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Harper is clearly thrilled with the new clothes Callum left outside our door this morning, but they only make me nervous. It means he isn’t giving up on his insistence that we go out into town and try to integrate. I tried telling him we’re still not staying; there’s no point. But he’s right about one thing—we can’t go anywhere with the rogues still potentially looking for us. I won’t risk Harper’s safety.

I help Harper pull on a cute fleece jacket and watch as she beams with pride. At the Collinses’, she only had four items of clothing, and I’d had to beg for those. They were stained and the wrong sizes. I want to hate Callum so much, but that’s increasingly hard to do when I look at my daughter and see the healthy color in her cheeks from good food, her laughter from having somewhere safe to play, and now these lovely clothes.

Even her magical outbursts have been less frequent, which makes me wonder if she was doing it so much out of fear. Another way that I have failed her. Tears begin to well in my eyes, and she seems to notice straight away, rushing over to me and wiping them away with innocent determination. I smile reassuringly at her and get her to twirl for me again.

It is hard to hate Callum when he’s done so much for Harper, yet I burn with rage for what he has done to me. He destroyed me. He rejected me, and I lost my wolf. And then, he kissed me and made me feel everything that I had tried so hard to forget.

Harper dances around, impatient to get going. I’ve told her we’re going to go to the shops and she’s excited, if a little confused. She’s never been to any shops before. We talked about it and made it a game, explaining how they work, and now she’s even more excited. She’s eager to see the world, and I know I shouldn’t hold her back. But I also know how cruel this particular world can be.

I check my reflection in the mirror. Again, I’m grateful that Callum picked up a few things for me, too, so I don’t look a complete mess. My hair hasn’t been cut in over three years, but it’s in fairly good condition now that I’m able to wash it properly, and it falls in waves down my back. Harper seems to have taken my coloring, and it makes me smile at how similar we look. I just wish she hadn’t inherited her father’s magic. I fear it’s only going to put her at risk.

I heard Callum leave after breakfast, and I’m glad I don’t have to face him again right now. In some ways, I’d rather face the whole pack than see his face and think about the way his lips felt against mine last night again. Breakfast was hard enough, but I managed to occupy myself with Harper and try to ignore the way his eyes seemed to bore into my soul, or at least my body.

The kiss did more than ignite my body; it briefly brought my wolf to the surface, too. She clawed and whined for him even hours later. And that pisses me off more than anything—where was she when I needed her strength? Where was she when Harper needed her? That she would return just for him after all we have been through is an insult. I feel like I don’t even want my wolf anymore, and I’ve never heard a shifter say anything like that.

Grabbing Harper’s hand, I head downstairs. I can feel my trepidation rising as we leave the house and set the alarm as Callum showed me. I haven’t been out since we arrived in town, it feels all wrong walking down the porch steps. So many memories of the last time I stood here before fleeing the pack linger. It’s like the trees are mocking me as the leaves rustle. I’m determined not to let my feelings affect Harper, so I plaster a smile on my face and swing her arms gently as we walk. She’s giddy with excitement as we turn onto the main square, and I point out all the different shops.

The hardware store that hasn’t changed at all since I was a little girl, the general store with the biggest range of stock on the island by far, and the bakery that old Mrs. Richardson used to own; she always gave Charlie and me free buns when she saw us loitering. We could never go in, as we had never had any money.

The Collinses’ stolen money burns in my pocket, but I look down at Harper and make a decision. I could never buy anything from the bakery, but I’m going to make sure she experiences it. Besides, I was a slave to the Collinses; they never gave me anything but pain and suffering for the work I did. The measly few hundred dollars I stole is pocket change compared to what they actually owe me for the work I did. It still doesn’t feel entirely right, but as Harper eyes the window display, I know I’m doing the right thing for her.

Taking her hand, I guide her into the shop and over to the counter. Thankfully, the bakery is quiet, and I don’t recognize the woman behind the counter. She gives me a slightly strange smile that makes me suspect she knows who I am but doesn’t say anything. I keep my focus on Harper and try to suppress my nerves. Harper appears oblivious to my inner turmoil as she scans the array of sweet treats before triumphantly pointing at a cream bun almost the size of her head.

“Tis one, please, Mama,” she says, and when I nod, she begins to jump up and down in excitement.

“Someone’s very excited.” The woman behind the counter smiles. “Anything for you?”

“Just a latte, please,” I reply, smiling back. Behind me, I hear the little bell ringing above the door as more customers pour into the bakery.

Harper bounds over to one of the small tables by the window, and as I turn to check her whereabouts, I notice several familiar faces. Two shewolves I went to high school with and a couple of older women. All of them have their eyes trained on Harper and me.

“Oh, my goddess. I can’t believe she’s actually showing her face,” one whispers loud enough for everyone to hear.

“It’s the child I feel sorry for. She looks so sweet, but imagine being tied to that as a mother. No father. She has no chance,” another says, and that one stings more than anything.

The woman behind the counter hands me my latte and the bun on a plate. “Can I get it to go, please?” I ask apologetically, and she offers me a small smile of understanding before taking the bun and putting it in a bag. I take it gratefully and rush over to where Harper is sitting in the window.

“Come on, sweetheart, let’s go eat these in the park.” Harper is still at that age where she thinks everything is a good idea and happily gets up, eager to have her bun wherever we sit.

Turning toward the door, I see Anna and Samantha from school, obviously waiting to say something to me. I knew it was a possibility that I’d see someone I know, and Callum told me the pack was asking questions, so I thought I’d prepared myself. But as I watch their expressions dance between disgust and pity, I can’t help the nausea that begins to surface.

“Ava?” Anna says her tone light, her expression anything but. “And who is this?”

Harper waves at Anna, and her innocence makes my heart clench. “This is my daughter, Harper. We’re just on our way out.”

“Mmm.” Anna doesn’t move. Instead, she leans down to Harper. “On your way to meet your daddy?”

Harper just looks at me. We’ve never talked about her having a daddy, so she doesn’t look particularly confused; she just smiles uncertainly. I hold my head high as I look directly at Anna. “We’re just going to the park, do you mind?” I ask, indicating that they should move.

“You were right, no dad. How sad,” Samantha mutters. “How does that work, Ava? Who have you been living with, exactly?”

I can feel my face burning as everyone in the bakery’s eyes are focused on me. “That is none of your business. Now, let my daughter enjoy her treat in peace, please.”

I hate the slightly pleading tone that has entered my voice as I say please, but I just want to get Harper out of here. The woman behind the counter calls for the next customer, and I’d like to think she’s doing her best to break the tension, but Anna and Samantha don’t take the hint.

“Try not to be strange about it, Ava,” Anna says smoothly. “We’re just concerned and checking on you. No one knows where you’ve been or who you’ve been with. There are all sorts of rogues out there.”

I straighten my spine and glare at her. “They have nothing to do with me or my daughter. Now move.”

Samantha chuckles as the bell rings behind them, and a few more people enter, further blocking our path. “Someone’s feeling brave because the alpha’s taken pity on them. Very odd, if you ask me—”

“Brave to be questioning the alpha so openly, if you ask me,” a familiar voice says from behind Anna. She spins around, and I see Sara standing by the door.

Sara was one of my few friends from high school, and I wasn’t entirely surprised to hear from Callum that she’s now mates with Charlie; I always suspected they had a soft spot for each other. I used to assume that’s why she was so nice to me. She must have thought, wrongly, that he cared.

Anna has the decency to look marginally humbled, glancing around and realizing she was indeed openly questioning the alpha. No one would care what she was saying about me, but Callum is a different matter.

I smile gratefully at Sara as I see my way out. “Hi, Sara. Harper and I were just on our way out.” No one stops me as I step forward, and Sara holds the door for me.

“I’ll walk with you,” she says, following us out of the bakery and crossing the road toward the park. We walk silently for a moment before she speaks up. “How are you, Ava? I wanted to stop by, but Charlie said we should wait until Callum said.”

I’m surprised they’d even thought about it. “Callum said you were with Charlie. I, um, wasn’t surprised,” I say.

She laughs. “Was I always that obvious?”

“Only to me,” I reply quietly. Glancing behind me, I check that no one has followed. “Thank you for your help back there. I don’t think they’ll follow now. You don’t have to stay.”

Sara looks awkward for a moment. “That’s not why I came with you. I wanted to see you.” Then, looking past me, she adds, “And meet—Harper, is it?”

Harper has stopped and looks at me almost expectantly. “Yes, of course. This is Harper.” I reach for Harper’s hand, and she comes running back over. “Harper, this is Sara. We went to school together.”

She looks shy for a moment and ducks behind me slightly, whispering, “She your fwend?”

Sara bends down and peers around at Harper. “Yes, I’m Mom’s friend. Shall we stop and have your treat now?”

Part of me wants to tell Sara it’s not necessary and she should just leave. We were friends early in high school, but as the bullying got worse, she wasn’t always there for me. I think it must have been hard for her to risk her position in the pack, too. But she always tried to make sure I had a friendly face to turn to, just like she’s doing now. Realizing that I want Harper to see something positive today, I nod and smile, making Harper sit down before I tear off some of the bun. She devours it instantly, making Sara and I laugh. She doesn’t ask where I’ve been or about Harper’s father. We simply sit and chat; she tells me all the local gossip. I find myself wanting to ask about Charlie, but I just can’t bring myself to find the words. Just the thought of him makes me feel so sad.

As Harper finishes the last of the bun, we stand to say goodbye, and I feel lighter than I have in a while. “Thank you, Sara, I really appreciate what you did back there.”

She bats her hand as if to dismiss it. “I did nothing. I wanted to see you, and they were just in my way.” She laughs. “Can I come see you at the house? And Harper? She’s just so lovely.”

I beam with pride because I know she is. Harper is the shining light in my dark world, and she’s only shining brighter here, however hard that might be for me. I feel wary, reluctant to let anyone in, but Sara looks so hopeful that I find myself nodding. “Sure, yes. As long as it’s ok with Callum.”

She grins and steps forward, wrapping me in a hug. I freeze for a moment, shocked by the contact. Apart from Callum’s kiss, no one apart from Harper has touched me with any kindness in years. The well of emotion causes tears to prick at my eyes, and I have to blink them away before she notices.

As we say goodbye and head back toward Callum’s house, I turn back and wave once more to Sara. Part of me doesn’t want to open myself up to the old memories by reconnecting with anyone else here, and Sara feels too close to Charlie for comfort, but I can’t deny she’s always been kind to me. Seeing how much Harper responded to her was lovely too, and she deserves the best I can give her. We still need to move on if we’re going to have the better life I’ve promised her, but for now, perhaps showing Harper that people can be nice is the best thing for her. For both of us.