Tangled

200 Ava: Steve (1)

The phone rings.

And rings.

All I get is voicemail, three different times.

Knowing that Lucas is busy with the Council, I just send a quick

text for him to call me back when he can.

A knock on my door interrupts us, and Jericho pokes his head in with his typical scowling face. "All good in here?"

"Good," I confirm, as Selene rubs her nose against the ground.

The older shifter watches her as he closes the door behind him.

"What's wrong with that?"

The way he emphasizes the 'that'has Selene freezing

mid-movement, her lip curling above her teeth in a silent snarl.

Did he just call me-?!

"She is fine. Just sniffed the book and got a little too much magic in

her nose."

That grizzly head nods, like it's a normal occurrence. "Every pup has to learn sometime, I guess." After seeing the blank stare on.my face, he says, "It isn't unusual to run into the occasional magical artifact. Witches magicked just about everything they put their hands on. One fellow even found a pair of magic underwear."

I stare at Jericho, my mouth hanging open. Magic underwear? Seriously?

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200 Ava: Steve (1)

He just shrugs, completely unfazed. "Witches are an odd breed."

Shaking his head, he changes the subject. "Your Mrs. Elkins is having breakfast downstairs. Care to join her?"

My heart leaps. "Yes, absolutely! Eager to talk to her, to ask her more about this book, about magic, about everything, I almost fall back into an old routine.

Secrets.

Tell him, Selene murmurs.

"Wait. Jericho, before we go downstairs, I had a strange phone call..."

***

Breakfast with Mrs. Elkins doesn't happen. Instead, I'm dragged to a strange building in the middle of White Peak, which looks like an abandoned warehouse more than anything else.

Six guards-my biggest entourage yet-follow me into the building, while two stay outside to make sure we don't receive any

unexpected visitors.

The dusty air scratches my throat as we walk through the dimly lit warehouse. Shadows loom in every corner, making me feel like I've stepped into some gritty crime movie set. I glance at Kellan, his face an impassive mask.

"Why couldn't Jericho come with us?" I ask, my voice echoing off

the metal and concrete.

Kellan doesn't break stride. "Someone needs to stay on Blackwood land while I'm away. Besides, Jericho's a lot less tech savvy."

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200 Ava: Steve (1)

I frown, unsatisfied. "Who are we meeting again?"

"You'll see soon enough."

I mutter under my breath about the building belonging in a movie, and Kellan actually cracks a smile. "It's Steve's unfortunate

aesthetic."

"Who's Steve?"

"A human who's been helping us out."

We reach a black metal door that creaks open with an ominous groan. Kellan leads the way down a set of stairs without a single light, except whatever's coming from below.

A brightly lit basement that greets us. It looks like a professional office, complete with fake plants, paintings on the walls, and several cubicles. The only thing missing is people.

"I wasn't expecting this," I admit as we approach the empty reception desk.

Kellan nods. "No one ever is."

Suddenly, a young boy dressed in a suit and tie pops out from beneath the desk, startling me. He can't be more than ten years old. As he climbs onto the chair, my heart drops to my feet, waiting

for it to roll out from beneath him.

Eventually, he stands on the seat and stares at us over the counter with a stern expression.

"Do you have an appointment?" he asks, his voice high-pitched but

serious.

Kellan shakes his head. "No. I'm Kellan Ashbourne, and this is-"

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The boy cuts him off with a sneer. "I remember you." His gaze shifts.

to me, and Heel like a bug under a microscope. "Why is the

Blackwood beta's daughter here?

Surprise jolts through me. How does he know who I am?

Kellan clears his throat. "Ava is Alpha Lucas Westwood's mate"

The boy-Steve, I assume-looks taken aback. He studies me intently, his eyes narrowed, before grunting and waving us forward. "Follow me."

He leads us down a long carpeted hallway to a door at the very end. Pausing with his hand on the knob, he turns to us with a warning look. "Stay quiet. Steve is in a mood."

Okay. He's not Steve.

So who the hell is this kid?

I'm more curious than ever as we step into the room. What kind of operation is this? And why would Lucas and Kellan be involved with a human child?

What's so interesting? Selene's voice touches my mind, grumpy and petulant. She's still upset about being left behind, but Kellan was very firm about pet allergies.

I'm not sure yet. The room is an office, with a large wooden desk dominating the space. Bookshelves line the walls, filled with anything but books. Instead, there are action figures mixed with strange artifacts. Behind the desk sits a girl.

There's no way around it. This isn't a woman, or even a young

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200 Ava Stove:!!)

woman.

She looks to be maybe thirteen, with a head that's half-shaved and long, bright pink hair on the other side of it. She has what looks like a cartoon pony temporary tattoo on her cheek, and Mardi Gras necklaces over a simple white shirt. A lot of plastic necklaces, in purple and gold.

"Why the hell are you back?" she asks, with the attitude that goes with her age.

Kellan inclines his head. "Hello, Steve."

Steve?

This is Steve?

I'd been expecting a man.

"We have a situation. This is Ava Grey, Lucas Westwood's mate."

Steve's gaze snaps to me, and I feel like I'm being dissected under her intense scrutiny. The only thing that doesn't surprise me about her is the gum bubble that she snaps. "Ava. Yeah, I've heard about you."

Somehow intimidated by this strange child, I glance toward Kellan beside me. He's acting like this is a normal office visit, so I try to do the same, telling myself that she's some sort of professional and not a neighborhood kid. "What exactly have you heard?"

Her nose wrinkles. "Many things. Some true, some not. But that's not important right now." Grabbing a pen, she jabs it toward the chairs in front of her desk. "Sit down. Why are you here?" Kellan and I exchange a glance before taking our seats.

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200 Ava: Steve (1)

"We received a phone call," he begins, his tone grave. "A mechanical voice, threatening Ava's friend Lisa's life if Ava doesn't go to the city."

Steve's brows draw together as she stares at me, and I realize that there are several black balls pierced into her eyebrows. Who would do that to a minor? It makes me wonder if the temporary tattoo is actually temporary. "The city? Which one?"

"We aren't positive," I admit, my stomach twisting. "The voice didn't specify. But it's probably the Unregistered city."

"Which one?"

"The one Blackwood's been associating with." Kellan speaks up again. "And there's more. Her wolf couldn't understand what she was hearing. It's like whatever voice changer they used affects wolves." Steve looks at me, with enormous eyes and a tiny face. For a second, it's almost like her entire body flickers.

Once I blink, the effect is gone.

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