a rocking chair, watching the scene play out before me. My brothers are in the kitchen, joking around while they cook, and their wives are on the couch, chatting and laughing. And Ronan’s children are lying on the floor coloring something. It’s one of those moments that feels picture-perfect, like a scene out of some old family movie. Even Rya