Claiming Pretty

1. The Burden of Buried Memories

This book romanticizes obsessive and toxic behaviors, extreme jealousy, kidnapping and very dubious consent.

Unearthing trauma. Ava's journey begins shrouded in the fog of suppressed memories, a consequence of the Professor's abuse and the Sochai's memory suppressors. Ty, her childhood best friend, takes it upon himself to "cure" her through a series of unconventional and morally dubious "therapy" sessions at Blackthorn Hall. These sessions, often involving dubious consent and physical restraint, are designed to force Ava to confront her past.

The Professor's depravity. During these sessions, Ava slowly recalls the horrors inflicted upon her by the Professor, Ty and Ciaran's father. She remembers being drugged with hot chocolate, the cold hands, and the suffocating helplessness of her abuse. This process is excruciating, but it is through this forced confrontation that Ava begins to piece together the truth of her past.

A path to strength. While the methods are extreme, Ty believes this painful process is essential for Ava's healing and empowerment. He aims to make her stronger, capable of facing the darkness head-on, rather than remaining a victim. This foundation of recovered memory becomes crucial for her later fight against the Sochai.

2. A Brother's Sacrifice and a Broken Promise

I’d sacrificed too much, risked too much, to lose her now.

Ty's ultimate sacrifice. Ava's initial attempt to poison the Professor, driven by desperation to end his abuse, is ultimately completed by Ciaran. However, Ty, out of a deep, protective love for Ava, takes the blame for his father's murder and endures years in prison. This act of self-sacrifice is a pivotal moment, shaping the future dynamics between the trio.

Ciaran's broken vow. Before going to prison, Ty extracts a solemn promise from Ciaran: to protect Ava but never touch her. Ciaran, believing Ty to be dead, eventually breaks this promise, falling deeply in love with Ava and initiating a passionate, albeit complicated, relationship with her. This betrayal fuels Ty's later jealousy and sets the stage for their intense rivalry.

The weight of guilt. Both brothers carry immense guilt related to Ava. Ty for not protecting her from their father's abuse, and Ciaran for letting Ty go to prison and for breaking his promise. These burdens drive their actions and their fierce protectiveness over Ava, often leading to conflict.

3. The Unraveling of a Twisted Family

My father had been hurting Ava. He’d been drugging her—and hurting her.

A monstrous legacy. The investigation into the Sochai reveals the full extent of the Professor's depravity. His journals detail his "research" – experiments on his own wife, Mona, and the creation of memory suppressors. He saw Ava as his "gift," a muse for his twisted scientific pursuits, further cementing his role as a central figure in the Sochai's abuses.

The Sochai's reach. The trio discovers that the Sochai is deeply embedded within Darkmoor University and Irish society, with prominent figures like Dean McCarthy, Cormac Foley Senior, and Commissioner O'Neill involved. This network of power and corruption makes their mission to expose the society incredibly dangerous.

A family's dark secrets. The Professor's journals also hint at his desire for his sons to join the Sochai, seeing Ciaran as a potential "High Lord" due to his "raw, untamed darkness." This revelation adds another layer of horror to the family's history and the insidious nature of the society's influence.

4. Ava's Conflicted Heart

I love you both.

Torn between two loves. Ava finds herself in an agonizing emotional bind, deeply in love with both Ty and Ciaran. Her heart is split, pulled by different aspects of each brother:

• Ty: Represents safety, understanding, and a deep, unwavering connection forged through shared trauma and his relentless pursuit of her healing.
• Ciaran: Embodies passion, wildness, and a fierce, possessive love that offers a sense of belonging and protection.

The cost of indecision. This emotional entanglement creates immense tension and conflict between the brothers, who view Ava as a prize to be won. Their rivalry, fueled by jealousy and their own complex history, threatens to tear them—and Ava—apart. Ava's inability to choose causes her profound guilt and distress.

A love that transforms. Despite the pain, Ava's love for both brothers is genuine, reflecting her own growth and the different ways they have shaped her. She acknowledges that she has changed and loves the person she is becoming, but fears losing herself to Ciaran's intensity or hurting Ty's unwavering devotion.

5. The High Lord's Deceptive Riddle

“Chase the raven with the Gardener’s gift, across the dark moors to where the winter sun stands still.”

A cryptic challenge. Ciaran receives a riddle as his initiation into the Sochai, a test designed to prove his worthiness and understanding of their twisted codes. The riddle is: "Chase the raven with the Gardener’s gift, across the dark moors to where the winter sun stands still."

Deciphering the clues. Ava, with her intimate knowledge of the Professor's methods and the Darkmoor campus, helps unravel the riddle:

• "Winter sun stands still" refers to the Darkmoor passagetomb, a site aligned with the winter solstice.
• "The Gardener" is the Professor's code name.
• The "Gardener's gift" is Ava herself, as the Professor referred to her in his journals.
• "Chasing" is the Professor's code for administering a potion.

Ava's central role. The deciphered riddle reveals Ava's horrifying role in the initiation: Ciaran must bring her to the passagetomb, seemingly unconscious, after administering a potion called "The Raven." This plan, though terrifying, becomes their only perceived way to infiltrate the Sochai and expose its High Lord.

6. The Ultimate Test of Deception

“I’ll lie down right here, and you can do whatever you want to me. I won’t move a muscle.”

A dangerous gambit. To convince Ciaran to go through with the plan, Ava proposes a harrowing test: she will feign unconsciousness while Ciaran does "whatever he wants" to her, proving her ability to deceive the Sochai. This is a high-stakes demonstration of her control and resilience.

Enduring the ordeal. Ava lies motionless on a table, enduring sexual acts from both Ciaran and Ty, who take turns testing her resolve. She fights every instinct to react, moan, or flinch, drawing on a deep, dark core of control. This "test" is a brutal reminder of her past trauma but also a testament to her newfound strength.

Victory through stillness. Ava successfully passes the test, remaining completely still and silent despite the intense physical and emotional assault. Her unwavering composure convinces Ciaran that she can fool the Sochai, setting the stage for their infiltration of the passagetomb. This moment highlights her incredible mental fortitude and determination.

7. Ebony: The High Lord Revealed

“I am the High Lord.”

A shocking betrayal. Inside the passagetomb, after Ciaran's "initiation," Ava confronts the smaller, unarmed guard, who reveals herself to be Ebony, Ava's adopted mother. This revelation shatters Ava's perception of her guardian, exposing Ebony as the true High Lord of the Sochai.

A victim turned perpetrator. Ebony confesses to being the doctor who performed Ava's forced abortion, coerced by her own father, the previous High Lord. However, instead of breaking free, Ebony chose to perpetuate the system, believing she could "clean up" the Sochai and steer it towards "good." She systematically eliminated the "daughters" (including Liath) to protect the society's secrets.

The depth of corruption. Ebony's transformation from a victim to the architect of further suffering highlights the insidious nature of the Sochai's power. Her cold detachment and twisted justifications for her actions reveal a profound moral corruption, making her a formidable and deeply personal adversary for Ava.

8. The Impossible Choice and Ty's Final Act

“You… and one of them.”

An agonizing ultimatum. Trapped by Ebony and her guards, Ava, Ciaran, and Ty face an impossible choice. Ebony, as the High Lord, offers Ava a cruel deal: she can leave with one brother, while the other remains behind as collateral, ensuring Ava's silence. If Ava refuses, all three will die.

Ty's ultimate sacrifice. Paralyzed by the decision, Ava cannot choose. In a heartbreaking act of self-sacrifice, Ty steps forward, offering himself to Ebony. He believes Ava truly loves Ciaran and that his own sacrifice will ensure her happiness and freedom with the man she desires.

A love that transcends. Ty's final act is driven by a profound, selfless love for Ava, a love he believes is unrequited. He accepts his fate, willing to endure imprisonment and torture if it means Ava can live a full life, even if it's with his brother. His last words to Ava are a declaration of his boundless love, "I love you more."

9. A Love Misunderstood

“I love you more, too,” I sobbed, the words pouring out uncontrollably. “I’ve always loved you! I choose you, Ty.”

The truth revealed too late. As Ty is taken away, Ava's grief and desperation shatter her composure. She screams her true feelings into the phone, confessing her love for Ty and choosing him, but the call is cut off, and he never hears her. This agonizing moment reveals the tragic misunderstanding at the heart of their relationship.

Ty's enduring presence. Ava realizes that it was Ty, not Ciaran, whom she had fallen for first, the one who remembered her dream house and had always been her anchor. His unwavering presence, his understanding of her deepest self, and his quiet devotion had always been the true foundation of her heart.

The weight of regret. The realization that her love for Ty was always there, obscured by trauma and the complexities of her relationships, leaves Ava with profound regret. She is left with the crushing knowledge that the man she truly loved sacrificed himself believing she loved another.

10. Justice and a New Path

“Twenty-four hours,” I repeated, my voice hollow, my resolve absolute. “And then we come for you.”

Exposing the Sochai. Despite her personal heartbreak, Ava, with Ciaran's help, exposes Ebony and the Sochai. Ciaran's hacking skills reveal the digital blackmail files, and Ava broadcasts the truth to the world, bringing down the corrupt organization and its high-ranking members.

Ebony's downfall. Ava confronts Ebony, revealing her knowledge of Ebony's past as a victim and her current role as a perpetrator. She gives Ebony 24 hours to flee Ireland, promising to hunt her down if she ever returns. This act of justice, though tinged with personal pain, marks Ava's transformation into a formidable force.

Ciaran's solitary quest. Having overheard Ava's confession of love for Ty, Ciaran is heartbroken but accepts her choice. Unable to be with Ava, he embarks on a solitary mission to hunt down the remaining members of the Sochai, seeking justice for their victims and perhaps, a path to redemption for himself. Ava, now free, is left to navigate a future forever marked by the sacrifices made and the love lost.

Last updated: October 19, 2025