Abigail called for the match to start, and the second the words left her lips, Ava flew at Argent with everything she had. Holy fuck, Abigail thought. She was so fast. Even faster than she had been fighting Abigail. Even then, some part of her had been holding back.

Argent did nothing but block each of Ava’s blows. Ava launched herself at her again and again, but she couldn’t shake Argent, unmoving as a mountain. Argent wasn’t making any unnecessary movements, wasn’t doing anything but stopping Ava in her tracks each time. Abigail understood immediately; Argent wasn’t going to fight Ava, she was just waiting till she wore herself out.

Abigail watched closely for the moment Ava’s movements started to slow. It took a while, but eventually, Ava lost some of her untouchable speed. She didn’t stop, though, not until Argent finally went on the offensive, knocking Ava to the floor and holding her there.

“Let it go,” Argent said roughly, fighting to hold Ava in place as she surged up again and again. “Don’t hold onto that rage. It will consume you.” Ava continued to thrash against Argent’s grip, but still did not escape.

“Protect them, but don’t let them see this side of you,” Argent continued, voice a low, furious whisper. “Do not let them see you like this. So angry.”

Ava growled, but stopped struggling at last. Argent held her for a beat longer before letting go and backing away.

“Lupus asked you to go over some self-defense with the younger ones right?” Argent asked pointedly. “Go bring them here. Abigail and I will wait here.” Ava obeyed without a word, listening in a way only Argent could ever get her to do.

As soon as Ava was gone, Argent sighed and slid to the floor beside Abigail, leaning her head back against the wall and draping an arm across Abigail’s shoulders. That close, Abigail could see just how much that fight had taken its toll on Argent.

Abigail leaned into Argent, relishing in that steady comfort that comes from being near someone you can always count on, who has never let you down. She’d felt the same way standing next to Ava that first day of school: settled, unafraid, like she’d found a bit of respite from a swift, relentless current.

“How are you, ma chère?” Argent asked, running a hand through Abigail’s hair. Abigail let her eyes drift shut, letting her already sore muscles relax.

“Afraid,” Abigail said, allowing herself to be honest about how she felt for the first time that day. She couldn’t let herself admit to feeling this way before, with Sirius, or the others, but here, with Argent, she be truthful.

“I imagine,” Argent said softly. “You’re safe though,” Argent promised. “No harm will come to you.” Abigail smiled softly.

“I know, you won’t let anything happen,” Abigail responded. Argent squeezed her shoulder until she opened her eyes and met her gaze.

“Not just me,” Argent reminded her. “You have all of us. Including Ava.” Abigail smiled at that.

“You trust her a lot, huh?” Abigail asked. “Why is that? She’s so young, but you place a lot of faith in her. I’m not saying she doesn’t deserve it, but it is unusual.”

“Has she ever told you about how she joined the pack?” Argent asked after a beat. Abigail was surprised to realize that no, Ava hadn’t told her. More surprising was her realization that she didn’t know much of anything about Ava’s life before her own initiation to the pack. She’d never really thought about it before. She said as much and Argent nodded sagely.

“I’m not surprised,” Argent said. “She doesn’t much like to talk about her time before us. It wasn’t easy. It’s not my place to say, either, but I can tell you about her joining.”

“I’d love to hear it,” Abigail said, settling into a more comfortable position. Argent smiled and did the same, eyes crinkling as she did.

“Ava was the first member outside my own family,” Argent began. “It was just Lupus, the twins, and me, and had been for a few years.

“The twins were about seven then, and you can’t imagine how excited they were to have a new sibling. They insisted on calling her their sister, no matter how many times I tried to get them to call her a pack member.

“I won’t get into the details on how she came to be with us, but she was nine when she joined. She was the reason I decided to start a blended pack, actually,” Argent added with a booming laugh.

“I had never planned on such a big pack before, just on my own little family, but I met her and I realized that there would be many more just like her, who needed a home and a family to look out for them. So Lupus and I took her in, and she became the first of many.”

“But that doesn’t answer my question,” Abigail reminded her. “What makes you put so much faith in her?”

“She has never let me down once,” Argent said simply. “And she has always gone far beyond what I have ever asked of her. I know I can trust her, because she has never given me any reason not to, and everything she does is in the best interest of the pack."

“But that isn’t a real reason. I mean sure, she loves the pack, but so do I and you don’t expect me to protect anyone like she does,” Abigail pointed out. “You trust her to take responsibility for all of us at school, but you’ve yet to say why.”

“So many questions tonight, mon étoile,” Argent said with a smile. “Fine. I trust her to protect you because I know she is the only one who can. Of all of you going to that school, she is the most capable of looking out for everyone. She’s one of the best fighters in the pack, when she takes it seriously. Not when she’s holding back, like she did today. I would hate to face her in a real fight, and not just because I love her.”

“She wasn’t holding back against you, though,” Abigail protested. “Only me, right? You didn’t seem to have much trouble.” Argent smiled grimly.

“Oh, she was holding back,” Argent said. “A lot. She didn’t use her abilities once. If she had, that would have gone very differently. I know she can protect y’all,” she added with a smile.

“Until a Hunter gets her with one of those fucking blades,” Abigail said quietly. “Then she’s just as human as the Hunter.”

“She’ll still win,” Argent promised. “She won’t allow herself to lose. That’s how I know I can trust her. She won’t let me not.”

“Well, you’re right about that,” Abigail said with a laugh. “I would trust her with my life.”

“Let’s just hope you don’t have to.”