Tangled

92 Ava Clearing the Air (1)

92 Ava: Clearing the Air (II)

My stomach churns, and I get through the rest of the words as quickly as I can. “My heat was uncontrollable, and I had sex with the alpha there. He took care of me and Phoenix kidnapped me when I was shopping with his sister. No, we aren’t mated, but we aren’t strangers, either.”

There.

It’s out.

I peek at Lucas to see his reaction, but he’s just sitting there, his eyes unfocused.

It’s obvious that he’s taking some time to process everything.

My eyes drop to our linked hands, and I wonder if I should pull away before he does.

“Huh,” he says, and squeezes my fingers.

Of all the responses I’d been expecting, that one isn’t on my list.

“Lucas?”

13.27 C

17

92 Ava: Clearing the Air (II)

He smiles at me, a lopsided little one. “I’m going to need a little time to process all this. I don’t understand how you can go into heat without a wolf, for one. But I’m not angry, Ava.”

I narrow my eyes in suspicion. “That doesn’t seem right.”

to xx

He sighs. “I’m… disappointed. In the situation, in how I put you there. In the way things could have gone but didn’t, because of me. I’m angry at myself, and I have

things a bit. But I’m not upset with you, Ava. I don’t want to leave with you thinking that

to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against my knuckles that has my belly fluttering. “I know that you haven’t chosen us yet. I know that there’s a lot more that you haven’t told me. I know that I

Despite the roughness to his voice, his

Clearing the Air

I nod.

of the stress ease from my

angry with

to punch Clayton for touching what’s

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke, Ava.”

doesn’t really sound like he’s joking, so I stare at

him in doubt.

fingers again. “Ava. I

nod. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FɪndNøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the

to give me a chance?”

I nod, again.

both pushed together by this bond, but I want more than that. I want you, heart and soul, with everything inside of you begging to be

37

the Air

I

no secrets, and no regrets.”

longing straight through my body,

other guy touched my mate. I’m the one who lost the right to call you that. I’m the one who pushed you into a situation where you were alone,

the anger.

a string. I don’t know how else to respond except to nod mindlessly at his words.

Don’t feel obligated toward me, toward us, just because I took you out of that place. I want more than obligation toward our fate, Ava.

feel warmth flushing into my cheeks as he presses another kiss against my fingers, before

13.27

Clearing the

sweet, but his actions are

far from

“Lucas-”

sends quivers straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath the blanket, wondering how we’ve

my skin, pressing kiss after kiss into my palm. “But if I want to keep that promise, I’m going to have to walk away from you right now. Fuck. My wolf is going insane. He doesn’t want to talk

with my other hand, gently touching his ‘disheveled hair. “Don’t go yet.”

Lucas nips at my wrist, pulling back with a sigh, and I feel empty with the extra space