Tangled

91 Ava Clearing the Air (0)

91 Ava: Clearing the Air (I)

All my thoughts circle into some sort of insane melodrama right out of Selene’s favorite TV show, and I slap my hands against my face, rubbing hard against my cheeks, as though I can push the tears right back into my eyes.

“Sorry,” I say, as Lucas rests a worried hand against my back, stroking me like you would pet a puppy. It’s cute.

He doesn’t seem to know what to do with me, while

I’m just grateful that he’s trying.

Once I’m sure my tears are gone, I smile up at him. “I’m just frazzled.”

“You’ve been through a lot. Did I upset you when I took -the phone call?”

“No!” The word bursts from me in horror. Does he

think I’m that kind of person, who gets upset when he has to do important things instead of watching me sit in a hospital bed? “Not at all.”

He blows out a breath in what I’m sure is massive relief. No one wants a mate that high maintenance. “Are you upset that I have to leave?”

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91 Ava: Clearing the Air (1)

I cringe. “It isn’t that.” I just came to some insane levels of assumptions. “Why… do you have to go?”

“Ah.” Now he looks uncomfortable, and takes a seat on my bed, grabbing my hand.

Oh, God. This can’t be good.

“Once we were safe, Kellan–my beta–led a force of my men into the heart of the Blackwood pack.” I must not look devastated enough, because he clarifies, “In

an act of war.”

want some sort of input from me, I nod to

in the chaos, your family and Alpha Renard escaped, but the

I nod again.

over your pack,” he says, as if I’m not

tilt my head. “I don’t care what happens

condition due

Ava: Clearing the Air (1)

think I’m probably supposed to feel a lot of things right now. Like sadness, anxiety, worry, or other emotions that would be applicable to a good daughter.

huge demon of vengeance in my soul that is happy at his

possible future mate that I’m a raging psychopath. He’s treating me so carefully as he tells me all these things, and

must think I need comfort, and I’m not sure how to break it

there’s a lot of work to be done. We are working on disavowing every wolf from the Blackwood Pack and integrating them into ours, or letting them go as rogues. I’ll be back every few days. Right now,

looks agonized, and I don’t resist the urge to reach out and rub the lines on his brow. “You’ll do great,” I assure him. “But before you go, I have to tell you S~ᴇaʀᴄh the (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early

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Clearing the

something.”

Clayton; that’s why

am yet, but they’ll figure it out soon. I have to head this off before

checks his watch. “I only have a few minutes. There’s a flight

minutes is all I need. I just need you to promise to listen without

tenses, but his face is admirably calm with my words. “Whatever you have to tell me, don’t worry, Ava. I won’t

words seem odd, but I don’t have time to worry about them. “When I was taken from Cedarwood, it wasn’t by my family.”

has his fingers going slack against mine, and his brows come together in thought.

a deep breath. “There were some rogues in Cedarwood who caught

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Ava: Clearing the Air

heat without a wolf?” Lucas asks,

and I freeze.

know

I’d been under the impression you

looked at

a long time. to get someone into the pack to get

over his face, and his thumb rubs over the back of my hand, over

contrition.

would have brought you back with me that night. You would have been safe. I was