SLIVER WOLF'S FATED QUEEN

Chapter One The Wolves Found Me Ava woke up choking on a scream. For a second, she didn’t know where she was. Her room was dark except for the weak orange glow from the streetlamp outside her apartment window. Rain tapped steadily against the glass. Her heart wouldn’t slow down. She sat up too quickly and nearly slipped off the bed when she saw the blood on her hands. “Oh my God…” The words barely came out. Blood stained her fingers, smeared across her palms like she’d touched something wet in the dark. Her stomach twisted hard enough to make her dizzy. Ava pushed the blankets away and stumbled into the bathroom. The overhead light flickered twice before staying on. She grabbed the sink and looked up at the mirror. At first, everything looked normal. Then her eyes flashed silver. Ava jerked back so hard her shoulder hit the wall. The light exploded above her. Glass rained across the floor. She stood there frozen, breathing hard in the dark while the sound of wolves howling rose somewhere outside the building. Not dogs. Wolves. The sound rolled through the storm and straight into her chest. Ava pressed shaking hands over her ears. “What is happening to me?” For a moment, there was nothing except the rain and her breathing. Then she heard a voice. Soft. Female. So close it felt like someone was standing behind her. “You can’t hide forever.” Ava spun around. Nobody. The bathroom was empty. She stared into the darkness, trying to convince herself she was exhausted. Overworked. Stressed. Losing her mind a little. Then another voice came. Male this time. Low and rough. “I finally found you.” A chill ran through her so suddenly that she stopped breathing. The apartment was silent again. Ava didn’t sleep after that. By morning, the whole town was talking about the body found in the woods behind her apartment complex. Customers crowded around the television inside the café where she worked. “A possible animal attack—” “Did you see the pictures?” “They said his chest was ripped open—” Ava dropped a coffee spoon into the sink with a loud clatter. Her coworker glanced over. “Are you okay?” “Yeah.” The lie came too quickly. The reporter on the screen kept talking while police lights flashed behind him. “Authorities discovered unusual markings near the scene. Locals claim they resembled claw marks.” Ava looked away immediately. Because when she woke up that morning, there had been mud on the floor beside her bed. And long scratches carved into the wooden floorboards. She hadn’t put them there. At least… she didn’t think she had. The entire shift passed in a blur. By the time she finally got home, the storm had gotten worse. Rain hammered against the building while thunder rattled the windows. Ava locked the apartment door behind her and leaned against it for a second. Something felt off tonight. The air felt heavier somehow. Like the apartment was waiting for something. She rubbed tiredly at her eyes and walked toward the kitchen, but a knock at the door stopped her halfway. Three slow knocks. Ava frowned. Nobody visited her. Especially not this late. Another knock came. She hesitated before walking back toward the door. “Who is it?” No answer. Her fingers tightened around the handle. When she opened the door, an older woman stood in the hallway, soaked by the rain. The woman looked exhausted. Terrified, even. But the second her eyes landed on Ava, relief flooded her face so quickly it almost looked painful. “Oh, thank God,” she whispered. Ava blinked. “Do I know you?” The woman’s gaze dropped to the silver necklace around Ava’s neck. Her expression changed instantly. “You still wear it.” Ava touched the necklace automatically. “Wear what?” Without warning, the woman stepped inside and shut the door behind her. “Hey—” “You need to listen to me carefully.” The woman’s voice shook. “There isn’t much time.” Ava stared at her. “Okay, this is officially weird.” The woman looked close to tears. “That necklace belonged to your mother.” The words hit harder than they should have. Ava slowly lowered her hand. “My mother’s dead.” “Yes,” the woman whispered. “And if they find you before you understand who you are, you’ll end up just like her.” Ava laughed nervously, mostly because she suddenly wanted to panic. “I think you should leave.” “You were never human, Ava.” Silence. Thunder cracked outside. Ava shook her head once. “No.” “You were born into the Shadow Pack.” “I don’t know what that means.” “It means people have been hunting you since the day you were born.” Ava stared at her, waiting for the punchline that never came. The woman stepped closer carefully, like she was approaching a frightened animal. “There’s a reason strange things happen around you,” she said softly. “The dreams. The voices. The way wolves react to your scent.” Ava’s face went cold. “How do you know about the voices?” The woman looked terrified now. Before she could answer, headlights flashed across the apartment windows. Both of them turned toward the glass. Black SUVs rolled slowly into the parking lot below. One. Then another. Then three more. The woman went pale. “No…” Car doors slammed shut outside. Ava’s heartbeat picked up again. “Who are they?” The woman looked toward the door like she already knew the answer. “The Backwoods.” The name meant nothing to Ava. But fear twisted hard in the woman’s expression. “They control the werewolf territories now,” she whispered. “Their Alpha has been searching for you.” A cold feeling settled in Ava’s stomach. Another knock sounded at the door. This one is harder. More certain. Ava didn’t know why, but every nerve in her body suddenly lit up. Like something inside her recognised whoever stood outside. The woman grabbed her wrist tightly. “Listen to me,” she whispered. “The Blackwood bloodline destroyed your family.” Ava’s chest tightened. Outside the door, a man’s voice finally spoke. Calm. Deep. Controlled. “Ava Reynolds,” he said. “Open the door.” And for some reason she couldn’t explain… The sound of his voice felt familiar.