AVA
The coldness in my bones hasn't faded, even as the warmth of the Luna lounge tries to soak into my skin. My wet clothes have been replaced with dry ones, thanks to Jatine's quick thinking.
But nothing can replace the lingering ache in my chest, or the fire in my thoughts.
I wrap the fur blanket tighter around me, even though the trembling inside isn't from the cold anymore.
Sebastian is heartless.
He watched me struggle in the water, hesitating. I saw it in his eyes…the same storm I'd seen during the coronation. But this time, it was worse. That moment where life hung by a thread, and all he did was stare.
If Caleb hadn't jumped in... I don't even want to think about it. Caleb saved me. Just minutes ago. Risked his life to pull me from the depths. Not last night. Not hours ago. Just now. The scent of river water still clings faintly to him.
I hate Sebastian. I hate him for what he is, for what he pretends to be, for what he took from me…and what he failed to give. Protection.
Jatine enters quietly, her hands carrying a tray of tea and herbs. Her expression is guarded. I sit up, motioning her to put it down.
"I want an update," I say, my voice low, firm. "Everything about the pack. I want to know what's happening. Who wants me dead."
She hesitates.
"I'll protect you," I add, softening my tone. "But I can't fight what I can't see."
She nods, then pulls out a folded parchment from beneath her apron. "There's unrest," she begins. "Someone's hunting."
"Hunting?"
Jatine nods again, lowering her voice. "A killer is among us. The guards found claw marks near the river, but they were twisted. Not wolf. Not human either. Something else."
I stiffen. "And no one saw anything?"
"Only one survivor. A boy. He said he saw a figure…tall, cloaked, unmoving…but with glowing eyes. Then the river exploded."
I exhale slowly. My head pounds with all the possibilities. Rogue? Assassin? Something darker?
"And Sebastian?"
"He's sealed the gates. Sent scouts out to the border. But no word yet."
Of course. The great Alpha in action, yet unable to act when I was drowning before his very eyes.
The door creaks open.
Caleb steps in. Damp curls fall across his forehead, his shirt clings to his chest, and his eyes… his eyes find mine instantly. I freeze.
He walks toward me slowly. "I came to see how you're holding up."
"I'm fine," I say, even though I know I'm not.
He sits beside me, not too close. Just enough. The firelight flickers across his features, casting shadows and gold along his jaw. He turns to look at me, and I feel the weight of his gaze.
"You shouldn't have had to go through that," he says softly.
I don't respond.
He adds, "When I saw you go under, I didn't think. I just jumped."
And he did. The memory crashes back…his hands pulling me from the river, his breath warm as he whispered, "Hold on." I swallow the lump in my throat.
"You saved me," I murmur.
His hand brushes mine. "I'd do it again. A thousand times."
I glance at him, drawn in by something I don't want to name. Safety? Warmth? A piece of light in all this darkness?
Jatine quietly slips out, leaving us alone. Caleb shifts a little closer.
"You deserve better than this," he says, not looking away.
"I don't even know what this is," I whisper.
"A prison. A throne built from bones."
I sigh. The silence between us stretches, but it isn't uncomfortable.
A knock at the door.
Jatine returns, her expression unreadable. "A letter arrived."
She hands it to me and exits quickly.
The parchment is familiar, the handwriting even more so.
A letter from Dante.
My heart skips.
Ava,
Be ready. At dusk. Pack only what matters.
We're leaving.
– D.
I stare at the words. Just four lines. But they pull me into another storm.
An escape.
Freedom.
But also danger.
I clutch the letter close, glancing at the door. Caleb is watching me, but he says nothing. He knows something has shifted. He feels it too.
I tuck the note beneath the furs.
"Everything okay?" he asks.
I nod. "Just a reminder."
He gives a small smile, one that doesn't reach his eyes.
But I know now. The game is shifting.
And I'm no longer just a pawn.
************************************************
It hasn't even been weeks since I stepped into this pack, and yet, I'm already receiving death threats.
I fold Dante's letter slowly, pressing its edge against my thigh as if the paper might offer answers. But it doesn't. It only deepens the chaos.
My heart hammers inside my chest, not from fear…but from conflict. Stay or escape. Again.
The corridors outside my lounge are quiet. Too quiet. Jatine is somewhere, probably fetching herbs or news.
I press my palm against the cold wall and stare at the flickering lantern hanging beside my door.
Everything in this place looks grand, but the silence is a reminder…beauty here is a cloak. A mask for the ugly things crawling beneath the surface.
I think of Caleb. The way he pulled me from the river like I mattered. His warmth. His eyes. That soft, unspoken emotion. I should be grateful. I am. But now his presence complicates everything.
The letter burns in my palm.
Sebastian. The Alpha who binds me here. The man who watches but never speaks his heart. Who holds secrets like weapons. Who might protect me…or destroy me.
Dante. My past. My planned escape. The one person I once trusted, now pulling strings from the shadows.
I look up at the moonlight streaming through the high window. My lungs tighten.
Stay, Ava. You've survived worse.
Or leave before this place eats you alive.
The choice isn't easy. It never was.
But time is running out.
I need to decide NOW.