Ava's POV
The packhouse was silent, that sort of silence before something changes. It kept my thoughts on edge and felt in the air, an uncomfortable hum under the surface. Eli had stepped forward some days before, pledging to eradicate any residual threats still committed to the Raven. I couldn't blame some of the pack, who watched him like a hawk, even when most of them had progressively welcomed his presence.
I wasn't sure which bothered me more—the hope he could change or the anxiety he could not.
Lost in contemplation, staring out the balcony of the packhouse over the forest, Jackson's words startled me.
Are you not thinking about him? Joining me at the railing, he inquired, staring at the woods.
Not feeling like a pretender, I nodded. "I wish he was really sincere and eager to he
