"Young love tends to be based on nothing but feelings. The couple has not yet faced and overcome a challenge or difficulty together. They are passionate about each other. They think about each other constantly and want to spend all their time"
Isaac...
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"Angie, you don't have to go if you don't want to," Ava said, her voice tight with worry as she stood in the doorway of Angie's room.
She had grown more paranoid with each passing day. Too much was happening in town — murders, disappearances, strange signs. And no matter how many times Derek tried to convince her it was Deucalion and his pack, Ava knew it wasn't. Not this time.
The witches were moving. She could feel it. And it terrified her.
Angie was scared too, but she'd become an expert at hiding it, especially in front of her mom. Ava's biggest fear was already hovering too close for comfort, and Angie wasn't about to feed it.
"Mom, I can't live locked up for the rest of my life," Angie said, stepping into their room, grabbing her backpack off the chair. "I do more harm disappearing from the world than going out there and living my life like I'm hiding something."
She hoped to slip past before Ava could stop her — like she tried to every morning. But of course, it was impossible.
"There was another murder last night, Angie..."
"And it has nothing to do with me, Mom." Angie sighed, turning to face her. "You need to stop doing that. I'm gonna be fine. You'll go to work, I'll go to school, and everything will be fine."
It had become a routine between them. Every day, Angie passed her mother's room. Every day, Ava stopped her. And every day, Angie convinced her to let her go.
Ava's lips tightened. "Fine. Just... please be careful. And if anything happens — and I mean anything — you call me. Or Derek. Got it?"
"Got it." Angie gave her a small smile, expecting what came next.
Ava crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her in tight. This was part of the routine too. A two-minute hug. Sometimes more, depending on how late Angie was running for school.
"Mom, you're squishing me," Angie grumbled into her shoulder.
Ava held on a second longer before finally letting her go.
"Bye! Love you!" Angie called as she made a break for it, bolting out the door and down the hall.
Ava sighed, turning to find Derek leaning against the doorframe behind her.
"I know," she muttered. "I'm hovering again."
"You need to let her out," Derek said quietly, stepping into the room. "She's right. She can't stay locked in here forever. And we can't run, Ava. Scott's out there. Isaac's out there. She's safe. I promise you."
