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.”

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

Renard escaped, but the territory is under

I nod again.

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

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

mother is in the hospital. She’s in critical condition due to the wolfsbane I injected her with.”

Clearing the Air (1)

probably supposed to feel a lot of things right now. Like sadness, anxiety, worry, or other emotions

there’s a huge demon of vengeance in my soul that is happy at his words.

because I don’t want to show my possible future mate that I’m a raging psychopath. He’s treating me so carefully

rough fingers between mine. He must think

wolf from the Blackwood Pack and integrating them into ours, or letting them go as rogues. I’ll be back

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

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Ava: Clearing the

something.”

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

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

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

few minutes is all I need. I just need you to promise to

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

have time to worry about them. “When I was

mine, and his brows

Cedarwood who caught my scent. I was

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the Air

go into heat without a

and I freeze.

do you know

eyes meet mine, unwavering. “At the Gala, I’d been under the impression you were working with your family–with the alpha of your pack.”

looked at me with such intense

time. to get someone into the pack to get the information, but I

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

contrition.

kept my head out of my ass, I would have brought you back with me that night. You would have been