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, in my

"Wait, you were a queen? Like, an actual

primly, sitting straight with

you're so..." Trailing off before I

In her dog form, it's adorable. But that mental voice of hers

"Um. You know. Finicky?"

her lip over her teeth in a silent snarl. I am not finicky. Vampires are finicky

meant." I try to keep a straight face, but a giggle escapes my

continues to bare her teeth, but glances

at her neck in silent apology before returning

a strong

That's crazy talk.

idea forms

tucking them

Selene says, her

we're trying to keep you a secret." The more people who know

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

need to be shared. It's shackling us.

shirt into the suitcase, not really paying attention to how I do so. "I don't know, Selene. What if it ruins our

my few allies

like Lisa does. Just

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

always so

that's a

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

cares about you, Ava. She deserves to know the truth, and we could use her

my decision

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

This should help.

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

She sounds startled.