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

not upset with you, Ava. I don’t want to leave with you thinking that

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 fucked up. And I’m not going to do it again,

golden eyes are intense. Despite the roughness to his voice, his words

Clearing the Air (II)

I nod.

you,” I whisper, finally feeling some of the stress

isn’t angry with me.

have to punch Clayton for touching

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

a joke,

really sound like he’s

him in doubt.

kisses my fingers again. “Ava. I fucked

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

you willing to give me a chance?”

I nod, again.

than that. I want you, heart and soul, with everything inside of you begging to be mine. I

37

Clearing the

us. I

secrets, and no

a quiver of longing straight through my body, and tears to

can’t have 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

all the anger.

a string.

me. Don’t feel obligated toward me, toward us, just because I took

he presses another kiss against my fingers, before turning

13.27

the

sweet, but his actions are

that’s far from innocent.

“Lucas-”

tongue darts out to taste my skin, and his groan sends quivers straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath the blanket, wondering how

he murmurs against my skin, pressing kiss after kiss into my palm. “But if I want to keep that promise, I’m going to have to walk

hand, gently touching his

for control. Lucas nips at my wrist, pulling back with a sigh, and