48 Ava: No Great Destiny
48 Ava: No Great Destiny
Selene’s warm, furry body is a balm to my soul as we cuddle in on the sofa, a random show ying in the background. My eyes drift to the new phone sitting on the nightstand.
Is it safe to use? Could yton or someone else have hacked into it, using it as a way to track my every move? A shiver runs down my spine at the thought.
Selene stirs beside me, her head lifting as she blinks in the dimness. Her piercing blue eyes find mine, and I feel the gentle brush of her consciousness against my
own.
<i>You’re </i><i>being </i>paranoid again<i>, </i>she murmurs, her mental voice a soft caress against my frazzled thoughts.
“Can you me me?” My voicees out in a whisper “After everything that’s happened, I don’t want to take any risks that could turn my life upside down again. I just don’t know how far I can trust yton.”
<i>I </i><i>know</i>, <i>pup</i><i>. </i>Selene nuzzles my cheek with affection. <i>But </i><i>driving </i><i>yourself </i><i>mad </i><i>with </i>worry isn’t the answer either<i>. </i>We’ll <i>be </i>cautious, <i>but </i><i>we </i>can’t <i>live </i>in fear.
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48 Ava: No Great Destiny
I swallow hard, wishing I could just turn off the constant stream of anxious thoughts whirring through my brain. “I just finally felt like I had a handle on things. And now…”
Now everything has been ripped away from me once
more.
<i>It </i><i>isn’t </i><i>over</i><i>, </i>Selene points out, ever the voice of reason. Hugging her as she crawls into myp, I sigh.
“I feel like something’s going to happen,” I admit, reaching up to touch the ne that’s once again around my neck. Selene nudges it with her nose.
<i>Everything </i><i>will </i><i>be </i>okay<i>. </i>Don’t be so <i>quick </i>to assume <i>the </i>worst <i>of </i><i>that </i>alpha<i>.</i>
Rubbing her ears helps calm down the anxiety
fluttering in my belly, and Selene rolls over in bliss at the attention. We’ve missed each other terribly this past week.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!
“It just worries me. All this stuff, the care he’s taking–it makes me feel like he’s decided I’m his mate, and he’s just waiting for me to ept it and follow along like a good little she–wolf.” Her fur is soft against my cheek as I rub my head against hers. “I don’t want that
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<b>48 </b>Ava: No Great Destiny
kind of life.”
<i>I </i><i>know</i><i>.</i>
The weight of the world is on my shoulders, it feels. Sighing, I snuggle even closer to Selene’s warmth, taking whatfort I can get. “What about my heat. Am I going to go through that again?”
If yton’s around, it wouldn’t be so bad–though, another week in bed with him might give him even more ideas about our rtionship. But if I’m not anywhere near him, and some other strong wolf is
nearby…
The thought of experiencing another heat with a stranger sends a shudder down my spine.
Selene hesitates, her mental voice tinged with a seriousness that immediately puts me on edge. <i>It </i>should <i>be </i>taken care <i>of</i>, <i>with </i><i>the </i><i>ring </i><i>and </i><i>the</i>
<i>ne</i><i>, </i>is her eventual answer.
My fingers touch the crystal pendant again, itsforting weight reassuring me of its presence. “So, how exactly do these help?”
Selene shifts in myp, stretching out her lean body
before resettling against me. The <i>ne </i>acts <i>as </i>a
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49 Ava: No Great Destiny
<i>dampener</i><i>. </i><i>As </i>long <i>as </i><i>you’re </i>wearing <i>it</i><i>, </i><i>you </i><i>should </i>maintain control over yourself <i>during </i>your <i>cycles</i>, <i>among </i><i>other </i><i>things</i>.
I frown, rolling the information over in my mind. “Why did I go into heat as soon as I didn’t have it on?”
Your <i>heat </i>was forcefully suppressed. <i>It </i><i>burst </i><i>out </i>as soon as <i>it </i>had a <i>chance</i>. The <i>ring </i>acts as <i>a </i>shield for <i>your </i><i>power</i>. Others can’t <i>sense </i><i>it</i><i>, </i>and <i>it </i><i>will </i><i>keep </i><i>you </i><i>safe</i>.
Power? The magic that I’m not supposed to use?
<i>Yes</i><i>.</i>
My fingers trace the simple silver band on my other hand, marveling at the magic it seems to contain. So much about my life has be intertwined with these strange artifacts and their mysteries.
“And if I don’t wear them?” I ask cautiously, almost afraid of the answer.
Selene’s response is somber. Then your heat <i>will </i><i>ur </i><i>every </i>month, each one stronger than thest, <i>until </i><i>you </i>find someone strong enough <i>to </i>im <i>you</i><i>. </i><i>And </i>your <i>power </i><i>will </i><i>eventually </i>consume <i>you</i>.
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48 Ava: No Great Destiny
That’s morbid enough to freak me out.
yton is strong. I’ve heard his name before; he’s well–regarded in the Northwestern Territories.
“If yton isn’t strong enough to im me, then who…?”
<i>That</i><i>, </i><i>I </i>have <i>no </i>answer <i>for</i>.
“Lucas?”
<i>I </i>don’t <i>know</i>. <i>He </i>is <i>your </i><i>fated</i><i>, </i><i>but </i><i>that </i>doesn’t mean <i>the </i><i>iming </i><i>will </i><i>seed</i><i>.</i>
The scars on my neck prickle, and I have to fight the urge to touch them. “I won’t take them off again,” I vow, my voice trembling. “I can’t go through that kind of hell ever again.”
<i>I </i><i>know</i>, <i>pup</i>. Selene licks my cheekfortingly. <i>We’ll </i><i>figure </i>this <i>out </i>together, one step at a time<i>. </i><i>You’re </i><i>not</i>
<i>alone </i><i>in </i><i>this</i><i>.</i>
Fiddling the ring, I try to think through everything I’ve learned.
Our history as wolf shifters is a lie. We’re all cursed, and wolf shifters actually have two souls in our bodies,
stealing the souls of Lycans.
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48 Ava: No Great Destiny
I’m somehow… different?
Side–eyeing Selene, I say, “I still don’t understand how or why I’m different.”
She tilts her head. <i>You </i>are <i>born</i>, and therefore <i>you </i>are.
Okay. So, I’m different, with a giant question mark on why. I have the power of ancient magicians, but if I use it I’ll probably die. Selene’s a Lycan, who chose me- why?
“Why did you choose me, again?”
She huffs a bit. <i>Your </i>soul is <i>pure</i><i>.</i>
Her cryptic answers will probably never stop. “Selene, do I have some sort of higher purpose, or a quest, or a prophecy, or something I need to know about?”
<i>What </i><i>do </i><i>you </i>mean?
“I mean–if you look at movies, and TV, and books, stuff like this only happens to the hero, who has some sort of special power and uses it for the greater good, or to save the world.”
<i>No</i><i>, </i>it’s <i>nothing </i><i>like </i>that.
Sweet relief takes arge weight off my shoulders. “So
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48 Ava: No Great Destiny
I don’t have to return all the Lycans back to this ce between our world and wherever the gods left us for?”
<i>Of </i>course <i>not</i>. That’s <i>impossible</i>.
“I don’t have to change society, or marry some Lycan King, or make some special Lycan babies with a strong alpha?”
<i>You </i>have <i>to </i><i>live</i>, <i>Ava</i>. <i>That </i><i>is </i><i>all</i><i>.</i>
I twiddle her ears. “Seriously? No catch? Just, hey, I’m special, but it’s fine, live my life however I want?”
Her eyes drift close. Indeed<i>. </i>But trouble <i>will </i><ie </i><i>to </i><i>find </i><i>you</i><i>, </i><i>so </i><i>it’s </i><i>best </i>to <i>be </i><i>prepared</i><i>.</i>
“Why is trouble going to find me? As long as I don’t go into heat, it should be fine, right?”
Wolves can sense <i>power</i>, <i>Ava</i>. Your <i>power </i>is <i>too </i>great <i>to </i><i>be </i><i>hidden </i><i>from </i><i>those </i><i>who </i><i>seek </i><i>it</i><i>.</i>
“You just said the ring shields my power from detection.”
Under normal <i>circumstances</i>, yes.
But she doesn’t rify further.
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