“Wes, her mother went to the council about our friendship, told them everything about me. Every discussion, every admission, ever insecurity I had leaving our people. And when I got pregnant, they implored Hannah to get pregnant, too. They hoped for a girl.”
“What?” Weston’s thoughts were churning. He hadn’t known this part. “What are you saying?”
“Avery was conceived in the hopes that she would be a female who could seduce you back to Raven’s Hollow. And I know them. They would’ve sequestered you away from Damon’s Mountains, brainwashed you, turned you into one of them. I want you to live the life you choose. Not one someone chooses for you.”
Wes scrubbed his hand down his face and stared blankly ahead at the road winding under his tires. Why him? Why go to such effort to draw him back to a culture he didn’t connect with? “When I was a kid, you told me her mom had betrayed us to the council for all those years. You told me the council had been reading my letters to Avery, picking them apart, using them to manipulate our friendship. But if the council hates dominant ravens, why the fuck would they even want me there? What’s the point of all the manipulation?”
“I don’t know,” his mother said helplessly. “Hannah let it slip one day while they were planning their trip to Saratoga to let you two meet for the first time. She mentioned the council was allowing her to come unchaperoned, and I was confused about what they had to do with anything. She said it as a joke, but when I pushed, she clammed up. And then two days before they came to Saratoga, she broke down crying on the phone and told me everything. She told me how she’d told the council everything about me, and how they’d guided her conversations. About how they’d pushed for you and Avery to have contact. I felt played. I felt stupid. I’d put you, my only boy, my only raven, in the sights of the council, one I had worked so hard to escape myself. Over and over I asked why they wanted you, but Hannah wouldn’t tell me. Or maybe couldn’t, I don’t know.”
“If you were so angry, why did you let us meet? Why did you still go through with it?”
“Because you asked me to. Don’t you remember, Weston? You are so loyal, but you give few chances. You said you wanted to look her in the face and ask her why she’d played games. Why she let the council read your letters. Why she pretended to care so deeply for you. You wanted to see her eyes when you asked her why she hurt you.”
“But I didn’t. I remember sitting at the restaurant, and she was smiling like she didn’t even know she was doing anything wrong, and I was so angry I couldn’t speak. I thought I would cuss her out in front of everyone.” None of this made any damn sense. Clearly, the council had played a big part in Weston and Avery’s relationship growing up, but how much? “Ma?”
“Yeah?”
“Is it possible that Avery didn’t know she was bait for me?”
The sigh she gave off said she didn’t think so, but she allowed, “If she didn’t know, there was a huge amount of manipulation she missed. It would mean there was a mountain of secrets she was sitting right on top of, unaware.”
“But there’s a chance?”
Silence.
“Ma.”
“Yes, there is a chance she was unaware. Weston, I have to tell you something.”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t know if I should.”
There were brake lights up ahead, but they were at an angle. And as Weston slowed and pulled behind the beat-up old car, it was apparent why. Avery had pulled over onto the side of a steep embankment, and her driver’s side door was shoved open. There was her little white sundress, soaking on the ground in the mud. Weston leaned forward, scanning the trees branches in the dark woods. She must’ve got desperate and Changed in there. Shit.
“Mom, tell me quick. I think I found her.”
“I don’t want to tell you to trust her because I don’t know her. I don’t know her intentions, but you’ve always been good at reading people. If you think she’s a victim, she might be really and truly trying to break away from Raven’s Hollow. And if that’s the case, she’ll need help. A lot of it. They make it really hard for raven shifters to leave the flock, especially females. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
Weston threw his truck in park and leaned back against the headrest. “I understand.”
If Avery really was here with good intentions, she was in trouble from her people.
Chapter Eight
She couldn’t do it. Why couldn’t she Change? The raven was right there, scratching at her skin, cawing to be released, but Avery’s body wasn’t working. Maybe it was the alcohol, or that she was so angry and hurt.
Sobbing, she drew her knees up to her chest as the water drops that made it through the thick tree canopy drip-dripped onto her legs and head. Of course it would start raining right now.
She’d been so fucking hopeful. So determined to make things work here so she wouldn’t have to return to Raven’s Hollow with her tail feathers tucked between her legs. She’d wanted to live outside of that awful place and make a life for herself that she could be proud of, but tonight was the night. It was the night she had to take stock of where she really was, and that was in a muddy hole, chin deep and still sinking.
She was out of money, sleeping in her car, fucking hungry, and Weston hated her. She hadn’t had a decent balanced meal in way too long. And to top it all off, her damn car broke down. It just puttered and sputtered until the gas pedal wouldn’t work anymore and her muddy hole had finally swallowed her up completely.