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, I nod to show that

and Alpha Renard escaped, but the territory is under

I nod again.

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

care what

critical condition due to the

Clearing the Air (1)

probably supposed to feel a lot of things right now. Like sadness,

demon of vengeance in my

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

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

Blackwood Pack and integrating them into 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 other people do my work for me, even if I want to stay

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

317

Clearing the Air

something.”

Clayton; that’s why he called.

they’ll figure it out soon. I have to head this off before

minutes. There’s a flight tonight that I

all I need. I just need

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

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

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

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

417

Clearing the Air (1)

you go into heat without a wolf?” Lucas

and I freeze.

know about

Gala, I’d been under the impression you were working with your family–with

why he looked at me with

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 well

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

contrition.

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