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.

to keep

even around the walls I’ve built to keep it safe.

<

Ava: Their

with the beta or another high–ranking shifter in the pack, but Westwood sent her back home, closing the

uncomfortably in my seat. Was this before or after

tainted. Was it all pack

continues, “Westwood’s been accusing us of

they’re being attacked by rogue wolves.”

between him and

sense.

we have rogues encroaching

clear evidence of a war brewing between each pack.” His brown eyes, cold like Dad’s, bore into mine. “That’s what’s kept

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Their

for a year

to avoid any large–scale

that I understand, even as I’m confused

has increased since the Lunar

entire body

him in the garden,

Ava?”

who he was, and he was flirting with me. Once he found out my name, he left.” I hide the rest of the truth. There are things none of these

Once we heard that, we put every pack in the Northwestern Territories on alert for you. We needed to find

was.”

explains the sudden shifter presence

Their Plans (1)

in the Novel Grind watching me must have been trying to see if I was masking my scent–either that, or

must have happened in the

told us to leave you

why my family didn’t look for me. I want to roll my eyes at the blatant gaslighting, but I just keep listening, wanting to know

interaction with the Westwood alpha after he kicked Jessa out of the territory, things changed, and Alpha Renard developed a keen interest in bringing you back. I was in charge of it all. I even went to find your friend at your little job, and

Go, Lisa!

our plans. Are you sure you haven’t let anything slip?”

head again, in firm denial. “I

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Their Plans (1)

realized who I was, he turned

whatsoever.

be able to smell