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?”

DE

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,

in the chaos, your family and Alpha Renard

I nod again.

he says, as if

tilt my head. “I don’t care what happens to them.” Too bad

in critical condition due to the wolfsbane I

Clearing the Air

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

a huge demon of vengeance in my soul

mate that I’m a raging psychopath. He’s treating me so carefully as he tells me all these things, and not a single one has

rough fingers between mine. He must think I need

as rogues. I’ll be back every few days. Right now, another alpha is helping

rub the lines on his brow. “You’ll do great,” I assure him. “But before you go, I

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the Air (1)

something.”

“other alpha” must be Clayton; that’s why he called.

out soon. I

have a few minutes. There’s a flight tonight that I have to

need. I just need you to promise to listen without getting too upset.”

with my words. “Whatever you have to

to worry about them. “When I was taken from Cedarwood,

fingers going slack against mine, and his brows

Cedarwood who caught my scent. I

417

the

heat without a wolf?” Lucas

and I freeze.

know

mine, unwavering. “At the Gala, I’d been under the impression you were working with your family–with the

he looked at me with such

It took us a long time. to get someone into the pack to get the information, but I heard

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

contrition.

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