Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 167 Ava: Mom's Stronger?

"Mom?" I ask in disbelief.

It can't be. How can Mom be stronger than the pack beta?

In another pack, your mother would have been a strong Luna candidate.

Wow.

I'd always known Mom had a strong presence, but I would have never guessed—never, in a million years, ever—that her wolf is stronger than Dad's.

I wonder how that worked out. Did Mom force her wolf to submit?

It is likely that the alpha did.

"Alpha Renard?"

Correct. An alpha's bond can force submission in any wolf, and change dynamics as he wishes.

I'd heard about things like that, of course. I knew we all had to submit, and I knew he had the power to force submission—but I don't think I've ever heard of him forcing wolves to submit to other wolves.

It happens.

"Wow." Despite my visit with Mom yesterday, I feel a little sorry for her.

A woman like her? With a strong wolf? She must have felt so stifled in this pack.

Your mother is strong in wolf, but weak in human, she explains. Not all souls are well matched.

"You said she would be a strong Luna candidate. Why can't strong female wolves be alphas?"

They can be. They used to be. Selene sounds frustrated. But today's wolves don't recognize it. An alpha today would have been King in my era.

My mind jiggles. A Lycan King.

Wait a second.

"Sister Miriam called you—"

was Queen, in

hanging open. "Wait, you were a queen? Like,

says primly, sitting straight with

called you Lycan Queen, I figured it was because you're so..." Trailing off before I can

I'm so what? Selene tilts her head, those ice-blue eyes staring deep into my soul. In her dog form, it's adorable. But that mental voice of hers is almost

"Um. You know. Finicky?"

as she curls her lip over her teeth in a silent snarl. I am not finicky. Vampires

finicky. Discerning. Yes. Discerning tastes. That's what I meant." I try to keep a straight face, but a

bare her teeth, but

reprieve, I scratch at her neck in silent apology before returning to the packing process Margot had

has a strong

That's crazy talk.

vague idea forms in

and tucking them inside, trying to focus on the task at

about me, Selene

you a secret." The more people who know about Selene,

to those of us who are different, and I have no interest in spreading that

be shared. It's shackling us. We have

do so. "I don't know, Selene. What if it ruins our friendship? Vanessa might feel betrayed that I kept this from

terrible. One of my few allies in Westwood; someone who doesn't look at me with weighted stares and

and accept you, Ava. Just like Lisa does. Just

all apart in my head. Tell her. Don't tell her. Keep secrets. But

I'm always so

a

me for being a shifter or for my past. And Lucas... was angry at first, but he's been nothing

deserves to know the truth, and we could

slowly, my decision

Lucas' rules if she agrees with me. The caveat being that she needs to agree with me, of course. And she holds significant sway over her

This should help.

I resume packing as my idea roots into my brain

sounds startled. Vanessa isn't at