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.”

he seems to want some sort of input from me, I nod

the chaos, your family and Alpha Renard escaped, but the territory is under our control.”

I nod again.

he says, as if

head. “I don’t care what happens to them.” Too bad all the important people escaped.

critical condition due to the

Clearing the Air (1)

lot of things right now. Like sadness, anxiety, worry, or other emotions that would be applicable to a

demon of vengeance in my soul that is happy at his words.

He’s treating me so carefully as he tells me all these things, and not a single

rough fingers between mine. He must think I need comfort, and I’m not sure how to break

letting them go as rogues. I’ll be back every few days. Right now, another alpha is helping me keep things in control over there, but I can’t just let other people

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

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Ava: Clearing the Air

something.”

twists. The “other alpha” must be Clayton; that’s

am yet, but they’ll figure it out soon. I have

checks his watch. “I only have a few minutes. There’s a flight tonight that I have to make.”

need you to promise to listen without

face is admirably calm with my words. “Whatever you have to tell me, don’t worry, Ava. I won’t think less of you.”

about them. “When I was taken

and his brows come together in thought. “No? Then who…?”

were some rogues in Cedarwood who caught my scent. I was

417

the

heat without a

and I freeze.

do you know about

the Gala, I’d been under the impression you were working

that’s why he looked at me with such

into you. It took us a long time. to get someone into the pack to get the information, but I heard that you were wolfless and not treated

thumb rubs over

contrition.

so sorry, Ava. If I had just kept my head out of my ass, I would have brought you back with me that night. You would have been safe. I was so focused on how I felt about your alpha that I didn’t stop to think that I should have