Page 19 of Snarl First, Kiss Later (Alpha’s Prophecy #2)

NINETEEN

AVA

A va wasn’t sure what was heavier—the Red Pack’s stare on her back or the silence hanging between her and Silas after that kiss.

They hadn’t talked about it. Hell, they’d barely looked at each other straight since it happened.

But then came the moment. The kind where things either break wide open or seal shut again with unspoken regret.

Something in her face must’ve shifted, because Silas’s gaze softened, just a sliver. “You’re gonna have to do more than try,” she said.

“I know.”

He stepped toward her, like he was about to say something else, something more. But then Lirien and her three lieutenants approached from the hallway, the sound of their boots too precise to be anything but intentional.

“I’d like to speak with the human,” Lirien said. “Alone.”

Silas stepped forward before she finished the sentence. “Not happening.”

Ava turned, caught the taut line of his jaw. His shoulders had gone stiff. His voice had dropped an octave. The kind of tone she’d heard him use just before a fight. Protective didn’t begin to cover it.

“I can handle myself,” she said, brushing her fingers lightly along his wrist before he could dig in further.

“Ava—”

“I said I can handle it.” Her voice cut through, calm but edged. “You trust me, right?”

That made him pause. His gaze flicked to Lirien, then her lieutenants. He didn’t like it, she saw that plain as day. But he gave a stiff nod and stepped back without a word. Silas didn’t need to argue to make a point. The way he hovered just out of earshot, still in view, said it loud enough.

Lirien turned toward Ava fully then, her chin tipped in approval. “Bold.”

“I get it from my father,” Ava said flatly.

The Red Pack Alpha motioned toward a stone alcove off the side corridor. Quiet. Secluded. The air there smelled of moss and metal. Not cozy, but private.

They stopped there. Lirien waited until her lieutenants started to follow, then lifted a hand. “I said alone.”

One of them, the younger male with braided hair and that resting-scowl expression, tensed. “Alpha?—”

“She said it,” Ava interjected before Lirien could answer. “If it’s just me and her, then it’s just me and her.”

Lirien arched a brow, intrigued. “You giving orders now?”

“No,” Ava said, “but I don’t negotiate under surveillance.”

The Alpha studied her a long moment before she turned back to her people. “Give us space.”

Reluctantly, they moved away. Ava could feel the weight of their stares long after they rounded the corner.

Lirien crossed her arms, her tone shifting from passive curiosity to something more focused. “You know most humans in your position would’ve bolted by now.”

“Yeah,” Ava said. “And most shifters would’ve left a human to die during an ambush. Guess we’re both dealing with anomalies.”

That made Lirien smile. Barely. “You’re not afraid.”

“I’m not stupid either.”

Lirien tilted her head. “Silas cares about you.”

Ava blinked. “That’s none of your business.”

“It is if his feelings put my pack at risk.”

Ava crossed her arms, feet braced. “I didn’t ask him to defend me. I’ve been doing just fine on my own since I was ten.”

“Then why are you still here?” Lirien asked, sharp. “Why keep fighting for wolves who will never see you as one of them?”

Ava thought about that. Thought about Shadowfall, and the way her town twisted fear into pride. Thought about the way Sonya’s hand had rested on her shoulder like it belonged there. Thought about Silas carrying that pup like it weighed nothing and looking at her like she meant something.

“Because I don’t need to be one of you,” she said finally. “I’m not here for a title. I’m here to make sure the next kid doesn’t end up with a bullet in his chest and no one to pull him out of a river.”

Lirien didn’t answer right away. She watched Ava with a hunter’s quiet, like she was waiting to see if she’d flinch. But Ava just stood there, staring back, the faint bruise on her collarbone still visible from the last skirmish.

“You’ve got grit,” Lirien said finally. “And you speak plain. I respect that.”

Ava didn’t respond. She wasn’t here for approval.

“You know what it’s like to be outside the walls,” Lirien added. “To survive on instinct and guts alone.”

“Yeah,” Ava said. “But I also know what it’s like to want more than just survival.”

Lirien reached into the folds of her jacket and pulled out a small iron medallion. Etched with the Red Pack crest, the blood drop and fang glinting faintly in the dim corridor light.

“This is not a promise,” she said. “But it’s a door.”

Ava took it slowly. Heavy for its size. Warm.

“What’s it mean?”

“If you carry it, my wolves won’t gut you on sight. That’s the best I can offer.”

Ava nodded. “Fair.”

She tucked it into her jacket, fingers lingering there like the weight grounded her.

Lirien turned to go, but paused. “One more thing.”

Ava lifted her chin. “Yeah?”

“Don’t get yourself killed for him. Whatever you think this is with Silas—it’s complicated.”

Ava gave a half-smile. “Lady, my whole life’s been complicated.”

Lirien huffed. Maybe it was a laugh. “I’ll go tell Landon the pack will join with his instead of going out on our own. Expect another council meeting before we leave. Plans will need to be set, human.” Then she left.

Ava leaned back against the wall, breath leaving her in a slow exhale. She didn’t look to see if Silas was still waiting nearby. Because she knew he was.

And this time, she needed a minute before walking back into whatever came next.