and anger at the mention of the Blaze Pack. Dezi raised his hand to quiet everyone down.
“Don’t worry. We spoke with the alpha, and she has assured us she doesn’t share the same beliefs as her predecessor.”
Morgan relaxed next to Kenny, and he was tempted to place his mate on his lap. He missed the weight of him. Morgan smiled at him as if he knew what Kenny was thinking.
“Good. She challenged or was it given?” Logan asked.
“Challenged,” Kenny answered.
That seemed to put everyone’s mind at ease.
“I’m heavily pregnant, and I have to get a menu ready to entertain guests,” Kash grumbled.
Dezi kissed him, wiping the frown from his face instantly.
“I already put in an order, and Clyde is picking it up now, which is why he is late for dinner,” Dezi said.
Morgan fidgeted in his seat. “We haven’t heard from my old pack.”
“No, but we have word that the alpha is looking for the both of you, and he’s getting closer. He will be visiting the Blaze Pack within the next couple of days,” Dezi said.
Ava slammed her fork down and pushed her chair back. “I’m tired.” She left the kitchen, fists clenched, and every step was as if she was trying to punch a hole in the floor.
Morgan sighed and started to get up, but Kenny stopped him.
“Let me try this time.”
Morgan opened his mouth but ended up closing it and relenting to Kenny’s wish. Kenny placed a kiss on Morgan’s forehead.
“Don’t worry.”
Kenny made his way down the hall and to the bedroom Ava was staying in. He knocked. There was no answer; teenagers weren’t the easiest group of people. He knocked again and got a groan with a “come in.” Kenny opened the door and found Ava sitting on a messy bed holding a pillow to her chest. Kenny couldn’t take his eyes off the unmade bed. The sheet was poking out, and the covers were all over the place.
“Yes?” Ava asked.
Kenny cleared his throat and tried to take his mind off the unmade bed. He could usually ignore it if it was someone else’s, but because he already thought of Ava as his daughter, it was a little harder. She was an extension of him in a way, even if it wasn’t necessarily true. Kenny opened his mouth to start a few times, but nothing ever came out.
He sighed, and he knew exactly what he was going to do. He motioned for Ava to stand up. She sighed and tossed the pillow haphazardly on the bed, and it ended up on the floor.
“We need to talk,” Kenny said.
Ava wrapped her arms around herself. “Am I in trouble?”
“What?” Kenny shook his head. He moved over to the bed, stripped it down, and put the linens in the dirty clothes basket. He went to the closet, where he knew each room had a spare set of sheets. He pulled them out and started to make the bed—the right way.
“No, I just—” he started again. “We want to understand what you’re feeling right now. There are a lot of changes happening around you, and no one expects you to be okay with everything, but we need to know what you’re thinking.”
“What I think doesn’t matter,” Ava said.
Kenny stopped tucking the sheet to look at Ava. She stared at the floor as if it was interesting.
“It matters to me,” Kenny said.
Ava’s head shot up, and there was a flicker of hope in her eyes.
“Only because you’re mated to my uncle,” Ava said.
“Is that what you really think?” Kenny asked.
Ava shrugged. “That’s why everyone was nice to me for so long in the pack. My dad’s the alpha, but they started treating me differently when I didn’t shift at eleven, and it got worse every year after that.”
Kenny stood up and grabbed the comforter.
“Help me.”
Ava stared at him, before she untucked her arms and grabbed the other side.
“I can’t say I know exactly what you went through, but I can say I know what it’s like not to be wanted by the very people who are supposed to love you.” Kenny picked the pillows up and arranged them perfectly. “Morgan loves you and I love you. Whether you believe I do things for you from the bottom of my heart or because of Morgan is up to you, but know that I do them for you because I want the best for you.”
Ava was silent for a second. “I can still shift before I’m fifteen.”
“That is possible,” Kenny said.
“But if I