Tangled

67 Ava: Their Plans (I)

Every day that passes is a slight uptick in my stress level. Mom and Dad are never home, busy with something. I haven’t seen Phoenix since the day we spoke in the kitchen. And Jessa has been less than receptive over talking about future plans with me.

The fragile alliance feels like it’s crackling away beneath my fingers, like old paper that disintegrates

with the faintest touch.

So when Phoenix comes by without Jessa around, dismissing my guards, my heart jumps into my throat. It’s hard to swallow the water I’d just sipped out of one of mom’s coffee mugs.

“Hi.”

“Hey.” Phoenix looks me over, rubbing his left brow in a mannerism that’s new to me. “They’re planning the mating ceremony for next week. Mom’s in charge.”

“Oh.”

What else is there to say? We all knew it was coming.

It’s odd how peace flows through me at the

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67 Ava: Their Plans (1)

announcement. It’s like my body understands that I’m either going to escape or die trying, because there’s no way in hell I’ll ever let Alpha Renard near me like that.

“Have they sent you to the healer yet?”

I shake my head. “I haven’t heard a word about any of

this.”

Phoenix sits at the kitchen table, so I sit across from him, setting my glass of water aside. The tightness in my throat makes it too hard to swallow. “How much do you know about the pack situation, Ava?”

My lips quirk up into a mocking smile. “How often do you think people inform me about anything, Phoenix?”

He nods slightly, acknowledging my words but otherwise unmoved by them. It’s just a clear indicator that he’s only here for his own interests. Despite everything, he’s not here to save his sister. He’s not here to care about me, or what happens to me.

wants to keep his

even around the walls I’ve built to keep it

<

Ava: Their

for her to mate with the beta or another

Was this before or after Lucas suddenly decided to come

tainted. Was it all

continues, “Westwood’s been accusing

has proven is that they’re being attacked by

between him and Dad

sense.

rogues encroaching on our side,

of a war brewing between

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67 Ava: Their

going on for a year

managed to avoid any large–scale conflicts

even as I’m confused he’s telling me

has increased since the Lunar

entire body

have reports that you were with him in the garden, and he left in

Ava?”

head. “Nothing. I didn’t know who he was, and he was flirting with me. Once he found out my name, he left.” I

a sigh. “We had reports that Lucas had been sniffing around, trying to get information on you. Once we heard that, we put every pack in the Northwestern Territories on alert for you. We needed to find

was.”

the sudden

Their Plans (1)

ones in the Novel Grind watching me must have been trying

have happened in

leave you alone,

my eyes at the blatant gaslighting, but I just keep listening, wanting to

our scouts let us know about. your interaction with the Westwood alpha after he kicked Jessa out of the territory, things changed, and Alpha Renard developed a keen interest in

Go, Lisa!

with our enemies, Ava. He thinks they know about our plans. Are you sure you haven’t let anything slip?” Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website

my head again, in firm denial. “I didn’t

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Their

Phoenix. I never got a chance. The moment he realized who I was, he turned into a different person.” That much is truth,

whatsoever.

be able to smell it on me,