Chapter 48

Ava’s POV

The silence in the bathroom was suffocating as Isabella and I locked eyes. A sharp knock on the door jolted us back to reality.

Isabella quickly tossed the wrap in the garbage, her face a mask of shock. I fumbled with my top, still regaining my composure as she unlocked the door. Crystal entered, her gaze darting between us, a smirk playing on her lips. Since discovering Crystal’s affair with Dylan and my subsequent plunge into Grayson’s world, I’d never actually spoken to her.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she chirped, her tone dripping with false sweetness, “but I really need to pee. Pregnancy really messes with your bladder.”

I rolled my eyes, the annoyance souring my mood. If I'd liked Dylan, it might have stung more, but I couldn't stand him. My only frustration was fate’s apparent predetermination of our pairing.

“Go ahead, then,” I said, stepping aside.

Her pretentious smile faltered. I saw the wheels turning in her mind; she wanted to provoke me, to start a fight, but I wasn't interested. She could have Dylan; she'd given me a way out of that horrible marriage. But as her gaze narrowed, she couldn't resist one last jab. “You think taking the high road makes you a better person, but it just shows you’re a bore. That’s why Dylan couldn’t stand you.”

I bit my tongue, refusing to let her words get to me. Arguing with Crystal was the last thing I wanted, especially now. “I wish you all the best with him,” I replied coolly, “since he can stand you. Excuse us.”

I turned to leave, glancing at Isabella, who looked ready to explode. I could practically see the thoughts racing through her head—a million ways to murder Crystal flashing before her eyes. Her silence was only because she was holding back her wolf.

“Bels, it’s not worth it. Let’s go,” I urged.

She blinked, seeming to return to reality, but just as she was about to move, Crystal’s voice cut through the tension. “Yes, handbag, follow your master’s command.”

I groaned, knowing exactly where this was headed. Before I could react, Isabella’s claws extended, and with a fierce swipe, she slashed Crystal’s face. Crystal’s eyes darkened, her wolf surfacing in response, and the tension escalated. This was a disaster waiting to happen, and I hated that we were all werewolves at this moment.

“Isabella, no!” I shouted, stepping between them, trying to stop the chaos. In my haste, I inadvertently shoved Crystal backward. She stumbled, fell to the ground, and then smiled.

Clutching her stomach and bleeding face, she let out a piercing scream. “Help! Help! They’re trying to kill my baby!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered, incredulous.

“Shut the hell up! No one touched your stomach!” Isabella growled, her voice a low rumble of fury.

“Let’s get out of here!” I grabbed Isabella’s hand, pulling her toward the exit. “This is exactly what she wanted.”

As we rushed out of the bathroom, I could hear Crystal’s cries echoing behind us—a mix of panic and triumph. The last thing I needed was to be embroiled in her games. My heart raced, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Isabella glanced back over her shoulder. “That bitch is lucky she’s pregnant,” she hissed, her eyes narrowing. Then she turned to me, fierce determination in her gaze. “I know you’re trying to step out of your prim and proper shell, and I’m really proud of you for that. But that situation back there? You should’ve slapped the slut right off her face. She slept with Dylan while you were married!”

“I know, Bels, I know,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “But you can keep yelling at me later. Right now, we have to get out of here. More importantly, we need to figure out why I have a wolf when I shouldn’t and why healing felt so painfully unnatural.”

She nodded, the tension easing slightly from her features. “Okay, okay. We are going to my place. The last thing I want is to run into someone else who’s going to push my buttons.”

We hurried out of the restaurant, the muffled sounds of Crystal’s voice continuing. Isabella was right; with Crystal, no more high road.

Different thoughts raced through my mind as the car sped along, each one more confusing than the last. It shouldn’t be possible, yet somehow, I knew with certainty that it was my wolf. Most latent wolves had a presence, even if they couldn’t fully shift. They could bring out their claws, maybe even feel their wolf stirring inside them, waiting. But I’d never felt any of that. A wolf had never existed inside me.

Until now.

I tried to reach for her, to feel that presence again, but the same emptiness remained. My eyes drifted down to my shoulder, where the skin had been torn just minutes before, now completely healed. Isabella reached over from the driver’s seat, her gaze fixed on the road, and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

“We’ll figure this out, Lilian. I promise.”

I squeezed back, holding onto that small comfort, and forced myself to shut out the spiraling thoughts until we reached her place. As we walked inside, Isabella wasted no time and disappeared into her room, returning seconds later with an armful of books and her laptop.

“These are all the books I have about werewolves,” she said, dropping them in front of me. “And not the fictional kind.”

I raised an eyebrow, knowing she didn’t like explaining her obsession. She crossed her arms defensively. “What? I like to understand my wolf better. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Despite the tension, I laughed as I picked up the first book. Hours passed in a blur of research, flipping through endless pages and scanning the internet. But it all pointed to the same thing—the general knowledge on latency and how wolves didn’t just suddenly appear out of nowhere, especially not after twenty-four years.

“This isn’t helping at all.” Isabella suddenly shut her laptop and turned to me with a determined look. “I have an idea—what if I cut you? See if you heal and maybe… she shows up?”

I rolled my eyes, leaning back. “How about you keep your violent tendencies to yourself before I reconsider your place as my best friend?”

She pouted dramatically, making me smile as I ran a hand through my hair. “I felt her, Bels. She was right there in my head, and she said, ‘Find me, Ava.’ I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”

I sighed, almost regretting the words as soon as they left my mouth. “Maybe I should talk to my mother. She was always so determined to bring out my wolf. Maybe she’ll know something.”

“No. You’re not getting sucked back into her orbit,” Isabella said firmly, shaking her head. “We’ll figure this out ourselves. Maybe not today, but we will.”

Her phone suddenly chimed, snapping her out of her intense expression. She glanced down, a smile tugging at her lips as she quickly typed a reply. I leaned in, trying to catch a glimpse of who she was texting, but she playfully shoved my head back.

“Keep your nose out of it.”

“Come on, tell me!” I teased.

She rolled her eyes, trying to keep her face neutral. “It’s Grayson’s assistant slash my potential replacement if you ever abandon me to move to Italy, a.k.a. Eliza.”

“Eliza?” The name sparked a memory. Grayson had mentioned her inviting me to her birthday party. But since when did she become his assistant? And “replacement” best friend? That stung, and I shot her a mock glare. “How did she get upgraded to ‘replacement’ so quickly, and why are you even texting her?”

“He texted to inform me to take over wedding plans until you got back from Italy. We’ve been texting ever since. She’s actually pretty cool and funny. Oh, and she asked me to remind you about her birthday party next Saturday—she wasn’t sure Grayson would pass along the invite.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, since you have a ‘replacement best friend,’ I’ll just have to get one for myself. I pick… Elaine.”

Isabella burst out laughing, and I couldn’t help but join in. She’d been my safe place for years, always there when things with my parents became too much. No matter how awful things got, she always found a way to make me laugh and forget. I genuinely loved this chaotic woman.

She caught my gaze, smiling. “Why are you looking at me weird all of a sudden?”

“Just memorizing your face so the tech guys can program the robot that will replace you.”

“Please.” She rolled her eyes. “You and me—end of the world, remember? But Eliza’s cool.”

“I know. I met her once, and I really liked her.”

“So, we’re going to the party?”

“You’re just looking for an excuse to get drunk.” I laughed, stifling a yawn. “Mind if I rest here for a bit? I haven’t really slept since I got back.”

“Of course, honey.” She leaned in, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. I headed to her room, grabbed my phone, and changed into something comfortable. But just as I pulled off my top, I felt a strange tingling sensation in my hand. A small, crumpled piece of paper appeared in my palm, seemingly out of thin air.

I yelped, tossing it away like it was on fire, just as Isabella rushed into the room.

“What is it now?” she asked, eyeing the paper on the floor.

“That… thing just appeared in my hand out of nowhere!”

Without a second thought, Isabella bent down, picked up the paper, and unwrapped it. Her eyes scanned its contents before she sighed and handed it to me. “Witches sometimes use this method to send messages. It’s from your ‘husband-to-be.’”

I took the paper, scanned the words, and groaned.

Just. Freaking. Great.