Chapter 60: Peace


    Ava''s POV


    "Get low! Elbows in!" I shouted across the yard, watching Lucas dodge an imaginary attacker. Tighting isis I just muscle-it''s alisait being steaky fast-


    Lucas adjusted mid-move, his eyes lighting up when he got it right. Three days since Make took off for the bonder, and Ed settled into a wind kind of normal at ckwood. Training this kid had be the highlight of my days.


    "Better?"


    tried again. this time flowing through the move like water.


    -Way better." I flicked a towel at him, bitting his sweaty face dead center. "You''re a natural, squirt,"


    Lucas beamed, and for a second, I remembered he was just a kid ying at being a warrior. "Think I could kick butt at Junior Qualifiers?


    "Crush it," I nodded. "Keep this up and you''ll make wolves twice your age look like puppies."


    Hunter huffed beside him, practically rolling his eyes in agreement.


    Lucas kicked at the dirt. Dading back today?" His voice wobbled between hopeful and bracing for disappointment.


    "Should be." My stomach did a stupid little flip at the thought. Three days, he said,"


    "He never sees the cool stuff." Lucas muttered, shoulders slumping. "Always misses when I nail something big."


    I ruffled his hair, surprising myself with how natural it felt. "We''ll show him together. Make him eat his words about missing mat


    The door creaked, and Tyler appeared, jingling his keys. "Alpha''s inbound. Sunset ETA


    Lucas shot up like he''d been electrocuted. "G


    "Gotta practice my finale moves!


    eat He bolted with Hunter hot on has heels, dust cloud in their wake.


    Tyler''s face softened when the kid disappeared. "Border mess was hairier than we thought. ke handled it, though. Everyone''sing home."


    Relief hit me harder than I wanted to admit. I''d been counting hours, not that I''d tell a soul.


    "The kid''s different now, Tyler said, his usual poker face cracking into something almost friendly. "Never seen him this fired up about training."


    "He makes it easy," I said, surprised to find I meant it. "Kid''s all heart."


    Prison had a new smell today-less like despair, more like industrial cleaner. Third visit since ke pulled rank, and each time the ce felt less suffocating. Guards still weren''t throwing me wee parties, but at least they''d dropped the death res


    "Kiddo!" Dad''s face split into a grin that erased years from his face. The silver cuffs that had been burning raw wounds were gone, reced with something that didn''t make his skin bubble and smoke.


    "Looks like someone got the memo about not torturing prisoners," I said, eyeing his healing wrists.


    Dad snorted. "Amazing what happens when the Alpha King gets personally pissed off. Got daily check-ups now and everything."


    like a lusury V''d


    We sat across a metal table, no guard breathing down our necks for unce-just a couple hored-looking patrols at the far end. Privacy felt li forgotten existed.


    "So what really went down?" I kept my voice low. The question had been burning a hole in my tongue for months.


    Dad''s eyes darted around before settling on mine. "I was there that night," he admitted, voice barely shove a whisper. "Found files-dirty deals going down in Shadow Creek leadership. Was heading to tell Carter when I found him... already down."


    "You saw who did it?


    Just the aftermath. Tried stopping the bleeding. He rubbed his palms like he could still feel the blood. "Then they found me with a dead Alpha and jumped to conclusions."


    "So they pped traitor on you and called it a day."


    Chapter 60 Peace


    "He sighed. "I screwed up, keeping quiet about those documents. Made me look guilty as hell, especially with Carter''s blood all over me.


    I reached across and squeezed his hand. "Il get you home. Whatever it takes."


    Something shed in his eyes-hope mixed with fear. "Sarah?!==


    "Night and day different," I grinned. "Got her color back. Yesterday she even dragged Mrs. Peterson out hunting moonlight flowers.


    Dad & face softened. "Those damn flowers, First thing I noticed about her-arms full of silver blooms, moonlight in her hair."


    We drifted to easier topics-Lucas''s training, Sarah''s cooking again, neighborhood gossip. When I left, Dad hugged me awkwardly across the table, his arms still solid despite everything


    When I got back, the setting sun painted ckwood guld. Guard shouts and hoofheats


    carried on the wind-ke was home.


    Lucas tore into the training yard like his pants were on fire. "Dad''s back! Wants to see what we ve been doing!"


    ere on


    "Then let x blow his mind." I grabbed practice staffs, tossing him his favorite.


    Take filled the doorway momentster, road dust still clinging to his boots. He looked beat, but his eyes sparked to life when he spotted us. \\"Missed all the action, did 17'' His voice had a new softness around the edges. "Dad! Watch this!" Lucasunched into his routine-fluid movements chained together with precision no seven-year-old should possess.


    ke went dead still, tracking every move. When Lucas stuck thending on his finale, ke crossed the yard and dropped to one knee, eye-to-eye with his


    That was..." He paused, searching for words. "Incredible. You''re miles beyond where I thought you''d be."


    Lucas lit up like someone d flipped a switch inside him. He spun toward me, practically vibrating. "Ava taught me everything! She doesn''t yell when I mess


    up!


    ke''s eyes found mine, something unreadable burning in them. "Lucky kid," he said simply, but the weight behind those two words hung in the air between


    Dinner was surprisingly chill Wilson had gone all-out, and locas bounced between wolfing down food and demonstrating moves with his fork. ke actually smiled twice-l counted-and asked real questions about the training, soaking up every detail. Even with Sophia out wedding-nning, the room felt wrindly... tight.


    After Lucas crashed from his excitement high, ke walked me toward the main gate. The almost-full moon painted everything silver, a reminder that primal forces were always just beneath the surface.


    "Border mess bad?" I asked, kicking a stray pebble.


    "Messy, not deadly." He shrugged. "Northern wolves getting bold, but nobody''s looking for a war?


    I dog my


    nails into my palm, working up nerve. "Thanks-for Dad, for the medicine, for everything."


    ke walked a few steps in silence. "Lucas is different now. Happier. More himself." He nced side


    "Just business then?" The words tumbled out before my brain could catch up with my mouth.


    at me. That''s worth something."


    ke stopped dead, his eyes catching mine like hooks. Something electric crackled between us, dangerous and alive. Then he blinked, breaking the spell.


    "Gettingte. Training Tomorrow?"


    Thi non answer felt heavier than any confession. I nodded and turned away.


    "Night. Alpha "


    "Night, Ava


    ??


    Chapter 60. Peace


    Walking out, moonlight stretching my shadow across the grounds, I realized how easily I''d slipped into this new normal-training Locas, visiting Dad, returning to ckwood like it was where I belonged.


    But something had shifted beneath the surface, quiet but seismic. Every time


    ke


    e looked at metely, every time I caught myself scanning rooms for him— it was


    like ying with matches near gunpowder.


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