Selene''s warm, furry body is a balm to my soul as we cuddle in on the sofa, a random show playing in the background. My eyes drift to the new phone sitting on the nightstand.

    Is it safe to use? Could Clayton or someone else have hacked into it, using it as a way to track my every move? A shiver runs down my spine at the thought.

    Selene stirs beside me, her head lifting as she blinks in the dimness. Her piercing blue eyes find mine, and I feel the gentle brush of her consciousness against my own.

    You''re being paranoid again, she murmurs, her mental voice a soft caress against my frazzled thoughts.

    "Can you blame me?" My voice comes out in a whisper "After everything that''s happened, I don''t want to take any risks that could turn my life upside down again. I just don''t know how far I can trust Clayton."

    I know, pup. Selene nuzzles my cheek with affection. But driving yourself mad with worry isn''t the answer either. We''ll be cautious, but we can''t live in fear.

    I swallow hard, wishing I could just turn off the constant stream of anxious thoughts whirring through my brain. "I just finally felt like I had a handle on things. And now..."

    Now everything has been ripped away from me once more.

    It isn''t over, Selene points out, ever the voice of reason. Hugging her as she crawls into my lap, I sigh.

    "I feel like something''s going to happen," I admit, reaching up to touch the necklace that''s once again around my neck. Selene nudges it with her nose.

    Everything will be okay. Don''t be so quick to assume the worst of that alpha.

    Rubbing her ears helps calm down the anxiety fluttering in my belly, and Selene rolls over in bliss at the attention. We''ve missed each other terribly this past week.

    "It just worries me. All this stuff, the care he''s taking—it makes me feel like he''s decided I''m his mate, and he''s just waiting for me to accept it and follow along like a good little she-wolf." Her fur is soft against my cheek as I rub my head against hers. "I don''t want that kind of life."

    I know.

    The weight of the world is on my shoulders, it feels. Sighing, I snuggle even closer to Selene''s warmth, taking what comfort I can get. "What about my heat. Am I going to go through that again?"

    If Clayton''s around, it wouldn''t be so bad—though, another week in bed with him might give him even more ideas about our relationship. But if I''m not anywhere near him, and some other strong wolf is nearby...

    The thought of experiencing another heat with a stranger sends a shudder down my spine.

    Selene hesitates, her mental voice tinged with a seriousness that immediately puts me on edge. It should be taken care of, with the ring and the necklace, is her eventual answer.@@@@

    My fingers touch the crystal pendant again, its comforting weight reassuring me of its presence. "So, how exactly do these help?"

    She tilts her head. You are born, and therefore you are.

    Okay. So, I''m different, with a giant question mark on why. I have the power of ancient magicians, but if I use it I''ll probably die. Selene''s a Lycan, who chose me—why?

    "Why did you choose me, again?"

    She huffs a bit. Your soul is pure.

    Her cryptic answers will probably never stop. "Selene, do I have some sort of higher purpose, or a quest, or a prophecy, or something I need to know about?"

    What do you mean?

    "I mean—if you look at movies, and TV, and books, stuff like this only happens to the hero, who has some sort of special power and uses it for the greater good, or to save the world."

    No, it''s nothing like that.

    Sweet relief takes a large weight off my shoulders. "So I don''t have to return all the Lycans back to this place between our world and wherever the gods left us for?"

    Of course not. That''s impossible.

    "I don''t have to change society, or marry some Lycan King, or make some special Lycan babies with a strong alpha?"

    You have to live, Ava. That is all.

    I twiddle her ears. "Seriously? No catch? Just, hey, I''m special, but it''s fine, live my life however I want?"

    Her eyes drift close. Indeed. But trouble will come to find you, so it''s best to be prepared.

    "Why is trouble going to find me? As long as I don''t go into heat, it should be fine, right?"

    Wolves can sense power, Ava. Your power is too great to be hidden from those who seek it.

    "You just said the ring shields my power from detection."

    Under normal circumstances, yes.

    But she doesn''t clarify further.