Tangled

90 Lucas Worries

90 Lucas: Worries

LUCAS

Only half my attention is on the information Clayton’s passing me. The rest of it is on the bandaged little she–wolf just beyond the door. Her scent has been changing daily, and I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. It isn’t a bad change, but it’s different.

Add that to the way she blew up when my phone rang, and I’m starting to get a little worried that I haven’t been around for her during such a traumatic time. She’d been kidnapped, even if it was by her own family, and then viciously attacked after trying to run away. On top of it all, she has a mate that was stupid enough to reject her.

I’m sure she has no idea how much she can rely on me, and I can’t blame her for being so evasive with her affection. We’ve made progress, but I keep pushing my luck–touching her, kissing her forehead, sniffing around her when I think she doesn’t notice…

“Lucas? Are you still there?” Clayton’s voice cuts through my distracted haze.

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90 Lucas Worries

“Yes, I’m here.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, halting my pacing in the hospital corridor. My obsession with Ava is becoming problematic, but my wolf is irritated that I took any focus from my brain onto anything else. If it was up to him, we’d be glued to her side until our mating mark was a year old on her neck.

“You need to focus,” Clayton admonishes, his words laced with an edge I rarely hear from him. “This situation demands our full attention.”

I nod, even though he can’t see me. He flew in to help manage the Blackwood Pack, and I ditched him to see Ava in the hospital. He deserves my full attention. Clayton’s too good of a friend for me to be distracted over my personal issues.

“You’re right. Go ahead.”

Clayton’s voice takes on a grim quality. “We’ve received reports of increased rogue activity in the area. It appears they may be mobilizing for an attack. Renard and the entire Grey family is still missing, along with a few other players from the pack. Our scouts are of the opinion that these rogues are working for Renard in some way, and might even be connected with the Unregistered. We’ve yet to locate

90 Lucas. Worries

any connections with either of them, but we aren’t done looking.”

A low growl rumbles in my chest. The mere mention of Renard and Ava’s shitty family ignites a simmering fury within me. After what they’ve done to her, I won’t rest until they’re all corpses.

“And Grace?”

“She’s still in the hospital. All treatment has been withdrawn, and they’re keeping an eye on her. So far, she’s stable, but still in a coma. If she doesn’t wake up soon, she’ll die of dehydration before the wolfsbane gets her.”

“Good.” I have no remorse over this. The bitch deserves that and more. I only wish she was awake for the pain.

“How are we dealing with the situation with the

rogues?”

gather more intelligence,” Clayton responds, his tone even and

of course-”

internal,” I finish for him, running a

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90 Lucas Worries

“I know. We don’t know

not to rise against us while

against anyone.”

schools of thought. Imprison everyone,

where they

cons to

Yes, there are pros and cons to both, but

safe.

everyone in the Blackwood Pack is

raze them to the ground the first night.

little harsh?” Clayton suggests. “The Council might side with you on the evidence, but they aren’t going

murder.”

you kill the

points out,

sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and

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90 Lucas Worries

don’t care if they’re

But Ava might.

even with everything she’s

tomorrow. Between us, we might get a decent

excel at

“Thanks.”

one in your debt.” I frown,

Weird.

Almost squirrely, even.

back here so we can figure shit out. Is your…

She woke up this morning. She’s doing pretty good, all things considered. I hate having to leave her, though.”

that before you decided to take over

not wrong, though. “I’ll get everything settled here and let her know I’ll be

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90 Lucas: Worries

realizing that he’s been there for me this entire time instead of looking

Yeah, I did.”

I don’t pry. We don’t do that kind of shit. “All right, man. Thanks again. I’ll see you in the morning.

talk to Ava.”