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

I don’t want to leave with you thinking that this changes anything on my end.”

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 fucked up. And I’m not going to do it again, not when you’re right here. I’ve already

eyes are intense. Despite the roughness to his voice, his words are calm and unhurried as

the Air (II)

I nod.

finally feeling some of the

angry with

Clayton for

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke, Ava.”

he doesn’t really sound like he’s joking, so

him in doubt.

sighs, and kisses my fingers again. “Ava. I fucked up, right?”

to access

give me a

I nod, again.

I want you, heart and soul, with

37

Ava: Clearing the Air (II)

between us. I

secrets, and

of longing straight through my body, and

that if I’m going to run around like a feral wolf, snarling about how some 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

the

feeling a little like a puppet on a string. I

your -chance to be angry with me. 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. I

presses another kiss against my fingers, before turning my hand over to nuzzle his mouth against my open palm.

13.27

the Air

sweet, but his actions are stirring

that’s far

“Lucas-”

into the very core of me. I shift beneath the blanket, wondering how we’ve gone from emotional admissions two seconds ago to this.

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 anymore. He’s been crazy about

my other hand, gently

here, straining for control. Lucas nips at my wrist, pulling back with a sigh, and I feel empty with the extra space