Ava''s POV


    Ifore at Sephia''s bedmom doo, it be of the fancy digs-alter werks at Ward, Ed gutten used in the stupid expensive everything. It was because she was Jackson''s fiancée, and hanging out with her felt like stepping into quicksand


    Sophia nced up from her cleart, sunlight ratching her blonde hair.


    "Dat give you the third degree?" she asked, eyeing my stiff shoulders...


    I straightened up. ke''s warning still rang in my ears-head courfully with Soph''s situation." Like I on some criminal mastermind instead of a glorified babysitter with a knife collection,


    Nah, just Lucas staff." I lied throgh my teeth.


    Sephia''s mouth garked, clearly not trying it, but she let it allide. She tumed back to her closet, holding clothes against me.


    This one you she decided, tossing me a silver-gray top and dark pants, "Let''s hunt out of here like normal girls for once."


    I caught the clothes. My stomach knotted thinking about Jackson. My feelings for him had curdled into something bitter, but seeing Sophia still made me feel like crap. She was so dann genuine while beingpletely clueless her soon-to-be hubby was my ex


    I ducked into her bathroom to change. The top hugged tight-Sophia was built like a dancer while I had more of a "could-snap-your-neck-with-these-biceps" thing going on. I yanked my hair free, sshed water on my face, and raided Sophia''s perfume to cover up my "just threw fifty punches smell


    When I came out, Sophia sat by the window, sunlight outlining her. She smiled- that open, no ulterior-motives unile that doubled my guilt. She had zero clue her fiance Gas obrised with controlling me instead of loving her.


    "Danin, that looks good on you," she nodded. "Makes your eyes pop."


    "Thanks," I mumbled, thrown by thepliment. Why was she being so nice?


    "Just to your staff in there," she pointed at a basket. "Staff will handle it."


    1 besitated, not used to others doing myundry, but dropped my gear in the basket.


    "Cmon," she looped her arm through mine like wed been besties for years, before Dad locks me in a tower or something


    In the main hall, ke and Tyler stood by the entrance. ke turned, his storm- gray eyes scanning us like security cameras. His jaw tightened. I automatically stepped back.


    "What now?" Sophia sighed, crossing her arms.


    "Tyler''s driving you," ke stated, his tone leaving room for debate


    Sophia rolled her eyes. "I was gonna take my horse. I''m twenty-four, not twehre."


    "Not happening," ke''s eyes shed gold-Alpha temper rising to the surface


    I felt his power ripple through the air and kept my mouth shut, not eager to get caught between Alpha dad and frustrated daughter


    "Whatever." Sophia huffed, surrendering to her father''s Alpha mojo. She turned to Tyler, "Ready!"


    Tyler modded. "All art


    I raked ncing atke. His face couldve been carved from se, pe calcting as they locked on mine. It threw me back to day one in his office-being


    up like a threat rather than a perio


    31/3


    spun away, following Sophia who son streedy streming toward the door, Hated that


    Geared what he thought. He was just the pay signing my checks,


    Outside, a Silverpeak-crested cage waited. I''d ridden in these before-mally for prisen visits or ke''s missions. Weird how different it felt this time.


    Following Sophia inside, my brain kept spinning. Was this a terrible idea? Would Jackson ip if he found out I was al with his fiancéer Then again, Sophia had always been decent to me, never treating me like Shadow Creek trash. Saying no felt like kicking a puppy, especially with how excited the seemed about tonight.


    The carriage lurched forward, dragging me toward whatever mess waited ahead, my thoughts ping ponging between loyalty, friendship, and secrets I wasn''t wee I could keep.


    I sat by the window with Sophia across from me, while Tyler demer up font lehind a carved divider,


    "Tyler, privacy please? Sophia''s voice was sweet but had steel underneath.


    Tyler hit a button that raised the wooden partition. Once sealed off, Sophia''s shoulders dropped like she''d ditched a heavy backpack.


    We rode in silence, passing through Silverpeak territory with its fancy houses and patrolling guards. Normally, a Shadow Creek wolf-especially a "traitor" daughter–would get death res here. But inside a Morgan carriage, reality med, like I''d identally stumbled into someone else''s dr.


    you hanging in there? I finally asked. Sephia looked miles away, nothing like her usual sunshine self.


    She turned, chewing her lip, her eyes showing cracks. I''d never seen before.


    Just needed to breathe without being watched for five minutes," she said quietly. "Hard to do when Dad''s got his wolves tracking my every move."


    "It''s just Tyler," I shrugged. "He''s practically furniture."


    snorted. "God, you''re clueless. Look behind us."


    I twisted arod, peering through the back window. In the fading light, I spotted it-a smaller carriage pulled by dark horses, keeping perfect distance. ke''s elite guards, dressed caval but armed to the teeth, trying way too hard to look like they weren''t following us.


    Your u


    dad''s guys?" I asked:


    "Yep," Sophia exhaled. "He never lets me breathe. I hoped bringing you might mean fewer babysitters, but seems like he doubled down instead."


    The words stung. "So that''s why you imited me? Thought Id help you ditch your security detail?"


    So much for new friendship-just being used as cover to shake Daddy''s watchdogs. Maybe ke was right after


    at? No! Sophia''s head snapped up, eyes wide. "God, no, I asked you because I need someone to talk to who''ll actually listen. I need to know if some things are real or if I''m losing my mind. "


    but only saw genuine worry. I didn''t know Sophia that well, but enough to know she wasnt the 1studied her face, hunting for any sign she was ying me, maniptive type. Her kindness was real "What''s eating at you?"


    She stared at her hands, twisting her fingers together, clearly wrestling with whether to spill.


    "Not yet," she finally said. "Let''s just have a normal right first. We''ll talk over dinner.


    I nodded, Backing off. If she wasn''t ready to open up, pushing would only make her m up tighter. I knew firsthand how that left.


    The camage rolled on, scenery shitting from Sihverprak''s perfect pines and stone maroons to the livelier neutral pre-where wolves bon every pak traded without Alpha politics getting in the way


    I nced at Sophia again. She was watching the secreto, but her eyes were empty, mind clearly somewhere ele. I''d bet myst silver coin her troubles involved Jackson. I couldn''t stop wondering if she knew the truth about us, would she hate me? Or maybe she already suspected something wasn''t right?