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

Ava. I don’t want to leave

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

intense. Despite the roughness to his voice,

the Air (II)

I nod.

feeling some of the stress

isn’t angry with me.

Clayton

“I wasn’t–he didn’t-”

joke,

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

him in doubt.

again. “Ava. I fucked up, right?”

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

give

I nod, again.

I know that we’re 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 mine. I want to know that

37

Clearing the Air

I

secrets, and

a quiver of longing straight through my

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

all the anger. Okay?”

tear escapes, feeling a little like a puppet on a string. I

You need to have 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

another kiss against my fingers, before turning my hand over to nuzzle his mouth against

13.27

the Air (II)

sweet, but his

that’s far from

“Lucas-”

my skin, and his groan sends quivers straight into the very core of me. I shift beneath the blanket, wondering how we’ve gone from emotional admissions

palm. “But if I want to keep that promise, I’m going to have to

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

eyes. His wolf is here, straining for control. Lucas nips at my wrist, pulling back with a sigh, and I feel empty with the extra space between us.