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—"

Queen,

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

primly, sitting

it was because you're so..." Trailing off before I can finish the

ice-blue eyes staring deep into my soul. In her dog form, it's adorable. But that mental voice of hers is

"Um. You know. Finicky?"

she curls her lip over her teeth in a silent snarl. I am

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

bare her

silent apology before returning to the packing process Margot had

has a

That's crazy talk.

vague idea forms in my

clothes and tucking them inside, trying to focus on

need to tell Vanessa about me, Selene says, her

thought we're trying to keep you a secret." The more people who know about Selene, the more I feel like she's

those of us who are different, and

need to be shared. It's shackling us. We have no freedom outside of

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

warm and kind. Losing her would be terrible. One of my few allies in Westwood; someone who doesn't look at

Ava. Just like Lisa does. Just like Lucas does, now that he

head. Tell her. Don't tell her. Keep secrets. But why? If I like her, I should

I'm always so

guess that's a weakness

right. Lisa never judged me for being a shifter or for my past. And Lucas... was angry at first, but he's been nothing but

Ava. She deserves to know the truth, and we could

nod slowly, my decision made. "Okay. We'll

being that she needs to agree with me, of course.

This should help.

when I resume packing as my idea roots into my brain with insistence. "We'll talk to

startled. Vanessa isn't at the