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.”

sort of input from me, I nod to

family and Alpha Renard escaped, but the territory is under

I nod again.

he says, as

what happens to them.” Too bad all the important people

is in the hospital. She’s in critical condition due to the wolfsbane I

Ava: Clearing the Air (1)

lot of things right now. Like sadness, anxiety, worry, or

a huge demon of vengeance in my soul that is happy at

He’s treating me so carefully as he tells me

reaches for my hand, sliding his rough fingers between mine. He must think I need comfort, and I’m not sure

and integrating them into ours, or letting them go as rogues. I’ll be back every few days. Right now, another alpha is

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 you S~ᴇaʀᴄh the (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ

317

Clearing the

something.”

alpha” must be Clayton; that’s why he

out soon. I have

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

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

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

to worry about them. “When I was

and his

take a deep breath. “There were some rogues in Cedarwood who caught my scent. I was going into heat-”

417

the Air (1)

heat without a wolf?” Lucas asks,

and I freeze.

you know about

under the impression you were working with your family–with the alpha of

that’s why he looked at me

the Gala, I looked into you. It took us a long time. to get someone into the pack

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

contrition.

have brought 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 to think that I should