Sonya is trying to force as shift as the office door swings open.

Avery turns around, her snout in place of her nose and mouth, and her claws out, ready to attack anybody who goes near her.

"As useless as ever," a red-headed woman sighs, shaking her head as her eyes land on Avery.

Avery forces her shift to stop, and her face reverts back to normal.

"Louisa. I thought you were too busy to come to see your brother," she mutters, her rage still simmering.

"Well, I have to tell Mom and Dad about little junior here," her sister shrugs coldly, holding her stomach as if she's expecting somebody to attack it.

"Cool. Go do that, then," Avery responds, raising a brow.

"I heard about you shacking up with an Alpha. I'm surprised you're here, I expected you to be under him," her sister snipes, and Avery clenches her jaw a little.

"No, unlike you, I care about my family, and I'm where I'm needed," Avery retorts, opening her laptop and ignoring her sister.

Louisa grits her teeth, and then hears footsteps.

A devious smirk comes onto her lips, and she suddenly bursts into tears.

"Mom, Avery called me fat!" She cries, and Avery looks up, startled at the sudden outburst.

"No, I didn't," she sighs when she realises the noise is from her sister.

"Avery, be nice to your sister. You know she isn't as thin as you," Marie warns, and Avery shakes her head irritably.

She continues typing on her laptop while her mother consoles her sister.

"She's always been so mean to me, why can't she be as nice to me as I am to her?" Louisa blubbers and Marie sighs, patting her middle child on her shoulder.

"She's so wild and crazy," she adds, letting the crocodile tears run down her cheeks.

"Get out," Avery shrugs, looking up from her laptop and pushing her glasses back up her nose.

"What?" Louisa asks, looking slightly angry at the dismissal.

"Avery, be nice," Marie scolds, and Avery turns to stare at her mother briefly before her eyes return to her sister.

"I am acting Alpha, and I have a lot more to do than deal with a hormonal she-wolf who can't fight her own battles," Avery calmly responds, "So either shut up and sit down, or get the fuck out of my office."

Marie frowns, shaking her head and trying to usher Louisa out of the office.

"You don't have to be so rude about it, you could just say you were working," she snaps, and Avery stares at her blankly.

"Did you think I was playing Candy Crush or something when I was typing?" She asks coldly, putting her head back down and completely ignoring her stroppy sister.

Even her wolf is annoying, Sonya grumbles.

When the door to Avery's office closes, she sits back in her seat.

She really didn't need any more drama this week, or in this day alone.

She has the Roman situation to deal with - it was improper of her just to hang up - the York situation, and the Louisa issue. Where her monstrous sister went, her apologetic and irritated mate was sure to follow.

She fills out some files and responds to some emails for about an hour and a half, just to fulfil her admin quota for the day so that Kathleen doesn't murder her.

Avery runs a hand through her hair a tad more aggressively than she intended to, almost ripping some hair out.

"Shit," she mutters, remembering that it was curled to perfection before she started messing with it.

"Okay," she murmurs, pacing the room agitatedly.

She could deal with York first, at least he couldn't speak back.

Walking to the hospital building, she flashes her pass and makes her way to the private wing, finding her brother's room robotically with no effort.

She scoffs when she notices there's nobody in the room and clenches her jaw as she sits down.

"Hey, Yorkie," she begins, sighing.

"It's weird without you. Sonya says Ezra isn't speaking to her either, so the sooner you wake up, the better for both of us," she laughs weakly.

"Louisa is here. She couldn't help but make me look bad in front of Mum. Roman called. He apologised, but we definitely didn't end that call on a good note. He isn't letting Unfortunates in his pack have relationships with rejected mates. So basically, they can't have families," she murmurs, summarising her day as she always does for her brother.

"I finally got my hair done. I don't look like a badger now. Mabel sends her love to you," she adds, staring at the wall as she holds her brother's hand.

She thinks she feels his hand twitch, but when she looks down at him, she realises it must have just been her.

"The man who raped Freya and made the poison that did this to you - I told you about him yesterday - has been arrested and is being transported here. I'll get answers out of him somehow," Avery sighs.

"I wish you were here to make your stupid jokes, I really miss you," she whispers, her eyes tearing up.

She blinks them away fiercely, rubbing at her eyes aggressively.

She sits in silence for a few more minutes with her younger brother, before she fixes his pillows and moisturises his face.

"I've to go now, but I'll be back tomorrow. I think Louisa will be with mum, so for the Goddesses sake, don't wake up when she's here, or she'll think she's a miracle worker," Avery rolls her eyes, pressing a kiss to York's forehead before she leaves.

When she's almost back to the packhouse, she gets a message from her father, telling her to go to their home.

She isn't sure why, but she feels so drained that she doesn't ask any questions, merely touching up her lipstick and fixing her hair in her phone camera before she arrives.

Her pale green dress is silky and long, perfect for the changing weather in their pack. It's supposed to be summer, but it's still breezy and sometimes chilly.

She rings the doorbell to the house while she fixes the low neckline of her dress, ensuring that she won't flash her family when she walks.

"Ave, Lou is home," Richard mutters, his face grim.

"I know Dad, she came to visit me in my office," she mumbles back, her face similarly murderous.

"Your mother showed up here with her, fawning over her. How long is she staying?" Richard asks in a hushed tone as they walk into the kitchen.

"Hopefully two days maximum, or I'm going to go on a vacation as far away as possible," Avery responds quietly, and Richard snorts.

"Book two plane tickets, you're not leaving me here with them," he chuckles, clapping his oldest child on the shoulder.

"Why did you guys want me here?" She asks, and Richard shrugs.

"Your mum told me to get you, and I followed her orders," he sighs, and the two sit at the table.

Did you know she was coming?, Richard links Avery, and Avery shakes her head.

I asked her to over a month ago when York first got sick. She said she was too busy, Avery responds, her tone mocking in the last few words.

I'm so glad to hear that she's as considerate as ever, Richard rolls his eyes.

Louisa was his wife's creation. He had taken Avery under his wing immediately, due to her being the firstborn and technical heir. York had been taken by his father too, due to being the only boy. Marie, though, had taken Louisa. She had pampered her and spoiled her, and Richard took no pleasure in or credit for his middle child.

Marie and Louisa flounce into the kitchen, and the two at the table stare at them with matching blank expressions.

"Goddess, Avery, no wonder you can't find a man, you look like one," Louisa snorts cruelly, and Avery grits her teeth.

Richard opens his mouth to say something, but Avery beats him to it.

"Goddess, Louisa," she mimics, "at least I'm not a bitch who everyone hates."

Louisa looks at her mother and pouts, and Marie gives Avery a warning look.

Richard notices this, and he clears his throat.

"Louisa, Avery is acting Alpha. One more insult like that, and she can have you ordered to the cellars for the rest of your stay," he snarls, and Avery raises a brow.

Thanks, dad, she calls to him, and she can spot the barest hints of a smile on his lips.

"Richard, you can't say that, she's pregnant," Marie squawks, and Avery rolls her eyes.

"And I'm an Unfortunate," she retorts, leaning against the wall.

Richard shrugs, staring at his wife.

"Pregnant? Wonderful," he mutters, not able to hide his irritation.

Dad, come on, you can't be so mean about it, Avery quickly sends to him, and Richard looks at her in surprise.

She's such a horrible person, he groans.

Yeah, but that horrible person will decide if we get to see my niece or nephew in the future. It's up to us to make that child a decent person, she reminds him, and he grits his teeth.

"Wonderful, a baby! My first grandchild!" He forces himself to be happy, but he can't help but feel pity for Avery at the same time.

It should be her giving him his first grandchild, and to him, this is just another reminder of what Avery will never have.

Marie hasn't had this thought cross her mind yet, and is instead consumed by images of bows and flowers and baby toys.

"You guys should go tell York," Avery suggests, "he'd kill you if he woke up and didn't know."

"I don't really want my baby exposed to a vegetable," Louisa says mockingly, and Avery stands up from her seat.

"Mom, shut her up, or I'm throwing her in the cellars for disrespect to the Alpha," she warns, and Richard stands up too.

Marie is extremely displeased with what Louisa said, and she gives her an angry look before she wraps her hand around her daughter's bicep, and squeezes.

"We're going to see your brother, don't be so unkind," her mother scolds, and Avery resists the urge to snort at the so-called reprimand.

Louisa is tugged out of the door, and when they open the door, a figure is in the way.

"Is Avery here?" It asks, and Avery scowls, folding her arms.

"Yes, she is, and she doesn't want to see you," she responds for herself, and Roman steps into the light, sweaty and slightly mucky.

Avery doesn't look anywhere but his face, although Louisa does.

"Oh my Goddess," the red-head mutters, and Avery scowls at her, too.

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