Chapter 51

Ava

I stumbled through the front door of my cottage, slamming it shut behind me with a resounding thud that reverberated through the walls. Tears stung my eyes and streamed freely down my cheeks, searing hot trails of shame and humiliation that showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Repulsive. Hag. Witch.

Olivia’s cruel words whirled relentlessly through my mind, ricocheting off the inner walls of my skull until that was all I could hear. How had things gone so wrong, so quickly? Only moments before Olivia appeared, everything had seemed… good. Hopeful, even.

And then, just like that, she had shown up and ruined everything.

I sank down onto the edge of the armchair in the living room, burying my face in my hands as I drew in a shuddering breath. My scalp still throbbed from where Olivia had wrenched my hair. For the second time, this woman who I had once called my friend had become violent with me. But the physical pain meant nothing compared to the pain caused by her words.

Hearing a younger woman spit that hateful word—repulsive—had been like a punch to the gut, violently forcing the air from my lungs as every one of my deepest insecurities came bubbling to the surface. I had always known there was a significant age gap between Chris and myself, of course.

But until this very moment, I had tried not to let myself dwell on it.

Did he really find me repulsive? Was I nothing more than a twisted old crone in his eyes, too? Just like Olivia had said, I was no more than an old hag only good for baking bread and doing farm work...

The thought made me want to be violently ill.

Suddenly, a knock on the front door caused me to jump. “Ava?” A familiar voice floated through the wood. “Ava, are you home?”

It was Elder Elise. I cursed under my breath and quickly stood, smoothing down my shirt and wiping away my tears. Had she seen what had happened? Had she heard the whole thing?

Reluctantly, I crossed the small living space and cracked the door open just a few inches to reveal the weathered Elder waiting patiently on my front stoop. She was alone.

Her eyes immediately swept over my disheveled appearance, the red rims around my eyes and hastily wiped tear tracks etched into my skin. Her expression softened with concern, albeit only slightly.

“Is everything alright?” she asked. “You look like you’ve been crying. You’re not sick, are you?”

I shook my head mutely, not willing to share what had happened if she didn’t already know. “I’m fine,” I said, forcing a slight smile as I opened the door a little wider. “How may I help you, Elder Elise?”

The look Elise leveled me with clearly conveyed that she didn’t believe my words for one second. Still, she seemed to sense my desire to avoid the subject for now, instead opting to give a curt nod.

“May I come in for some tea?” she asked, her tone carefully casual but leaving no room for argument. “I was hoping to talk with you. Privately.”

Reluctantly, I stepped back and pulled the door open wider, gesturing for her to enter. The last thing I wanted right now was company, but I knew better than to argue when Elise had clearly already decided on her course of action.

Once she was settled at the small kitchen table, I busied myself preparing the tea Elise had requested, focusing my energy on the mundane task in order to avoid thinking too deeply about anything else for the moment. My hands shook slightly as I worked, although I tried to hide it. Elise watched me calmly, thankfully saying nothing about my trembling hands—or the incident with Olivia.

Once the tea was ready, I placed two steaming cups down on the table between us and sat across from her.

We sat in silence like that for several long moments, the air between us thick. I opened my mouth to ask why she had wanted to speak with me, but then Elise cleared her throat and fixed me with a pointed look over the rim of her mug.

“I didn’t just come here to enjoy a cup of tea, as you well know,” she said slowly, her tone matter-of-fact as usual but not entirely unkind. “I actually have a rather serious reason for seeking you out today…”

I tensed immediately, my spine snapping ramrod straight as dread began creeping up my throat. Surely she couldn’t know about my tangled relationship with Chris, could she? What had Olivia told her?

As if reading the anxiety written across my features, she was quick to shake her head and raise a placating hand. “Relax, Ava. My purpose here is simple: I wanted to ask why Chris sent Lily away just this morning.”

I nearly choked on a sip of tea, the hot liquid scalding my tongue as my eyes flew up to meet Elise’s in alarm. Of course... I had almost forgotten. Of course that had to be the reason for her unexpected visit.

“I… Um…” My voice trailed off, and no comprehensible words would come.

What could I possibly say to explain his actions? I couldn’t exactly reveal the messy, complicated truth about the two of us. Not only would it reflect badly on me considering our age difference, but it would also put Chris in an incredibly difficult position within the pack.

And besides, it was my duty to keep him here in order to fulfill the prophecy. If Elise found out that I had been the reason behind why Chris sent Lily away, thus removing another tie to the werewolf continent, then she—and all the other Elders—would be furious with me.

“Go on,” Elise said, taking another sip of her tea.

My mouth felt abruptly dry as I grappled for an adequate response, my mind maddeningly blank. Buying myself a few precious seconds, I took another long sip of the rapidly cooling tea, savoring the way the chamomile soothed my raw nerves—if only temporarily.

“I... Well, I’m not sure I know all of the details,” I finally managed, cringing inwardly at the hollowness of my own voice. “Chris is a… very private man, and he hasn’t told me yet why he chose to send her away.”

“But I thought you visited the Packhouse earlier,” Elise pressed, eyeing me cautiously. “He didn’t tell you then?”

I shook my head, maybe too quickly. “No. I… I asked, but he didn’t seem in the mood to talk about it.”

A lie. A blatant lie. A lie that, perhaps, would soon be unraveled once Olivia doubtlessly told the truth of what she had seen. But I felt cornered, and I was panicking. What else was I supposed to do?

Elise frowned ever so slightly, her eyes narrowing a fraction as she studied me over the rim of her mug. For a fleeting second, I was worried she could somehow detect the deception behind my words.

But then, just as quickly, the scrutinizing look faded from her weathered features.

“Well. I certainly hope he has a good reason. That marriage with Lily should not only have unified our packs, but also kept Chris here in Moonstone.”

I forced out a tight nod, although I still couldn’t seem to find the right words other than: “I hope he has a good reason, too.”

An odd look flickered across Elise’s face at my vague words—almost startled, but not quite. Before I could consider its meaning, however, the sound of the front door creaking open behind me shattered the stillness that had fallen over the small kitchen.

“I sent Lily away,” a deep, familiar voice called out firmly, “because I am in love with another.”