(Ava’s POV)
I woke to the sound of the lake breathing.
That was the only way to describe it, and the slow lap of water against the shore, steady and patient, like something alive waiting just beyond the walls. For a moment, disoriented, I forgot where I was. The ceiling above me was low and wooden, crossed with dark beams. Moonlight leaked through the thin curtains, painting silver lines across the floor.
Then memory snapped back into place.
The lab. The explosion. Brian’s blood on my hands. Hunters.
I sat up slowly, heart already racing.
The cabin was quiet, but not empty. I could hear movement somewhere, and soft footsteps, the faint clink of metal. Brian. Of course he wasn’t sleeping.
I pulled the blanket tighter around myself and stood, padding silently toward the main room. The
