I love you, I hate you (Re-writing)

Chapter Thirty-Seven *Edited*

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.

~Unknown

Pov: Third Person

As the night envelops the world, the moon hangs like a luminous guardian in the star-studded sky, casting a silvery glow over the landscape. The forest lies in a profound, eerie stillness as if it has hushed its breath in unison. One might expect that the mysterious disappearance of the Betas would send a ripple of urgency through the woods, igniting a flurry of activity among the creatures that dwell within. Yet, an unsettling tranquility reigns—no rustle of leaves, no scurrying of paws—every animal seems to have vanished, as though they have instinctively retreated from the unsettling truths lurking in the shadows of the forest's depths.

Ava lies sprawled on the cold, unforgiving ground, the dirt and debris mingling with her tousled hair, which obscures her pale face. It has been hours since the ambush, an encounter that shattered her fleeting sense of safety while she roamed the dense woods in search of her missing parents.

Throughout the search, an unsettling awareness gnawed at her, a prickling sensation that suggested she was not alone. The shadows among the trees seemed to pulse with hidden eyes, tracking her every movement as she ventured deeper into the wilderness. Anxiety twisted in her stomach, each crack of a twig underfoot heightening her intuition that someone—or something—was watching her.

In what she thought was a clever strategy, Ava feigns ignorance, hoping that her apparent obliviousness would allow her to slip away unnoticed. After all, she had convinced herself she was safe among the familiar terrain. Who would come to her rescue in this tangled maze of trees? The Alpha, whose intense gaze unsettled her, or her brother, whose silence echoed louder than her frantic calls?

What she failed to grasp, however, was the collective nature of the movements stalking her. It wasn't just one person; it was a group—an assembly of individuals who were all too aware of her true essence and were intent on exploiting it for their agendas. Among them were those she had once considered friends, familiar faces from Ava's childhood, and individuals she trusted implicitly. It was a bitter twist of fate; the very people she thought of as her extended family were the ones plotting her demise.

The realization would strike her like an icy wave when she found out that their affection was nothing but a façade. They were not mere spectators; they were the architects of her downfall, scheming to orchestrate the destruction of a vulnerable twelve-year-old girl. The irony was overwhelming—how could those she considered allies become her greatest threat? This betrayal cuts deeper than the sharpest blade, a wild and painful irony she had never anticipated.

"Are you certain this girl is the one?" A gentle yet piercing voice drifts through the air, its feminine tone filled with skepticism as it lingers over Ava's motionless form. "She seems nothing more than a weakling," she scoffs, a note of disdain etching her features.

The young woman steps forward, her movements graceful and deliberate, as she glides closer to Ava. She reaches out, brushing away the messy strands of hair scattered across Ava's face, her fingers delicately parting the silken locks to reveal the girl's pale features. With a soft click of her tongue, she expresses disappointment, her eyes narrowing in amusement.

"It's always the insignificant ones who possess these so-called gifts," she remarks with a bright yet cynical smile, her voice tinged with amusement and doubt. "But perhaps that's the only quality that grants them any semblance of importance."

"Should we take her to the cave?" another voice asks, breaking the tension as the atmosphere thickens with uncertainty.

She merely nods her head while the boy gives the men lurking in the shadows waiting for the orders the green light. Ava stops herself from wincing as one of them throws her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.