AVERY
I ran my fingers over the small bundle of parchment, tracing the intricate patterns of the announcement I had been practicing in my head for days. My heart thudded with excitement as I stared at the delicate golden thread binding the scroll, a symbol of my news—news I’d waited years to share. I was pregnant.
Five years. Five long years of trying, praying, and enduring cold stares and whispered doubts. But finally, the Moon Goddess had blessed me. The tiny spark of life within me was proof of my worth, my destiny. I smiled, imagining Tobias’ face lighting up when I told him. Perhaps this would heal the chasm that had grown between us.
With the scroll clutched to my chest, I made my way to Tobias’ office, my steps light with anticipation. The door was ajar, and I heard hushed voices from within. I hesitated, but curiosity tugged me closer.
“Now that Ashley’s back, what are your plans?” Tobias’ Beta, Marcus, asked, his voice low but clear.
My breath caught at the mention of my sister’s name. Ashley had been gone for years, recovering from the damage I’d unwittingly caused as a child. I leaned closer, my heart hammering.
“Avery is barren,” Tobias said coldly. “She’s useless to me. It’s obvious now she’s not the one from the prophecy.”
My blood turned to ice.
“Ashley is the one I’ve always wanted,” he continued. “She’s strong, beautiful, and capable. I’ll sever my bond with Avery and marry Ashley instead. With her, I’ll secure the Twilight Twins.”
The scroll slipped from my trembling fingers, fluttering to the ground like a fallen leaf. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. For years, I had endured his growing coldness, his distant gazes and dismissive words, but I had never imagined this. He planned to discard me like a broken tool.
I stumbled back, my heart shattered. The joy of my pregnancy turned bitter, a secret I would no longer share with the man who had betrayed me.
That night, I returned to our chambers, my hands still shaking. When Tobias entered, his presence filled the room like a storm cloud. His eyes, once warm and full of love, were now cold and unyielding. I searched for the man I’d married five years ago, but he was gone.
“Ashley is back,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion. “We’re leaving for the Red Hollow Pack tomorrow.”
Not a word about how I was. No questions, no affection, just a command. I nodded, biting back the words clawing at my throat.
The next day, the familiar scent of pine and earth filled my senses as we crossed into the Red Hollow territory. Memories of my childhood resurfaced, each one tainted by the hatred and blame I had carried like a cloak. My heart sank as the familiar stares greeted me. The taunting eyes, the judgment etched into every sneer—they hadn’t forgotten. To them, I was still the cursed child who had poisoned her family.
Inside the council hall, Ashley rushed forward, her golden curls bouncing as she threw her arms around me. “Avery! I missed you so much!” Her voice was syrupy sweet, but her grip was iron.
“We need to talk,” she said, pulling me away before our father could intervene.
Once inside her room, the facade dropped. Her eyes turned venomous, and her hand struck my cheek before I could react.
“You have the nerve to show your face here?” she hissed. “After what you did to me, to our family? And now you’ve stolen Tobias? Do you think you can just take everything that’s mine?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Ashley was already moving, scratching her arms and chest with her nails. Her screams pierced the air as she collapsed to the floor.
The door burst open, and in rushed my father, Lucas, and Tobias. Ashley lay on the ground, blood trickling from her self-inflicted wounds.
“She attacked me!” Ashley cried, her voice trembling as tears streamed down her face. “I tried to talk to her, but she’s…she’s insane!”
“Avery!” My father’s slap came so fast I barely saw it. The sting burned, but the pain in my chest was far worse. “You’ve disgraced this family enough. Get out of my house before I do something I’ll regret.”
Tobias stood there, silent, his eyes filled with disgust. He didn’t even look at me as he bent down to help Ashley to her feet.
“I’ll take her to the infirmary,” he said softly, his hand brushing Ashley’s cheek. The tenderness in his touch shattered the last fragments of my heart.
I watched them walk away together, Ashley leaning on Tobias as if she belonged there. My breath hitched as tears blurred my vision. This was the moment I realized there was nothing left for me here. Not Tobias, not my family, not even the pack I once called home.
I placed a hand on my stomach, cradling the life growing within me. My voice was low but heavy with determination as I silently whispered, “I promise to you, my little one, after this, we’ll never live under their shadows again. You’ll have a life full of love, free from this pain. I’ll make sure of it.”
Each step I took away from that house felt like a battle cry. They could try to break me, but I wasn’t the helpless child they thought I was. I had a new life to protect, and for that, I needed strength. Strength to sever every tie, to walk into the unknown, and to face whatever lay ahead.
