Page 99 of Ava: Part One

And in the process, something had changed. She could feel it. She would never be the same again.

Trying to escape had been selfish, and yet she knew she would try again somehow. But she didn’t want her family to come andget her; she wanted all the blame to go on her. Maybe then she could plead for the Council to leave them alone, and she could suffer the consequences by herself.

With another breath, she dialled the number. Like the last time she had called, someone picked up straight away.

“Ava?”

She sucked in a breath.

“Hi, Dad,” she said, but she sounded like she was going to cry. She cleared her throat.

“What happened?” he asked straight away.

“Nothing.”

Everything.

“I’ve been calling everyone I know to try to find out where you are. If you just hang on a little while longer, I’ll come and get you.”

Tears started running down her face.

“No. Don’t do that, Dad.”

Yes. Yes, please come and get me.

Her tears fell harder, and she wiped them, but she knew her dad’s sensitive hearing would pick the little sounds up.

“I’m fine. I just miss you,” she lied.

“Listen. I’ve had the invitation for the Parent’s Weekend. If I don’t find out where you are before that, I’ll wait for their transport and get you out then. Okay? This is bullshit; I should never have let you go there.”

Was her father finally admitting that she had no wolf? That the newspaper clippings had been wrong, and she was human after all?

“Dad, I don’t want you to go against the Council,” she said firmly.

The Council had somehow contained so much evil in the forests around them. Destroying one Alpha and his pack would be nothing.

“Darlin—”

“No, Dad. It’s too dangerous.”

“You’re hurt, Ava. I can tell. I can hear it. You’re hurt, and you’re asking me to do nothing—”

“Dad, listen to me. I know you worry about me, but I’m fine. I’m just homesick. I’ve never been away from you guys before, but I can handle myself. You know that.”

She hoped the Goddess didn’t strike her down for lying, but what other option did she have?

“I do,” Alpha Roland sighed. “But I haven’t felt right since you left. I keep worrying that I didn’t teach you enough, or it’s too much for you there.”

“Of course, you taught me enough. I almost beat an Alpha in weapons training the other day.”

“Really? How long did you last?”

And just like that, she had steered the conversation away from the one causing them both pain. She didn’t know how long she spoke to her family, but the longer she stayed on the phone, the better she felt. And the stronger her resolve to escape and get back to them became. She wouldn’t go through the forest again, but there had to be a way. There had to be supply vehicles that brought in all that fresh food and equipment. She would watch for them and make a plan.

After she ended the call, she looked across the yard to the woods beyond. Was Claire watching her now, ready to attack again?

“It’s lunchtime. Are you hungry?”

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