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My fingers burn as splinters tear the skin, but I don’t stop; I swing the axe, splitting the wood. I throw the logs onto the stack and reach for another. I dare not stop because I don’t know when Harper will wake from her nap, and the Collinses were clear about what would happen if I failed to complete my duties again today.

Subconsciously, I begin to rub my wrists where the shackles from last time were fastened so tightly, I swear I can still feel them. I was chained outside in the rain as punishment while Harper cried and cried for me inside, and Mr. Collins screamed at her to be quiet. He made it clear it won’t be long before she is punished, too.

How could anyone threaten a small child?

I swing the axe more forcefully this time at just the thought of anyone touching Harper. There's a cracking sound as the axe head flies off the handle, vanishing into the thicket. I freeze, my heart racing.

Oh no, oh no, oh no , I think frantically.

I drop to my knees and start to dig through the dirt with my bare hands, desperately searching for the axe head. The Collines will…will what? My mind reels at the possibility of what they might do to Harper or me if I’ve messed up and ruined the only good axe.

Suddenly, my fingers brush against smooth iron among the fallen leaves and twigs. Relief washes over me like a tidal wave as I fix the axe head back on its handle.

Footsteps crunch on the driveway gravel behind me, and I whirl around to see Mr. Collins striding toward me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Well, well, well," he says, his voice cold and laced with malice. "It seems you're not as useless as you seem."

I swallow hard, trying to keep the fear from my face. "I-I'm sorry, sir," I stammer. "It won't happen again."

“Finish up here and then sort that noisy kid out,” he snaps. “The missus says she’s been fussing, and it’s annoying. You know we’re only helping you out. We don’t have to be so nice about it.”

My heart drops; I hadn’t heard Harper from out here over the wind and the sound of chopping wood. The knot in my stomach only grows as I consider what Mrs. Collins might do if Harper is annoying her. Not for the first time. I wish I had my wolf. I wish I were stronger so I could save us both. Harper is so small and fragile. The meager amount of food the Collins provide is barely enough to keep us alive, and it’s killing me to see her so thin. She should be thriving and growing much faster.

He smirks nastily at me before turning and walking away toward the house without another word. I see Mrs. Collins come out, and they both walk away down the driveway. I watch them go with a mixture of relief and trepidation. I need to get these logs put away so I can check on my daughter. At least Harper is safe for now with them out, but what about tomorrow? And the day after that?

I stand up shakily and continue stacking wood, trying to push down the terror that threatens to swallow me whole. All I can think about is getting out of here with Harper before it's too late. Before they hurt her. But where would I even go?

The thoughts consume me as I quickly pile the logs into the store, making sure not to leave any mess and put the axe away properly. My fingers tremble slightly as I try to rush the process. Finally, when it's done, I hurry to the house. My heart is pounding in my chest as I silently open the door and peek inside.

The cabin is empty. The living room is silent; no sign of any movement from upstairs, either. I creep toward our room carefully, trying not to make any noise as I push open the door in case she’s fallen asleep again. She was awake through the night, so I knew she’d need to sleep today. When I peek my head around the corner, I see her cherubic face, red from crying but still smiling at me when she sees me. She holds out her arms for me to pick her up, and I do so gratefully, hugging her tightly against my chest as I breathe in her sweet baby scent.

Her little body feels warm against mine as I gently rock her back and forth while humming a lullaby under my breath to soothe her tears. "Shh…it's okay now," I whisper softly against her hair. “Mommy's here."

We sit on the floor together near the window where sunlight streams in, casting golden hues across our skin. Harper turns to me, her amber eyes flashing pure gold for a moment. As her emotions cascade, I rock her back and forth, and she begins to chatter happily. Eventually, she wriggles free from my arms and begins to totter around the room with her teddy. Her childish laughter warms my heart, and for the briefest moment, I try to imagine this is just another room in a home of our own. A safe home.

I stare at her in wonder. How can a child still be so happy in this environment? For a moment, I wish I had a fraction of her innocence left. She’s still giggling when I notice the familiar sparking around her hands.

Struggling to my feet, I scramble toward her, “Harper, honey? Come here,” I whisper, beckoning her to me soothingly.

She laughs and toddles toward me, but the sparks continue; if anything, they’re growing more explosive. The Collins never go far from the property, and I know the flashes of light will be visible outside the cabin. The first time Mrs. Collins witnessed Harper's developing powers, she threatened to get a witch to bind them. I can’t let her see them again.

I’ve been trying to teach Harper how to control them, but she’s still so young. Most shifters don’t come into their powers until they’re much older, and Harper appears to have inherited her father’s family powers, too. I sigh as she falls into my arms, giggling and clearly amused by the pretty sparks. I knew about Callum’s power; the whole pack did, but I’d never seen it in action. Caring for Haper’s emerging powers when I don’t even know the full extent of their potential is becoming more and more difficult.

“Come on,” I say ushering her out of the room. “Let’s go get you a snack, okay?”

Sparks still crackle around her as I guide her to the small kitchen. I remember the Collinses discarded some leftovers last night, and I’m just praying they’re still there. They barely give us enough rations for one person, and now Harper is growing; she seems to be getting hungrier. As we step into the hall, Harper suddenly takes off, running her hand along the wall as sparks cascade from her fingertips.

“No, Harper, wait,” I call, reaching for her as she slips through my fingers.

At that moment, I hear the front door open. "Ava? What's that noise?" Mr. Collins' voice booms, making me flinch.

I glance at Harper, willing the sparks to stop as I pull her toward me, cradling her closely. "It's just Harper playing. She’ll be quiet now, I’m sorry," I answer softly, hoping they won’t come any further into the house as I quickly dash and grab the wrapped leftovers from on top of the bin.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Collins appears in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear as she spots Harper in the hall and the sparks dancing on her fingertips. "Take her outside," she demands, gesturing for me to get out.

My heart is racing as I hurry out of the hall with Harper in my arms and pass Mrs. Collins, who stands scowling with her hands on her hips. We almost reach the yard when Harper's arms suddenly lift toward the house behind us, and a huge spark fires at the porch roof, creating a deafening explosion. The force of it knocks us both off our feet, sending us tumbling onto the dirt-covered ground.

Screams fill the air as I look up to see that the porch has been practically blown off. Mr. Collins, covered in dirt, has already grabbed the water canisters by the front door and is dousing some of the smoking wood. Mrs. Collins is standing stock-still, staring at their home in near disbelief. I look down, cradling Harper in my arms, and check her for bruises. She starts to whimper, and I urgently shush her, knowing that the sound of her cries will only make this worse.

“You.” Mrs. Collins’s attention snaps to me. “Put that monster down and help sort this out.”

I stumble over the ground toward the side door, “I-I will put Harper in her pen and tidy all this up,” I stammer. “I can fix this.”

Mrs. Collins looks at me, her eyes cold and hard. “You’d better,” she warns, her voice low and threatening. "We'll discuss your punishment tonight and what we're going to do about Harper."

I can feel the trembling in my knees as I walk inside and place Harper in the pen with her teddy and some of the building blocks I made. As soon as she's safely distracted, I rush back to the porch, joining Mr. Collins, who is already trying to remove what remains of the boards. He glares at me as he works, his face red with anger. I try not to bristle under his gaze but fail miserably, as every glare only makes me more fearful.

The afternoon passes in a haze of sweat and splinters as I work on clearing away the debris and seeing what can be salvaged from the porch. It's only when it starts to get dark that they finally let me go. I’m grateful for the leftovers that I managed to put in my apron pocket earlier as I rush back toward our tiny room at the back of the house. As soon as I'm alone with Harper, I bounce her on my hip as we share the food.

"They're scared of you," I whisper, running my fingers through her hair. “You’re powerful, and I know you will never have to live like this when you’re grown.”

As I speak, she looks at me with such innocence it makes my heart clench. I believe the words: she is powerful, and I know she will do great things. But right now, she’s relying on me to keep her safe. After we eat, I creep out of the room to fetch a small jug of water. What I hear on the landing stops me in my tracks.

"We should just get rid of her," Mr. Collins whispers. "She's too much trouble."

"No, we still need a servant." Mrs. Collins insists. “We just don’t need the child; I knew she was going to be more trouble than she’s worth.”

Mr. Collins mutters something indecipherable before stating, “Well, we didn’t know she was expecting when we brought her in, did we? Little slut should be grateful we’ve made allowances.”

"We can't keep the little thing here anymore. She’s dangerous," Mrs. Collins retorts, her voice low and angry. "We'll let someone else deal with her. But we’re keeping Ava; I can’t do all this work on my own. You promised me a proper servant, and there’s not many going around here."

“Fine,” Mr. Collins snaps. “You dump the child in the town, and we’ll keep Ava. Any trouble from her, though, any hysterics, and I’ll put her down myself. I won’t stand for any more trouble here.”

I stand frozen, my heart pounding in my chest as they discuss getting rid of my daughter. I know I can’t rely on my dormant wolf to protect us, but I won’t let anyone hurt my daughter. I will never be separated from her. I won't let them. I always knew I’d need to get us away from here eventually, but I kept hoping my wolf would return and I’d be strong enough to protect Harper on my own. But now I know I’m out of time.

A plan formulates in my mind as I sneak back into our room and tuck Harper into our bed, giving her a drink and then kissing her forehead as though nothing is wrong. I know what I have to do now; I have to escape with Harper and find somewhere safe away from their cruelty. It will be dangerous, but it's the only chance we have. As Harper sleeps, I begin to prepare a small pack of essentials. I know I'll have to make my move in the early hours while they are still asleep and pray to every god that watches over us that we make it out of the dense forest alive. If I can make it to the coast, I know there are towns more welcoming to lone wolves since they receive visitors from the mainland; perhaps we can find somewhere to stay or someone willing to help us.

As exhaustion threatens to overtake me, I force my heavy eyelids to stay open, afraid of missing the perfect time to make our escape. My gaze remains fixed on Harper's peaceful face, still fast asleep. Her innocence overwhelms me, and my heart swells with fierce determination. I know I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, no matter the danger.