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.

just wants to keep his

the walls I’ve built to

<

Ava: Their

to the Westwood territory, under the guise of attending college. His plan was for her to mate with the beta or another high–ranking shifter in the pack, but Westwood sent her back home, closing the boundary to all shifters from our

in my seat. Was this before or after Lucas suddenly decided to come to me

of his actions feel somehow tainted.

a moment to process as he continues, “Westwood’s been accusing us of

proven is that they’re being attacked by rogue wolves.”

the conversation between him

sense.

have rogues encroaching

off for now as there is no clear evidence of a war brewing between each pack.” His brown eyes, cold like Dad’s, bore

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Their Plans

going on for a year or more, and we

avoid any large–scale conflicts

nod to indicate that I understand, even as I’m confused

aggressiveness has increased since the Lunar Gala.

body

were with him in the garden, and he left in anger. What did

Ava?”

Once he found out my name, he left.” I hide the rest of the truth. There

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

was.”

the sudden

Ava Their Plans

must have been out searching. The ones in the Novel Grind watching me must have been trying to see if I was masking

have happened in the garden,

you

want to roll my eyes

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

Go, Lisa!

about our plans. Are you sure you haven’t let anything slip?” Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to

shake my head again, in firm denial. “I

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Ava: Their Plans

realized who I was, he turned into a different person.”

whatsoever.

must be able to smell it on me, because he