averyxvaughn

[averyxvaughn]

Five Stages // self para

The floorboard underneath Avery's foot released a foreboding creak as she closed the door behind her and set down the canister, gaze fully absorbing a living room she hasn't completely set her sights on since that night. Her house, her childhood home, bathed in a brilliant orange from the sunset peeking through the barely covered windows. Griffin may have torched his own mansion, but Av remembered how hard she fought begging him to spare hers, especially the first few weeks after their healing process when she couldn't bare erasing the memories of her parents as he tried with his and Calliope. No, the Vaughn household stood as a beacon, a memorial, of the tragedy befalling their families. Of lives lost. It was also the day that she watched her cousin break.

The bodies of her parents and what remained of the council were long gone, but nothing could scrub the echoes of blood staining the floor. She could even smell the irony tang still burning her nostrils as strongly as it did years prior. Avery personally avoided this place at all costs for that reason alone, but with the conversation between her and Olivia still ringing starkly in her head, she knew one last visit before cutting out her heart with resignation became the final nail. No pack could offer a sense of familiar support when they all would look at her with such pity, no one she ever fell in love with would truly be safe, so this is what she could control. Her choice, one aspect of her life, on her own terms. Keeping them protected meant relinquishing her freedom. Give Griffin what he wants, true safety for his cousin.

Avery grazed a hand along the back of the couch, inadvertently kicking up a plumb of dust particles that sent her in a brief coughing fit. Everything in the house, from tables to the picture frames hanging on the walls, were coated under several layers from disuse, covering the good memories etched in every surface. Despite that, the whole of the room thus far looked the same, even the knife marks on one wall she made when she was ten years old after flinging a butterfly knife trying to impress her parents. They both took it in stride, reaffirming she was her mother's daughter. Mac attempted to plaster over the spot as he tried with the few others dotting the same wall, but anyone could tell something looked amiss. It's the little moments she longed for with her mom and dad, things one forgets when you feel imprisoned and sequestered.

She adjusted the strap of the empty backpack hanging from one shoulder as she climbed the stairs, smearing her hand in dust again while she gripped the banister rail. There were a few rooms on her priority list to see first, no one could claim Avery was never a girl on a mission, but none wouldn't fill her with any less sorrow than the last she would glimpse on her journey. Like the Thornton-Watt mansion, the Vaughn residence spawned a half dozen or so rooms, a working study for Mac during his council hours, guest bedrooms, even a training space where she and Harley could release some steam and placate the young werewolf's human side. Much luck a training area did to prepare her in protecting those she cared about in the end.

Avery made it to her bedroom first, kicking the door open with the toe of her combat boot and watching the chunk of wood bounce back as it connected with the spring doorstopper. A moment passed where she could simply do nothing but stand there, taking in a room that became a time capsule. A room of a fifteen year old girl left just as it was, undisturbed. Avery could have laughed at the fact she still left the bed unmade, sheets crumpled in a heap and duvet hanging on the edge of the mattress for dear life. The band posters plastered on each wall by flimsy tape were peeling like the layers of a banana, hanging sadly enough that she almost wished it was possible to save one of them. Av walked over to her vanity and slowly reached over, using the palm of her hand to wipe a clear streak across the mirror. Oh, how her reflection seemed to have changed since last laying eyes on it in this room. Now in her mid-twenties, her blonde tresses were free-flowing over her shoulders, the ripped jean jacket Mac gifted her years ago loosely hung on her frame, yet Avery noticed her facial expression. Slightly pale skin, sharp cheeks, and a haunted look most would fail to spot.

She looked away in shame, finding her attention drawn to the ornate metal music box that contained what little jewelry she wore as a teenager well within her rebellious years. Wow, no looters, Avery sarcastically thought to herself as she opened the lid and set sight on the jumbled mess. Her rings were strewn everywhere in the middle compartment and earrings, stud or otherwise, had been mixed haphazardly on either side with no organizational method. Her fingers nimbly picked up the tray to reveal the even bigger incoherent mess of her bracelets and necklaces tangled together. She could've rifled through it if she had all night, but that was a lost cause. "Definitely not leaving you here." A shine of something gold caught Avery's eye, however, and after she carefully pulled it from the bunch, she remembered what it was. A small werewolf charm given on one of her birthdays by her Uncle Wilburn. It was a cheesy gift, a little on the nose, but it's exactly the kind of present she would expect him to give. As difficult as Wil was on Griffin, he seemed to possess at one time a shred of a soft spot for anybody who could challenge his reign as the family food vacuum. They were bonded as werewolves running with the same pack, but food was their special little language. Av's thumb traced the wolf's outline fondly before slipping the black leather cord over her head, returning the contents of the jewelry box and then stuffing the entire thing in her backpack.

Avery moved around the room and grabbed a couple mementos, a favorite book here and there, a few old CDs even if they were a long-dead art form, before making her way out into the hallway. She peeked in one or two rooms as she passed them, only briefly looking in for the sake of nostalgia, until finally reaching the room she found the most hesitance entering: her parents'. Even as she stepped through the doorframe, Av sensed how empty of a shell this place was without her dad's playful jokes and laugh or her mom's sarcastic quips she could spit with a hint of fondness underneath. It could have been enough to break her down right then, just to sit there on their bed and sob until the sun arose or whenever Griffin found her as he always did somehow. No more crying over her parents or her lost family or even Jace for that matter. All there ever could be was Griffin and herself, following every rule he put into law.

With a head shake, she stepped around on Harley's side of the bed and stuck a hand underneath her pillow, removing the knife she kept for emergencies and placing it in the back pocket of her jeans. Harley and her weapons...even while she was married to a werewolf, how typical. Avery made a half circle to her dad's side and quickly checked under his pillow too just in case he thought the need to conceal like his wife, but finding nothing. It felt weird, really, like she was snooping into her parents' private possessions, but they were never coming back to claim them. Where's the harm? Av began working on yanking open Mac's nightstand drawers, discovering nothing of import until she came upon the very top drawer. Even in its folded state, she could see the splash of color peeking through the yellowed parchment. Avery picked it up and unfolded the paper while the cold melancholic splash washed over her in full force. The drawing wasn't quite a masterpiece, it wasn't a complete drawing pare say, just two stick figures representing her and Mac that she ended up tarnishing by placing her paint-covered palm over the figure that was her dad on accident. Mac had found his five year old daughter pouting, seconds from tearing up the painting, but her father had another idea. Painting the palm of his own hand, he had created a similar imprint right next to hers. At the time, Avery was only half-convinced he truly fixed it, yet, that was the special gift her dad had. She was willing to believe anything he told her.

The fact he kept the painting and so close where it could be reached didn't shock her in the least, but it was nonetheless surprising he didn't throw it in the garbage after all these years. The edges were ripping, the paper looked severely aged, and the folded creases were seconds from creating a hole. Avery slowly lifted her hand and placed it over the outline of her father's, fingers not even close to reaching the top of his, but she couldn't give a shit. For a moment, she could hear Mac's voice ringing in her ears, could see her mom seated at the kitchen table offering her a fresh milkshake with a smile only her mother could give that made the world feel okay. Made her feel safe. For that moment, her parents were alive. Then the reality would crash down eventually until she realized they were waiting until she joined them. Some days, the low days she'd never reveal to even Griffin, Avery wished that were a lot sooner.

The thought replaced the mourning with anger knowing she cannot help laying blame on the council, on anyone who held the responsibility for what she and her cousin lost. Griffin took the revenge path for them both which left nobody else she could direct her frustrations at, but the fact of the matter is, would she have been capable enough to take them all down on her own? At the time, Avery was only fifteen years old, a supernatural, yes, however merely a werewolf in training who still had not yet found the control on her abilities. She'd been recently tortured, newly an orphan, and injured with no alternative that could've been utilized to heal herself, not in the way Griff had. He made the sacrifice, not her. He tarnished his soul black for himself, for his family, for her. If there is one thing Av placed her absolute certain trust in, it is Griffin's determination to go the extra mile sacrificing his life for family.

Avery dropped her hand from the outline of her father's and gingerly folded up the piece of paper, careful to avoid tearing any edges, before stowing it in the front pocket of the jean jacket she inherited from Mac. Enough reminiscing, she came here specifically for a purpose and there's no fucking way the wolf can ever allow one second of hesitation cross her mind. Av made her way out of her parents' bedroom and stalked down the hallway with determination marring her features before traveling down the stairs for what will be the final time. It wasn't until she made a beeline for the front door where she stored the gasoline can did the notion concerning Griffin's involvement enter the young blonde's thoughts. A snap of his fingers and the house will become a pile of ash, but where was her satisfaction? Where was her moment to close a chapter? Av left behind everyone for Griffin. No packs, no dead boyfriends, no Vanwarren twins offering a form of levity during her darker periods. No parents or Cassie and Wilburn, no more Calliope keeping her brother's humanity intact. Avery had to be his humanity now, despite how little of it remained.

Placing the backpack down, Avery untwisted the cap and began creating a meticulous trail around the living room carpet, splashing it on every piece of furniture that would add kindling to the flames that would consume her childhood home. She only spared enough for the downstairs area, figuring the fuel could finish the job when she was long gone. Okay, maybe she should've taken her cousin's help because this shit...already smelled pretty foul. The scent scorched the inside of Av's throat as its fumes started drifting through the air, however, asking for Griff's assistance meant spilling the beans on what she was doing and with that, came the uncertainty on his reaction. A part of Avery figured he'd understand her reasoning since this is what he did to the Thornton mansion, and another side of her thought pouring gas just to set her house aflame would have appeared almost ridiculous when his powers offered the same solution without the hideous stench. Scrubbing the idea from her brain, the wolf entered the kitchen and tossed the liquid over the linoleum floors, growing completely lost in her thoughts.

"Where's the fire fucker when you need him, huh, Avvie Av?" Avery immediately stopped dead in her tracks and slowly looked up, feeling her entire body nearly freeze at the sound of his fucking voice as the girl's gaze landed on Max Lieberman. Or, at least, an imaginary version of Lieberman that wasn't a collection of nothing after Griffin obliterated what was left of him. Either the gasoline fumes were seriously fucking with her mind and creating hallucinations or her worst nightmare had magically been resurrected. Or, on a completely different theory, she was officially going batshit crazy. Everything about this version of Max contradicts how he appeared in life. He still wore his varsity jacket, but Avery could see the gray pallor of his flesh were dotted by bruises and large scorch marks, beginning from his neck and covering his hands. It was an almost grotesque sight, but Max seemed relatively unbothered by the new look.

"I don't need him fighting my every battle. Now, leave me the fuck alone." Av rounded the kitchen island and created a line over the wooden stools. She caught a quick glance of the vision tilting his head to the side, hearing a mocking sigh leave Max's lips. "Don't be a goddamn brat, of course you need him fighting your battles." She refused to make any response toward the statement, hoping ignoring the bastard will make him go away, but he remained even while she coated the refrigerator with petrol. If she knew Max, though, the asshole cannot deny a single moment forcing the last word in. "Do you honestly think turning this ugly ass mcmansion into a shitpile of nothing will magically cure what's wrong with you? Our time together doesn't go away with a single match, Avery, you should've accepted it a long fucking time ago." Av clenched her jaw tightly with immense restraint, leaving the kitchen in a hurry and predicting Max would follow hot on her heels as she reentered the living room with him close behind. "Says the one who doesn't have to live with what you did, you fucking psychopath. That's the difference between us, though, isn't it? You're worm food and I'm still here."

The sound of a sickening chuckle Avery did not miss fled from Max's mouth, his head slowly shaking. "Now you're trauma dumping. Oh, boo fucking hoo, I'm just a little wolf who can't handle her wolfsbane and a few shocks. Oh, golly, woe is me, I found my fuck buddy boy toy with his guts spilled all over the floor and his best friend's heart ripped out. My life is so goddamn tragic." He mocked her with a whining tone, spitting out the last statement venomously. She hated him, she hated every last inch of him from the top of his head down to his feet. Almost ten years and that will never change for as long as she breathed. "Good to know you're laughing up at my personal pain from Hell, Maxie Poo." Avery grabbed the strap of her backpack and slung it over her shoulder before the hallucination's scoff carried across the living room. "Grow up. At least I didn't run from my problems...at least I'm not running from the truth."

The wolf yanked the front door open, blanketing what remained in the canister to start a stream that would lead down the concrete pathway, slowly making her way across the front porch and down the steps. "And what do you think I'm running away from, Max?" Avery spun around angrily once she reached the bottom, watching as he nonchalantly leaned against the doorframe and arms folded across his chest. "Is it the time you kidnapped me, forced a shock collar around my neck, shoved literal poison down my goddamn throat, pursued my cousin without her consent? Or what about the fact you are the one person responsible behind why I had to sit and watch my parents die? Point the finger at the council, sure, but when you actually think about it, Maxikins, you're the common thread." She hissed vehemently. "You manipulated a vampire into turning you, you compelled Andre, you became such a dangerous threat that Griffin had to put you down like a fucking dog. It all comes back to you. So, tell me why I'm running, Max, tell me what I'm afraid of, because it's certainly not you."

"I mean, obviously you made your lack of shits about me clear when you threw the so-called badass brave girl routine in my face." Max pretended to yawn from boredom and glanced down at the faux watch on his wrist as if this conversation was taking up too much of his time. He lifted his eyes after a moment too long, enough to piss off Avery further. "You can lie to your friends, you can lie to yourself, but not to me. We know each other better than that, don't we, sweetheart?" Av saw the same psychotic look in his dark gaze he displayed that night in the locker rooms, something untamable and downright evil beyond measure. A bullying tormentor relishing his handiwork. "Do you know what I think you actually fear, Avery? It's not me. Well...it kind of is if I'm here."

"God, do you ever shut the fuck up?" Av interjected in sheer irritation. She didn't need anyone psychoanalyzing what they thought were her fears, choices, all-around personal business, and most importantly her relationship with Griffin when not a single person knew a damn thing. And the person who really shouldn't allow his cockiness force him under an assumption the wolf's mind was open for business is Max fucking Lieberman. A dead guy making a special appearance as a last 'fuck you' middle finger to Avery.

"Not really." He crossed the porch's length and took each step one at a time patiently, quirking a smirk as the blonde pooch instinctively recoiled as if her body after all these years could not help the reaction. "You spent nearly a decade playing sideline to a cousin who destroyed one superpower and rebuilt Killgrove to his tyrannical image. He's controlled your life, locked you up like a pretty little princess, and made you believe no one else protects you better than he can. Griffin makes play he isn't too far gone, that you believe you're the one significant piece left of his humanity, but the truth? There is nothing good left in the fire fucker just as there isn't in you with what you've been dealt." Max raised a wide shrug and clapped his palms once together. "Just the two of you, side-by-side, you'll be just as bad as him or me if we're being honest with ourselves. And who knows, Pup, maybe one day soon, there's going to be another body found and you'll be the one who put it there."

"Don't you think I know that?" Avery blurted out without considering her answer. Without a trace of hesitation or a denial that she was a good person. Before the Max Lieberman saga even happened, it's understandable to wonder whether her bloodline ever produced any purity. Her mother had her demons as did her father, both traumatized by their respective childhoods. Then there is the Thornton bloodline and their prejudiced ways being the death of her Aunt Cassie's sister. Which always rested her case at Griffin's feet. Even while Avery helped orchestrate Max's doom and although Calliope tried denying it by forcing them to try her righteous way first before it all went to shit, the werewolf saw how easily Griff would have jumped at getting rid of Max on his own preference. It was a foolish errand to think turning the vampire in and allowing the council do with him as they saw fit wouldn't cost a heavy price, but she and her cousin knew the only solution ridding the town of the problem was Max's demise. After all, Griffin made a promise and he fulfilled it. Av didn't shed a tear. In fact, beyond the devastation losing their family, she was glad he was gone. Who isn't to confirm the darkness connected an invisible tether between the two? Avery shared his dark humor, his shamelessness making clear threats, and the Watt temper. They were alike more than different. "As scared as I am of him sometimes, I know that." The girl repeated softly in defeat.

"At least you admit what you are now to your core, Avery." His voice pierced her skull like a jackhammer as she created distance between them once more, finishing the last strip of gasoline and then tossing the can to the side where it came to rest in the grass. Max moved from his spot and walked up the same path alongside the liquid seeping into the ground, rearing to a halt at Avery's side. "I don't have anyone else. Except him." Av reached into her left pocket and revealed a zippo lighter. She couldn't remember who in the Chamberlain pack she stole it from or if it was Jace's since smoking had been his only vice, but either way the dice rolled, the poetic irony wasn't lost. "Then you know what to do next. Light the fucker up." She opened the top with a click and flicked the flint until the orangish flame sparked to life. It was oddly beautiful when you know how destructive fire can be once it grows, her cousin knew that well. In the moment, she didn't appreciate his gifts more than she had now. Avery tossed the lighter forward and observed as it landed on the gasoline tip. The chain of events was like a domino effect, working down the walkway and crawling up the steps, the fire licking every which way as it seemingly searched for the fuel. Until finally, finally, it hopped over the doorframe and set off an explosion that wreaked havoc on every floor. The glass in all windows instantly shattered from the pressure, pushing the flames out from the missing panes. Avery knew the living room and kitchen, the guest rooms and all bedrooms, including hers and what's left now but a memory of Mac and Harley Vaughn, were no more. Their murder scene was destroyed. Everything her parents built for the family is nothing and it forever will be just nothing. An empty lot the townsfolk will pass and gossip about, future generations will wonder what became of what once stood a beautiful home.

She and Griffin were like the five stages of grief. There was the denial first after her parents had been murdered during the early days living with her cousin where she pretended everything was fine, that he would eventually be fine. Next came the anger and fuck, was there a mountain's worth of it between her and the last remaining Thornton witch. Then there is bargaining, which most would have been accomplished placating Griff's actions by promising to abide by his restrictions. Avery experienced depression from the jump, the next step, especially when she spent hours locked in her bedroom waiting until she was released. It appeared she hurdled through the stages day by day, but there's one the werewolf did not ever reach until this moment.

Acceptance.

[averyxvaughn]

Kept Promises // self para

They should have known better than thinking Max wasn't ten steps ahead of the game. Griffin explicitly told her to lay low, play the hidden ace up the twins' sleeves, but how was she to do that when she couldn't even protect Andre? Avery thought this the perfect opportunity proving herself worthy as a werewolf, capable of handling her own in a fight against another supernatural, and yet somehow, allowed one newborn vampire get the jump on her. She could just imagine the disappointed look in her father's eyes, her mother's dismayed head shake, knowing what a failure she was in her adolescent years, too young to handle the responsibility of one singular mission. A child's active imagination merely running rampant when she knew the reality of her parents. Of course, all of that would have come after giving her cousins a risen hell tongue lashing for involving her.

The sensation of a white-hot burning along her wrists sent Avery's head lulling forward, suddenly shaking the girl awake and pushing a slight gasp from her lips. The lapse of confusion disorientated her for a split second while mind caught up with the rest of her senses. One second, two seconds, breathe and focus, find an anchor. Her gaze landed upon her hands as she yanked as hard as she could, the source of the stinging coming from the silver chains binding her to the chair as if someone knew what they were doing. The work of a hunter if she hadn't known a fang banger wasn't behind it. Still, this place...didn't look like the diner. The room was replaced by floor to ceiling tiles, the kind of sterile stark white aligning more with the confines of a hospital, but instead of reclining beds and medical equipment, showerheads decorated the walls in a uniform straight line. Locker room showers, and from her best guess, the high school boys' to be more specific. She could taste the disgusting flavor of testosterone on her tongue from where she sat in the middle. "Am I in hell?"

"No," Max Lieberman stated, appearing through the entrance and leaning a hand against the frame as a smug expression slathered his features. He totted a gray school backpack, lazily hanging from one shoulder as if he had been on his merry way to class and chose to take a detour instead. Avery would have laughed at the sad notion that she could've been an afterthought had she not known it was well beyond regular school hours. "but you're about to be." She watched him walk further into the room, at least playing bright enough by stopping at a safe distance before he set down the bag. "Do you have any idea why you're here, Little Wolf?" Max folded his arms across his chest and sent Av's eyes rolling at the way he both attempted and failed at bulking out his biceps. As if he didn't scream arrogant vanity already, god, she hated this fucker.

Avery mockingly cocked her head to the side in contemplation, avoiding moving her arms and pulling on the binds, "Let's see, and correct me if I'm wrong," She added as a sidenote. "I'm here because my cousin had the foresight to know what a piece of shit you really are." Calliope turned him down on multiple occasions, Av knew she tried her best being polite about it, but manners should have flown through the window when Max refused to take her rejections with nobility. However, he persisted and broke the law in the process. Pursuing Calli is one situation, roping in a vampire to turn him was a new low. "If you didn't get the hint the whole stalker vibe is a major turn off for her, then you're real fucking stupid."

"You're here," Max ignored the blonde's last insult, bending down to unzip the backpack and taking a moment rifling through in search of what he was looking for. Two textbooks accidentally slid from the bag, causing Avery to experience the irony that any amount of torture he might inflict would have been tainted by something as innocent as Max's science or calculus book. It became a reminder that vampire or no, he was still a high schooler. Besides, the fact he was even smart enough to take the higher level classes shown he likely compelled his way to the top in order to make himself look better. "Because all Calliope had to do was say yes. And all the fire fucker had to do was back the hell off." Max removed what appeared to be a collar with a rectangular black box attached to the front and a remote from the bookbag, "What did they do instead?" Av's gaze followed him as he moved around the chair and stood behind her, wasting no time fastening the collar around her neck before she realized exactly what it was. The remote should have been a dead giveaway. "You conspire to throw my head at the council's feet. Did they really think I wouldn't know about you, Avery?" Max made his way back around the chair and raised the remote control in his palm, "Whatever, bad dogs get punished."

"Did you really think poking and prodding Griffin at the school dance would've sent him on a rampage? Unlike your impulsive psychopathic ass, he has some self-control." Avery thought for a split second this was a bluff, a scare tactic, as the vampire fiddled with the buttons. He wouldn't seriously torture a little girl, right? Going after the niece of a coven leader, the daughter of a well-trained human and a respected pack advisor, racked up an automatic list of enemies who would tear Max at the seams where he stood for even touching her. And there was Griffin, showing an extreme protectiveness over family and waiting until the asshat bothering his sister received his just desserts from the council. No one hurt Avery and lived. Any shred of doubt disappeared the second Max pressed the button, sending an electric current jolting through Av's body and forcing her back to arch, pushing a groan of pain from her lips. The shock lasted a few seconds, unlikely on the higher setting, but to her, it felt like an hour. "Seriously?" She breathed, obviously winded, but too stubborn to show it. "Yep, Calli will definitely want to screw you now."

"Open your eyes, mutt, you're not understanding the position you're in. This isn't about getting Calliope to fuck me anymore." Max tapped the menu icon button, growing distracted by adjusting the settings. The previous voltage wasn't enough to ignite a lightbulb barely, if he wanted results, it was the only way proving his point by increasing the shocks. "It's about revenge. I wasted years of my life, years, clamoring after that girl. I offered her gifts, favors, slapped on the charm and tried being a goddamn gentleman, and where did that get me? Constant dismissal at every turn. I've twisted my whole world upside down, hell, I've fucking changed my species for her and she's still a cock tease." A scoff escaped from his mouth, head shaking, "And don't get me started on Griffin. Is it really that hard to blow a gasket and almost torch a gymnasium with witnesses? Obviously, that plan failed, but I had a new one."

Max provided no time giving her a chance to offer any sarcastic response that would've cascaded from the girl before his thumb slammed on the button gleefully, sending a maximum electric charge pumping every inch of her muscles from head to toe. It was unlike any sensation she experienced before and she couldn't conceal the pain this time. Mixed signals began misfiring in Avery's brain, shooting spasms in all directions, and sending her whole body into agonizing convulsions. Head tossing back, sharp points jabbed at her bottom lip as her fangs unsheathed before her eyes cracked open, revealing the glowing golden irises. The screams tumbling out of Av's mouth reverberated along the tiled shower walls and, for a second, she was close to blacking out completely. In that moment, despite refusals giving this fuckface satisfaction, all she wanted to do was beg for him to stop. All she needed were her parents, comforting her, telling her everything was going to be okay. Just as the wolf's vision started growing spotty, Max released his hold on the button. Avery slumped in her seat with exhaustion, barely grappling on the strength keeping consciousness.

The vampire casually strolled over and stood in front of Av, tangling his fingers within the girl's hair and yanking her head up so they were staring eye-to-eye. "He wasn't going out with some dignity, pooch, and that's a sure fire way to piss me off, let me tell you. Didn't bank on your cousin keeping his cool, so I had to do a little improvising." His fingernails scraped Avery's scalp as the grip further tightened. Max didn't mind playing the role of villain, monologuing and laying out the plan when he held the upper advantage anyway. The twins would soon know what became of the little pup they held dear. "Andre was a big help, by the way. I had him pretty much compelled from the jump to keep me updated whenever your cousins popped into the diner." He hummed, "And just when I thought I lost a bit of hope, who should he whisper in my ear about but you, Avvie Av. If there was anyone who'd be the perfect weak spot for Cal and Griff, it's you. Sure, you're young, dumb, reckless, but you're family." Max inspected her face with a smirk, absorbing the way the wolf's half-lidded eyes fluttered and how the vein in her neck pulsed as an enticing call. "I'm going to make them watch as they lose everything, starting with you."

Avery could barely concentrate on the jock's lengthy spiel, feeling the absence of altogether straight up laughing in his face for the ridiculousness he portrayed. Yet, she also felt the shame creeping along her spine that neither she nor her cousins could have made any prediction of how far ahead in the game Max was. The scheming, the lying and manipulation, her role as a secret weapon failed spectacularly. He isn't the clueless quarterback Griffin and Calli initially thought had been put on display in order to fool the town, her predicament shone as a glowing example for this as truth. Make a psychopath a vampire and he possesses the power to bring the humans to their knees.

"Good to know you're one of the idiots that think anger's his only personality trait." She mumbled, the low volume forcing Max to lean in that much closer even though his hearing was near impeccable. "When Griffin finds out what you did, I'll die happy knowing he made good on his promise hunting you for sport, Maxie Poo." Avery's lips stretched in a wide, crazed grin that was equal parts Collins as it was an expression she witnessed on her cousin a small handful of occasions. "They're not the ones losing, you pussy assed bitch...you are." She stole the advantage of their proximity and reared her head back, sending it flying forward and connecting their skulls together as hard as she could, the force sending Max stumbling backwards. Avery's vision grew blotched with dark spots again, but it was worth the price as the vampire roared in agitated pain.

"You little brat!" Max pressed a palm to his temple and ignored the irritating pounding spreading through his head as he turned on a heel after regaining his balance, returning to the backpack with hostile intention. "Mark my fucking words," The vampire hissed vehemently as he removed a labeless plastic water bottle from one of the pockets before giving it a hearty shake. Avery's muscles suddenly tensed the moment she saw the purple tint swirling, knowing immediately what it was. Wolfsbane, toxic to her species, a weakening agent. Honestly, she would rather take the shock collar. "I'm not stopping at the twins. I'll destroy any last shred of surviving Killgrove their parents have left and give the council every reason to hunt their asses down." Av began shaking her head frantically as Max unscrewed the cap before stalking over to the wolf, the vampire clearly relishing the panic crossing her expression. "And then when their bodies haven't even grown cold," Max shot out a hand and gripped Avery's chin between his fingers tightly, forcing her mouth open, "You'll be scraping what's left of your parents from the fucking pavement."

Before Avery could jump the defensive, break his wrist in half, anything, a blistering heat instantaneously unfurled within the confines of her mouth as Max unceremoniously poured a substantial helping of the toxin in and snapped her jaw closed so she could experience the full effects without feeling tempted to spit it out. She struggled, sending the liquid from the bottle spilling in every direction nonetheless before what felt like the flesh of her tongue began singeing away. Avery couldn't tell what was the wolfsbane and what was the irony tinge mixing with what remained of the first layer coating her mouth. The path continued down her throat, however, causing the wolf to choke on a combination of what she was force fed and her own blood. It was only when Max released his hold and took a step back did her body do the one thing it could when needing to rid itself of poison, producing a coughing fit that involuntarily expelled the plant from the girl's lips. She spent the long minute retching and dry heaving before croaking out, "You psychopath." No amount of hatred could fully encapsulate how much she needed to watch him die slowly, painfully, until he begged for mercy.

"Yeah, so what, fuck nugget?" Max replaced the lid on the bottle and threw it back in the backpack, unzipping the side pocket and removing a syringe filled to the brim with the same venom she was given a taste of. From his researching and general asking around, wolfsbane stung like a bitch when ingested, but it could knock out two full grown werewolves when injected. He would need her sedated for the next segment of his plan, as weakened as Avery was already, Max preferred dragging her back to her cousins not kicking and screaming. "I'm so looking forward to rubbing the state of you in their faces." For the second time that night, the corners of Av's lips stretched across her face, smearing the blood still present in the wolf's mouth over the whites of her teeth. The action was unsettling, enough that it caught Max Lieberman off-guard. "What?" He boomed.

Avery turned her head, spitting to the side briefly and then focusing her gaze on a man who would no longer survive the week as far as she knew. "You don't have any idea the war you just started, Maxi Pad, but I promise...Griffin will finish it. I can't wait to watch a vampire get roasted alive like a fucking marshmallow." If it wasn't Griffin or even the council, her parents would guarantee an execution worthy of a monstrous bloodsucker who dared lay a finger on their daughter. Avery had proposed ripping Max limb from limb, well, it looks as if she'll receive her granted wish. No one would pray for this asshole after he was gone, no one mourning his loss. Anyone who raises a son with murderous tendencies maybe deserved the same fate. "They'll be scraping what's left of you from the fucking pavement." Avery slammed Max's previous words back in his face with the level of sass and arrogance her mother might applaud.

Max used his thumb to flick off the cap of the needle with an impatient growl, "It's time to shut the fuck up now, you stupid brat. Jesus, you're more talkative than my mother four beers in." He stepped around and stood behind Avery, learning his lesson the first time by avoiding any possibility of physical contact from the front. Av knew what was coming before he jabbed her in the side of the neck, his finger pushing down on the plunger and littering her veins with the wolfsbane-tinted sedative. Her head slowly dropped, fighting hard against the sleep as she always had when she was younger. "Nighty night, Little Wolf." Max's voice sounded from a great distance, the words drifting through in a desolate echo, and pulling Avery further and further from consciousness. She felt herself beginning to float weightlessly, just enough that it almost seemed peaceful.

It was a world where the pain went away. No Maxwell Lieberman plaguing her nightmares, no shock collars or torture sessions, no councils dictating her home. Bliss, a heavenly paradise. But even in this world Avery knew she would crash and fall with flames when reality set back in. Her life was hanging by a thread at Max's mercy, who pulled the strings and played with literal fire for his amusement. She could either face the destruction or run.

Avery had an execution to attend when she awoke, there is nothing on earth that would ever stop her from being the first in line to see Max fucking Lieberman's head roll. That is an unbroken promise.

[averyxvaughn]

Fracturing // self para

Avery needed out of the house, plain and simple. The last week has been nothing but barricading herself in her room, only strategically leaving for sustenance, and actively avoiding Griffin as much as she could when living under the same roof still. She completely shut down after arriving home that night she found Jace and wouldn't bother giving anyone the pleasure to see her emotionally break, deciding isolation was the better punishment before Griffin could make that choice for her. He might think the contrary, but he continuously dictated her life without even lifting a finger. Public perception meant everything in Killgrove and you sometimes die by the double edged sword of another's opinion. Avery wanted to enjoy what every young girl in her 20s should, but on the other end, there were times she just needed to be left alone. Having friends created danger while having none sent her on a depressive path.

Av made it to the gym successfully without any delay, giving the owner Ruby a half-assed but polite wave as she passed her office. The gym was open to any and all species, but it became a comforting hub specifically for the werewolves who needed a place to hone their abilities and let off some steam. More times than not did she find amusement watching fellow pack mates get their asses handed to them in the boxing ring, especially when she was the one doing the butt-kicking. This time, though, Avery found a spot in front of a punching bag that was suspended from the ceiling, dropping her bag at her feet and removing the roll of tape from the side pocket. Unraveling just enough, she began the routine of wrapping a strip around the majority of her right hand nice and tight before doing the same with the other.

That's the only real benefit of training, nothing else mattered but the sound of punches making contact with the leather and the chatter from those looking to escape in their own headspace like she was. Avery placed a headphone in each ear and blasted her workout playlist to a volume not recommended, adjusting the position of her feet and jutting out an arm, landing a practice throw to test the waters before beginning the routine. It was like a choreographed dance, bouncing from one foot to the other and ramming her fists into the firm surface of the bag. The movements were slow at first, the speed at which a beginner would toss their punches, and then quicker and concise. The bag would sway forward and back with each throw, creaking the chains holding it in place. One punch, two punches in a row, as if beating the thing to death will solve her problems. She remembered the days spent here with Jace who would sit and watch his girlfriend spar before taking her out for milkshakes at Andre's afterwards knowing that nothing could make her feel better than food.

Jace, the newest ghost haunting her. No matter how viciously she scrubbed at her hands, Avery knew his blood would never rub off. They both thought they were playing cautious, hiding their text messages, limiting their visits in public and the worst still happened. He died in the name of love, a crime punished for the supposed sins of his parents, as if their affiliation with a dead Alpha meant he was a terrible person who would bring harm upon her. Malcolm may have been gone, but his terror casted a residual among his former pack members. Griffin clearly never forgot nor would he ever forgive, not even at his baby cousin's expense. The thought sent Avery's closed fist flying toward the punching bag too aggressively, sending it swinging up, but instead of coming back towards her as anticipated, it collided with someone on the other side, who caught it in her hands and ceased its movement.

"Hey, Av." Olivia VanWarren poked her head around the bag at the girl and stepped forward until the object was settled in a resting position. Avery lowered her fists as the older woman released her hold and stepped to the side, gesturing to the earbuds briefly before the blonde ripped them both out to listen. "I thought I might find you here, sweetheart." Avery released a scoff and started back up her punches, knowing immediately why Olivia sought her out and making it clear that's a subject she did not wish to broach. Liv kept a distance at first when the news broke, giving her pseudo niece the space she deserved, until the moment presented itself that she could stay away no longer. "Spencer's worried about you. So am I, quite frankly." She watched Avery continue throwing the punches, ignoring the course the conversation will head. "Tessa told me about what happened to Jace."

"Maybe Tessa should show a little more care in who she rats out in this town. It clearly doesn't end well for some." Av stopped what she was doing and couldn't help snapping back. Despite the fact the pack would have heard the tragic news by word of mouth, she spilled everything to Tessa in confidence. It probably wasn't fair pointing blame at Spencer's daughter for sharing the loss with people who are meant to be her family, but a part of herself believed she deserved suffering alone. Jace was hers, her secret, her first love, her mate, and couldn't face a reality where he wasn't here. "We were the idiots thinking we could sneak around without getting caught. That's all there is and all there ever was."

"The fact you needed to hide in the first place is the root of the problem, Avery, and you know that." Olivia delicately replied, breathing a sigh when the girl returned to what she was previously doing as if her heart would stop if she didn't keep punching her troubles away. Av almost wished she forgone the tape, instead allowing the leather slice and burn her knuckles raw until the stinging erased the crushing pain tearing her insides to shreds. "You collapsing in on yourself isn't healthy, honey. Hiding away in your room on your own isn't healthy. Look, I'm not expecting you to turn up the water works, you have every right grieving the way you want, but Av," Liv shot out her hands again and caught the punching bag, leaving no distractions between her and the girl, "Don't shut us out."

Avery immediately slammed her fist into the bag in agitation before turning around on her heel and creating distance, a palm wiping the sweat from her forehead. "What the fuck do you want me to say, Aunt Livvy?" She turned to face the brunette wolf, wanting to growl every response, but failing to conceal the unimaginable loss on her features. "That the thought of my cousin torturing my boyfriend to death doesn't make me want to tear into his throat? That it makes me want to scream through the streets so everyone knows what happens if they ever got close to me? Or the truth my grieving could be perceived as a weakness? I'm angry, okay, I'm angry." She ground out forcibly, "Griffin doesn't give a shit how his actions affect anyone around him. It never mattered if I loved Jace, my cousin saw a threat and nothing else. So, this is me finally accepting what I was too fucking dumb to see," Avery swept her arms in a hopeless shrug, "I'm not supposed to have anyone."

"You still had us. The pack." Olivia pointedly offered, the stern kindness she was known for as the den mother of the Chamberlain pack crossing her expression. It never sat right with her how Avery's cousin took a massive control over her life, working his hand in who she interacted with or the monitoring of activities when it came down to pack-related matters. His safeguard cocooned Av within an eternity of pure isolation and became a repellent from those too succumbed by their fear to make her a friend. "No, I didn't." Avery projected her counter-argument with bluntness, "If he thought having a pack wasn't absolutely required for a werewolf, he would have been perfectly okay sequestering me from being a part of something that could potentially put his last living relative at fucking risk. Going to anyone in the pack felt like some kind of risk I couldn't take." Her eyes dropped to her wrapped fists, flexing her fingers distractedly, "I'm always this danger to everybody around me. They all die."

"Avvie," Olivia stepped forward and reached out to grip the blonde's shoulders in her grasp, head ducking so their gazes would connect, "Is that what you really believe? Jace's death had nothing to do with something you think you did wrong. And neither were your parents' deaths because I know where your thought process was heading." Her eyes finally latched onto the young blonde's, "You aren't a poison taking everyone down with you, honey. You've got one hell of a mouth on you and that appetite of yours leaves me shocked, but don't think for a moment that there's a single mean bone in your body. What happened to Jace is a tragedy I cannot possibly fathom you're going through, but you didn't do this."

"I did do this." Av admittedly quietly, "If I didn't survive the council, he still would be alive. My parents are dead because I made one little mistake trying to do the right thing." She placed her fingers on Olivia's hands and slid them from her shoulders as she took a step backwards, "My cousin wouldn't be going all psycho right now, murdering anyone who looks at him funny. He goes out on these sprees and there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop him." The chuckle spilling from her lips held the sadness mourning the loss of everyone Griffin has ever slaughtered. And somehow, Avery thought it was her fault regardless knowing she potentially could be the only person who can convince him not to hurt someone. He wasn't completely unreasonable, but her cousin did what he wanted. "Griff wasn't always like this, you know. He was caring and loyal and...actually gave a shit about people when his moral compass was intact. And here I am left wondering, maybe this is the day he'll see sense and be the cousin I knew. Or it could be this day, or tomorrow where he'd get better. Maybe next week I'll have my best friend again." Avery nodded once, anger and defeating resignation gracing the wolf's features, "Then I wake up and I realize what can't change. Griffin's gone and he's never coming back."

If Olivia learned anything from the younger pack members under her care, you do not interrupt when they rant, and especially if that member is Avery, who could chew out anyone with a sharp tongue lashing no matter the person standing at the receiving end. Since Mac and Harley's passing, she felt it her responsibility to be there for the girl where Griffin might lack, but Liv stayed in her lane with unspoken criticism with how Avery's cousin watched over her. She and Spencer both tried playing the parental figure, yet, what was best for Av wasn't what Griff thought it is. "This isn't the life your parents wanted for you, baby girl. Thinking the responsibility of their deaths and so many others weigh on your shoulders. Trapped, held hostage, feeling like you're mourning alone." Liv's statement trailed off, her hands clasping together to ceased their fidgeting, "I know this twisted level of protection he has is coming from a caring place, Avery, but don't allow him to drill inside your head that you deserve the world he created around you."

"I don't have the choice, Aunt Olivia." The wolf began aggressively unwinding the tape from around her left hand, allowing the motion divert her attention from the woman and the conversational subject matter. Grief and wrath battled each other inside of Avery from the moment she awoke each morning to the time she fell asleep every day for ten years. Ten brutal years figuring out her purpose among her own species and playing pretend by splashing on a brave face weathering any storm Killgrove or Griffin blew her way. Dozens of apologies spilled from Avery's mouth excusing his choices, making promises to calm the waters that she could never keep, understanding she cannot control who Griffin targeted when a poor asshole pissed him off royally. Apologize, shut down, rinse, and fucking repeat. Jace's death was the final straw. "I understand clearly now what I have to do if I want the next person I start caring about to survive." Av removed the tape on the opposite hand and shoved both strips in her gym bag, "From now on, everyone needs to stay away from me. You, Spence, the pack..." As if everybody didn't keep their distance from her anyway, so that wouldn't be a change. Those like the VanWarrens wouldn't listen unless she utilized force. "My time with the Chamberlain pack is over."

"Avery. You cannot tell me you're seriously thinking about lone wolfing it." The hurt touched Olivia's expression, incredulousness lacing the older woman's vocal tone. "Let mine and Spencer's story be the cautionary tale, werewolves like us can barely survive without a pack to lean on every full moon." Not to mention, a wolf's internal instinct thrived for the company of others, to run alone in their true forms was a misery that could potentially kill their species from the inside out. "A Were as young as you," Avery barked a sardonic laugh at the statement while she reached for her bag, briefly cutting off the woman before she continued, "A Were as young as you especially needs a sense of community to learn control."

"Control?" Avery slammed down the bag in her hand with force, channeling the anger from the pain and obviously taking inspiration following a certain fiery role model's lead, "I lost any amount of control I ever had the moment this world decided Griffin and I were the last two fucking standing in our family. Everything about my life has already been chosen for me, who I can spend time with, where I can go without straying from the border, down to what's best suited for my safety. I walk down the street and everybody coming my way runs in the opposite direction. I mean, fuck." She spat the curse with deep-rooted turmoil, "Say you or someone from the pack made a little comment about me and it reached Griffin's ears, what do you think happens then if he found it offensive? He has eyes everywhere, Auntie Olivia, I can't risk it. I will lose my goddamn mind if anyone we know becomes caught in his crossfire." Av watched as the woman shook her head slowly, sensing Olivia's desire to jump at the chance for objection, but the young blonde wouldn't grant the closest thing she possessed to a mother the opportunity, "So, here's what I want you to do. You're going to walk out that door, give Jace the funeral he deserves, and then you and Spencer are going to fuck off."

"You think you're saving our lives, baby, but you're ruining yours." Olivia spoke with an even tone she typically pulled out for the younger wolves who displayed a stubborn attitude and an insurmountable effort testing the limit of her patience. After the temper tantrum ran its course and the juvenile rage subsided, she could easily help find a solution that tied up their problems in a neat bow. Treating this like a tiny solvable problem wouldn't erase the years' of damage inflicted on the girl. In honest truth, Olivia was at a devastating loss with how to help change Avery's mind. "I'm asking you to reconsider. Don't play into the role of a martyr, Av."

"I'm losing my trust in what my cousin will and won't do nowadays, I can't keep believing he still possesses any lick of sanity to know when he's gone too far." Avery shot back her counter-argument with unrelenting determination. She wouldn't reconsider her option, she wouldn't wait for a miracle to come along and mend Griffin's shattered brain, this is the only option ensuring the twins and the pack saw another day. No one would really miss her anyway, so what's the difference if she stayed or abandoned them? "I have to be if it spares everyone else. You aren't becoming another body I have to bury." She pointed an index finger at the gym's exit, "If you stand there and think you can take away my choice, then you're no better than him. Go, Olivia." Avery dropped the half of what she called Liv with intention, hoping it solidified that they shouldn't consider themselves family anymore. All of this was a drastic move, but it might make it easier. "Go." She hissed through clenched teeth.

The battle was lost, it can't be undone when Avery set her sights on a decision. Stubborn, bull-headed, unwavering, all qualities reminding Olivia of the girl's departed mother. The headstrong perseverance dwindled the last ten years, though. She sat on the sidelines and observed Av's personality break down brick by brick, where she typically cared less about what she said, now Avery possessed a filter. She was quiet and contemplative, paranoid and jumping at her own shadow. Olivia made her own choice then, briefly stepping forward and pressing a quick kiss to the girl's left temple in a goodbye. If she had anything to say too, this wasn't a permanent one either. "Taking away your choice is the last thing I'd want, baby girl." She graced Avery with a sad smile, taking her in with overwhelming pride, before walking past the blonde and leaving the gym with every desire of speaking with Spencer about this matter the moment she arrived home.

Avery couldn't stop herself from following Olivia's movements with her gaze as the brunette wolf took her leave, feeling as if someone carved out her heart and was holding it in front of her like a cruel taunt. Max's torment years prior did not hold a candle to voluntarily slicing the binding thread connecting her and the family she made with the Chamberlain pack. She knew this choice had everything to do with Griffin, an opportunity refocusing her energy towards potentially distracting him long enough that she could save lives, at least the killing sprees may cease. Nothing could fix her cousin's psyche, Griff was broken and she was broken too.

She stood there for a moment, fists clenching and unclenching firmly. It seemed ironic to the young woman, how Griffin earned a second chance when the many others he tossed aside carelessly weren't given the same. People who do bad things are merely bad people, are they not? So, what does that make her, struggling to keep her head above water while she waited on a cure-all that untarnished the darkness enveloping Griffin's soul? The instances he left her enraged, stewing with resentment as she found her door locked tight. What family member does that to his cousin? And Jace, optimistic Jace, staked to his bedroom wall and his eyes missing, the images came flooding back through Av's memory and reignited the bitterness. The blood still left a sting in her nose, a nausea on her tongue, a hole buried deep in her chest. Avery suddenly felt the poke of her claws unsheathing jab the flesh of her palms and could see nothing but red. Bright, scarlet-colored, furioso red. For the loss of her parents, her pack, the twins, the council, but most of all, she couldn't deny a majority of her uncontrollable emotions were directed at him.

Avery paid little attention to her behavior in a public setting, feeling an angry surge propel her arm forward and send her claws slashing the leather of the punching bag wide open with a frustrated growl. Other guests had stopped what they were doing, shooting curious glances in her direction, while she heard the squeak of an office chair as Ruby arose from it to check what the fuss was about. She knew she owed the woman a new punching bag, a little duct tape wouldn't erase the jagged rips permanently separating the fabric. Avery dragged her gaze from the gym owner and rested on the destroyed punching bag while she watched the sand slowly empty. How metaphorical. It was a symbol akin to an hourglass, the perfect representation of the werewolf running out of patience and time. She and Griffin were the sins at the bottom of it. Tainted. Fractured. Haunted by their lost family.

It is exactly like Av was standing at the edge of a pyre surrounding the rare few she loved, the town itself, while the logs were neatly stacked for a feast of flames, and resigned to just waiting until Griffin finally lost his mind enough to set it ablaze for good.

[averyxvaughn]

Love and Hate // self para

No one knew the true meaning of suffocation quite like Avery Vaughn. Her life for the first fifteen years were not exactly peachy perfect, but she still had her parents. She still had a home and a pack who never tied her down or displayed the implication free will didn't exist. Avery knew she would have done absolutely anything for her family, so when her cousins requested her assistance on a vampire situation, she was a fool not to jump at the opportunity. Interviewing, surveillance, dropped right in the middle of the action. Av could not recall when the excitement turned to horror. Max Lieberman knew about her part from the beginning, despite Griffin suggesting she remain hidden as a secret, and fuck...did she pay for it. In the end, so had Max. Her cousin inevitably received his wish of violence. There was no turning the vampire in for his crimes to the council, there was no justice providing them the undeniable proof, only vengeance.

Vengeance and the fact that lining up their stories proved worthless when the council uncovered the truth anyway. What was left of Max Lieberman had been unearthed, but they never bothered placing the three conspirators on trial for his murder. Instead, her entire family was rounded up by the dictators to face their punishment. Her Aunt Cassie and Uncle Wilburn failed to keep their twins under control while her parents couldn't snuff out the rebellion from her. In the eyes of the council, it never mattered whose hand Max died at, they were all guilty. Cassie and Wilburn were the first to die, fighting until the very end, before Calliope met the same fate. Avery remembered the blood, so much blood, mixing with her cousin's red tresses before she could no longer tell where Calli's hair ended and the scarlet liquid began. Her family cut down, one by one, left and right, before she realized what was happening. And her parents, god, her parents tried, but no matter how loud she screamed, Avery watched them die before her very eyes. She would have welcomed death's merciful embrace knowing it meant seeing them all again, however...it never came. The council purposefully leaving Griffin as the final kill was a mistake on their part, giving him the opportunity breaking free long enough to drag them both from the horrifying massacre. Their parents were gone, her cousin was dead, now the only two people they had in the world was each other.

That was ten years ago.

A decade later and being under his guardianship didn't become any easier. If anyone asked, Avery found immense satisfaction knowing the council finally received their comeuppance for making her an orphan, but at her cousin's hands? His ultimate downfall into madness. Av could barely walk the streets without the watchful eye, much less attend school, which immediately became out of the question despite only having two years of high school left. The first few years living with Griffin were by far the worst when she fought tooth and nail against the rules just to find her bedroom door locked when he thought that was what's best for her. Avery found, however, the rebellious nature and backtalk lost its edge. He continued acting as if his actions were all for keeping his cousin protected while she suffered in silence, watching her uncertainty of Griffin's promise never to hurt her grow by the day. She knew he wouldn't lay a finger, but there were moments she doubted her judgement.

This day, in particular, did not differ from all the times her well-intentioned guardian barricaded the werewolf in her bedroom. That reason for the imprisonment, though, became a hot topic he was only allowing her to drop once before she knew he would take matters into his own hands. Her boyfriend, her first boyfriend, Jace. Despite the fact being a wolf wasn't good enough for Griffin, the hidden truth that his parents were Winslow pack former members certainly would've spelled danger had he known. Her father taught her how to give second chances, and Jace wasn't a bad person. He understood her plight, was the best listener, and he grounded Avery in a way she never encountered. One visit to go see him, just one. She waited until Griffin vanished from the house, a feat that tested her patience to the extremes, before she utilized a bobby pin to jimmy open the lock keeping the door jammed closed. The click of the knob was music to her ears, singing a song of freedom and a small thrill breaking the rules.

Leaving the mansion was easy, walking the nearly abandoned streets was the harder part. Avery learned paranoia at an all too young age and now was not the exception either. Some would claim it's worse knowing she could never trust anyone in this town who isn't held under Griffin's control. Who knew if the lonely man at the diner wasn't planted at his stool to survey when she ate at Andre's or the nice librarian she borrowed books from hadn't been reporting back to her cousin of her whereabouts. Even the trust in her limited friends list was compromised believing any one of them could betray confidentiality just to remain on Griffin's good side. An important rule Avery lived by, remain tight-lipped around everyone, she never knew who may whisper in an undesirable ear.

Av mainly stuck to the shadows during the course of her walk, her hood pulled over her head and remaining close to the walls of every building she passed. Don't get noticed and do not ever lower your guard whatsoever. Every small sound sent her eyes darting back and forth, peering behind her every so often to ensure she wasn't being followed. That's the advantage of being a werewolf, she could sense the danger lurking around any corner with simple ease and protect herself from all harm. Though, not many attempted to place a target on Avery's back when retaliation led along the path of certain death by fire. A slow execution.

It's a risk Jace took every moment he spent in her company. He was a childhood friend from early school days she reconnected with after a happenstance run-in at Andre's diner and the rest was history. Av couldn't forget how nervous he had been when he first asked her out to a point where she thought he was joking. A cruel prank, gaining some sick enjoyment seeing her reaction when he yanked the rug from under the blonde's feet. There was no punchline, though, just a boy looking to provide a semblance of happiness. In the year they were dating, Avery detested admitting to anybody that she was falling for him even if love seemed a strange concept. It was a notion she questioned her Uncle Spencer about one day who seemed to merely suggest the possibility that she finally found her mate based on the emotions that were described to him. A mate, her mate, imagine a crazy idea like that.

Avery finally reached the front porch of Jace's house he shared with a roommate and stopped at the door for a brief pause while she tugged at the coat hood, fixing her blonde tresses until the locks were smoothed down neatly. It was stupid making any effort looking nice for a fucking boy, but her boyfriend deserved a mostly put-together girlfriend. Slipping the key Jace had given her a month ago from her pocket, she stuck it in the doorknob and unlocked the latch before swinging the door open. "Jace, it's just me." Avery called out into the silence and stuffed the key back in her pocket. "Sorry it took me so long to bust out of my chains, Griffin's being a real asshole lately if you-" The young woman stopped in her tracks almost immediately. Something...something was off. Jace usually came out to greet her by now and his human roommate Matthew spent a lot of his free time playing video games in his bedroom. There was no indication of sound from Matt's room, no controller, no television, not even the game's obnoxious noises and beeps. Dead silent. "Jace, this isn't funny..." She entered the living room, noticing the bag of takeout on the coffee table waiting for the couple, but still no sign of her boyfriend.

"I swear to fucking god you two." Avery turned on her heel to take a step toward the kitchen when the wave of nausea hit the wolf like an immense slap to the face before the freight train kicked her hard in the stomach. Blood. Unmistakable, undeniable, she knew the foul stench from the moment it flooded into her nose. "Fuck." A million thoughts clouded Av's mind, each worst than the last, keeping her feet planted on the carpet. If she walked into that kitchen, what would she see? A bloodbath crime scene? Jace mutilated beyond recognition? A twisted part of her hoped Jace wasn't at home, that he had gone out to grab their dessert, but the only way to know for certain was taking a peek. Avery slowly walked the length between the living room and the kitchen's entrance, swallowing down the bile caught in her throat as she stepped through it. A small silent gasp hitched within the blonde's chest in horror. There Matthew was, sprawled out on the table's flat surface facing up, the large gash gracing his neck forming a scarlet ribbon dripping from both sides. "Oh, fuck, Matty." She stepped closer with hesitation, hand over her mouth and gaze taking in his mutilated form. Avery noticed the gaping hole in his chest just as the toe of her boot brushed up against something sticky. Looking down, she realized quickly what it was. Matt's heart. Alec. A trademark Merriman move.

"Jace." The panic finally began setting in. Avery turned around and fled from the kitchen, zooming through the living room and darting down the hallway where she knew Jace's bedroom resided. The smell of blood wafted in the air again, a different scent from Matthew and providing the answer she knew all along. But she was bound and determined to believe otherwise, that maybe he was still alive. Bleeding out, but unconscious, waiting for someone to rush to his aid. Avery finally reached the room, but found the door locked from the inside. "Jace!" She banged on the door's surface with her fist as hard as she could, turning the knob every which way before slowly crushing the brass in the palm of her hand. "Come on, Av, you can do this." The wolf pressed her shoulder against the wood as a test before bringing her body back and using her entire body to slam against the door. No dice. She attempted again, this time with a frustrated huff, failing to pry open the second go around. "Fucking son of a bitch!" She finally mustered any strength she possessed and rammed into the door, hearing the hinges and bolts finally give way and splintered the wood to pieces as Avery stumbled into the bedroom, colliding with the edge of the mattress.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, prepared the werewolf for the nightmare she came upon. Jace's corpse had been skewered to the wall above his headboard using one of the wooden posts of his bed's frame. Scorch marks and burns littered every inch of his flesh that she could see. Blood poured from his mouth, she wasn't sure where the source was, but something told Av his tongue had been sliced out. Red streaks trailed down the wolf's cheeks as if he cried tears of blood, their origin coming from the black holes where Jace's eyes were ripped from its sockets. "No, no, no, Jace, no!" Avery pressed her palms to the mattress' surface, losing her balance for a moment. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening. She couldn't grow dizzy, not here and now. "Fuck, shit, I'm sorry, Jace. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She climbed on top of the mattress and steadily rose to her feet when she reached the head of the bed, wrapping her hands around the makeshift stake and yanking as hard as she was able. The post gave way as her arm snaked around Jace's waist to support him as he slid down the wall, adjusting the position so she could lay her boyfriend on the mattress, pillow respectfully tucked under his head. "Oh, god, I'm sorry. Forgive me." Av collapsed beside him as a sob escaped, palms brushing over his vacant face and smearing the blood all over her hands. It didn't matter, nothing mattered. "This is my fault, it's all my fault."

"Someone's clearly been a naughty girl." Avery's head snapped up toward the doorway, coming to land on one of the two last people she wanted to see right now. Alec fucking Merriman, returning to the scene of the crime. No doubt sent back here to come retrieve her after she found her little surprise. Alec folded his arms across his chest and nonchalantly leaned against the doorframe, glee touching the smirk stretching his lips. "Secrets are no fun when you don't share with everyone, sweetpea." He pushed off from the frame and stepped further into the room, "Oh, come on, don't give me that look."

Avery wiped her tears away with the back of her sleeve and shot a death glare at the man as she rose to a standing position beside the bed, "You and him both did this, didn't you? Why is it I can never have one happy thing in my life without my cousin fucking everything up?" She spat at Alec vehemently. God, she was livid and she would've been damn sure to show it. "I am so sick and tired of being treated like a goddamn princess he can lock in a fucking tower whenever he chooses." It's so unbelievable how many times she should remind Griffin that she was family, not a prisoner chained to him by blood relation that must follow the rules.

"You had to see this coming, Avery." Alec lifted his eyes in a roll and surveyed the little blonde spitfire who obviously did not appreciate a favor when she saw it. "You lied to my best friend that knows you like the back of his hand. Did you really think you could hide the fact that you were sucking face with a mutt who had a connection to the same fucker that tormented his mother? Your Auntie?" He scoffed incredulously, "He had to go. Now, his little roomie was collateral, I will admit, but you know us, kiddo. We get carried away sometimes." Alec breathed a chuckle and shook his head slowly before sighing, "Alright, enough fucking around. Time to leave."

Av remained where she stood, arms at her sides and fingernails digging sharply into the flesh of her palms. It's a rage she never once experienced in her entire life, no matter how many times she tossed aside the resentment at her cousin's overprotectiveness. Nothing concealed the truth that Griffin was fucked in the head. Psychotic, truly believing he was doing everything right raising his cousin, when it could not be further from the truth. "No." She hissed through clenched teeth, "You can both fuck right off. I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Now, Avery," Alec adopted a tone that suggested he was scolding a young child, which in his mind, he definitely was. Avery could play the brat sometimes when Griffin was nowhere around, leaving his bestie to pick up the slack of the dirty work. Like he honestly cared if she saw him as the bad guy. "Griff's expecting you and if I come back empty-handed, it's probably my heart that will be on the floor next." He waited a moment, giving her the chance, but she didn't budge. Fucking typical. "Okay, we're doing this the hard way." Alec crossed the room and grabbed Avery's forearm, ignoring her protests as he dragged her back through the bedroom's exit.

"God, you're such a fucking barbarian, let go-" Avery struggled under his grip, but found her ability to fight back was slowly dwindling away. There was no point digging heels into the carpet and resist a forced return back home where a lecture will be surely waiting. Down the hall they went, through the living room, past the kitchen and out into a heartless town taken over by somebody she once recognized. Jace was gone. She could say no goodbye, no apologies for what she brought upon the two bodies littering this house. She never told him how she felt every day, terrified to speak the three little words that could change everything. Her first serious relationship tainted by bloodshed and unforgivable murder. Jace, cut down in his prime, became a symbol of everything she could not have in this world, something she didn't deserve. This is her fate, a punishment. Love and hate was such a fine line when it concerned Griffin.

Avery knew it should have been time to accept this is how things will always be for her while her cousin walked the streets, never caring who he hurt even though he did not realize how much he was hurting her.

[averyxvaughn]

↳ 2x02 “Kaer Morhen”