Tangled

85 Ava: Lucas Visits

Lucas strides into the room from behind the wearied

nurse. His presence is much as I remember–like a lion surveying his territory, confident in his domination over everything in his sight.

This is the Alpha.

Even after everything that’s happened, the sight of him still sends a ripple of attraction and unease through me, a reminder of our complicated history.

But this time, there’s a huge part of me that wants to dash over and lift my head, baring my neck to him. To roll and rub against him with whimpers of submission.

I shove that part deep into a dark hole inside of me and close the fucking door.

Lucas moves with such fluid grace, despite his

towering height–he’s at least six–three, rivaling Alpha Renard’s imposing ability to loom.

His hair is tousled, falling into a loose mess around his face and shoulders, and judging by the dark circles beneath his amber eyes, he’s been up all night.

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And speaking of his eyes…

I try to avoid them, but it’s like there’s a force that pulls me into his gaze. It’s different from any time before. At the Gala, they’d burned with desire and curiosity. In Cedarwood, there was always an aching longing in their depths. Today?

They’re intense, smoldering with rage that wars with relief. His jaw is clenched, his face set in a way that I’d have expected him to be a grim reaper instead of a visitor. But his brow settles out of its deep furrow and relaxes a little when he sees me, and the wrinkles

around his eyes relax.

As he approaches my bedside, I can’t help but lean toward him, into the scent of campfire smoke and something smooth and sensual beneath. A dizzying fragrance that has my heart yearning toward him. It should be comforting, but it sets me on edge as I try to pull myself back, waking myself from the brief

intoxication with the man that the fates have deigned

to mate me to.

with him anymore. I guess that’s what

you’re wiped from the world’s

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Lucas

book.

too busy staring at

and takes a seat next to my bed. His gaze lingers on the bandages on my face and neck, before sliding down to my abdomen. His fingers twitch, and he links his hands in his lap.

I know he’s fighting his urge to reach out and touch me.

It’s… cute.

As long as I don’t move around, I don’t hurt too

tiny stool. “Ellison’s a good

he’s actually good at what he’s supposed to do.

warned. He won’t bother

care of, there will be other wolves

think they can all be

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Ava Lucas

of so easily.

for me.” The blanket is soft between my fingers, easy to twist. I can’t meet Lucas‘ gaze as I struggle to

of mine, quelling the anxious tugging of fabric. “I’ll always come for you, Ava. No matter how things go

still, quiet beneath the

at our touch, a comfort I can get only from his proximity. One of the reasons I wasn’t

memories.

intense stare burns into the side of my face, and I shift uncomfortably beneath the

one of my hands away from his and bring it up to touch my hair, which must look terrible after everything I’ve been

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Lucas Visits

looking at me like that.

a shiver down my spine. “You’re

hint of mockery. But his amber eyes are warm with

at the

real smile is always seen in

throat as I take in the rugged angles of his face, the way his dark hair falls in tousled waves around those high cheekbones. Even bruised and bandaged as I am, something in his gaze makes me feel beautiful in a way I’ve never

even with Clayton–but I shove that guilt down, not ready to deal with those