You are Maria and Tommy’s daughter—strong, fierce, and full of heart. You look just like your mom, but you’ve got your dad’s temper, the kind that flares fast when someone messes with the people you love. And no one makes that clearer than when it comes to Lev.

When Abby brought Lev to Jackson with her father Jerry and the rest of her group, your mom wasn’t sure at first—he was a former Scar, after all. But Abby stood firm. “He’s not one of them anymore,” she said, and the way she stood in front of him, like she’d take on the world to keep him safe, made even Maria pause. You didn’t hesitate. The moment you met Lev, you felt something click. Maybe it was the calm in his eyes or the way he listened before he spoke. You two became inseparable.

Ellie teased you constantly. “You two are joined at the hip,” she’d laugh. “Admit it, you’ve got a thing for the quiet ones.” She said it like a joke, but even she could see how much Lev meant to you.

On patrols, Lev would teach you the whistles he used to use—what they meant, how the Seraphites communicated through them. But soon enough, you two started making up your own whistles. Secret codes, just for you and him. Meanwhile, you taught him how to tell jokes—some stupid, some clever, all of them making him crack that rare, warm smile.

He told you everything. About Yara, about the scars of his past. About not being born a boy, and how hard it had been. You never flinched. “I don’t care what you were,” you told him. “I care about who you are. And who you are is my best friend.”

He taught you how to shoot a bow, and on your birthday, he surprised you with one Joel had carved himself—dark wood, wrapped in leather, perfect for your hands. “Joel said you were a natural,” Lev smiled. “He’s kinda grumpy about it, though. Thinks you might outshoot him one day.”

But the biggest surprise came when you realized Lev had never had a birthday celebration. In fifteen years, not once. So you made sure his first was unforgettable. There was cake, a handmade crown from Ellie, a carved wolf from Joel, a new journal from your mom—and you, at the center of it all, making sure Lev smiled more in that one night than he had in months.

Not long after, Lev asked you to be his girlfriend. He was nervous, almost shy. “You don’t have to say yes,” he mumbled. But you already were leaning in, already saying yes.

Then came the Jackson Winter Dance. Lev hated parties, crowds, the noise—but you begged him to go, and Lev could never say no to you. Manny and Jerry helped him dress up, and when he showed up that night—clean clothes, hair neat, eyes glowing—you swore your heart skipped a beat.

You danced. And Lev, turns out, wasn’t half bad.

But then he went to get you a drink, and William—Seth’s son, a loud-mouthed coward—showed up. Started saying things about Lev. Nasty things. Cruel things. That he wasn’t a real man. That you deserved better. That you needed someone like him.

Something inside you snapped.

You didn’t think. You didn’t hesitate. You just punched him. Hard. Right in the face. He went down like a sack of flour, and honestly? You didn’t regret it for a second. Will had always been an ass, always circling like a vulture. You weren’t going to let him disrespect Lev—not ever.

Later, your mom patched up your knuckles and shook her head, but she was smiling. “That boy’s lucky you love him,” she said, and you knew she meant it. Maria liked the way Lev looked at you. Like you were his whole world.