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 to show that I’m

and Alpha Renard escaped, but the territory is under

I nod again.

your pack,” he says,

tilt my head. “I don’t care what

in critical condition due to the wolfsbane I

the

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

in my soul that is happy at his

say, because I don’t want to show my possible future mate that I’m a raging psychopath. He’s treating me so carefully as he tells me all these

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

ours, or 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

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

317

the Air (1)

something.”

be Clayton; that’s why he called. Maybe Clayton

figure it out soon. I have to

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

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

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

about them. “When I was taken from Cedarwood, it wasn’t by my

slack against mine, and his brows come together in thought. “No? Then who…?”

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

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Ava: Clearing the Air (1)

can you go into heat without a wolf?” Lucas asks,

and I freeze.

know about that?”

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

that’s why he looked at me with such intense hatred.

time. to get someone into the pack to get

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

contrition.

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