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.”

input from me, I nod to

family and Alpha Renard escaped,

I nod again.

your pack,” he says,

care what happens to them.” Too

critical condition due

the

sadness, anxiety, worry, or other emotions that

huge demon of vengeance in my soul that is happy

I 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 things, and

reaches for my hand, sliding his rough fingers between mine. He must think I need comfort, and

be back every few days. Right now, another alpha is helping

on his brow. “You’ll do great,” I assure him. “But before you go, I have to tell you

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Clearing the Air (1)

something.”

The “other alpha” must be Clayton; that’s why he called. Maybe Clayton doesn’t realize

soon. I have to head this off

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

I need. I just need you to

words. “Whatever you have to tell

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

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

some rogues in Cedarwood who caught my scent. I was going into heat-”

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Clearing the Air

into heat without

and I freeze.

know about

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

at me with such intense hatred.

took us a long time. to get someone into the pack

his thumb rubs over the back of my hand, over

contrition.

night. You would have been safe. I was so focused on how I felt about